Atheists: Time to Come Out of the Closet!

And throughout the centuries, the Catholic Church has thought so, too.

Okey dokey.How Meaning Came into the WorldFirst there was no universe, then there was.After that instance of becoming, the universe unfolded to its current state according to natural processes.First there was no life, then there was.After that instance of becoming, life thrived in many forms. From among those forms emerged ours -- becoming ever more aware of the natural, predictable foundations of our existence.First we had no idea where we came from, then we did.Looking up from our stories of creation to our present views of it from 13 billion years away, we have found nothing that requires intervention from outside the natural order, nothing that requires mindful purpose.First there was no meaning ...From our knowledge of our astounding origin in the stars, to our discovery of empathy, morality and a sense of fairness in our primate cousins; from the experiential fusion of the rose's beauty and our understanding of its secrets (and the secrets of the worm), and from the firmament of human love and compassion that connects us -- through all these wonders we pass, and our understanding grows.We have become mindful. We have purpose: we endure, we know things, and we love each other, and that's how meaning came into the world.We made it.

Descartes once discussed a proof of God's existence, then claimed that as long as it was mentally rehearsed, one could not doubt -- a sort of belief through self-hypnosis, I suppose: a mind chained to the same words over and over.Maybe if you shut down that tape loop in your head, you could hear something different, and your faith of love and redemption would not fill you with sour bile.But probably not. Good luck with your demons.