Ed's talk: Aug 22, 2009

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Q&A with Robert Wright (Part 1): There Is Some Larger Purpose At Work in the Universe

I haven't read Mr. Wright's book but from the title and comments on the book, it seems to me that he is unwilling to give up the core of his Southern Baptist beliefs even if he is no longer a Christian.



So what does he mean when he says he is a "spiritual person"? I find that term to be profoundly unsatisfactory. Does he mean he believes the Universe has a purpose? Well yes.Do I? I don't know and I don"t think anyone can ever know. Whose purpose? God's? Darwin's?



I consider myself pretty imaginative especially in my own field of music. Is that spiritual? Depends on the definition of spirituality. I am an agnostic and this is the only stance I can take.



Is this all a question of semantics? Probably.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Q&A with Robert Wright (Part 2): Is Belief in God Any Weirder Than Belief in Electrons?

The basis of primitive religion was the attempt to explain the then inexplicable. Thunder, lightning, fire were at first not understood and early man had need to invent anthropomorphic gods and goddesses to explain them. Now that we know what causes all these phenomena, these deities are unnecessary.



And how did "God" evolve? "He" evolved from primitivism to utter absurdity, as we see in "modern" religion which is no more than a collection of old-wives' tales not much more sophisticated than Zeus and company. We are told that "To him who has faith, no explanation is necessary, to him who has not, bo explanation is possible." That this is a complete cop-out doesn't seem to occur to those who spout this nonsense.



The universe is still as mysterious as ever; let's accept it and be content with what we know without inventing more gods.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost