All interesting positions, to be sure. Yet as I look at the world I find it really inconceivable that all this developed from mere chance. Yes, I know about chaos theory and all that.... seeming order from randomness. Still, the universe seems to scream at us every day that there IS an order, a purpose. Just to examine the intricacies of the veins and cells in a leaf is to be awed by the beauty and complexity in nature. To hear a sonnet by Shakespeare, to see the Parthenon at sunset in Athens, to look at the moon and realize that human beings have walked on its face... Perhaps they ARE just the result of randomly interacting subatomic particles, but NONE of us-- not even the atheists-- ever really act as if we believe that's true. We go to work, we worry about the car payment and the kids' doctor bills, we live our lives as if they really do mean something. Why do we keep playing the game if we're so sure nobody's keeping score?
If I ever REALLY became sure there was no God and that when I die I'll just fade into nothingness then I'd put a bullet through my head at once. Better still, I'd find a way to launch every nuke on the planet and end humanity's long suffering forever. After all, it's just a randomly interacting pool of molecules, right? Why is one set of molecular structures better than any other?
Oh, look... there, I've done it again. By even purposing to shoot myself or nuke the world I'm acting as if anything I do matters. Guess I can't help it, huh?
Danceman (and others), do you believe the Goddess is real, or is she just a metaphor? And what about the male principle, the God? Most modern forms of Wicca (and similar neo-pagan religions) are curiously silent on him. Why does he get so little attention?
Finally, those of you who blame religion for most of the violence in the world are missing the point entirely. Sooner or later, ANY strongly held belief will become an excuse for violent behavior. Human beings have killed for love, money, jealousy, honor, revenge, philosophy, even compassion (euthanasia.). Don't blame religion, or even particular religions. Every one of them (yes, even Wicca, Buddhism, and Hinduism) has produced violent fanatics. Does this mean we should stop believing in anything? Obviously not... in fact, we cannot HELP believing in SOMETHING. Even the agnostics and the atheists are willing to take a stand for their beliefs.