Comments for The Skeptical Seeker

Comment on Who is the Skeptical Seeker? by K Johnson

K Johnson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:01:26 +0000

I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon your blog today. I too and a former “yogi” and former teacher of yoga and am from the Louisville area. I was searching methods of yoga and meditation that aren’t tied to “spirituality”. I guess I’m more agnostic than atheist and find myself questing if that agnosticism is a a “just in case” based in fear as a result of different experiences with superstitious beliefs from my sampling at different times different “spiritual paths”. In reflecting on my experiences, I find that I feel most connected to reality and most clear, rational and functional in my thinking when I step away from delineated paths and teachers and just talk a walk in the woods or go down to the river. Still there is that “seeking”, of what I am no longer certain. Anyway, thanks for what you have put forth in your blogging.

Comment on Toastmaster’s Speech about Evolution by Frank Lovell

Frank Lovell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:38:11 +0000

Good subject, nice work!

You said “…The most interesting comment I got was from a lady in the group who is also a preacher (who also gave a very good speech today). She said that I had done well at discussing the issue without dragging too much of the religious controversy into it…”

I wonder why she seems to approve of your not “dragging too much of the religious controversy into it, given that the creation-evolution controversy exists in the first place because of the two opposing points-of-view, one from religion, one from science. Ah well…

Comment on Observations of an atheist abortion clinic escort… by Shamelessly Atheist

Shamelessly Atheist — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:48:37 +0000

It disgusts me that there has to be such a thing as an ‘abortion clinic escort’. Good for you.

Comment on New Year’s Resolutions by Terri

Terri — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:02:25 +0000

Got to get that passport! I should add to my list this year getting Alexa’s passport. She’s getting to that fun age for taking her abroad. Maybe we can do a family trip somewhere fun sometime.

Happy New Year!

Comment on Meaningful rather than Spiritual by jess

jess — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:05:40 +0000

i think nature is spiritual (which is reality)

shutting out the word spiritual in hopes of boycotting ‘god’ doesn’t work. all ur doing is shutting out anything related to the word spiritual. like love

“It is better to stand consternated and not understand an experience than to commit our version of the supernatural error. It is far wiser not to sprint from a momentary feeling to a complete revision of our basic understanding of the universe.”
i disagree —>
i think its better to understand than to say no to everything god
and i also think there’s such thing as middle ground
and i dare say we dont understand the universe

Comment on Where Do Atheists Get Their Morality? by Laura

Laura — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:50:03 +0000

I read an interesting study once where the authors stripped a Bible story of the names of the characters and God, and asked a group of kids whether or not it was moral. The kids on the group where the name was stripped said “no” and the group of kids that got the entire story intact said yes. I can’t remember which story it was. I *think* it was the Abraham story, which is why I thought of it, but it may have been something about King David.

Comment on Where does joy come from? by Mikel

Mikel — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:56:12 +0000

God or Evolution? That is comparing apples and oranges… Evolution is not a god, nor is it a replacement for God. It is a very robust explanation for the diversity of life on Earth and the commons genetic threads that connect all forms of life together. That our capacity for joy is an evolved capacity, I have no doubt. I also am aware that joy feels transcendent and above nature–but I think that transcendence is an illusion. My dreams seem real when I am sleeping, but that doesn’t make them any less illusory.

At any rate joy, like any emotion, is a bit etherial and hard to pin down to an exact explanation or source. Even if we know everything about what causes it in the brain, that would not say much at all about what it’s like to experience joy. Explanation versus experience is like the difference between reading about what happens when you dive into a pool and actually diving into the pool yourself.

Enjoy . . . “in joy” . . . I like that little play on words. I think that actually sums up what joy is for me. To enjoy life in general, though relationships and meaningful activity, is what I think it really means to have the ‘deep joy’ you mentioned.

Comment on Where does joy come from? by Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:09:12 +0000

I’m intrigued. Your Sunday school teacher gave a coiny answer, but God or Evolution…where does that deep joy come from? Is it circumstancial – playing with your children or puppy? Is it dependant on wildflowers or a signficant other? Even to believe that it comes from God – as I do (i.e. my email address – still renders the question of circumstancial joy (being blessed, forgiven, etc.). I enjoy (to be “in joy”) engaging other perspectives – I found your blog when fine-tuning my sermon on joy tomorrow.

thanks for the inspirational thought. – Ryan

Comment on Counting My Blessings by Mick (Ramji)

Mick (Ramji) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:13:32 +0000

I just found your blog. I’m a former yoga teacher turned skeptic. I grew up believing in astral projection, chakras, enlightment, etc.. It is good to see there’s someone else out there practicing yoga and rejecting the metaphysical speculation.

Comment on Spirituality for the Naturalist by Mikel

Mikel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:28:33 +0000

Totally understandable.

I should add a note to my blog–”any views expressed on this blog are subject to change and updates in later posts ”