[Hac-announce] Correspondence with a Relative

[David E Schafer]

Tom,

It is appropriate to be agnostic about matters for which we have no 
evidence, such as the ultimate origin of all things.  It is less 
appropriate, I think you might agree, to be completely agnostic about topics 
whose human origins we know quite a bit about--such as Santa Claus and the 
Great Pumpkin--and the War God of the Hebrews and His Only Begotten Son..

David
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thomas Platt" <tplatt13 at gmail.com>
To: "humanist mailing list" <hac-announce at cthumanist.org>
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 8:37 AM
Subject: [Hac-announce] Correspondence with a Relative


Hi _____,

I have to say I found this cartoon to be an objectionable
distortion.  It would be potent grist for an antidefamation league
that doesn't exist, not only for secular humanists, but for many
others who feel strongly about science and science education.  No
doubt I started this with my self-deprecating hymn/bullfrog
comments.  Thanks for calling it to my attention.

As for Charles Darwin's personal beliefs, perhaps this very short
quotation in his own words from "Religious Belief By Charles
Darwin",  an extract from "The Autobiography of Charles Darwin" at
http://www.update.uu.se/~fbendz/library/cd_relig.htm will do for the
present on a complicated subject:

"I cannot pretend to throw the least light on such abstruse problems.
The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble to us; and I
for one must be content to remain an Agnostic."

Love, Tom


On Jul 24, 2011, at 9:34 PM, _______ wrote:

Hi Tom,

We thought you might not see The Register.  This could be for you.
However--if I recall properly--although Darwin’s research stirred up
a storm, he himself continued to believe in God.

Love,
_______


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