I recall responding via email to another inquiry you made about buying my domain. I am still not interested. I’m sure you can buy an appropriate domain name for the work you want to do.

I’m curious to hear your take on the Dark Materials Trilogy.

THEY DO NOT WANT TO KILL GOD. THE BOOKS ARE NOT ABOUT KILLING ANY GOD. THE DEATH OF THE AUTHORITY IS AN ACCIDENT — ONE HE SEEMED PRETTY DAMN CONTENT ABOUT.

I stopped reading about that point. If you are that wrong about that, I had little hope for the rest of the post.

That said, any interest is selling this domain name? I am interested in actually using it for something, and not just redirecting it somewhere.

A friend of mine wrote a book where he challenges the notion of Christians asking the question, “What if you were to die tonight?” And instead asks, “What if you were to live tomorrow?” I referenced this book at the end of my post. In essence, it turns Pascal’s wager on it’s head as you suggest.

I haven’t been by your blog in a long while, but I thought to stop by tonight (nothing like having work to do to remind you to take time doing more carefree things). I’m glad to see you are still searching in earnest, and writing so nakedly and thoughtfully.

In most complex endeavors, having doubt rooted in humility (not fear) is a good thing, an acknowledgment of past failures and a desire to not repeat them.

As you know, I am a non-believer. A kind-hearted believer might pity me, and suspect that I’m a poorer person for not seeing God’s presence all around me.

But what I conclude from your penultimate paragraph is your faith (a.k.a. belief in a reality that transcends what you can touch, see or feel) has somehow robbed you of an appreciation of the here and now. You asked, “Is there a way of life that is worth living?”, presumably in absence of God.

There is the famous argument known as Pascal’s Wager, which you undoubtedly have heard: one might as well believe in God, for if he doesn’t exist, one hasn’t lost much, but if He does exist, your belief will be worth the investment. It’s a truly cynical argument, but there are people whose “faith” is based on it.

Well, how about inverting Pascal’s Wager? Whether or not God is there after we die, for now you are here on Earth, so make the most of it. Don’t discount the beauty and pleasures of the worldly plane because they don’t measure up to the perfect never ending glory promised in the afterlife.

So in answer to your question, “”Is there a way of life that is worth living?” [without faith], I assure you there are many millions of people who are living it, happily.

We should compare notes on our MDiv plans while staying in the MAML.

Can’t we graduate with our MAML mates and then modify the degree??

Elizabeth, I have spent the last year studying women in ministry leadership because I realized my own hesitancy as well to “own” and acknowledge what God is calling me to be in relationship with Him and others. And like you I have much that is unknown (and sometimes I wish I knew). Let’s not wait until October to get together…. But it probably will have to be later this summer — Intensives are … well intense and I’m adding another on June 1 — Doctrine of Christ w/ AJ — putting myself in position to roll into MDiv.

One of the difficulties for me in moving to the MDiv is that my MAML mates will graduate and I will not be standing with them and we have walked through everything together. Weird but it’s something I think about.