Life Without a Net
ethics
Christianity and Therapy
Over the weekend, I attended a two day workshop for clinical therapists on the topic of sex and sexuality. There was one incident that got me thinking very seriously about the negative impact of popular Christian beliefs on American culture. A great deal of the material dealt with breaking down the cultural myth of two … Continue reading
Rabbi Says Religion is Better for Human Rights
Writing for Huffpost Religion, Rabbi Alana Suskin has argued that with all its history of human rights abuses, religion is still a better basis for human rights than secularism. I disagree. To begin with, she addresses the claim that “religious people are a sort of automation for God’s whim:” While I can’t speak for all faiths, the … Continue reading
Hey God: What Did I Ever Do To You??
Do you punish the ones you love every single time they hurt you? It’s not a flippant question. I’ve been thinking about all the people who have done things that hurt me, and I’m struck by the realization that punishment is something I reserve for particularly bad offenses. I don’t go about life doling out … Continue reading
Atheism vs. Theism: Unfair Rules
I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating the atheist/theist debates I’ve seen. There have been some very good moments for atheists, such as Christopher Hitchens’ trouncing of former Prime Minister Tony Blair in the opening salvo of their debate. But informally, there have been a lot of bad moments, too. It’s not so much that … Continue reading
This Religious Meme is Not Moral
There are a few things I’ve had trouble with in contemplating this whole “religious morality” debate. This verse and others like it are one of the most glaring. (For you sticklers, I didn’t make this poster, and I know it’s technically 1 Timothy 2:11-12. Get off my back.) Here’s the problem in a nutshell. There’s … Continue reading
What is Morality?
Yesterday I reposted my account of why the Christian model of morality is unworkable. Today I will repost my article outlining the scientific alternative. As a pre-emptive strike against the accusation that I am not proposing an actual prescriptive ethical methodology — I know. This is a blog, not a compendium of all knowledge. That’s … Continue reading
Christian Morality
Where Do Christians Get Their Morality? Ask a random Christian where his morality comes from, and you are likely to get one answer out of a few that are commonly given. Many fundamentalists believe that God is the source of all morality. Without God, they say, humans would not know right from wrong, and we would be … Continue reading
Moral Development and Owning Emotions
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about moral development, and it’s led me to a place that’s uncharacteristically Zen for me. Let me walk you through the process that’s been at work in my head. If you’re not familiar with Kohlberg‘s scale of moral development, here’s a basic overview, courtesy of Wikipedia. Level 1 (Pre-Conventional) … Continue reading
Vacation
I’ll be on vacation most of this week, 20 miles from the nearest broadband connection. With any luck, I’ll return with a full head of steam (I’m deep in the heart of Fundyland) and a decent suntan. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite articles from the past year. A fellow blogger recently … Continue reading
Kiss And Dish: Abortion Lies
In my seven minutes of free time every week, I sometimes enjoy reading anonymous “confession” sites. I’m currently a fan of Kiss and Dish, and today, one confession in particular has caught my attention. When I first started dating my boyfriend, we got into a discussion about abortion, he asked if I ever had one. … Continue reading
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