As of today, my kids are back in school--which means I get to concentrate again. I'm back to teaching as well, and have lots of writing and some traveling to do in the next few months. Blogging is going to be much lighter, with a real post once or twice a week, and little items (comment-free) in between.
For your delectation, here's an interesting column at the Templeton Big Questions website. The author makes a nice distinction between atheism and anti-theism, and draws a thought-provoking parallel between gods and souls, and then between gods and souls and seemingly more robust mental phenomena--e.g. experienced tastes, colors, etc. (Hmm....) This is supposed to help us see that we don't have to be anti- when it comes to God, even if we are skeptics. We can sort of go along with entities we don't take in all ontological seriousness. In fact, I do think that's what goes on in many religious institutions. Only some are gung-ho about the ontology. Others are "iffy" about it, or don't give it much thought. Still others are naysayers, but like all the trimmings--the soup kitchen, the singing, whatever. The whole thing couldn't continue without the first class, serious believers, but not everyone is or has to be one.
