A Constant Crisis of Faith

What I value most about my "belief system" is its tendency to change.  After so many years of this, I have come to realize that what I believe now will inevitably change.  In other words, what I believe now is wrong.  It's like living in a constant crisis of faith.

Part of me wonders if this is a bad thing.  But I cannot imagine another state of being.

Dilbert Says

If the media had ignored the calls for war with Iraq, or treated the WMD situation as crazy alarmist talk, the war in Iraq wouldn't have happened. But war is big money for the media, especially with a celebrity dictator in the mix, so there was a tremendous incentive to help it along.

--Scott Adams

What I like about this thought is that it points away from the "conspiracy theory" of the war in Iraq, and suggests that the media's assistance to the war was a product of its sensational nature.

All systems have their flaws, their tendencies.  There is no escaping it.  The best we can do is be aware of these.  Unfortunately, I believe there is a natural tendency to avoid questioning these kinds of things.

Taking Appropriate Action

It's never too late to take compassionate action.

Nor is it ever soon enough.

Atheism and Awe

Awe and atheism are not mutually exclusive.  I think it's a common misconception, actually.  At least I have never met an atheist that wasn't moved by a powerful sunset!  The difference lies in the attribution of such a sight.

In fact, when I came to New Mexico, it was a regular event (at least several times a week) to see something that would almost move me to tears. I could call these "religious moments".  Despite this, I never once thought God had anything to do with it.
 

Atheists, generally, are similarly "moved" by an elegant equation or bit of code, or a startling conclusion from a test... and I'm sure you would recognize that.  There's little difference, really, when they admire a vast sky or mist in the cherry orchard: they are awed by nature and the confluence of discrete events that synthesized that moment.

Pantheists tend to be a little more explicit about it than atheists, but I suspect they have the same basic responses.

What Makes Science Better Than Religion?

Change.