he was vaguely deist, but not really....the truth is that he didn't really think about religion long enough to really form a serious belief system. i call myself an atheist out of some serious conviction; it wouldn't be fair to call him an atheist, or even an agnostic, given that he didn't even have that basic level of conviction to uphold it.

if you were to ask him about god, he'd just change the topic. he cared more about hockey than religion.

and, he probably avoided going to church simply because he thought it was boring; going for brunch with me was as much of an escape tactic as anything else. and, it was maybe the only way out that presented him with an acceptable excuse, as well.

she was not religious when they met, but became a pretty staunch evangelical after her own father died. he'd bring up the old cliche from time to time, but very carefully: you have to remember, j, that only bad people need to go to church. and, to an extent, he was maybe on to something.

but, it was really no doubt as simple as preferring the experience of eating breakfast with his child over sitting in a pew, and i don't fault him for that.