[ExI] Ants for spike! Dawkins and Wilson

[spike]

 ...On Behalf Of Emlyn
> ... 
> >> very much a culture.  When one is immersed in that 
> culture, it soon 
> >> becomes apparent to the analytical type, that acceptance of the 
> >> culture is actually more important than actual belief in, 
> or worship 
> >> of, the particular higher power.
> >> [snip]
> >> Observations or questions welcome on these comments.
> 
> Absolutely. I doubt that most "believers" *really* believe. 
> Instead, religion is conflated with culture & community. The 
> special days on the calendar, the rituals, the traditions? 
> That's all culture. The people, the connections, the support? 
> That's all community...

Ja.  I have an old friend from my teens, the college roommate of my
sweetheart at the time.  We have followed each others' fortunes and been
good friends for over 30 years.  She always assumed I was still religious.
About three yrs ago after Isaac was born, she asked and I had to confess I
had repudiated all of it in my own mind over 20 years ago.  She confessed
she was never a believer, not ever, didn't accept a word of it.  She was
faking the whole time, hoping no one would figure it out.  My former
sweetheart (her ex roommate) still doesn't know.

We agreed that at least some of the subculture is of some value, and worth
saving.  We disagree on whether that subculture should be passed along to
the next generation.  She thinks it is OK and did so, I think not, and will
not.

> 
> Regular services are actually damned cool if you can look 
> past the religion stuff. These people get together once a 
> week for an hour or two to think & talk about deeper issues 
> of what it is to be human. If you did that right, well, it 
> could be a really good thing.
> 
> --
> Emlyn

I would agree with that.  I have local friends from college days which still
gathers as a group about once or twice a month, four couples, all engineers,
computer scientists or physicists.  Each of those eight have come to grips
with the realization that major parts of what we once believed are false,
yet we have mostly retained the subculture from the old days.  Of those
eight, at least three can call themselves atheists, and at least two
agnostics, at least one still a true believer.  Our gatherings have a
definite extropian feel.  I will really miss that should I move away from
this area.

spike