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Tag Archives: Religion
Why Beliefs Divide Us
Why do beliefs divide us? This will sound like a joke, but it’s the truth: Beliefs divide us because it’s part of their job. We usually think of beliefs simply as being about facts: Two plus two equals four. Flowers … Continue reading
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
In 1741, the Rev. Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon about the total wickedness of humanity. It was titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” It wasn’t about something that his listeners had done wrong, but about the idea … Continue reading
Posted in Psychology
Tagged Fear, Guilt, Neurosis, Race, Race relations, Racism, Religion, Wokeness
2 Comments
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
3 Comments
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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Are People Basically Good?
“People are neither basically good nor basically bad. They are basically free.” Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Philosophy
Tagged Conscience, Dennis Prager, Empathy, Ernest Hemingway, Human Nature, Jonathan Haidt, Morality, Religion, Virtue
4 Comments
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
5 Comments
You Can’t Prove God — and It Doesn’t Matter
“You can’t prove God’s existence. And it doesn’t matter.” Continue reading
Posted in Epistemology, Jewish Philosophy
Tagged Atheism, Bible, Christianity, Judaism, Logic, Philosophy, Proof, Religion, Theism
2 Comments
Solve the Right Problem
My latest blog post for The Jewish Journal: Define the problem right, and you’re halfway to a solution. Define the problem wrong, and you’ll probably never solve it. You’ll waste all your time looking for a solution that doesn’t exist. … Continue reading
