Tag: Religion
Cults of black-and-white thinking – a lesson from Jehovah’s witnesses
Cults – what does the word bring to mind? There are thoughts of blind devotion. There most certainly is the charisma or power of a leader over his followers. Finally, there is the absolute certainty of purpose. Whether one thinks of Jim Jones, Hitler, or the Messiah of Israel, these things are to be found […]
What is required to even consider changing one’s beliefs to explore better possibilities for the future?
The last post went through a consideration of the possibility of changing one’s beliefs. It is a task best considered worth undertaking for the sake of survival. Beliefs are also to be considered as a subject for change in the interest of preservation, longevity, and continuity. Our existing generations would not be the first to […]
How does faith suppress analytical thinking, but also provide comfort?
Faith is a particular aspect of religious thought. It is a confidence in what has not happened yet. There is a confidence in the unseen ability of someone or something to bring about what does not yet exist. Yes, this is how it works. The human mind and heart are capable of having such thoughts […]
Why I feel that religion will continue to remain a part of human thinking
The existence of religion seems as old as the human ability for imagination, and to formulate questions on the basis of our ability to have a sense of wonder. Some believe that humans had a start as apes and this ability developed through evolution. Others believe humans to have had a start as fully intelligent, […]
Peace is simplicity
Simplicity promotes peace. Such peace is also easier to maintain because there is lesser that can go wrong. If it does, it’s easier to fix.
How is hope the basis of a social movement?
So, really, it is not just the changing objectives but hope that is keeping the ideology of a movement in continuation. If there is a hope worthy of maintaining, the social movement will find regenerative power.
Are your beliefs a response to external information?
Beliefs are one of the most fascinating, and some would say, the most significant component of the ideas that a human being holds. It wouldn’t be wrong to say, there is always some emotional connection to any idea that forms a part of the beliefs of any human being. When a wife believes her husband […]
About sin, the world, and death – questions and wonders partly confined to human imagination
Sin, the world, and death – we wonder of these at some time in our existence – by choice or we are compelled to. In these very words or some other, in one language or another, we are confronted and cannot run away. There is to be found a peculiar coexistence in human thought today, […]
Indian government’s demonetization step – preparing a nation for the future
It has to be maintained that, when history would look back upon the Indian government’s decision of demonetization, factors more significant than political party and economics would be considered. Did the present Indian government under the BJP have complete and full understanding of the implications, and of the effects of demonetization as they would be […]
Indian government’s demonetization step – an object lesson in today’s world
In the life of a nation, there come times when landmark decisions are made. The decision itself stands to define the future course of that nation. As it is, we are now part of the global whole and therefore, significant decisions create waves that easily go beyond national borders. The ideas of governments, their ambitions, […]
The nature of conviction, and the certainty of belief
Conviction and certainty of belief impart a particular trait to the very thinking and expression of a person that goes counter to reason, and the willingness to listen. Be it blunt or sharp, the absolutist conclusion of the convinced person does not have the opening to alter the conviction. The belief is not only unchallenged, […]
Conceptualizing justice in the age of impatience
For those who are thinking actively, it would seem prudent not to put words like justice and impatience in the same sentence. However, as soon as one steps out of propriety and sentence construction in theoretical settings, it is easy to see that, our practical reality puts us in precisely this undesirable position. In the […]
The future of human society is predicated upon our perception of justice
The featured image: Weighing of the Heart Book of the Dead written on papyrus showing the Weighing of the Heart in the Duat using the feather of Maat as the measure in balance. What is justice? Is personal justice and justification more important than social justice? Is human intelligence capable of offering satisfactory justice? Is divine justice the only possible hope […]
Criticizing the institutions – what lesson in Jehovah’s witnesses and others?
The short answers is, it depends on the person to join or criticize JWs or any other institution. An important separation between the institution and the individual should always remain in the mind of the observer. The difference and the connection should be a constant, and an obvious fact.
Overcoming disappointment with Jehovah’s witnesses, and humans in general
I was never interested in organized religion. Organized religion meant the confining and defining of any real faith a person might have. The worst taste of religion for me – deeply organized and correctly identified as a cult – was with Jehovah’s witnesses. Right from the time I was studying, I could see some crucial […]
