Category: Religion

  • God Determines

    The ancient Greek philosopher, Epicurus (around 300 BCE), introduced the world to a conundrum called the Problem of Evil. It says: Since evil exists, God doesn’t. Here is the entire proof: Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able to prevent evil but not willing? Then…

  • Innate Goodness

    The paragraph below is quoted from an interview with Jack Kornfield, popular advocate and teacher on living a spiritual life. “Freud says, ‘Culture has to … erect barriers against the aggressive instincts of men … To love one’s neighbor as oneself is … completely at variance with original human nature ….’ From a Buddhist perspective,…

  • Fauna of Convictions

    Fundamentally there is no point to being alive. People live. They don’t dwell on its pointlessness. Most fabricate a meaning for existence. They manufacture a point:  to serve God, to make music, to nurture the family, to create art, to win races, to wreak vengeance … To do something or other. The doing is sanctified…

  • Why Is There Anything?

    I am thinking about the functions of religion. What does organized religion give to people that drives them to suspend reason. What is the nature of man that religion exists? I conclude that people need guided ceremony. And they need prayer: something to offer consolation in times of despair and celebration in times of joy.…

  • Is Life Worth Living?

    Is Life Worth Living? asks William James In Is Life Worth Living? by William James (1896), James says: “Pessimism is essentially a religious disease.” He clarifies thusly: This “is why I call pessimism an essentially religious disease. The nightmare view of life [arises from] the contradiction between the phenomena of Nature and the craving of…