It is a strange and beautiful life. Thanks for your words of encouragement. In this crisis I will be surrounded by people of faith and god. My fears are not that I am alone in my non-belief, my fear is for my Dad and the pain that is sure to come his way.

I want to do for him what he did for me my whole life, alleviate his pain. I have yet to talk to the doctors who will be managing his care.

Maybe some insight is to be gleaned from them.

We live in a vast, beautiful, impersonal and awesome universe. We are part of a long process. And thru us, the process has become aware of itself. Painfully aware. Amazingly aware. Beautifully aware.

Thank you for your kind thoughts. I intend to lean on this community and the community of DailyKos for support thru this trying and scary time.

I have also found that there is very little in the way of a support system in place for the godless among us in times like these.

That has to change. There are many people just like us that go thru this very thing without a bit of help or relief that doesn't include what we don't and can't believe.

I'm going to do my part to set up a support system for the non-believer that is pre-grieving and grieving.

I have found a helpful set of remembrances:

The Five Remembrances

I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill health.
There is no way to escape ill health.

I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change.
There is no way to escape being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings.
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.
My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Thank you, Peter.

I'll talk to you again.

J.

Hi there, and welcome to the Nexus Book Club :)

Hi Peter,
Your blog post on Evolution education is really great. Thank you for being such an articulate and committed advocate for science education!
J

Just read the post 'Local paper follows up on evolution education'. Here in Tennessee we are faced with some of the same issues. My son's current science teacher (7th grade) believes that evolution is important and is teaching accordingly. I am unsure what he will get next year. We need to fight to get solid biology (and science in general) standards placed in the curriculum rather than vague 'guidelines. Keep up the good reporting.

Brad