by James Jarrett This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. – The 14th Dalai Lama. Back in 2018, Dennis Oliver’s book review of The Christian Middle Way by Robert M. Ellis here on SNS prompted me to download a copy to my eReader and give it a thorough read. Ellis’ book provided some helpful paradigmatic waypoints on my own long journey out of... Read more
by Thomas Schenk I was thinking, the other day, about a couple of old women who lived near me when I was a child. One was always crabby; if we kids ran into her yard, she would come out and scold. The other one seemed always to be smiling and to enjoy seeing us play. It is hard to say exactly what wisdom is, but I would say that the difference between those two old women was partly one of... Read more
by Eric Steinhart Every spiritual naturalist (and every pagan) should own a microscope. They’re relatively inexpensive: for a few hundred dollars, you can get an excellent microscope. It’s easy to learn the basic techniques for looking at tiny things, and you can progress quickly to more advanced techniques. And microscopy can teach many valuable pagan lessons. To use a microscope, you put things on glass slides. A favorite topic for microscopy is pond water, or some stagnant water with some algae... Read more
by DT Strain Plato’s book of Phaedo may be especially important in ancient Greek philosophic concepts on the soul. In it, Socrates is written to argue for the existence of an immortal soul, distinct and separate from the body. Much later, while the Hebrews did not accept the concept of a distinct soul, the Christian tradition had moved beyond the Hebrews and into Gentile culture, in which it took on some different aspects to which they could relate. Given that Greek philosophy was... Read more
by Thomas Schenk (When there are five Thursdays in a month, we are planning to feature a “classic” article from SNS’ early years on the fifth Thursday. Today’s article first appeared on August 13, 2015.) The old question What is the Meaning of Life? has become something of a joke — not because it has been answered, but because it seems incapable of being answered. Below I attempt to address the question, though perhaps I only add to the joke. Meaning and purpose... Read more
by Eric Steinhart Atheists have mystical experiences that don’t involve God. I’ll describe several examples here. Nietzsche had mystical experiences. During early August 1881, at a rock beside Silvaplana Lake, in the Swiss Alps, near Sils Maria, Nietzsche had a mystical experience. Mountain imagery plays an important role in Nietzsche’s thought. Perhaps his mystical experience was aroused by the vastness of the Alps and by reflection on the vastness of eternity. Around this time, he wrote about the eternal return and... Read more
by Jeff Worthy All I really remember was the loud “ping” that echoed through my helmet when I collided face to face with the opposing team’s running back. Neither one of us fell down; we just stopped, and the play was whistled dead. I soon discovered that the source of the ping sound was the bolts that fastened the face mask to my helmet exploding free due to the force of the impact. My face mask could be lifted up like... Read more
by Leigh Anderson The book, Building a Second Brain, by Tiago Forte is about productivity and how we collect and connect information. He goes through a specific methodology (his “second brain” system) for doing this. One of the things that caught my attention in his book is that he uses personal open ended questions to collect information on things he is interested in but may not currently have a project for. Most knowledge management systems are targeted towards completing specific projects and goals.... Read more
(Article is by guest writer Stefani Ruper. See short bio below). I’ve known since I was about four years old that there probably is no God, and there probably isn’t any of the things God once promised us: morality, purpose, salvation. I spent the better part of the last three decades trying to find replacements for God’s promises. Where can I locate these things in the natural world? After years of doctoral work on the question, I came to realize that... Read more
(Article is by guest writer Ed Kelly Jr. See bio below.) I have wrestled with anxiety for most of my life. I am not alone. According to the Anxiety and Depression Society of America, 40 million adults or 18.1% of the US population, have Anxiety Disorder. I was told I took after my mother who was the official “worry wart” in the family. She would respond to stressful situations by picking her ears until they bled. I picked my fingers.... Read more
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