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Category Archives: Bible
Trust Not in Ideologies
“Put not your trust in princes,” advises the Bible. I would add “put not your trust in ideologies.” Ideologies don’t make decisions. People make decisions, for good or for ill. Every way to organize society has advantages and disadvantages. If … Continue reading
A High School Psychology Experiment
I’ve criticized people for not getting their minds out of high school, and I stand by that criticism. Even when it applies to me. On the other hand, high school is the first time we learn certain lessons about life. … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Human Relations, Judaism, Psychology, Society
Tagged Building bridges, Defusing hostility, Do unto others, Friendship, Psalm 15, Reflection, Soft answer
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Visit a Foreign Country
“The past is a foreign country,” advised British novelist L.P. Hartley. And it’s true: Most of us have quite enough trouble keeping up with the present. We’re too busy to think much about the past. Of course, there are different … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Human Relations, Judaism, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged Classic radio, Common good, Courage, Heroism, Lone Ranger, Morality, Patriotism, Rule of law, Self-reliance, Westerns, Wisdom
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Is the Bible Worth Reading?
Is the Bible worth reading? I think it is, but you can find intelligent, moral people on both sides of that question. American novelist Mark Twain, best known for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, had a low opinion of the … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism
Tagged Bible, Biblical literacy, Binding of Isaac, Cultural literacy, Genesis 22, Mark Twain, Moral dilemma, Moral reasoning
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Get Help from Your Automatic Pilot
We spend a lot of our lives on automatic pilot. We act out of habit, without thinking about what we’re doing. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. If we had to think our way through everything we did, we couldn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Human Relations, Judaism, Psychology, Society
Tagged Bible Study, Habit, Learning, Observance, Practice, Prayer, Religion, Skill, Virtue
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Do We Need Religion to be Good People?
“Does being religious make someone a good person?” Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Modern Orthodoxy
Tagged Christianity, Divine Law, Faith, Halacha, Judaism, Matthew Arnold, Morality, Prayer, Religion, Social harmony
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Truth in All Its Varieties
Is truth always the same thing, or are there different kinds of truth? Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy
Tagged Epistemology, Logic, Philosophy, Truth
3 Comments
Reclaiming Israel’s Reputation
I’ve started reading David Brog’s excellent new book Reclaiming Israel’s History: Roots, Rights, and the Struggle for Peace. I’ll post a full review later, but the initial paragraphs of the book describe a situation that seems eerily familiar: “There was a … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Judaism
Tagged Golda Meir, Herzl, History, Israel, Netanyahu, Palestine, Zionism
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The Thousand-Year View 