Without God

The New York Review of Books by Steven Weinberg | Sep. 22, 2008 (Review)

In his celebrated 1837 Phi Beta Kappa Oration at Harvard, titled "The American Scholar," Ralph Waldo Emerson predicted that a day would come when America would end what he called "our long apprenticeship to the learning of other lands." His prediction came true in the twentieth century, and in no area of learning more so than in science. This surely would have pleased Emerson. When he listed his heroes he would generally include Copernicus and Galileo and ... Full Story »

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3.5

by Greg Kopczynski - Oct. 1, 2008

I'm really split on this one. On the downside, I think it adds little (or nothing) to those struggling with issues of faith. On the other hand, what the author seems to feel should convey some sense of comfort for the disbelieving does, in my opinion, ironically paint a very clear picture of the ultimate despair and meaninglessness of life without God. It may be the best-articulated case for why, while we should never discount the possibility of a Godless, soulless life, it should be the option we acknowledge only after all other options have been discredited. And we are far from that point.