Yet the superstition In which we have grown up, not therefore loses When we detect it, all its influence on us. Not all are free that can bemock their fetters... The worst of superstitions is to think One's own most bearable. G. Lessing, Nathan the Wise
Category: religion
Training the Self
Philosopher Peter Sloterdijk claims there never was a religion that wasn't actually a misunderstood personal training regime. But if self-improvement is indeed the new religion, why should we settle for the mediocre stuff were currently offered.
A typology of disagreement
How are differences of opinion to be characterised? That is to say, if there is more than one opinion, what is its status in relation to the others? Are there different types of difference of opinion? It’s hard to write about this matter because as soon as we do so we resort to language that … Continue reading A typology of disagreement
Discriminate for a better, fairer world!
Sydney auxiliary Bishop Julian Porteous on the virtue of discrimination. Fourcultures has written on this line of thought before - only discriminate: four versions of justice A Hierarchical world view laments the good old days when discrimination was a virtue not a vice, since discrimination, so it is argued, is the very important act of … Continue reading Discriminate for a better, fairer world!
Is God a blank slate?
Dan Ariely, behavioural psychologist, reports on research that concludes that we select our view of God’s opinions to fit with our own. It seems that as our own opinions change so does our description of God’s opinions. The conclusion then is that God is a blank slate, onto which we project our opinions. “Overall these … Continue reading Is God a blank slate?
Excommunicating Women priests
Just about to write something about the recent restatement of the Catholic Church's opposition to the ordination of women - I realised, effectively, I already had. Add only this: it's not actually very easy to be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. Few people have ever met anyone who has been (militant atheists have been … Continue reading Excommunicating Women priests
Only Discriminate – four versions of justice
"We do not support the notion of discrimination. But you have to distinguish between people." These were the words of the Archbishop of Westminster in response to the Pope’s comments on the proposed equality legislation in the UK (reported by the Guardian). Note the slipperiness of language. In its non-pejorative sense, discrimination does mean distinguishing … Continue reading Only Discriminate – four versions of justice
Fortify your group with religious belief! Homing in on the God Gene
“Groups fortified by religious belief would have prevailed over those that lacked it, and genes that prompted the mind toward ritual would eventually have become universal.” An article in the New York Times, In Search of the God Gene, flies a kite for religion as an evolutionary benefit. But it takes a very particular view … Continue reading Fortify your group with religious belief! Homing in on the God Gene
Nipping and Biting: Characterising the Conflict between Science and Religion
Much of the supposed conflict between science and religion may well be imaginary, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any conflict. How then should this conflict be characterised? Gregory Bateson once noted the distinction in playful animals between the nip (playful) and the bite (serious). It’s clear that animals, including ourselves, can tell the difference, … Continue reading Nipping and Biting: Characterising the Conflict between Science and Religion
Do Egalitarians need Spirituality?
A thoughtful review by Graham Strouts of David Holmgren’s new book, Future Scenarios appears at his website, Zone 5. This provides an interesting angle on the predeliction of Egalitarian thinkers to foreground the need for a ‘reorientation of spiritual values’ or a ‘fundamental change of paradigm’. Note that while Holmgren himself is clear that under … Continue reading Do Egalitarians need Spirituality?
Four Cultures 