On Sunday while driving I glimpsed a church sign for some evangelical congregation and it caused a discombobulating moment. My emotions sighed happily, like, "Oh, isn't that nice?" like I would have done as an evangelical Christian. This despite the fact that I've rejected all religion for about 20 years, particularly the kinds that proselytize. ( Read more... )

A friend of mine reflected that he is no longer technically atheist. He is also a poet. This is interesting, and provoked a comment which I record here.

I had a similar epiphany a few years ago when I realized I had become an atheist. My reaction was similar to yours: "This is interesting and unexpected." It was a mystical experience. But I was a ( Read more... )

This post is mostly about Natalie Goldberg and the cycle of creativity, but first an update on 6 Changes. This week went well with my daily intention to declutter. I took something to the dumpster every morning on the way to work. It's going to get harder as I run out of obvious junk, but so far so good. The weekend plans changed: Danny had too ( Read more... )

I am considering writing Pilgrim's Cross from the POV of a supernatural character, a famous one at that. How can an atheist do this credibly?

I have been an atheist, and also an evangelical Christian. Through my childhood I considered myself a Christian without even knowing what it meant. And for a while after I stopped calling myself a Christian ( Read more... )

I've been feeling weepy for the first time since Mom's death. This afternoon I must leave for London, and am overtaken with sadness. Why must I feel sad? Fear would make more sense: fear that Dad's operation will not go smoothly tomorrow. Is sadness an omen? I don't believe in omens.

Tomorrow is Inauguration Day in the United States. Issa (Jane ( Read more... )

The Friendly Atheist provides a PDF file listing concise answers to questions frequently asked of atheists. The last one is, "What happens when we die?" He starts off by saying, "It's not a question we can answer...."

How puzzling, that science yields evidence to explain the origins of the universe and life billions of years ago, but if I should ( Read more... )

Something magical is happening. These meetings with a creative partner have started oiling all the rusty gears, even identified unknown mechanisms in my creative process. I'm getting to know me, and liking this person better. Not that I ever really disliked him, just didn't always know how to work with him. Realizing that privacy is part of the ( Read more... )

The Guardian recently published an interview with Richard Dawkins, British evolutionary biologist, leading proponent of atheism, and author of The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion. People like Dawkins make me squeamish, the same way I suppose many sincere Christians feel sick whenever certain religious leaders open their mouths.Critics accuse him ( Read more... )

Ursula Le Guin reasserts herself as my favourite writer, this strikes so close to my personal credo. Here she reviews a Salman Rushdie novel in The Guardian:Some boast that science has ousted the incomprehensible; others cry that science has driven magic out of the world and plead for “re-enchantment”. But it’s clear that Charles Darwin lived in as ( Read more... )

Religion seems to be the theme of the week. This morning the Rainbow Chorus performed at a service in Waterloo in which Parkminister United Church made its formal declaration as a new affirming congregation.

For those of you who live elsewhere, the United Church of Canada is our most liberal Christian denomination. It's structure is highly ( Read more... )