Jim Downard

Did you ever believe in a god, and if so, why did you change your mind?  What hope do you have when you and your loved ones die and why are you OK with that?

Why do you suppose those with a belief in God are so concerned by the fact that you don't?

Q. Tell me about an experience of awe and take me to its source....

A. It is hard to pick a quick example, as I feel awe at so many great physical spaces, such as Brice Canyon, and with music and art (listening to Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" does it there).

Now to the fun.  The Discovery Institute’s John West talked on “The Darwinian Challenge to Faith, Ethics, and Culture,” in which he characterized Darwinism as a block of militant atheists out to squash all opposition to their godless materialist agenda.  Along the way West happened to show some slides of “Darwin Day” celebrations where atheist sentiments were on hand to suggest that Darwin Day was really a secularist religious holiday.

As someone who follows the creation-evolution debate quite closely I take advantage of lots of free newsletter links that organizations make available, from Science magazine to local creationist organizations like Chuck Missler’s Koinonia House over in Coeur D’Alene, to that Mount Olympus of Intelligent Design, Seattle’s Discovery Institute.

With the passage of some weeks the History Channel’s miniseries “The Bible” begins to fade from the public eye and embark perhaps on a gentle migration (as so many fleetingly popular titles do) to the bargain price video bin at Walmart. I have already delved into some of those aspects of the series that catches the eye of this feisty non-Christian (focusing on Genesis, the Samson Tale and the Exodus), and will conclude with the transition the story took from Old to New Testaments.

Atheism comes in as many flavors, just as their are Christians who range from literalist Young Earth creationism believers all the way to those who don't accept biblical miracles or even the divinity of Jesus.  But just as one could argue that a "Christian" who doesn't accept the divinity of Jesus is a pretty wishi-washy Christian, so too an "atheist" who has a hankering for some gods is an odd bird indeed.