Perhaps Epstein serves as a model of non-theistic chaplaincy.

I think he does. While I don’t know him personally, I think he is filling his job as a Humanist Celebrant very well and meeting the requirements of the position very well from what I’ve been hearing. There are some things that aren’t perfect and need some honing, but he is trying. What more can one require of a human being who is helping to fulfill human needs? Thus why I think he would be a very good model. To be honest, IF I ever go through with becoming a Humanist Celebrant myself, I hope to remember his efforts and learn a few things from him along the way, even if it is indirectly.

Yes, I know, spiritual has religious connotations, but I don’t mean it in a religious sense, but until we find a word that is just as powerful and meaningful to describe feelings of awe and wonder, that numinous feeling that is undescribable with words, and/or transcendence and alike, that’s the best the human language has to offer, even for the non-religious.

The sublime?

I hesitated to mention two more of his songs since I don’t want to encourage negative or disrespectful treatment of religion, …but the temptation is too much. Click here and scroll down to read the lyrics to “A Christmas Carol,” and “The Vatican Rag.” Hilarious.

I’m bookmarking that song and taking it as a personal challenge!!! ;^)

I love all of the little images that flash on the screen for each element — like Superman for a split second for Krypton. (In truth my kids would rather sing about Spiderman than about science, but that’s okay. ;^) ). Plus I love the ending about how there may be more but that’s all Harvard has heard about.

I like singing Science-related songs with my sons for fun. One of my son Nico’s favorite songs to sing is the Schoolhouse Rock “Gravity” song (about Galileo: “…he did experiments with a force he could not see; he found that all things fall to Earth at the very same speed…”). Other fun ones include They Might Be Giants’ cover of “The Sun is a mass of incandescent gas…” and Monty Python’s “Galaxy” song, etc.

Waxing sentimental, I’d love to be able to attend a program of my kids singing “We are all Earthlings” (from Sesame Street) with a bunch of other kids.

Even so, Epstein does have some good ideas and they seem to have a good response.

By saying we should sing–whether metaphorically or not–I think Epstein is acknowledging that while agnostics/ atheists/ humanists/ whateverists say the world is more awesome without the concept of God to underlie/ explain it all, they have some problems in the presentation.

Maybe we should add this as an eleventh thing to Hemant’s list of things that Christians are better at than atheists. (Most Popular Posts)

At first I was going to make fun of Epstein with a song parody until I thought of how I really like singing, and how being joyful and playful as a group is really healthy. If the Aussie guy thinks it’s corny or annoying, he should ‘ave anothah beeah an’ loosen up a bit. Eh, mite?

Humanist Chaplain sounds like an interesting job. How do you get qualified for that? I’ve got the counseling skills, but do I need a degree in undivinity? Is there a college offering Humanism Studies?

Of course, I know there are exceptions. Some religious people hate music. Some churches have bad music (read Hemant’s book) while other churches have awesome music (read Hemant’s book). By saying we should sing–whether metaphorically or not–I think Epstein is acknowledging that while agnostics/ atheists/ humanists/ whateverists say the world is more awesome without the concept of God to underlie/ explain it all, they have some problems in the presentation.