Transition from Fundamentalism to Agnosticism, part ten.

Here is what I wrote in my journal on 8 April 2005 about what Stephen Jay Gould called The Great Asymmetry:

 

“It might seem perverse to meditate upon something written by agnostic Stephen Jay Gould, but it is important to our understanding of the problem of evil. Gould called it The Great Asymmetry. Goodness and order are built up slowly, whether in an embryo, through evolution, a city, a science, or a culture of learned decencies. Evil and chaos can occur in an instant—splat, an asteroid, a riot, acts of pure evil by terrorists (their very name tells us they want to destroy, not create). The fact that most of every day in most of the world is good and orderly means that good people must, mathematically, vastly outnumber evil people. Gould did not say whether this might exceed what one would expect from evolutionary altruism. This would mean it is the reality, not just the availability, of Spirit.

“But this does not, by itself, solve the problem. There may well be an overwhelming majority of good people, but we good people are those who choose to do good without apparent heavenly help. An intricate creation of goodness collapses from a human act of evil or a natural disaster that God does not, at least, prevent… What The Great Asymmetry does mean, as I interpret it, is that many billions of people, even some who follow evil men, have opened their minds to at least a little of the Spirit. I again reflect that the cosmos is godless but permeated by love, which is where God is, not causing anything directly but making love available.”

This might be the closest thing we ever have to proof that there is a Spirit of love. It isn’t much, but I will put it out there for your consideration. I concluded, by 12 April 2005, that I should live as if God is love, whether it is true or not. This is vague but powerful. It also means that I will not live or die by any specific doctrine.

“So, what should a materialist do? Conscience, as well as altruism, evolved; we are happiest when we feed both. Even atheists are happiest when they are altruistic beyond mere calculation of possible benefits they might receive. Sex and food are appetites but so is simple niceness…knowing we are living right in the world.”