Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
Theologian John Haught explains why science and God are not at odds, why Mike Huckabee worries him, and why Richard Dawkins and other "new atheists" are ignorant about religion.
  • Make your Meaning

    The meaning of our entire existence is a mental construct. The idea of God is a mental construct. A dream can have life-changing meaning for us, even as it exists only in our mind. So can the idea of God. Those who find themselves constructing the meaning of their lives to include a diety, heaven, hell, commandments,liturgies, etc, are free to do that, and free to seek out others who have similar beliefs. The meaning is in the actual acting-out of one's mental constructs. What makes a mature personality is that the belief system is benevolent, and the believer accepts responsibility for the implications of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

    John Haught is rattling around in a 19th century mental state that assumes the inner world is somehow a disciple of the outer world. It's the other way around. Each person's personal views give the world of nature its meaning in his/her own idiosyncratic way. Taken all together, a numberless series of personal beliefs delivers up to humanity our various religion systems which must, if one is intellectually honest, include the religion of "no-religion", i.e. atheism.

    That's all there is to it.