Daylight Atheism » Mysticism http://www.daylightatheism.org NIGHTTIME IS FOR DREAMING. DAYLIGHT IS FOR ACTION. Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:14:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 The God of Shadow and Vapor http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/the-god-of-shadow-and-vapor.html http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/the-god-of-shadow-and-vapor.html#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:39:51 +0000 Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1062 In April, I wrote a piece chastising Madeline Bunting for her willful invocation of the Courtier's Reply, in which she attacks atheists for criticizing the beliefs actually held and practiced by billions of people, rather than the beliefs of a tiny minority of theologians and pundits like herself.

But let it not be said that we shy from a challenge. In this post, I'll take up the issue of religion as it is held ... [visit site to read more]

]]> http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/the-god-of-shadow-and-vapor.html/feed 25 Moving Beyond Awe http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/moving-beyond-awe.html http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/moving-beyond-awe.html#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:55:04 +0000 Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1061 The nineteenth-century German theologian Rudolf Otto, in his book The Idea of the Holy, popularized the term "numinous", an adjective describing the sense of mystery and wonder that purportedly stems from the presence of a deity. According to Otto, the sense of the numinous had two main characteristics: the mysterium tremendum, the sense of fear and trembling that comes from the presence of that which is wholly other, and the mysterium fascinas, the sense of fascination and ... [visit site to read more]

]]> http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/moving-beyond-awe.html/feed 17 Mystery Does Not Equal God http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/mystery-does-not-equal-god.html http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/mystery-does-not-equal-god.html#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:47:39 +0000 Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1046 By Sarah Braasch

When I was about seven years old I almost died. It wasn't the only time I almost died, but it was one of my most colorful near death experiences. I had acquired some sort of flu bug or food poisoning or I don't know what, but my mother, in her either infinite ignorance or indifference, failed to procure anything in the way of medical attention for her ailing child. In all fairness, at first, I attempted to minimize my illness in order to be able to participate in a ... [visit site to read more]

]]> http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/06/mystery-does-not-equal-god.html/feed 64 Thoughtful Iconoclasts: A Response to Madeleine Bunting http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/04/thoughtful-iconoclasts.html http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/04/thoughtful-iconoclasts.html#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:56:29 +0000 Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=999 I last mentioned Guardian columnist and Templeton Foundation fellow Madeleine Bunting in 2007, in "On Being Uncontroversial". She's recently written another column attacking atheism, alleging that the New Atheists are drowning out, in her words, "real debates" about religion and faith.

Personally, I don't ... [visit site to read more]

]]> http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/04/thoughtful-iconoclasts.html/feed 23 Book Review: The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/the-little-book-of-atheist-spirituality.html http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/the-little-book-of-atheist-spirituality.html#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:28:20 +0000 Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=849 (Editor's Note: The following review was solicited and is written in accordance with this site's policy for such reviews.)

Summary: A quiet, thoughtful, non-polemical book. At times Comte-Sponville comes close to conceding more than he should, but his positive evocation of atheism is a much-needed effort and may be appealing to theists grappling with the first stirrings of deconversion.

Andre ... [visit site to read more]

]]> http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/the-little-book-of-atheist-spirituality.html/feed 22 De-Mystification http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/03/de-mystification.html http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/03/de-mystification.html#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:04 +0000 Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=810 Inspired by a good post on Spanish Inquisitor, as well as a similarly good post by Greta Christina (the atheistic stars have aligned!), I had some thoughts about the role of mysticism in religion, especially as it relates to sex.

Freethinkers should be working to disseminate accurate information about sex, of course ... [visit site to read more]

]]> http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/03/de-mystification.html/feed 0 Further Thoughts on John Haught http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/03/further-thoughts-on-john-haught.html http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/03/further-thoughts-on-john-haught.html#comments Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:16:16 +0000 Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/03/further-thoughts-on-john-haught.html Since the comment thread for my post "On Amateur Atheism" has sparked a lively debate, I looked around on the internet earlier today for some further explanation of John Haught's views. I found them in this Salon interview, and I'd like to offer some further comments on the theology outlined therein.

One of Haught's major points ... [visit site to read more]

]]> http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/03/further-thoughts-on-john-haught.html/feed 59 Book Review: The End of Faith/Letter to a Christian Nation http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/10/the-end-of-faith.html http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/10/the-end-of-faith.html#comments Wed, 25 Oct 2006 23:50:31 +0000 Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/10/the-end-of-faith.html The End of Faith

Summary: An incendiary polemic against unjustified belief. Many strong points, strongly made - but what on earth is that endorsement of psychic powers doing in there?

With the 2004 publication of his book The End of Faith, Sam Harris has probably become one of the best-known and most influential atheists in public discourse today. In this review, I will briefly summarize this book and then offer some remarks.

Chapter 1, "Reason in Exile," talks ... [visit site to read more]

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