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Category Archives: Judaism
Do Great Individuals Shape History?
Is human history driven mainly by the actions of “great men”? It’s called the great man theory of history. Of course, the problem is that word “mainly.” Lots of things cause historical events. To say that a specific person was … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism, Life, Philosophy, Psychology, Society
Tagged Adam and Eve, Aristotle, Buddha, Calculus, Confucius, Einstein, Empress Theodora, Gilgamesh, Great Man Theory, Greatness, Hammurabi, Historiography, History, Isaac Newton, Jesus, Leibniz, Moses, Theories of History, Winston Churchill
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Don’t Pass Over History
Who are you? What are you? The answers define your identity and give you a sense of place in the universe. The “who” question has a simple answer: your name. But the “what” question has many answers. You are a … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged Community, Easter, Exodus, Group identity, Historiography, History, Legitimacy, Morality, Moses, Passover, Personal Identity, Social order
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Cher Channels Ambrose Bierce
Cher, a pop singer who I loved for her 1990s music video featuring the animated characters Beavis and Butt-Head, has a new talent. Her April 14th statement channels the spirit of the 19th-century American writer Ambrose Bierce. His book The … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged Beavis and Butt-Head, Cher, Hypocrisy, Illegal migrants, Immigration, Immigration policy, NIMBY, Open borders
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Do WMDs Make Religion Too Risky?
On his blog, philosopher Eric Kaplan posed a serious question (paraphrased here): If our weapons can destroy all life on earth, can we still afford to believe in a God who plays favorites? People sometimes claim that God is “… … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Epistemology, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy, Psychology
Tagged Aggression, Atheism, Belief in God, Kin Selection, Philosophy of Religion, Religion, Sapolsky, Steven Weinberg, Theism, War
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We Are What We Are
We are what we are. The only question is what we choose to do about it. When I worked on Capitol Hill, I knew a political writer who was a nasty, hateful person. Then he became a Christian. And — … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Human Relations, Judaism, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazim, DNA, Evolution, Globalism, Group behavior, Hillel, In-Group, Kin Selection, Moment Magazine, Nationalism, Open borders, Out-Group, Proxy variable, Yoram Hazony
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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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We Don’t Always Need to Talk
“We need to talk.” Those words inspire dread. They usually portend something unpleasant. At home, your spouse might be angry because you forgot to take out the trash. At work, your boss might scold you for neglecting to put cover … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life, Psychology
Tagged Communication, Confucius, Consideration for others, Kindness, Silence, Small talk, Talking
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