There's a certain stigma in our (America's) society, that has been plagued with misinterpretation and hijacking of definition and practice. Pause for a moment and contemplate on the thoughts and feelings this word conjures: skeptic. I'm going to bet some of you felt a little bit of revulsion, maybe exasperation. You may have thought of people stubbornly crossing their arms and claiming defiantly "I don't believe it!" I don't blame you; I'm a skeptic, and I often have the same response.
