A Thinking Reed

"Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed" – Blaise Pascal

Purpose and design

…the question of whether there is a point or purpose to the universe is not answered simply be reference to evidence for or against a designer. Purpose is a much wider notion than design, and it can live much more comfortably with chance, disorder, and the abyss of cosmic time than can the all too simple notion of design. Thus, it is not fruitful for a theology after Darwin to counter the sense of nature’s apparent absurdity simply by cataloging more and more apparent evidence of design.

–John Haught, God After Darwin (p. 106)

One response to “Purpose and design”

  1. Dr. Haught: one of my theology profs at Georgetown, back in the day. Took his course in “Science, Myth, and Religion” in 1988. Was a lazy sophomore back then, more interested in French theater than in Haught’s heady course, alas. But his class was still an interesting experience, even though I didn’t do well in it.

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