A Hubble Space Telescope photograph of the universe evokes far more awe for creation than light streaming through a stained glass window in a cathedral.

Either the soul survives death or it does not, and there is no scientific evidence that it does.

Mammals are sentient beings that want to live and are afraid to die. Evolution vouchsafed us all with an instinct to survive, reproduce and flourish.

Accepting evolution does not force us to jettison our morals and ethics, and rejecting evolution does not ensure their constancy.

How can we find spiritual meaning in a scientific worldview? Spirituality is a way of being in the world, a sense of one’s place in the cosmos, a relationship to that which extends beyond oneself. . . . Does scientific explanation of the world diminish its spiritual beauty? I think not. Science and spirituality are complementary, not conflicting; additive, not detractive. Anything that generates a sense of awe may be a source of spirituality. Science does this in spades. (158-159)

Rationality tied to moral decency is the most powerful joint instrument for good that our planet has ever known.

I just witnessed an event so mysterious that it shook my skepticism.