Colleen, Mike’s partner, asks some questions both to clarify Judy’s position and to lead the conversation to why she, Colleen, left the Catholic Church. The conversation at this point was about atheism. Judy declared that she recognizes that Mike is an atheist. In quick response, Mike, who until this moment during this trip mostly cast broad smiles and short sentences, looks square at Judy, and in his deep, resonating voice that I observed spellbinding many an audience, said clearly, in measured tones: “I am not an atheist, as I don’t deny that God exists. But we don’t need God to tell us what to do. We know what’s right and what to do.”

Judy: “We’re all sinners… I know God exist because I have a personal relationship with him”.

Stan: “We have no consciousness at all, so we have no values.”

George: “What? That’s ridiculous, of course we have consciousness!”

Mary nodding here and there was mostly silent. I was listening attentively, wondering if I wanted to weigh in. Then, maybe because I was unusually mute, as if on cue, the Company turned and looked at me sitting bemused at the head of the table, and waited for my two cents. I took a deep breath and…

Joe: “Consciousness to me is being self-aware… there’s no value judgment required to have consciousness. With respect to our beliefs – what we think is true to us – but each of us needs to examine the nature of our personal reality, how it’s formed, what part is from our parents, friends, teachers, culture, nationality… all biases that shape how we interpret our experience.”

George chortles some non-word. The rest of the Company remained silent, lost in their respective musings.

We eat more fish and drank more wine.