Daily Archives: July 8, 2010

Why I’m an Agnostic, But Not an Atheist

What is it, really, that separates the atheist from the agnostic? I would argue that the ultimate dividing line between the atheist and the agnostic is over the issue of mystery. For the atheist, the ontological mystery—the mystery of being—is merely an … Continue reading

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Save the Life of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani

This today at the New Humanist: As has been widely reported in the press (it’s the cover story of today’s Times), a 43-year-old Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, faces being stoned to death for conducting “illicit relationship outside marriage”, a … Continue reading

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“There Was an Awful Rainbow Once in Heaven”: A Double Rainbow Triggers a Man’s Confrontation with the Ontological Mystery, and Recalls for Me Some Lines from John Keats

The man’s response to the double rainbow recalls for me some lines from John Keats. In “Lamia” are these cautioning lines (231-238) against a too-eager reductionism: There was an awful rainbow once in heaven: We know her woof, her texture; … Continue reading

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