RNA Newsletter – December, 2017

As the holiday season combines the solstice with secular and religious celebrations, some thoughts and questions came to mind – in what it can mean to be “religious” (or spiritual). As it can mean a number of things, and different things to different people; and since we each have our own non-traditional takes on this as we identify as religious naturalists, I read up on this a bit and gathered a collection of quotes, and thought I’d share a few to give a flavor of some aspects that seemed appealing.

“William James said that:

Like love, like wrath, like hope, ambition, jealousy, like every other instinctive eagerness and impulse [religion] adds to life an enchantment which is not rationally or logically deducible from anything else.

The enchantment is the discovery of transcendental value in what seems otherwise transient and dead.”

        Ronald Dworkin

“The universe is no longer a mere It to us, it is a Thou, if we are religious; and any relation that may be possible from person to person might be possible here.”

        William James

“My religious attitude connects me to the universe, to humanity, to all living and non living things.”

        David Simonton

A religious worldview can serve as “an action guide for a meaningful life”.

        Joseph Runzo

“Why bother about spirituality? Well, why bother about love or beauty?
It is part of the richest flavor of life.”

        Jerome Stone

Here’s to a fine 2018 for all.

And, since music can be a nice part of the seasonal festivities, here’s a link to a song with a RN-related theme – Tracy Chapman’s “Heaven’s Here on Earth” (with lyrics and visuals provided by a guy at Johannesburg University).

Todd Macalister