Thanks for a useful overview of the current conversation. You express very civilly what I often feel and express far less kindly: namely, that at my stage of life, I grow increasingly impatient with the surface arguments, straw men, and “gotcha” games that pass for religious dialogue these days.

If that sounds arrogant, I do not mean for it to. Although I believe I have done the work (years of study and service, in and out of churches; what spiritual exercises I could manage; and plenty of secular experience as well), I don’t think of myself as any further down some path to enlightenment or wisdom. I don’t know the answer to the questions these modern day philosophers and theologians ask.

But I’m pretty sure that they don’t, either.

So I’m content to write and think my small thoughts, about the small ways I have found to open my cynical, self-centered heart toward greater compassion, love, and reverence — like so:

https://medium.com/@mct2051/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-g-d-59d3ba347d03

Keep the faith. Whatever you may find it to be.