Interjection, With Tears
I’ve shied away from gushing at length about my Dad’s death here. Mainly I think of my own “guy” reaction to other people’s family-death turmoils. It’s a personal thing, or should be, and you shouldn’t go flashing it around in public too much.
But I also feel that I owe all of you something. Periodic updates, I guess. Those of you who donated to make possible my visit to his side at the hospital, I want you to know … well, that a very human thing happened, and continues to happen, and it’s all thanks to you. I didn’t want anybody to think I had just shrugged it all off, and that posts months back were the last you’d hear. I still think a book is a real possibility.
Meanwhile, I thought I might give you a little window into what’s going on by posting a brief note from my tape journal from a couple of days ago. Continue reading “Interjection, With Tears”
Never Too Late for a Good Review!
Adam Lee of Daylight Atheism reviewed my book!
His review post is from Feb. 1, but I only just found it.
In this book, he definitively puts to rest the oft-heard stereotype that atheism is a worldview solely for egghead ivory-tower intellectuals, not for heartland salt-of-the-earth folks. As he writes in the intro, “I’ve been a ranch hand, mule packer, wilderness guide, carpenter, truck driver, meat cutter, roofer, and a lot of other stuff besides… This is how I see the world.”
[ … ]
There are sections on the origins of religion, on non-supernatural morality, on the importance of forming true beliefs, on the importance of speaking out, on atheist views of death… and for all the author’s humble origins, it seems suspiciously erudite and clearly argued to me.
The selections were well-chosen, especially in that the author chose to begin and end with his strongest material. The first few introductory essays, in which Fox explains his own life’s journey, tells a wrenching story about the death of his dog, and describes the experience of deconversion – “a moment of brilliant light” – were excellent. And one of the last essays, “The Village”, is an atheist parable that’s one of the best essays in the book, starting slowly but building to unexpected intensity near the end. Check out Hank Fox’s blog; if you like it, you’ll definitely enjoy this book.
Thanks, Adam.
For Christian Teens: Getting Beyond the Unthinkable
I’m thinking of some tri-fold fliers to be handed out to Christian teens. Here’s a first approximation of one of them. Tell me what you think of it, what you’d add, take away, change.
_______________________________
What If … ?
When you think about it, it’s the nuances that have helped we humans advance. The search for all that stuff obscured by the standard wisdom, the common knowledge, the things every sane person knows. Continue reading “For Christian Teens: Getting Beyond the Unthinkable”
Jeez, I Looked Like THAT??
Good news! Well, for me, anyway.
I’ve been invited to do an article for American Atheist Magazine. I just submitted it today, for the March issue.
Part of the thing was a couple of photos I had to send along. Since the piece is about my recent “atheist deals with death” experience, and speaks of my cowboy Dad, the pics were of me and said Dad.
Most of my life, I actually thought I was rather homely, but looking at this pic from 1975, I’m like “Hey, this kid is handsome! That’s ME??” Continue reading “Jeez, I Looked Like THAT??”
The Ashes of a Cowboy
I’m sitting here waiting for the USPS. My Dad’s ashes are coming in the mail today.
I was sort of happy-excited about it all morning, but now I’m thinking “Oh, crap. Here comes a solid reminder that I’ll never be able to hear his warm voice again, or have him invite me in for a slash of apricot brandy.”
That welcoming, wise – and yes, sometimes damned annoying – presence is gone from my life. He won’t BE THERE for me. Ever again.
In case you’ve wondered, after my trip to California that you all donated to make possible, the whole thing is still going on in my life. Continue reading “The Ashes of a Cowboy”
The Angry Atheist Podcast, With Special Guest: Me
Today Daniel Fincke of Camels With Hammers introduced me to Reap Paden, of ReapSowRadio and The Angry Atheist. With about 15 minutes advanced notice, I was suddenly on the air being interviewed.
If you listen past my uhs and y’knows, we have a fairly wide-ranging and — I think — interesting discussion. Reap’s a good interviewer, and someone I’m glad I’ve met at last. I enjoyed the experience so much, it felt like we talked for only about 15 minutes.
Worth a listen:
Ten Reasons I’m Glad I’m an Atheist
These are not necessarily the TOP ten reasons. Maybe they’re not even the ONLY ten reasons. But they’re ten pretty good reasons I’m glad I am an atheist.
1. Sunday morning. Or Saturday. Or whenever. I get to sleep in if I want to. And if I don’t want to – I almost never do – I can get up and do things I want to do, and not things other people expect me to do, in church or otherwise. I don’t feel that I have to be seen worshipping in order to be accepted as a decent person. Continue reading “Ten Reasons I’m Glad I’m an Atheist”
Bringing Skepticism Home
Flicking around the web, I came across the Skeptoid site that sells their “Just Say No” t-shirts.
With each shirt featuring a large “NO.” and then a followup inscription in smaller letters, mostly, the shirts ring true. I loved these: “No, Science is not a bad word.” “No, the Earth is not 6,000 years old.” No, psychic powers aren’t real.”
But glancing through the entire list, I felt occasional pings from my “I’m Not Sure I Entirely Agree” meter. I’m an atheist and a skeptic, which usually applies to religious and mystical matters, but I keep a little of my skepticism in reserve even for the people I normally agree with. Continue reading “Bringing Skepticism Home”
Argh.
Something I’ve been saying for years in private, and will now say again in public, is that I think humans, mostly, are not really very bright. I think we have what I call “fractional intelligence.” The rare Einstein or Newton pops up from the great mass of us and does something brilliant, but for the most part, we’re intellectual also-rans, riding on the coattails of the smart ones. And even the brightest among us don’t shine all the time.
Human intelligence is a sort of collaborative effort. I got a look at the plans for a horseshoe-making machine a few years back, something that was invented at the Burden Iron Works in Troy, New York. Continue reading “Argh.”