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Category: Epistemology

The Prayer Dog and the Eastern Wall

The Prayer Dog and the Eastern Wall

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A spiritual teacher would meet with others for prayers at his home once a week. His dog, though, would always cause a commotion and distract them from their prayers. The teacher thus began tying up his dog outside each week at the start of their meet­ing, and would then release the dog after they had finished their prayers. The teacher eventually died, but a spiritual community had grown around his teach­ings, and they continued to meet and pray together weekly…

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The Banquet and the Rope Ladder

The Banquet and the Rope Ladder

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A profane man died. He heard a voice tell him he would see both heaven and hell and then decide where to spend eternity. The man first found himself in hell, in a large room with no ceiling. There was an endlessly long table set up, filled with delicious foods. However, the people sitting at the table groaned in hungry misery. All the food was in the middle of the table. The people were tied to their chairs, so they…

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The Cure for the Blind

The Cure for the Blind

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A wise teacher came among a community of the blind to teach them how to cure their blindness. His cure was not perfect, but when applied fully, it restored much of their sight. The teacher was with them only a short time. When he left, only a few had learned incomplete forms of the cure and had only partially restored their own sight. As news about the teacher’s cure spread, his few followers began to teach the different forms of…

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The Bridges of Hammon and Sophrete

The Bridges of Hammon and Sophrete

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Two cities, each very distant from the other, sat on the same side of a great river. The river was wide and deep, with a powerful and fast current. Crossing the river was dangerous and difficult, but those few who crossed returned with stories of an unknown country full of mysterious wonders. The first city was named Hammon, and the second was called Sophrete. In Hammon, few citizens had ever crossed the river. Everyone generally agreed that reaching the other…

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Read my new book

Read my new book

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I’ve written a book summarizing my thoughts on life, truth, morality, and religion. About one-quarter of the book contains material from this blog (revised, re-written, and greatly improved), while the rest is new material never released before. The book is called The Triple Path. You can download it here (currently available in PDF, ePub, and Kindle formats (MOBI and AZW3)).

Cosmology: Theism?

Cosmology: Theism?

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If the Triple Path rejects failed ancient cosmologies, then why still believe in God? Current scientific models give us tremendous insight into how the universe began and how it works, and into the origins of mankind. These models, however, also have significant gaps and cannot explain the root cause of many scientific observations. Why did the Big Bang happen? How and why do the fundamental forces work? How and why do the elementary particles exist? How did consciousness evolve? What…

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Cosmology: The Benefits of Religion

Cosmology: The Benefits of Religion

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This post is a follow-up to my previous five-part series on Cosmology, Religion, and Reason. Part one is here. Part two is here. Part three is here.Part four is here. Part five is here. In part five of my previous series on cosmology, I talked about some of the potential evolutionary explanations for the development of religion. Many of these evolutionary explanations are compelling, and it is likely that a combination of some or all of them may be right….

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Cosmology, Religion, and Reason: Part 5

Cosmology, Religion, and Reason: Part 5

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This is part five of a series. Part one is here. Part two is here. Part three is here. Part four is here. In the last post, I talked about the “Practical Approach” to religious claims. In this concluding post, I expand on this further and talk about adopting a reasonable approach to religion. Toward Reasonable Religion When you follow the practical approach, you accept that no matter what church you belong to, it is important to update your religious…

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Cosmology, Religion, and Reason: Part 4

Cosmology, Religion, and Reason: Part 4

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This is part four of a series. Part one is here. Part two is here. Part three is here. Part five is here. Last post, started talking about the first three of four possible reasonable approaches to religious claims: 1) the gaps approach; 2) the symbolic approach; 3) the rejection approach; and 4) the practical approach. In this post, I talk about my favored approach, the practical approach (presentist eclecticism). The Practical Approach (Presentist Eclecticism) The practical approach is to…

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Cosmology, Religion, and Reason: Part 3

Cosmology, Religion, and Reason: Part 3

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This is part three of a series. Part one is here. Part two is here. Part four is here. Part five is here. Last post, I talked about the problems with adopting a literal approach to religions’ claims. As alternatives to the literal approach to religious teachings, I listed four reasonable approaches to religious claims beyond just relying on statements from purported authorities: 1) the gaps approach; 2) the symbolic approach; 3) the rejection approach; and 4) the practical approach….

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