A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive even if it comes to reject a literal account of God creating man and animals. But it cannot survive the rejection of an immaterial soul.

I think empathy is really important for pleasure.

It's hard to pull apart empathy from compassion. What is really clear is that we innately care for other people at least to some extent.

I love teaching. I wouldn't take a job that didn't include it.

Stories turn anonymous strangers into people who matter.

It has been a period where people have been far nicer to one another in every possible way. I'm not saying it's because we're dropping our empathy that we're nicer to each other, just that the drop doesn't seem to be causing any harm.

Because of empathy, we care more for, and devote far more resources to, someone who is familiar, from our country or our group, than a stranger.