Humanist Symposium 22: Questions, Questions, Questions

I wish I could tell you that the postings gathered in this edition of the Humanist Symposium give definitive answers to all of life's enduring questions. I wish I could tell you a lot of things. What I can say instead is that the posts affirm both the importance of the questions and humanists' enduring engagement with them. Enjoy!

The importance of questions and questioning:

• CJ hits the theme directly with The importance of questioning posted at Spiritual Inquiry . com.


• Lirone, Truth and fear posted at Words that sing: that fear and truth are really about the same thing -- asking questions or failing to.


• Hannah presents The Purloined Letter: Approaching Reflection Collectively posted at The Purloined Letter: that clarity comes from posing questions, carefully and deeply.


• Greta Christina, "Ya Gotta Reach for Your Dreams": An Optimistic Realist Perspective posted at Greta Christina's Blog: cliches exist because they contain a kernel of truth, but a well-rounded and wise person will probe the kernel's boundaries.


• PhillyChief, Zarathustra Test posted at You Made Me Say It...: that questions play an important role in keeping us honest and within our limits.

Does observing the contrast between the natural world and the human-cultivated world provide inroads to deeper meanings? Or does it just reflect back what we already expect? The first two posts on this theme are a bit of a point-counterpoint:

• The Ridger, Dragonfly Sign posted at The Greenbelt.


• Nick, All Wrong? posted at Nemesis.


• Andrew Benardin wraps it up nicely with The "Soul" of a Blossom on The Evolving Mind: the idea of biological uniqueness is richer than the idea of a soul -- and it's true too!

Questions about sex, and quite possibly a few answers too:

• Mike White, Christians, Pagans and good ol? sex posted at A Superflous Ramble: a naturalistic, no-nonsense exploration of sex.


• Skeptigator presents Choice vs. Nature (and something about homo-dolphins) posted at FreeThought Fort Wayne: sometimes questions come in the form of thought experiments, and sometimes thought experiments involve gay dolphins. Awesome!


• Paul Sunstone relates The Soul of an Artist posted at Café Philos: an internet café: being a humanist is perfectly compatible with addressing questions to one's inner resources, intuitions, subconscious, gut, "soul," what have you.

Assorted questions, observations, and explorations:

vjack presents Picking One's Battles and Atheist Priorities posted at Atheist Revolution: do humanists and freethinkers choose the right battles and set the right priorities? A valid question.

Two by Phil for Humanity, The Definition of Morality and Ethics and The Origin of Morality and Ethics posted at Phil for Humanity: that moral questions are difficult not least because defining morality is so difficult.

Chris Hallquist, Well, this lack of a God is awkward posted at The Uncredible Hallq: my favorite post in this edition discusses the awkwardness and psychological knot-tying that comes with questioning religious belief.

C. L. Hanson presents Review of Book Reviews posted at Letters from a broad...: who says you need to believe in god to devote yourself to alternate realities?

PhillyChief, Who's Lacking? posted at You Made Me Say It...: not believing in god is no lack.

Last but not least, Ebonmuse offers Smoke on the Breeze posted at Daylight Atheism: dispelling the clouds of dogma and mysticism frees us to see more clearly and appreciate more fully the productions of human creativity.

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The next Humanist Symposium will be hosted in just a few short weeks at Disillusioned Words on August 3. It's too late for this edition, but it's not too early to turn in your entries for the next one.

Happy questioning!