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History and Religion

2024-06-14T15:46:27-05:00

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.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Intelligence

Last updated on: June 14, 2024 at 3:46 pm By Larry Jordan

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way that we live and work. Increasingly, AI presents challenging questions about the nature of humanity and about the nature of the Universe itself. Existential Exhaustion? Before The Way was published, I asked ChatGPT, an AI app, to write a “New York Times” book review of my book. The book was not available anywhere online, in bookstores, or in libraries. So, the review was based solely on my author website and my social... Read more

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hallucinations

2024-06-07T08:04:43-05:00

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.

Visions: Hallucinations or Transcendent Experiences?

Last updated on: June 7, 2024 at 8:04 am By Larry Jordan

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Are visions hallucinations or transcendent experiences? Biologist J.B.S. Haldane said, “The Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.” A few years ago, I participated in a Native American sweat lodge ceremony. Eight of us squeezed into a small hut that usually seated four. The medicine man poured water over hot stones, placing more stones and pouring more water every few minutes, to maintain a constant temperature above 100 degrees. I was expecting a... Read more

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White Wolf

2024-06-04T23:32:05-05:00

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.

Do We Honor Ultimate Reality in Other Traditions?

Last updated on: June 4, 2024 at 11:32 pm By Larry Jordan

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Comedian Ricky Gervais once tweeted, “There have been nearly 3000 Gods so far, but only yours actually exists. The others are silly made-up nonsense. But not yours. Yours is real.” For many of us who were taught to believe exactly that, his statement is unsettling. Merriam-Webster defines “God” as “the supreme or Ultimate Reality.” Recently, I wrote about Ultimate Reality here and here and here and here. I do not assume that Ultimate Reality is personal or supernatural. Perhaps, it is.... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-06-01T15:07:58-05:00

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.

What Beliefs are Fundamental to Christianity?

Last updated on: June 1, 2024 at 3:07 pm By Larry Jordan

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There are more than 45,000 forms of Christianity worldwide, and they disagree on the fundamentals. What beliefs are fundamental to Christianity? I used to attend a Disciples of Christ church, founded by Barton Stone and Thomas Campbell almost 200 years ago. Stone questioned much Christian orthodoxy, including the Trinity and atonement. When one of the current members of our church wondered what beliefs are fundamental to Christianity, she insisted, “Surely, we all agree on the Trinity!?!” I reminded her that... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-05-16T15:36:40-05:00

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.

Creation: Mythology, Religion, and Science

Last updated on: May 16, 2024 at 3:36 pm By Larry Jordan

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Creation myths can illustrate the intersection of mythology, religion, and science. Do we interpret ancient religious texts as history or mythology? If we examine ancient religions, we might say, “Aha, the myth of the creation… aha, the myth of the fall… aha, the myth of the flood… aha, the myth of the virgin birth… aha, the myth of the divine sonship… aha, the myth of the resurrection,” etc. These are common myths in many ancient religions. These myths seem unique... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-05-09T09:08:19-05:00

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.

The Journey is the Destination

Last updated on: May 9, 2024 at 9:08 am By Larry Jordan

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The journey is the destination. Zen is more of a philosophy than a religion. It is more experiential than intellectual. Zen is not creedal or speculative or theistic. Ask a Zen teacher, “Is there a God? What is the meaning of life? Where do we go when you die?” He or she might respond, “Who knows? Do you realize your connection to everyone and everything? Are you here now?” Dogen Zenji, founder of the Soto school of Zen, stressed the... Read more

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Family, Parenting and Religion

2024-05-01T14:25:39-05:00

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.

Ultimate Reality Permeates Everyday Reality

Last updated on: May 1, 2024 at 2:25 pm By Larry Jordan

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Ultimate Reality is not far removed from everyday reality. In fact, Ultimate Reality permeates everyday reality. For the last few weeks, I have been talking about Ultimate Reality, and some of it might have seemed abstract or heady or intellectual. When I write about Ultimate Reality, I am choosing my terms carefully. For some, the term “God” assumes a personal, supernatural being. For others, the term “Universe” assumes an impersonal, natural force. I would rather not assume anything about Ultimate... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-04-25T09:48:36-05:00

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.

Ultimate Reality: Consciousness, Energy, and Love

Last updated on: April 25, 2024 at 9:48 am By Larry Jordan

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Today, fewer people imagine Ultimate Reality in purely personal terms or in purely supernatural terms. Increasingly, Ultimate Reality is imagined in impersonal, natural terms, such as consciousness, energy or love. In a previous post, I discussed the absolute and relative aspects, as well as the personal and impersonal aspects, of Ultimate Reality. Also, I suggested that those who encounter Brahman, God, the Universe, or the Void might be describing the same experience. How can we experience fullness (Brahman) and emptiness... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-04-18T18:05:16-05:00

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.

Ultimate Reality: Brahman, God, the Universe and the Void

Last updated on: April 18, 2024 at 6:05 pm By Larry Jordan

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Ultimate Reality has many names: Brahman in Hinduism, God in Christianity, the Universe in humanism and the Void in Buddhism. When we encounter people with different beliefs (or no beliefs) we have to consider notions of God that are different from our own. (Note: In the West, we usually refer to Ultimate Reality as “God,” and I use the word “God” when explaining how others describe “God.” But, this notion is NOT universal, so when I use the word “God,”... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-04-11T06:52:25-05:00

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.

What Do We Know About Ultimate Reality?

Last updated on: April 11, 2024 at 6:52 am By Larry Jordan

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We know one thing about Ultimate Reality, namely that everyone is related, and everything is connected. The mystics of all traditions and the scientists, especially the quantum physicists, agree. This profound, but simple, realization can be life-changing. Some say that their religion is kindness or that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Same thing. In a previous post, I said that many of our beliefs are comfortable, rather than sensible. I stated that evidence and experience do NOT confirm... Read more

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Education and Religion

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