Daylight Atheism » Death and Dying

Never Quote Discworld to an Atheist

Ebonmuse — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:36:04 +0000

The other day, I found this article from a Google alert: an essay on the religious website First Things by the author and Catholic apologist Elizabeth Scalia (who also blogs as The Anchoress).

The post was about Terry Pratchett, the celebrated fantasy author and secular humanist. Since his personal beliefs visit site to read more]

How to Create (Not Find) the Meaning of Your Life

Ebonmuse — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:37:40 +0000

Guest post by Samantha Eliza Benten

A friend recently paraphrased a statement from The Nature of Existence (the documentary, I believe, though I haven't seen it) as follows: "People should spend more time thinking about the meaning of their own lives, than the meaning of life in general." This strikes a chord with a notion I've held since at least my senior year of high school. (That was when I came up with the BLT theory of the purpose of life, which is to say that a ... [visit site to read more]

Weekly Link Roundup

Ebonmuse — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:28:07 +0000

Some scattered thoughts to contemplate on a Saturday morning:

• Earlier this year, my post on urban agriculture drew some spirited disagreement. Now there's a study from Ohio State University which concludes that Cleveland could supply all its own produce, poultry and honey if the many vacant lots in the shrinking, ... [visit site to read more]

An Atheist's Confession

Ebonmuse — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:55:59 +0000

By Sarah Jane Braasch-Joy

In loving memory of my baby brother, Jacob Michael Braasch (01/28/86 – 02/02/10)

My beloved baby brother, Jacob, hung himself last year in my parents' basement. I wouldn't wish my pain on my worst enemy. It's been a year and a half, and, sometimes, I still can't get out of bed or stop crying. I'll be in public, and I'll inexplicably, to anyone else, burst into sobbing, jagged tears. I blame a lot of people for his death, especially my parents. ... [visit site to read more]

Grieving Without Religion

Ebonmuse — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:45:06 +0000

Recently, a long-time reader (thanks, Stacey!) sent me an e-mail with a link to this wrenching story, about a married couple chronicling the grief and anger they've been feeling since their daughter was stillborn in late 2009. By their own account, this tragedy happened in part because they put their trust in irrational thinking and home-birth woo [visit site to read more]

The Value of Autonomy

Ebonmuse — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:39:26 +0000

I've been following this debate between Ross Douthat and Kevin Drum about the morality of assisted suicide. In his latest post, Douthat made a telling, though apparently unintentional, statement:

The slippery slope that I discussed in the column doesn't amount to much if you don't disapprove at all of people deciding to ... [visit site to read more]

On Religious Right Grave-Robbers

Ebonmuse — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:45:31 +0000

I realize this is the season for Christmas trees, candy canes and presents, not for jack-o'-lanterns, black cats and witches, but I can't help pointing out that a rotting ghoul has crawled out of its grave and is sitting around leering at us. Unfortunately this isn't the kind of creature that goes away if you politely ignore it, so a little house-cleaning is, I think, in order.

You may have heard that Elizabeth Edwards died ... [visit site to read more]

How Much Comfort Does Religion Really Provide?

Ebonmuse — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:50:04 +0000

In past posts, I've argued that we shouldn't specifically target the beliefs of people in dire straits who rely on their religion for comfort. But there's an underlying assumption that at the very least deserves examination: Does religion actually comfort people in desperate circumstances? Does it make them feel better than they otherwise would?

This seems like it should be obvious, but things that are ... [visit site to read more]

The Language of God: Ultimate Meaning

Ebonmuse — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:54:21 +0000

The Language of God, Chapter 2

By B.J. Marshall

In this section, Collins poses the questions of whether the near-ubiquity of the search for the existence of a supernatural being represents "a universal but groundless human longing for something outside ourselves to give meaning to a meaningless life and to take away the sting of death" (p.35). The search for meaning in one's life is an important question, but I don't think the search for the divine stops there. We have a ... [visit site to read more]

Some Sad News

Ebonmuse — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:06:51 +0000

I'm saddened to report the passing of David Randolph. He was 95 years old.

Mr. Randolph was a renowned conductor and choral director, a fixture in the New York music scene for decades. He was known for hosting a weekly classical music program on WNYC, for teaching music at several local universities, and for a critically praised book, This Is Music. However, he's best known as the conductor of the secular St. Cecilia Chorus, which he had led since 1965 (!). He was also an outspoken ... [visit site to read more]

A Profile in Nonbelief: Roger Ebert

Ebonmuse — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:56:20 +0000

Most Americans have heard of the movie critic and writer Roger Ebert. But what most people probably didn't know - what I didn't know - is that he hasn't been able to eat, drink or speak since 2006. That was the year when most of his jaw had to be surgically removed, the result of complications from thyroid cancer that nearly cost him his life. This information comes via a surprisingly moving article in Esquire by Chris Jones, ... [visit site to read more]

The Lesson of Autumn Leaves: A Humanist Sermon

Ebonmuse — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:37:09 +0000

November is a good month for poetry.

Most great poetry is about transience, and with autumn in full swing, there's much in November to inspire the poet's thoughts on that topic: the last yellow and brown leaves raining from the trees; the early fall of dusk as the days continue to shorten; the gray skies and cool days as the first taste of winter frost becomes perceptible in the air, and the world settles in for its yearly sleep.

While I was walking in the leaves the other day, I had a ... [visit site to read more]