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Gardeners do not feel threatened when one of the four light bulbs blows out. They conclude that, since the bulb is merely a device—and a self-contained one at that—only the device failed, not the religion. Gardeners seek to replace the bulb with another that retains integrity to the religion’s original or core tenets.

• Some American Christian Gardeners have reconciled the Genesis account of the universe’s creation with science through broad assertions such as that God created the universe to operate by scientific rules—not all of which we understand yet.

• And some American Christian Gardeners are quietly concluding that, in the wake of the death of the taboo banning premarital sex, God intends a broader sexual ethic. This ethic argues that  sexual relationships—between married or unmarried couples—are intended by God to be taken seriously, to be committed and long-term, and dedicated to the mutual care and growth of the couple. (This ethic would also apply to homosexual relationships, especially since homosexuals are not legally permitted to marry in most of the United States.)