After I talked with John Rogers of the Associated Press a few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure how clearly I’d communicated my commitment to secular goodness as a way of life, not just a way of thinking. After reading his article about me in today’s New York Times, Washington Post and and a bunch of other newspapers, I guess I did okay.

As much as I appreciated the way John described what I’m doing at USC, however, I want to correct his suggestion that I’d “never been that much of a believer anyway”. In fact, like most of my post-Christian friends, I was a genuine person of faith for many years before I slowly lost my supernatural credulity. During that time, when I talked about sensing God’s presence or receiving divine guidance, I wasn’t pretending. I’d certainly explain such transcendent experiences differently today, but I’d never say they don’t happen or question the sincerity of believers who attach them to their supernatural narratives.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m thrilled by all this positive national exposure. I just want to make sure all those folks who heard me preach Jesus know I wasn’t lying to them.