“All of our raptures and our drynesses, our longings and pantings, our questions and beliefs . . . are equally organically founded,” William James wrote in “The Varieties of Religious Experience.”

I clipped this yesterday Wildcat, but the question I found most interesting was this one from the source:
" Is explaining religion the same thing as explaining it away?"

I didnt see it, yesterday but I think it is an important article nevertheless. as to the point you have raised, it is indeed not the same thing, explaining religion is not the role of science, the role of science is to explain why we are religious creatures, or more accurately why we have the apparent innate tendency to believe. I say apparent because I am not certain that the terminology we have at present, especially the neurological understanding, is enough to give a truly comprehensive theory of mind that can explain belief and religion. we can give a reply, but as we well know a reply is not an answer.

It is a very important and interesting article Wildcat; I found it fascinating.

I also clipped it yesterday
(linkage)

I'm really getting a bit irritated that clipmarks hasn't come up with a way to alert clippers of duplicate clippings.. we've done it in our product for years. (Not meaning to slag CM here, they do a great job and have a great service.. i just think this is a BIG missing...)

Great suggestion, Cat!! When I see that I have a duplicate that has already been popped, I usually just delete mine and pop the other clippers clip, if I catch it.

by the time i usually notice & a day later and my clip (and the other 2 or 3 dupes have been popped or commented on)