Postjudice is not Terrible

My first reading assignment of the year was The Burden of Skepticism, by Carl Sagar. http://www.scribd.com/doc/24763842/Carl-Sagan-The-Burden-of-Skepticism
Class: Anthropological Theories of Religion

Here are some lovely quotes:

"In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know,
that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken."
and then they actually change their minds and you never
hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It
doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists
are human and change is sometimes painful. But it
happens, every day. I cannot recall the last time
something like that has happened in politics or religion.
It's very rare that a senator, say, replies, "That's a good
argument. I will now change my political affiliation."
- The Burden of Skepticism, Carl Sagan

"I'm often asked the question, "Do you think there is
extraterrestrial intelligence?" I give the standard
argument - there are a lot of places out there, and use
the word billions, and so on. And then I say that it would
be astonishing to me if there weren't extraterrestrial
intelligence, but of course there is as yet no compelling
evidence for it. And then I'm asked, "Yeah, but what do
you really think?" I say, "I just told you what I really
think." "Yeah, but what's your gut feeling?" But I try not to
think with my gut. Really, it's okay to reserve judgement
until the evidence is in."

"Postjudice is not terrible."

"I believe that what propels science is a thirst for wonder.
It's a very powerful emotion. All children feel it. In a first
grade classroom everybody feels it; in a twelfth grade
classroom almost nobody feels it, or at least
acknowledges it. Something happens between first and
twelfth grade, and it's not just puberty. Not only do the
schools and the media not teach much skepticism,
there is also little encouragement of the stirring sense
of wonder."

Here's another good reading (not for the class):
http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html?gclid=CKLf7pLWr58CFQwhDQodTFlQNg
5 and 6 don't really count, scientifically.
1-4 are another matter.
Because really, the fact that we exist is something amazing.