There are 2 types of god. Only one is within the boundary of science.
Does God exist? The answer rests outside the "normal" boundaries of science.
01 July, 2019
- Science is about natural law, while religion is about ethics. As long as you keep these two separate, Kaku says, there's no problem at all. Problems arise, however, when the natural sciences begin to "pontificate upon ethics" and when religious people begin to pontificate about natural law.
- Albert Einstein believed in the "god of Spinoza" — not a personal god, but one who has set order and harmony in the fabric of the universe. "You can put the laws of physics as we know them on a simple sheet of paper — amazing! It didn't have to be that way," says Kaku.
- The existence of God is not testable because such a review is not reproducible or falsifiable, as most scientific investigations are. In this sense, Kaku says the question and answer whether God exists rests outside the "normal" boundaries of science.
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God is not a man with a beard on a throne in the clouds
Symbols are often used to help people get an idea of higher, often ineffable, truths.
30 June, 2019
- A good story has the ability to transform its readers — it speaks to our psyche, and, in doing so, has the ability to change how we perceive the world.
- When trying to understand the adherents of the world's major religions, Joseph Campbell advises to try to look at mystical experiences through the lens of the founders. In doing so, we can better understand the context of their messaging.
- When we talk about God as an old man on a throne in the clouds, when seen as a metaphor, the imagery helps us understand the divine — the beard expresses great age, the throne symbolizes its supremacy, and the clouds signify that it presides over all of us.
The origins of Satanism: A humanist history?
From religious wars to French poison conspiracies to the counterculture, we look at the origins of Satanism.
27 June, 2019
Still from D.W. Griffith's 1926 film "The Sorrows of Satan."
- Pop culture has painted our perceptions of Satanism more than historical facts.
- For most of its history, the term Satanism was an epithet used against religious enemies, not a movement bound by a shared set of beliefs.
- Today, the Satanists philosophy has more in common with empiricism or atheism than faith-based religions.
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America has outgrown its ‘Judeo-Christian’ label. What’s next?
At one point, America needed to be called a Judeo-Christian nation. Now, with growing populations of Muslims, Evangelicals, Sikhs, Atheists, and other faiths, what should America call itself next?
27 June, 2019
- America wasn't always known as Judeo-Christian nation. Rather, it used to be considered a Protestant nation.
- As Jews and Catholics began to represent a larger share of the nation, activists realized that America needed to reinvent itself if the voices of these growing groups were to be heard. In this way, the "Judeo-Christian" label was conceived. Today, that label doesn't quite fit anymore. What does?
- The opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect the views of the Charles Koch Foundation, which encourages the expression of diverse viewpoints within a culture of civil discourse and mutual respect.
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Why sexuality and spirituality belong together
Comedian Pete Holmes details his struggle with faith, sex, and God.
14 May, 2019
- Comedian and writer Pete Holmes explains how he lost his faith after a long struggle with what he calls his Christian, puritanical, shame psychology.
- Holmes found the antidote to internalized shame was 'thoughtless, irrational love'. Love should be as indiscriminate as light, he says. Many people only give conditional love to themselves and others.
- Sexuality is not a mistake, says Holmes. Pretending to be pure by saying frack instead of fuck, and not seeing R-rated movies and being really "nice" is not what a connection to the divine is about.
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