Category Archives: Pleasure, enthusiasm, and awe
I confess I’m an aweist
Most of us are gratified when reading others’ words that express our own view of life or emotional experience better than we have ourselves. I felt that when reading Phil Zuckerman’s short article “Aweism” in the April/May 2009 edition of … Continue reading
Lust still OK, damaging sentient beings is not
I wrote in a recent post (”Lust,” June 16, 2015) that “Lust and damaging other people in the presence of lust are separable issues.” Naively, that statement seemed to me to be so simple and straightforward as hardly to merit … Continue reading
Lust
OK, relax. This post comes with words only, no pictures Let’s consider lust. Not the symbolic sort like that for power and money—the lust I have in mind is the original type: desire for a sexual partner. What got me … Continue reading
The heavens declare the glory of god
My first attraction to science was a second grade fascination with astronomy, a world of enchantment found in the pages of The Book of Knowledge set of encyclopedias my parents had wisely furnished me. With no in-person adult guidance on … Continue reading
Thanksgiving
Today in America is Thanksgiving Day (Canada’s was last month), a federal holiday in the U. S. since 1863 during the Civil War. It enjoys widespread acceptance across all economic levels, personal philosophies/religions, geographic regions, and political positions. The iconic scenario … Continue reading
Atheism yes, but enthusiastic atheism?
In discussion a few days ago I made an offhand remark about my “enthusiastic atheism.” It occurred to me later that the term, though an accurate description, is an uncommon one. What on earth could even be important, much less … Continue reading
The happy atheist
I know quite a few atheists, agnostics, and Deists. There may be a few whose lives could be described as unfulfilled or unhappy, but no more than among my religious friends. (Of course, in both cases lack of fulfillment or … Continue reading
John just thinking . . . . 