The problem with rapid advances in society and technology is that often we're so concerned with answering the question, can we, that we forget to ask, should we. This question is much more difficult to answer, and in the rush to develop the next big breakthrough, people raising legitimate concerns are often drowned out in … Continue reading Kurt Vonnegut and Romanticism
Category: Philosophy
Myths and Myth Making in Hamlet
Note: This article has been updated and expanded in my essay collection Words Words Words available in print from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Laurence Olivier once referred to Hamlet as the story of a man who can't make up his mind. While there are elements of indecisiveness in Hamlet's actions, to say he can't … Continue reading Myths and Myth Making in Hamlet
The Metaphysical Why
For as long as I've been around, I've heard people say that things happen for a reason, that there's always a purpose behind what happens to us and those around us, and it's just a matter of sorting out why something has happened and what we're supposed to learn as a result. As I've gotten … Continue reading The Metaphysical Why
Real Bible Studies: Sodom and Gomorrah
So far in Genesis, we've been following the adventures of Biblical patriarch Abraham, but now it's time to return to his ne'er do well nephew Lot. When last we looked in on Lot, he'd just been captured by one of the four powers who fought against a coalition of five nations led by the King … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Sodom and Gomorrah
The Universal God
In a previous article, I revealed that I'm a non-theist, who does not believe in the concept of a benevolent father-figure sitting on a throne judging all we do, and instead argued for a belief in a god revealed to us through science. This begs the question of what form such an entity might take, … Continue reading The Universal God
November
Is there anyone out there who can legitimately say he or she is proud of the job the House of Representatives has been doing for the past two to four years? Let that question sink in a moment before answering, and while contemplating it, try to come up with a single, notable piece of legislation … Continue reading November
Notes on a New Religion
I regard myself as a non-theist, not because I reject the notion of an entity that, to humanity, would seem godlike, but because I reject a specific concept of how that entity manifests itself. I do not believe in a benevolent father-figure that's sitting on a throne watching over us and making sure everything turns … Continue reading Notes on a New Religion
Oscar Wilde
I can't recall exactly when I first discovered Oscar Wilde's preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I cannot think of a single piece of writing that's had more of an impact on my development as a writer. I have yet to find a more concise set of principles on art in general, and … Continue reading Oscar Wilde
If
If I am just an actor And all the world's a stage Should I be content to know The lines upon the page? And if I'm just an animal Held within a cage Would I be shot down if I Someday break out in rage? Would the world just stop and stare If I weren't … Continue reading If