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From The Death of the Moth, and other essays.
To THE EDITOR OF THE “NEW STATESMAN”
“In scientific explanation, there should be no use of mind or deity, and there should be no appeal to final causes. All causality should flow with the flow of time, with no effect of the future upon the present or the past. No deity, no teleology, and no mind should be postulated in the universe that was to be explained.” — Gregory Bateson
I only very slightly differ with the statement, but only slightly. I do believe that there is mind – those minds are ours. But they are fully biological minds, making choices, and those choices are made with the flow of time, presenting an illusion of teleology, an illusion of design and purpose in the world.
But really, life is creating its own purpose as it weaves its threads.
I really believe that the tapestry is always being woven, unless we’re all gone. As long as there is life, there is purpose, and therefore hope.
Deity should not be invoked in naturalistic explanation, for to believe that deity creates the world is to believe it to be a craftsman, vengeful, bumbling and making mistakes, and removing personal responsibility from us and the choices we make in this world. That’s no deity for me – I see deities as perfect, teachers and guides to be emulated in the physical world. Meditation and a direct experience with the ideal I believe is the only way to properly approach divinity… it is nothing for natural science.
“Sometimes, the best investigative reporting and outing of the truth comes from freely given statements, and the all-too-transparent agenda of the speaker.” — Desmond Shang
Recently saw Des’s post in the comments of a certain controversial blahg, and boy, did that ring a bell 
Give ‘em enough rope, and let ‘em hang themselves 
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