The world and the universe is an extremely beautiful place, and the more we understand about it the more beautiful does it appear. It is an immensely exciting experience to be born in the world, born in the universe, and look around you and realize that before you die you have the opportunity of understanding an immense amount about that world and about that universe and about life and about why we're here. We have the opportunity of understanding far, far more than any of our predecessors ever. That is such an exciting possibility, it would be such a shame to blow it and end your life not having understood what there is to understand.
Richard Dawkins, from an interview with Sheena McDonald
And what's more, we may not even need to do the dying bit in the near future.
It's a good time to be alive.
Russell, have you read Dawkins' new book?
I have a copy of _The God Delusion_. I bought it in a book store in Raleigh, and commented to the seller that I was going to have to take the cover off before going outside, to avoid being lynched by a group of "respectable" types.
She laughed.
I thought about getting one of Penn Jillette's t-shirts that say "No God", but again I would worry about being stoned as I left my house.
It really sucks to live in the Bible Belt.