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At places such as the University of Chicago such individuals are perhaps fairly common. The secular Calvinist is the companion of the secular Jew (who doesn't believe in God, but does believe that he/she is one of God's chosen people.)
A recent edition of the University of Chicago Magazine had an essay about the remodeling of Rockefeller Chapel to accomodate those of other faiths, specifically Hindus and Moslems. This is, of course, entirely appropriate to the world in which we live today.
But perhaps, I thought in puckish fashion, another accomodation should be added to the chapel, to be shared by secularists--former Calvinists, Jews, Catholics, etc. It would perhaps have images of Beethoven, Newton, Gibbon, etc. However, construction of such an intellectual pantheon might prove difficult, since there could be endless debate about which famous individuals to include and which deserved the most prominent positions.
The University of Chicago Magazine of February 2005, page 27, had photographs of a statue of El, the Old Testament "creator diety." The statue, dating from about 1300 BC, is at the Oriental Institute. One of the interesting things about the statue is that it is a "graven image." Graven images have had a checkered history. They were forbidden by Jews at the time of Christ. Early Western and Orthodox Christianity allowed them. Many Protestant sects disallowed them again.
EDITORIAL OPINION:
The following is a typical individualistic expression of opinion by me, a University of Chicago grad. It, of course, in no way represents the position of the University, let alone any honorable secularists associated with or employed by the University:
In the popular debate of 2005 regarding evolution versus "intelligent design," I found that I was neutral. I thought the debate itself was constructive. However Godel's Proof, which shows that there's a higher logic inaccessable to the human understanding, seems to me to constitute a proof of the existence of the God, in the Jewish or Christian conception of God. And I'm not the only person with a scientific bent, to find metaphysical significance in Godel's proof and to say so recently in a public forum.
Godel's proof seems iron-clad as regarding that one single, rather significant, datum, regarding the existence of God. But it sheds no light whatever on many other questions that have been the source of religious controversy.
Among those questions unanswered by Godel are the suitability of graven images; but that doesn't mean that a trip to the Oriental Institute, for the purpose of viewing the El artifact and the many other artifacts at the Institute, would be at all wasted. Quite the contrary.
And it's interesting that the name "Godel" is composed of the two syllables "god" and "el." It could be a coincidence. Or perhaps some Chicago linguist could suggest an explanation. Perhaps, "God only knows."
And, reader, with that thought we bid a fond adieu, for the time being at least, to the storied University of Chicago. There are probably some typographical mistakes or other questionable aspects of the above essay. Anyone at Chicago wishing to advise me of those is quite welcome to do so.
That would remind me of happy student days.
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