Should we be concerned that society is becoming more secular? This is something that I talk and write about a lot. Today, a friend texted me this photo, explaining, “I came across this dilapidated, old church with vultures all over it, and I thought of you.” Haha, thanks, I think… Analysts estimate that between 75 to 150 churches close every week in America. Generally, attendance is lower at those churches that remain open, too, especially since the pandemic.... Read more
We may see more by the light of the moon than by the light of a bulb. The Real World We spend two months each year in Crestone, Colorado, near the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Crestone sits in the high desert at the base of several 14,000 foot peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. There are plenty of hiking trails and hot springs nearby. Crestone has a great art gallery and over 20 spiritual centers, where... Read more
What did The Way look like to the early followers of Jesus? My book is called The Way, which is what many religions, including Christianity, were called at first. Originally, the founders of the religions, as well as the early mystics and the sages, prescribed a way of life, often based on the Golden Rule. Eventually, the later priests and theologians supplanted the early founders, mystics, and sages. Instead, they proscribed a way of belief, often based on... Read more
Some people want churches to focus on values, not just beliefs. In last week’s post, I asked if seeking truth means letting go of beliefs. I never know which posts will resonate with readers, and that one did. I linked to the post in several Facebook groups, and I got a lot of comments, likes, and shares. In a preface to the post, I observed that many churches post “What We Believe” statements. Does anyone think that these... Read more
Our spiritual practice should focus on our interrelatedness. In The Way, I described my search for universal Truth, rather than the truth in a particular tradition, so I explored Eastern religions and Western religions, and I studied the mystics of many traditions and the luminaries of modern science. We Can Find Truth in Objective Evidence and Subjective Experience The mystics seek experiential knowledge of God and metaphysics, and the scientists seek evidentiary knowledge of the Universe and physics. The... Read more
Do we consider the other side of the story? Sometimes, we feel pretty strongly about our political and religious beliefs if we do not consider the legitimacy of other beliefs. When we explore them, we realize that reasonable people can disagree, that there are (at least) two sides to every story, and that the truth can be more nuanced or situational than we realize. Consider the passionate feelings around controversial issues like abortion and guns. There are legitimate... Read more
“Don’t believe everything you think.” Do we have good reasons for our beliefs? Sometimes, people make pretty strong statements without having objective evidence or subjective experience. I wrote about distinguishing between beliefs and facts here. We can avoid a lot of arguments by asking clarifying questions. Our brains have evolved to make quick decisions with little basis in fact. Our ancestors made instinctive “fight or flight” decisions that allowed them to continue to propagate in the gene pool. Then, the... Read more
Everyone has beliefs, and beliefs are not inherently good or bad, in and of themselves. Beliefs can be problematic when we confuse our beliefs with facts or when we impose our beliefs on others. I wrote about beliefs and facts here, and I wrote about respecting others’ beliefs here. In coming weeks, I will be writing about how to navigate discussions about politics and religion. In my opinion, we can make even the most outlandish claims, as long as we... Read more
In The Way, I suggest that we should hold our political and religious beliefs more loosely. The book describes how the new physics transforms our understanding of the physical universe and how 2,000 years of progress in history, science, philosophy and theology transforms our understanding of Ultimate Reality. In a black-and-white Newtonian universe, there is no paradox. But, in a Technicolor quantum universe, there is a lot of paradox. The universe is a connected field, not a bunch of discrete... Read more
Recall that there are 45,000 Christian denominations, who almost never agree. Imagine that all 2.4 billion Christians agree that we should follow Jesus. What does it mean to follow Jesus? Many of my Catholic friends aspire to be good people and to attend Mass regularly. Many of my Protestant friends claim to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. For 2,000 years, Catholics have believed (like James) that we are justified by faith and works. For 500 years, Protestants have... Read more
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