Salon.com's advice column recently featured a letter--given by Salon the provocative and rather misleading title, "Is Atheism Dead?"--from a 38-year-old with questions about atheism and faith. The responses to the letter make for an interesting read. (No matter who you are, your reactions to the various letters in reply will probably range from infuriated to encouraged.)
Among the noteworthy responses:
"Welcome to existentialism" -- excerpt:
[T]he idea of no God at all...explained that all of the horrific things in life were for reasons other than "God's will" or variations thereof. [Such existentialism] means that we aren't chess pieces in the cosmos.... It also means that acts of goodness aren't bargaining chips for heaven -- they are Meaning Itself.
This to me...means every moment counts, it means we (all of humanity) create most aspects of the world we live in, it means we are often our brother's keeper and that compassion is crucial toward understanding the human condition. Create meaning by helping people or contributing to the world - 'God' certainly won't do it for you. The shock you feel is the realization of this fact.
"You do seem ready for some spiritual exploration" -- excerpt:
I'm not sure my prayers are heard by a Higher Power, but I do know that focusing on my problem/needs through prayer often and visualizing solutions is helpful in and of itself.... I'm way too lazy to go to Church every Sunday, but when I go, I find it refreshing to be in a big room full of people who share the common goal of learning to be more loving and generous to one another and the rest of humanity.
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