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2015-12-15T23:53:34-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I Don’t Blame You For Being Scared of Guns

Last updated on: December 15, 2015 at 11:53 pm By Tom Swiss

Guns, in other words, are supposed to be scary. That's been the idea from the start. Now, if you happen to be behind the gun, using it to scare off or stop people intent on harming you or your family or your town or nation, this is a very good thing. It is the righteous fury of a wrathful deity, the power of Fudō-myōō "whose powers are of lava, of magma, of deep rock strata, of gunpowder, and the Sun," as Gary Snyder put it. Read more

2016-10-17T21:04:03-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Death and the Holidays

Last updated on: October 17, 2016 at 9:04 pm By Tom Swiss

We sat down to a very subdued Christmas dinner, during which the call came. Leonard Swiss was dead. I don't think I need to explain that this put a damper on the family holiday celebration for several years. Read more

Because I Could Not Stop For Death

My Blogging Life and Times

Seasonal Musings

death

seasons

2015-12-06T23:39:00-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In Praise of the Circular Argument

Last updated on: December 6, 2015 at 11:39 pm By Tom Swiss

On the other hand -- and here I freely admit that I am stepping out into thin air with no support, and may even be leaving philosophy being and falling into poetry -- what if we could make a circular argument large enough to encompass our entire experience of the world? Read more

Philosophy

philosophical idealism

science

Taoism

2015-11-23T03:14:53-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Giving Credit

Last updated on: November 23, 2015 at 3:14 am By Tom Swiss

But there's something related and important that doesn't ask us to fake anything, something specific, founded on reason and facts that should always be acknowledged: credit. Read more

Ethics, Virtue, and Right Living

Poetry

Seasonal Musings

Thanksgiving

2015-11-23T03:10:42-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Gratitude, Schmatitude

Last updated on: November 23, 2015 at 3:10 am By Tom Swiss

If you’re feeling angry, grumpy, irritable, frustrated, or grief-stricken, then go ahead and honestly feel that way! I might suggest that you look at how these feelings arise, examine to what degree they are real and to what degree phantoms, but don’t paper over your emotions with false gratitude just because some “spiritual teacher” tells you that feeling one way is better than feeling another. Read more

Ethics, Virtue, and Right Living

Seasonal Musings

Thanksgiving

2015-11-22T01:07:28-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Remembering “Sheriff Scott”

Last updated on: November 22, 2015 at 1:07 am By Tom Swiss

He had worked as a forensic anthropologist, a firefighter, an EMT, a bodyguard, a store manager, and a teacher, and he brought that diversity of experience to the work he did for our community. Read more

My Blogging Life and Times

Free Spirit Gathering

2015-11-16T09:25:21-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Horrible Events Have Causes

Last updated on: November 16, 2015 at 9:25 am By Tom Swiss

The anger may or may not be justified. The fear may or may not be rational. But it matters little to those slaughtered and maimed or to their families and friends, and so the survivors become angry and fearful and lash out, and the vicious cycle comes around again. And again. And again. Read more

2015-11-09T00:01:55-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why Time Changes Matter

Last updated on: November 9, 2015 at 12:01 am By Tom Swiss

All of these time changes, from leap seconds to leap years, are reminders that we have to synchronize our human actions to the natural world, that as much as our industrial technological society tries to stand apart from the chaotic cycles of days and seasons it cannot do so. Read more

Seasonal Musings

Daylight Saving Time

seasons

2015-11-07T01:42:31-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why Men’s Mysteries Matter

Last updated on: November 7, 2015 at 1:42 am By Tom Swiss

But initiation can also be a social phenomenon, in which the initiate is welcomed and recognized as a member of a group or class of people by the members of that group. In this respect, only men can initiate a man. And through that initiation a boy can be allowed and encouraged to adopt behaviors and attitudes of the mature masculine. Read more

Ethics, Virtue, and Right Living

Religion & Politics

men's mysteries

2015-11-04T15:26:23-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ten Years Ago Today I Decided To Write A Book

Last updated on: November 4, 2015 at 3:26 pm By Tom Swiss

That moment was in November 2005, over a few days during my second trip to Japan, staying with my friend Robin Gunkel. Here it is ten years later, some misspellings and obvious typos fixed but other errors of grammar, history, and thought preserved. Some of these ideas and sentences made it into to final version...some didn't. Read more

History

My Blogging Life and Times

Zen

why buddha touched the earth

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