God is Dead and He Didn't Pay the Bill

Carl Sagan's Musings on Sundry Topics Such as the Life of Man and the Cosmos

So, I've revived an old desire to read more Carl Sagan. You might have had an inkling that he's been on my mind, from my last post. He's such a fascinating character, with a good deal to share on science and the meaning of life. Here are some short quips of his that I enjoy:

"A celibate clergy is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism." Hahahahahaha -- I never thought of it this way!

"I am often amazed at how much more capability and enthusiasm for science there is among elementary school youngsters than among college students."

And finally, some gems:

"Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people."

"Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."

I feel that this final statement is a brilliant summary of atheistic belief–ahem–rather, what the universe poses to the atheist. I was listening to NPR this morning, the Diane Rehm show, and a guest was sharing his latest production, a T.V. special on the life and conversion of Thomas Merton, from hedonist to monasticism. What a change!

Merton's conversion came about because of what he saw as excess in modern civilization in the West. Yet, I see also a refusal to work within the system, to recognize the world as imperfect, but seeking to perfect, and as Sagan stated, not by the volition of some godhead, but by the will and actions of humans.

I've read some of Merton's works, and granted, I should read more, but I believe Sagan's last quote here exemplifies the meaning of challenging the anthropomorphism of religion -- rejecting the idea that a god or spirit-thing is floating about, one that is charged with human emotions and which carries a petty insistence that its human minions pray to it for favors and salvation (a choice of words softer than the reality it obfuscates, that is, the subjugation of man's independent thought).

So, in the end, I just wanted to share my admiration for Sagan. He's been providing a good lens for evaluating one's place within the human community, and how to bring the individuals who comprise that community together, to seek out a common mission. Perhaps I ought to join a (Carl Sagan) book club after all.

Perhaps sometime later today, when I have time, I will edit this post so that it makes sense. For now, enjoy the quotes, and if you haven't touched Sagan's works, then I suggest some reading. Best!
-Dean