** Something looks fantastically beautiful: Jesus must have died for our sins.

Corollary: **Something looks fantastically ugly: Jesus must have not died for our sins.

** Something seems mysterious: the universe must be governed by "an intelligence."

Corollary:**Something seems perfectly ordinary: the universe must not be governed by "an intelligence".

** Humans on occasion do each other a good turn: Some higher power must have endowed us with a notion of The Good.

Corollary:**Humans more often than not kill one another, cause unnecessary suffering. Some higher power must have endowed us with a notion of The Evil.

C'est la vie...

interesting. but one would think the burden of proof, and therefore these failures of proof, would lie with those who propose to add to the universe various supernatural beings and occurrences.

I actually follow your reasoning Mitch...

it is like if someone is saying something is present, does exist, the burden of proof is on them to prove it to be so.

An example, I invite some folks over for dinner. When all are seated at the table, I bring out empty serving dishes and trays.

The burden of proof is not with my company to prove there is nothing to eat, but with me who said there is.

Now I will have to apply this to the God factor as I further cogitate the meaning of life and the universe at large, and all that god by presence or absence implies.

Just the other day I saw a short article about a NO woman whose house had been devastated by Katrina. It's in the process of being completely rebuilt by a large assortment of volunteers associated with various organizations. People have given their money, their time and labor, and what is she quoted as saying? "Thank you, Jesus."

It's a strange thing Catana...cos the Bible says that if you can't love who you can see, don't say you love God who you can't see.

So I would see that ought apply this way too...if you can't thank the ones whose help you can see and experience, dont thank the One you cannot see.

how strong this itch must be . .
thought this atheist poem by Paul Celan about the itch might interest some of you --

Psalm

No one moulds us again out of earrth and clay,
no one conjures our dust.
On one.

Praised be your name, no one.
For your sake
we shall flower.
Towards
you.

A nothing
we were, are, shall
remain, flowering:
the nothing-, the
no one's rose.

With
our pistil soul-bright,
with our stamen heaven-ravaged,
our corolla red
with the crimson word which we sang
over, O over
the thorn.
(Translated by Michael Hamburger)