Tag Archive: Religion and Spirituality


MAY I HAVE THE COURAGE TODAY

Filed under: Books, Music, Poetry — 1 Comment
August 15, 2013

I am grateful to Canadian singer and Wailin’ Jenny,  Ruth Moody who, in the title track to her marvellous new album These Wilder Things, uses the final line from a profoundly moving poem by the late Irish poet, author, priest, and Hegelian philosopher, John O’Donohue, which I’d never read.

Here is the poem in full:

A Morning Offering – by John O’Donohue (1956 – 2008)

I bless the night that nourished my heart
To set the ghosts of longing free
Into the flow and figure of dream
That went to harvest from the dark
Bread for the hunger no one sees. Continue reading →

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DOES GOD BLOG?

Filed under: Atheism, Blogging — Leave a comment
April 10, 2013

The hand of God?

A Day in the Life of a Deity is a blog I would most certainly follow.

Or perhaps He would only have time for the occasion tweet to point mankind to the error of their ways.

Then again he  may only be a lurker surfing the net in search of blasphemous content.

This might explain how He used some divine intervention to block my server yesterday.

God willing, normal service will resume shortly …..

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MY PAGAN POST

Filed under: Atheism, Blogging — Leave a comment
December 7, 2012
Darwin as Santa

Darwin as Santa

Recently, I’ve noticed a strange trend with likers and followers of this blog.

A significant proportion of them are using their virtual space to promote their religious beliefs either to preach to the converted or to alert unbelievers to the errors of their ways.

If you are one of them, you know who you are.

I’m starting to wonder if they are reading something in between the lines of my posts.

Do they see me as a mortal sinner who needs to be saved?

Just to set the record straight I’d  like to state the following:

  • I am an atheist.

  • I do not believe in an afterlife.

  • I do not believe in Gods – interventionist or otherwise.

  • The evil in the world is man-made and can only be undone by man.

  • A person can be a spiritual being without being religious.

  • I don’t seek to impose my lack of belief on others and do not wish others to press their beliefs on me.

Any questions?

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HAPPY TO BE AN ATHEIST

Filed under: Atheism — 1 Comment
December 24, 2011

A fairly dumb article in today’s Guardian by Ian Jack explaining why he doesn’t like to call himself an atheist. He writes: “As a definition, atheism belongs to the same dull category as non-driver or ex-smoker; an inadequate guide to self.” 

Good to read that many of the comments are from people who disagree with him . The most recommended and most intelligent response was from someone calling him/herself  ‘Irritant:

“Atheism is so much more than a religion. It is a commitment on the part of an individual to keep an open mind and base opinions on evidence rather than wishful thinking and superstition. It’s an affirmation of the age of enlightenment that the theists have fought against every step of the way. It’s a statement about the victory of reason”.

I second that emotion.

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WHAT ARE THE NEW MORTAL SINS?

Filed under: Atheism, Blogging, Italy, Television — Leave a comment
April 1, 2011

“When choosing between two evils, I always try the one I’ve never tried before” – Mae West

“Virtue is insufficient temptation” – George Bernard Shaw

We are all sinners but we can all be saved. The notion of sin keeps us vigilant and makes us humble.

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes seven virtues, which correspond inversely to each of the seven deadly sins.

VICES

VIRTUES
Lust Chastity
Gluttony Temperance
Greed Charity
Sloth Diligence
Wrath/Anger Patience
Envy Kindness
Pride Humility

Dissatisfied with the falling numbers coming to confessions, in 2008 the Vatican supplemented this list with seven more sins, presumably on the basis that the more official sins there are, the more potential sinners there will be. Continue reading →

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