John Horgan faithless miracle observer (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, December 20, 2016, 13:08 (2683 days ago) @ David Turell

HOGAN: "Art, poetry and music can help us pay attention. And so can spiritual rituals, which might explain why so many people who aren’t otherwise religious--including agnostics like me--still celebrate holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah. We especially need these rituals in this most benighted of seasons, when we are prone to dwelling on life’s darker aspects. (My bold)

"The bugbear haunting Christianity and other faiths is the problem of evil. If a loving God created us, why is life often so cruel? But sitting with my family in that circle of stones on Winter Solstice helped me see that birth, beauty, love and laughter also pose problems. If there is no God, and we are here through sheer happenstance, why is life so wonderful? It’s a mystery, which no theory or theology can possibly dispel. I don’t know whom or what to thank, but I’m thankful."

David’s comment: If he paid more attention he might note the miracle a little more closely. It is possible he is an agnostic.

He says he is (see my bold). And of course one does not have to be a believer to be thankful for the miracle of life or to want to study it more closely. Thank you for another lovely article. There are kindred spirits everywhere!