For many people, the main appeal of George Lucas’ “Star Wars” movies is the “Jedi Way,” the philosophy/religion that guides the mystical Jedi knights. But where does this philosophy come from, and does it hold up under scrutiny?
Category: Religion
God of the Gaps
The “God of the Gaps” argument –that God is the explanation for all the things we don’t (yet) understand –is more popular among atheists than believers, because of its apparent weaknesses. Yet is it as[…]
How Jenji Kohan Ruined Orange Is the New Black (for me)
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with television producer Jenji Kohan for several years now. I loved the initial season of her suburban pot-themed dramedy Weeds, but the romance quickly cooled, as the show descended from[…]
Reconstructivist Art: 1/0
Part of the Reconstructivist Art series: When Tailsteak’s webcomic 1/0 premiered in 2000, it was part of a brand-new boom in web-based daily comic strip production by a host of amateur auteurs, most with more[…]
I have existentialist leanings and see myself as a humanist. As a Christian I have had a problem reconciling these three philosophies…
…Thank you for making the attempt. I like it. My question concerns Paul Tillich’s critic of pure existentialism, stating that our use of language is universal and points to essentialism. He argues that Christianity is[…]
How would you, as an Existentialist yourself, respond to charges that Existentialism is too relativistic and undisciplined for Christian faith? Also, how would you reconcile Kierkegaardian radical individualism with the traditional and Biblical idea of the importance of church and fellowship?
It’s fair to say that pure existentialism is unsustainable. The burden of radical free choice quickly become mentally and emotionally overtaxing, as though one was carrying the weight of the universe on one’s shoulders. My[…]
Would you agree with those such as Alister McGrath that Christianity is rationally defensible, or would you say that the rational aspect is unimportant? If the latter, how would you respond to charges of thoughtless fanaticism in your religiosity?
This is a fantastic question. I begin my answer by noting that rationality is overvalued and its capacity overestimated. The ability of the human mind to apprehend what it considers is vast, but not unlimited.[…]
Is morality objective?
This is a terrific question. Historically, the dominant picture of morality was once one of absolutes. Things were considered either right or wrong, generally by divine decree, with little or no ambiguity. The main thing[…]
Is Lucifer interpreted as pining for the God he once loved and has been cast down by” sorry more of a theological question here (agnostic’s novel research)
Thanks for your question. One important thing to remember here is that with a few brief exceptions, the devil is barely mentioned in the Bible itself –and in fact, the one mention of “Lucifer” by[…]
Hi. If something is objectively true, does it have to fall within the realm of science, and does the fact that something does not fall within the realm of science prove its relativism? (Examples – art and ethics)
This is a great question. Unfortunately, the answer is surprisingly controversial and complex: The first challenge is figuring out what “objectively true” means. Most –but not all!– people believe there is a universe “out there”[…]