Monthly Archives: October 2010
“Hara”: A Japanese Lesson
“Hara”, The Character The Japanese word “hara” is variously translated as: : abdomen, bowel, belly, gut, mind or courage. It is a very important concept in both Chinese and Japanese culture – even in their religions. Below I offer a … Continue reading
Filed under Religion
For Pedant Word Nazis
In keeping with comments from my last post, I just had to put up this 6-minute Stephen Fry talk which does a great job showing why nominalists will always win the day over essentialists (read: “prescriptionists“). Those who are busy … Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Religious Prescriptionists
“Religious prescriptionist” are folks who tell us what should be the true view, the real practices, and the authentic theology of a group. Christian prescriptionists tell us who a real Christian is, what a real Christian should do, and what … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy, Religion
Rape and Reincarnation
When I lived in India and Japan I heard lay Buddhist believers justify both the good things and the bad things that happen in their lives by referring to their karma and reincarnation. In India I also heard Hindus doing … Continue reading
Filed under Religion
Rebirth, Reincarnation or Neither
This is an index of my posts on reincarnation and rebirth. It will also serve as a list outside articles/posts I find addressing the reincarnation/rebirth debate in Buddhism. If you want to suggest an article/post on reincarnation/rebirth in Buddhism, please … Continue reading
Comments Off
Filed under Uncategorized
Did the Buddha teach Traditional Reincarnation?
Many Buddhist scriptures have the Buddha telling reincarnation stories. Many English speaking Buddhists prefer the word “rebirth” to “reincarnation” because they contend that “reincarnation” implies a non-Buddhist notion of an enduring, unchanging entity like a soul or spirit. Thus instead … Continue reading
Filed under Buddhism
My Previous Life as a German
Many years ago I was traveling from Chicago to Pakistan to do graduate studies in religion and philosophy. En route I stopped in Ohio to visit my mother and to get may passport visa. However, the visa had problems and … Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Debunking the “Death Rock”
In a previous post (“Death Rock“) I wrote a story about hallucinating a boulder accurately warning me of pending death. Below I offer a short rational explanation that shows how this experience can be explained in naturalistic terms instead of … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Religion, Science
Anatomy of Superstition
I have written about many of my “supernatural” experiences. When writing those posts, I tried to relate them with the same mind and same eyes I had at the time of the experiences. Indeed, my memory of the incidents is … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Religion
“Death Rock”
Years ago I dragged two reluctant friends with me to a lonely, isolated village on the southern coast of Java because I had heard that Muslim mystics practiced in cliff-caves there and I wanted to see what that was about. … Continue reading
Filed under Religion
Our Pseudo-Amish Family
Religious or not, we all must make decisions on how to raise our children. Just as religious folks vary widely in their child rearing styles, so do us atheist folks. The difference being, atheists are free to change their style … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy, Religion
Parental Religious Fart Logic
This weekend, I again heard a religious excuse which I have heard many times before. Two friends, from different families, gave similar excuses for why they send their kids to church. Neither of the families have significantly religious parents. In … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Religion
My wife’s Horse Pilgrimage
This weekend my wife drove with her friend down to Kentucky to attend the World Equestrian Games for five days. My wife told me that this week set a world record for the most horses flying in the air (by … Continue reading
Filed under Religion
The Subjective Parachute
When Christians and Buddhists dialogue I occasionally see a similar dialogue technique that shuts down their conversation. This technique — a sort of parachute out of the dialogue — also occurs outside of religions and I’d love to hear secular … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
WeiQi Mind
Several times a week I sit down with a small glass of wine and play an on-line game of WeiQi. More than I prefer, however, my games end with my heart pounding uncomfortably in my chest. With this reminder, I … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy
