Oh well. Suffice it to say, I never need to use title.

Just a href = http:\\blah\blah.htm in angled brackets, and then a label and then open another angle bracket with /a and then close bracket.

Also, can someone explain to my why I need to include [title=""] in my [a] tag in order for it not to cut out half my post and make the rest into a hyperlink?

I'm not sure what you're trying to do. But, if it's a hyperlink, then I use

some label"

Ignore all the quotation marks> I just needed to add something so that my example wouldn't get posted as a hyperlink to Blah.

HTH

What many of my fellow atheists fail to see is that the non-existence of god does not mean that the position is vacant for a human to fill.

Huh? Is there any evidence that any atheist here or elsewhere thinks they can will a truck to stop?

"Spiritual", like "liberal" or "progressive" or "terrorism", has become another battered word with a thousand interpretations.

What many of my fellow atheists fail to see is that the non-existence of god does not mean that the position is vacant for a human to fill. If anyone doubts that, I suggest going down to the interstate, stepping in front of a speeding 18-wheeler, and will it to stop. Tell me how it works for you.

I loved Comte-Sponville's book.

On wishing god existed: I agree with Mikhail Bakunin, "The first revolt is against the supreme tyranny of theology, of the phantom of God. As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth." I can't remember where he wrote it, but Camus has similar sentiments, writing in effect, if there is a god, he has made a mess of things, and we humans must tear him from his throne.

Damn straight!

I do not wish there to be a god (if that word, 'god' even means anything, which I really don't think it does. Even believers have no idea what they mean when they say 'god' or 'god exists'). God claims all seem to entail belief in an aferlife, and it seems to me - and not just to me - that any sort of other life, especially "eternal life" devalues this life. To quote Camus, (who was almost single-handedly responsible for my deconversion, because of his book The Plague, which crystallized the Problem of Evil for me - which is why I reference him so frequently): "If there is sin against life, it consists in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life."

On atheist sprituality: I don't like the word 'spirituality' because it has too many overtones of religion and the supernatural. Can atheists (or perhaps one should say, naturalists or humanists, since there are certainly non-theistic supernatural beliefs) experience beauty, love, awe? Of course. I think we should use those words, though, and not 'spirituality', which is somewhat loaded. I also agree that it makes atheists seem like they wish for a church, or religion, or "faith-community" in which to belong.

Also, can someone explain to my why I need to include [title=""] in my [a] tag in order for it not to cut out half my post and make the rest into a hyperlink?

While I found the rest of this post interesting, I don't know if I agree with this statement. I don't much like the idea of censoring oneself or even changing the way you express a belief on the grounds that someone might misinterpret it or misuse it. I understand the concern, and I think I've read a few religious apologists who have referred to this book as a sign that atheists really want to believe, but I don't think that that threat is worth censoring oneself. We can't effectively argue if we're always afraid of how our words might be misconstrued.

Other than that, an intriguing review-- I might pick up this book next time I'm at my local bookstore, if only to flip through it.

If we want to refer to feelings of awe and wonder, then let's call them that - unless someone has a better word.