And Jan. My dear Jan...Isn't God gorgeous?

For those of you who haven't seen the Very Brady Sequel:

Roy: Marcia. Oh, Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. You have grown up to be so gorgeous!
Marcia: I know.
Roy: And Jan. My dear Jan... Isn't Marcia gorgeous?

I’m rereading the forward to "I Sold My Soul on Ebay". It's still amazing to me the misunderstanding Christians have about atheists. "It takes great faith to stare at a sunset, to hear a symphony in full swing, to watch a young child take her first steps, and not see something divine." It doesn't take faith NOT to believe in God, it takes the overcoming of superstition. You may as well say, it certainly takes a lot of faith to see the intricate frost on a window and not see the work of winter fairies. Well, actually, no. It is superb, it is supremely good, it is wonderful, and makes me feel joyous. But there is nothing that intrinsically links something wonderful to someone imaginary.

I'm not even close to being the first that's said this, but it's really annoying that God gets all the credit for things that are just as (if not more) wonderful on their own - either as natural occurrences or as a product of humankind. Watching my children grown and prosper is amazing, and I am indeed filled with wonder that my gorgeous baby, who came from a microscopic beginning, will be taller than I am in a few years. I experience "divine" joy from sunsets and forests, a deep wonder when I look into the intelligent eyes of a gorilla or elephant. I am moved by acts of kindness - like today at the pool, when two strangers jumped to my young son's aid as he panicked.

But I do not have to struggle, and rely heavily on antireligious faith, to un-believe in God. Why can't life just be wonderful sometimes?