On Calculating God, by Robert Sawyer
Hi H
Thanks for the loan of Calculating God. The book made for some
interesting reading and the plot was intriguing enough to keep
reading. I thought I should write down my feedback if only because it
will help me to clarify my own stand on some of the issues. I figured
you may be interested in a lengthy response since you said you were
intrigued by the characterisation of good/evil in different religions
(a la Rushdie) and their nuances.
First, I usually say that I am a scientist and an atheist, but
that's only because "theism" as interpreted in the USA and many other
countries is very narrow in scope and often refers to belief in some
kind of personal entity that governs humankind and our actions.
Unfortunately, I find that "atheism" also seems to have similar narrow
connotations, instead of meaning, as I had hoped, "non-belief in a
personal savior."