Category Archives: Judaism

Do WMDs Make Religion Too Risky?

Posted on March 27, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

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 | 3 Comments

We Are What We Are

Posted on March 21, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

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 | Leave a comment

A High School Psychology Experiment

Posted on February 6, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

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 | Leave a comment

We Don’t Always Need to Talk

Posted on January 19, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

“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 | Leave a comment

Is There a “Problem of Goodness”?

Posted on January 10, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

“The problem of evil” has long been a thorn in the side of Judaism and Christianity. It’s a fairly simple argument: Judaism and Christianity say that God is infinitely good and infinitely powerful. If God is infinitely good, then He … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy | Tagged Bart Ehrman, Book of Job, Brand Blanshard, Divine goodness, Existence of Evil, G.E. Moore, Problem of Evil, Suffering, Theodicy, Theology | Leave a comment

Remain Calm, Even If All Isn’t Well

Posted on January 8, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

It’s easy to remain calm when everything is going well. But it’s more important to remain calm when everything isn’t going so well. One way I’m lucky is that I have friends and family members who disagree with me about … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Judaism, Life, Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged Animal House, Calmness, Communication, Communication Problems, Debate, Disagreement, Diversity, Miscommunication, Misunderstanding, Rational, Rationality, Reasonable Debate, Serenity | 2 Comments

Visit a Foreign Country

Posted on December 5, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

“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 | 2 Comments

Give Thanks for Thankfulness

Posted on November 22, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

On the American holiday of Thanksgiving, we give thanks for a lot of things. In developed countries, we’ve got food. We’ve got shelter. Even the poorest among us have access to resources and luxuries that were unimaginable only a hundred … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Human Relations, Judaism, Philosophy, Psychology, Society | Tagged Blessings, Constructive attitude, Encouragement, Gratitude, Helpful beliefs, Life, Pilgrims, Positive thinking, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving | Leave a comment

Is the Bible Worth Reading?

Posted on November 12, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

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 | 2 Comments

The Way to Go

Posted on November 2, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

“To every man there openeth A Way, and Ways, and a Way. And the High Soul climbs the High way, And the Low Soul gropes the Low, And in between, on the misty flats, The rest drift to and fro. … Continue reading →