British Philosopher A. C. Grayling has a short essay on religion and moving away from superstition.

What religious people mean by “god” means nothing to me beyond an incoherent cluster of concepts from which the aforesaid folk choose the subset most convenient to themselves.

He closes the essay by saying:

I would wish people to live without superstition, to govern their lives with reason, and to conduct their relationships on reflective principles about what we owe one another as fellow voyagers through the human predicament – with kindness and generosity wherever possible, and justice always. None of this requires religion or the empty name of “god”. Indeed, once this detritus of our ignorant past has been cleared away, we might see more clearly the nature of good, and pursue it aright at last.

I didn’t realize that A.N. Wilson wasn’t always an atheist. He’s now a theist (again). I just read about his journey on Wikipedia. But it was his article on the New Statesman that reflects lots of the comments on the class Forum and in class.

For a few years, I resisted the admission that my atheist-conversion experience had been a bit of middle-aged madness. I do not find it easy to articulate thoughts about religion. I remain the sort of person who turns off Thought for the Day when it comes on the radio. I am shy to admit that I have followed the advice given all those years ago by a wise archbishop to a bewildered young man: that moments of unbelief “don’t matter”, that if you return to a practice of the faith, faith will return.

When I think about atheist friends, including my father, they seem to me like people who have no ear for music, or who have never been in love. It is not that (as they believe) they have rumbled the tremendous fraud of religion – prophets do that in every generation. Rather, these unbelievers are simply missing out on something that is not difficult to grasp. Perhaps it is too obvious to understand; obvious, as lovers feel it was obvious that they should have come together, or obvious as the final resolution of a fugue.

I’ve watched the discussion forum devolve a bit into some sniping. (Not happy about that, but not unexpected.) In the syllabus for any “religion” course I teach I always include the “play nice” notice.

Second, besides reading and writing well, I trust that you will come to class with the ability to have an open, flexible, and inquisitive mind. Since we are, after all, discussing religious and philosophical issues, I anticipate that there will be differences of opinion among us. I expect us all to make the class a safe place in which to discuss ideas. This means that several things will not be tolerated: no swearing or vulgar language (either written or spoken), no rude or disrespectful remarks about the texts, authors, religions, or religious or non-religious beliefs of the views we’re studying, the persons in this class or the views they make or hold.

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This isn’t so surprising. I had a roommate in college who was a atheist and a church musician. I couldn’t do it. But it’s an interesting relationship to be sure.

From Slate.com where there’s been a series on death and grieving:

The other morning I looked at my BlackBerry and saw an e-mail from my mother. At last! I thought. I’ve missed her so much. Then I caught myself. The e-mail couldn’t be from my mother. My mother died a month ago.

I really want to teach a class on death and immortality. Probably should be a seminar, but maybe next time that’ll be the theme for PHIL 500. It’s an intense, difficult, fascinating, and important topic. It certainly is philosophical. Lots and lots of philosophers have dealt with the question of the immortality of the soul.

I’ve also noticed more and more Gators informing me that they wouldn’t be in class because of the death or impending death of a family member or a friend. Maybe it’s because I’ve been thinking about the topic that it seems as though more Gators are sharing this information with me.

It’s no secret that I was enormously impressed with and by D.Z. Beyond liking him, I was so very fond of him. Even that description doesn’t match my feelings. He became a mentor of sorts, even if it was without his knowledge. He wrote a letter of recommendation for my to SFSU for this job. Me! A non-Religion student.

I wept uncontrollably when I received the email that he had died. And yes, I still grieve the loss. Thank God he was a prolific writer.

Here’s the eulogy by D.Z.’s former student, Partick Horn, who is now the Dean of the School of Religion.

One of my favorite hymns. I only recently read about its history. From Wikipedia, here’s a snip:

“It Is Well with My Soul” is a very influential hymn penned by hymnist Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss.

This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the S.S. Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.

Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.

And here’s the text:

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control:
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

We began reading Rowe’s “The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism”. I change the poor, burned fawn to “Bambie being burned”. Love it — but only in the most philosophically uplifting way. Rowe’s essay is provacative even if he’s advocating for a “friendly atheism”. Michael Martin examines Rowe’s thesis here and it’s worth reading a couple of times.

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Ouch!

From LA Times, some cool photos on Good Friday in LA and beyond.

I hadn’t heard about this. SF Gate reports:

Two students who were threatened with suspension at the College of Alameda after one of them prayed with an ailing teacher in a faculty office can sue the community college district for allegedly violating their freedom of speech, a federal judge has ruled.