Category Archives: Religious Dialogue
Soteriological Slide
I quickly drew this diagram as a dialogue tool to facilitate discussing the question “Who is a Christian?” with ‘progressive’ Christians. This diagram is only the condensed form of the full version below. Click “read more” if you care to … Continue reading
Filed under Christianity, Religious Dialogue
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
Your Modular God
My previous post, “Spackle God“, was in preparation for this post. There I rhetorically wondered out-loud how science-friendly Christians were able to keep their “God” intact while their “Spackle god” shrinks. In that post I showed how a simple model … Continue reading
Filed under Christianity, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Science
Logical Christians & Morality
Let me attempt a short list for why Atheists criticize religious people: Faulty thinking Oppressive social preferences (from #1) Oppressive political agendas (by legislating #2) Do you have other categories? My site criticizes all these points. But I also try … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Transcendence in Mystical Atheists
How can atheists have “transcendent experiences”? What would that mean? Tom Rees at Epiphenom just posted on a recent experiment locating the parts of the brain responsible for transcendence. The definition Tom gives for “transcendence” was: “the belief [sensation] that … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Consciousness, Mysticism, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Re-writing history with head nods
Most decisions in our lives are very complex. They involve many influences tugging at our minds. We are conscious of some of these tugging influences, but I contend that we are not conscious of most of the influences. But once … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Comparative Studies Insights
The Mahābhārata is written in Sanskrit. For millennium, Hindus have claimed that Sanskrit is a unique, sacred, and magically powerful language. I heard this claim over and over again in India and in Ashrams in this country. But is Sanskrit … Continue reading
Filed under Critical Thinking, Hindu, Linquistics, Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Christian: share thyself !
There are many different kind of Christians (as there are Atheists). So as to make dialogue easier, please consider sharing your present beliefs. See the section in my Religious Dialogue Tools for an explanation for how to use this table … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Theology
Sanitizing Unbelievers
Images are important. We often use images to think about others, to understand them and to interact with them. But images can be wrong. Some Christians, when generous, have an image of Atheists as “searchers”. They envision us as … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Woo Woo in your fingers
At the bottom of this post are pictures of 11 commenters hands. A recent study claims that people with relatively small ring fingers are more susceptible to superstitious thinking. My blog illustrates my own personal susceptibility too superstitious perceptions which … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Mysticism, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Science
Religious Dialogue Tools
Below is an annotated list of posts which can aid religious dialogue: Please Share Thyself : Christians : Share your beliefs Philosophers: Share positions you tend towards Atheists: Share your type of Atheism Without knowing each others positions, a dialogue … Continue reading
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Filed under Religion, Religious Dialogue
7 Obstacles to Defining Atheism
For those having difficulty agreeing with someone on how to define Atheism, I suggest 7 obstacles you may need to overcome in order to have a fruitful discussion. (1) Dialogue Purpose You might start by trying to agree on the … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Linquistics, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Meta-Thought & Theology
I was teaching a friend the amazing game of “Go” (“WeiQi” in Chinese). He was having trouble seeing if his group of stones had the potential to live through a battle. I pointed out to him, that, in this game, … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Science, Theology
Atonement Theology
Boy, I am naive ! I did not know that Christian Theologians had invented at least eight Atonement Theories. Atonement theories are theological speculation about what was accomplished by Jesus’ death and resurrection. When I was a Christian I apparently … Continue reading
Filed under Christianity, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Cognitive Mysticism
A phrase to describe my beliefs popped to mind today — “Cognitive Mysticism“. Well, being only two common words, and lots of writers out there, I am sure these two words have been put together before so please excuse me … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Poop Parochialism
I lived for years in countries where wiping after defecating is done very differently than in the USA. In India, like many countries, we stooped and pooped. And after relieving ourselves, we clean ourselves by taking some water on our … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy, Religious Dialogue
Beliefs as Circuit Components
Beliefs are like electronic parts. Each belief can serve several functions depending on relationships. (e.g., a capacitor can serve as a filter, blocking DC or it can damp changes in voltage.) Beliefs have relationships to other beliefs and to the … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Theology
Darwin’s Signature for Sale: $125
Believing that a person has something inside–an essence–that makes them what they are is called “Essentialism”. Essentialism is often accompanied by the belief that this “essence” somehow can rub off on things that person touches or where that person lives … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Mushroom Faith
This may be my last post. For yet again, I am going to take a step of faith in my life. I just snapped this photo of wild mushrooms a friend picked for me this weekend. I will cook and eat … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Personal, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Sympathetic Atheists
71% of my readers (as of 1/2010) are Sympathetic Atheists Sympathy: Greek etymology: “syn” = together + “pathos” = feeling. “Sympathetic Atheists” are Atheists who value of community, moral culture, and reflective living just like Theists do. Further, Sympathetic Atheists acknowledge … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Critical Thinking, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Clashing Worldviews
My notion of “Web of Beliefs” shows that our beliefs are organized to support our lives – yet they are not as substantial as we may think. For example: Two people can hold similar beliefs yet use them very differently … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Damned if you do …
My new colleague had been with our company for one month. We had many fun conversations, I had helped him settle in and had driven him around to show him the town. While getting to know him, he would occasionally … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Personal, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Generous Translations
I am sitting in a coffee shop talking with a new acquaintance who is relating a recent struggle in her life. During the story she casually says, “I believe everything happens for a reason.” and continues her narrative without a … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Consciousness, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Web of Beliefs
The diagram below is one I used to discuss my view of “Many Selves, No Self“. The dots are modules of mind and the lines are the ways they interconnect and operate together. The connected dots form a self — … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Biblical Criticism
In the late 1800′s scholars finally began analyzing Biblical texts with the same tools they examined all other texts. In 1893 a Papal encyclical limited study of the Bible.1 But the study went on, of course. And then thanks to … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Theology
Convert an Atheist Contest
I subscribe to a news magazine called “The Week” which is running a contest to name a TV show about Atheists. The show is a Turkish game show which pits a Greek Orthodox priest, a rabbi, a Buddhist monk and … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Humor, Islam, Judaism, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Trading Jesus for God
I have a challenge for Christians — a mental experiment. After the experiment, please take the poll at the bottom of the post. So here is the experiment. Please entertain the following hypothetical situation: Imagine that someone was able to … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu, Judaism, Mysticism, Religion, Religious Dialogue
The Theist in the Atheist
Dualism is an instinct — you are born with the feeling that a “real you” will survive death. Indeed, the inborn nature of this idea can be a starting point of conversation between Theists and Atheists. This link is to … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Mysticism, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Science
Atheist Voices
Atheists express themselves differently. They use different voices, select voices with various levels of discrimination and vary in their participation of religious activity. I love categorizing — it can aid in thinking and conversation. Below I have categorized these levels … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
