In which I Am Indirectly Wistful for the Days of Asimov and Vonnegut

"Like so many other prominent atheists (Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, etc.), Maher never tied his atheism to any meaningful cause beyond rejection".

When I was younger, as an atheist, I used to be annoyed at being often associated with humanism. Now, I miss having people with a sense of compassion as the standard bearers of religious skepticism.

I don't hate religious people. I don't despise religion. Because humans are involved in religious culture, beautiful things have arisen from it, just as negative aspects have. That's going to happen no matter what, religion or no. One need only look to Bill Maher or Christopher Hitchens to see you can be an oppressive and complete asshole without religious belief.

Religious organizations facilitate useful social functions not readily met by other groups. Spiritual belief and experience fulfill needs many folks are hardwired with. Insisting society abandon these aspects of itself is cruel and irrational.

You don't have to believe any mumbo jumbo to see that.

Comments

I put it to you:

What is wrong with moustaches? Eh?

For Every Problem, a Solution (2)

Each panel originally had a caption, a feature which was scrapped in a silly attempt to bring cohesiveness to the page as a whole. They were as follows: panel 1 - Pig fingers! Carrot hands! Cannot draw! panel 2 - Focus off. panel 3 - Perspective is a matter of perspective. panel 4 - What, me worry? In thinking about it, I suppose I might have impanelled these in the orange bar at the right, but it probably would've been a bit much. ... I'm not sure how wide-spread the campaign is, but in Seattle, there are numerous billboards and bus signs which read, "Jesus is ____." I want to play mad libs with these things, or else write in, "a day labourer." Other acceptable answers include, "bearded," and, "featured in a Leonard Cohen song."

For Every Problem, a Solution (5)

The final installment of the 'Solution', unless I decide to draw out the following ideas: -Glen Danzig in 'Heavy Metal Human Sacrifice' -Two Face in 'Homophobia' - Steve Martin, as Navin Jackson, in 'Jerks!'

Pointless Man

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