Wright's book The Evolution of God should be required reading in High School and or College.
Bruce
River
· 5 months ago
I agree. It's pretty amazing. I'm only about half way through and I can still agree with you on what you said above. The hubby and I checked out "Nonzero" and "The Moral Animal" by Wright from the library yesterday. I'm excited to read those as well.
sabio
· 5 months ago
It seems Wright agrees with you that "reality has a purpose", I tend to think not. Or if it does, it has nothing to do with humans. I agree with much of what you have written and almost 100% with what you are feeling !
River
· 5 months ago
I think the purpose might have something to do with humans in that it seems like it has to do with sentient life. So, of course, it's not ONLY about humans. I'm also of the opinion that the universe is filled with life, and so it would include them as well.
Sabio
· 5 months ago
Yet, we should be suspicious of intuitions which tell us that we ourselves are the special ones. I wonder if rocks think they are special. There is a certain peacefulness that can result from the Glory of Insignificance -- kind of a Zen thing, I guess. The Moral Animal is great, Zero Sum is fair (good for economics, but also teleologically weak, IMHO)
River
· 5 months ago
I’m definitely suspicious of any group or person that puts the emphasis on humans. It would be nice if a group took the spotlight off humans and broadened it to encompass all living things. The UU seems to be on the right track. I’m hoping the evolutionary spirituality movement (if it can be called a movement) will take it that extra step.
The Rambling Taoist
· 5 months ago
For me, I don't believe in God. I think there's something out there, but I'm more inclined to view it as a process (for lack of a better word). I don't think humans or any sentient being merits any more relevance than anything else. But that's just me.
River
· 5 months ago
I won't hold your lack of belief against you if you won't hold my belief against me. ;-)
Frederick Polgardy
· 5 months ago
I was flipping through The Evolution of God at Borders yesterday. Actually, I was under the impression that it was going to be more deconstructive than it was. I knew it was going to be deconstructive about ancient scriptures, but I didn't know anything about where he was going with the book as a whole. From what I read in a short time, his ideas seem to be in pretty good overall agreement with my own.
River
· 4 months ago
As I've been reading EoG I've found myself thinking a few times that "This is what Fred told me a year ago or 2 years ago" or whatever. So yeah, I'd agree that his thinking seems very similar to yours.
Frederick Polgardy
· 4 months ago
I'm curious what specifically you read that triggered the "Fred told me this" response. I skimmed it very quickly, so I didn't get a very detailed feel.
River
· 4 months ago
I'd have to go skim what I've read so far to get exact things (which I could do at a later time) ... Overall, though, between his book and website (and the "Thank God for Evolution" website), it has to do with integral philosophy and emergence and stuff of that sort. One of the books (or sites) mentions "I Am a Strange Loop" and death of God stuff.
All Comments
Bruce
The Moral Animal is great, Zero Sum is fair (good for economics, but also teleologically weak, IMHO)
I’m definitely suspicious of any group or person that puts the emphasis on humans. It would be nice if a group took the spotlight off humans and broadened it to encompass all living things. The UU seems to be on the right track. I’m hoping the evolutionary spirituality movement (if it can be called a movement) will take it that extra step.