Would you rather meet the Pope or Brian McLaren?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I'd actually consider meeting him simply because meeting the pope is so famous that I would feel unprepared and nervous.

But I still voted for the Pope.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

(As for liberal christian authors I'd rather get to know the much more radical John Shelby Spong, who actually shaped my beliefs while I was a christian)

I've been to church with Spong (my father is from the town in North Jersey where he lives). My impression of him is that you either find both the man and his theology interesting and engaging, or you find them both boring and obnoxious as hell. I fall into the latter category.