tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58681506863673466512024-12-18T21:24:32.981-06:00Buddhism, meditation, spirituality, yoga, Christianity, psychologyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comBlogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-61634275790018842252018-12-06T08:22:00.000-06:002018-12-14T08:39:27.230-06:00

This post is an excerpt from my book, Finding God in the Body: A Spiritual Path for the Modern West.  To purchase, click here. The Power of Love. On the spiritual path, we will fall short many times. It is easy to become impatient, frustrated, and overwhelmed. That is why love is so important. Love sees life in everything. It recognizes the life that abides within

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-58484839462390925672018-12-05T13:01:00.000-06:002018-12-14T08:51:15.104-06:00

There can be no inalienable right to a gun because the vast majority of earth's inhabitants predate the existence of firearms by thousands of years. The inalienable right is to defend one's life and property, and to this end, assault rifles and high capacity clips are not required. The Second Amendment is not explicitly about defending oneself against a tyrannical government, as many gun

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-1571988192983682852018-02-22T11:13:00.001-06:002018-02-22T11:13:37.924-06:00

Democracy is beholden to the will of the people, not truth. It is up to the people to align their will with truth. But what standard of truth will be used? The Truth or a truth? When we speak from the perspective of "I" we honor our truth. This subjective truth consists of our past experiences, and the thoughts and feelings authored by those experiences. The perspective of "I" is

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-87233452765114675652018-02-06T14:15:00.000-06:002018-02-06T14:15:13.955-06:00

"It is true that in relationship we join with others in a common life, but it is a misconception that in relationship we cease to be individuals.  The common life has its own structure, which distinguishes it from the order of individual life, but that common life is authentic and vigorous, only when it is fashioned after the rhythms of individual life. A relationship is a

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-52589639786498530132018-02-03T10:06:00.000-06:002018-02-03T10:09:29.305-06:00

"Spiritual principles are abstractions until they are professed in the details of daily living. The person who fails to enter the arena, dispels of those details, rendering their moral pronouncements un-true⸺not false, but not yet made real. It is in the details that ideals are tested, tempered, and proven. It is in the run of life that principles become tried-and-true. Relationship is

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-59260120074624379922017-10-23T09:34:00.000-05:002017-11-15T12:56:35.281-06:00

Erected between the Church and the State is a "Wall of Separation."But within the envelope of my skin, there is no line of demarcation segregating politics and spirituality.  We do not live in a totalitarian state. As members of a democratic society, we have a civic duty. Our government is held in check by "we the people." In a democratic system of government, politics is just another

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-31234888344935728662017-08-16T12:29:00.000-05:002017-08-16T12:29:22.652-05:00

1) As humans, our strength has always been in numbers, that is to say, tribes. We are, therefore, inclined towards tribalism. 2) When people incorporate, they can achieve bigger goals (Two minds are better than one). The bigger the tent the better. Diversity is therefore better (if you can make it work), because diversity is always going to be bigger. 3) Ideas grow the tent beyond

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-7867147347301785102017-08-13T15:25:00.000-05:002017-08-13T15:25:01.762-05:00

Racism is an evil and corrosive thread with a deep and enduring legacy in America. This statement to many white Americans is surprising and controversial. The shock and subsequent surge of indignance often sends skeptics hiding behind the familiar refrain of indulgent liberal sensitivities and charges of political correctness. However, it should come as no surprise: America has a long and

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-28971675220998252202017-08-08T13:39:00.001-05:002017-08-08T13:39:21.458-05:00

A few thoughts on the Google controversy: First, thank you Donald Trump for dialing it back long enough for me to turn my attention toward something else. It is nice to have a break.An engineer at Google named James Damore circulated a controversial 3,300 word memorandum, decrying the hyper-liberal bias of Google and suggesting that women are less suited for advanced careers,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-7737441004502634132017-06-14T11:26:00.000-05:002017-06-14T11:44:33.029-05:00

We Might Be Heading Down a Dangerous Path The shooting in Alexandria, Virginia targeting the Republican Congressional Baseball Team is a horrific event on its face. Violence is always unwelcome. Being helplessly caught in the cross-hairs of an active shooter with no cover or defense has to be a terrifying situation. I empathize with every person present and their families, and hope for a

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-67125916751480973892017-06-01T00:00:00.000-05:002017-06-01T09:38:52.491-05:00

Well-intentioned followers of Jesus too often assume he was a warm, fuzzy guy.  In him they see someone preoccupied with keeping the peace, not making waves. And there can be no doubt that Jesus was a peacemaker. He was non-violent to the core. But non-violent is not the same as non-confrontational. Non-violence is an inherently confrontational practice. We need not look as far back

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-80803141457659769512017-05-31T10:20:00.002-05:002017-05-31T10:20:52.350-05:00

Climate change is an observable phenomena that can be measured and the data can be collected and analyzed to produce a conclusion. This is the job of scientists, not the host of "The Apprentice."The overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change is that it is demonstrably real and man contributes to this dangerous warming trend. This view is endorsed by 97% of all scientists that publish

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-3189689885386304292017-05-27T14:28:00.000-05:002017-05-27T14:28:24.461-05:00

There has been a lot of talk about anonymous sourcing, as used by the New York Times, CNN, and the Washington Post in the Trump-Russia scandal.The leaking of classified information is illegal and the leaking of confidential, administrative information is a fire-able offense. So sources have shared information with the press anonymously for years to avoid the consequences.There are only two

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-16893127121063764082017-05-26T09:39:00.000-05:002017-05-26T09:39:32.274-05:00

In Donald Trump, the Republican Party elected a thrice married, serial philanderer who was caught on tape bragging about sexually assaulting women but claimed to be a God fearing born-again Christian, a ridiculous claim endorsed by the spineless likes of Franklin Graham. This same candidate mocked a disabled reporter and has repeatedly maligned "the fake news," itself an adaptation of the

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-92197561991849206452017-05-22T08:59:00.000-05:002017-05-22T08:59:58.324-05:00

The following is an excerpt from Finding God in the Body, Chapter 8, "Is It Not Written in Your Book?" Click here to order on Amazon. “They took up stones to stone him,” John writes in Chapter 10, Verse 31. Jesus responds: I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me? They answered, as Caiaphas would soon thereafter: It is not

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-41295075635321534542017-05-05T09:32:00.001-05:002017-05-05T09:40:28.723-05:00

People come to meditation because they are stressed out. They are stuck between their ears, disembodied. They want to arrest the feverish pace of thought and abide peacefully in the present moment. Simply put, they want to get out of their head. But they don't know where to go. They don't know what it means to move beyond the thinking mind. Getting out of the head means, for most,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-30461419014482291802017-04-20T15:08:00.000-05:002017-04-20T10:39:48.324-05:00

"Of all the children born to women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he." - Matthew 11:11 Conversion or the rebirth experience (metanoia) marks the resurrection of our True Self, which is of the Kingdom and not born of woman, so to speak. Metanoia is a renewal of one's mind and motivations. It is an

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-79449116358407911852017-04-12T11:42:00.000-05:002017-04-12T11:49:41.748-05:00

The remarkable success demonstrated by the methodologies of science over the past two centuries has brought us to a place in history where its epistemology has cornered the market. In the modern West objective truth and facts have a monopoly on value. By these standards, religion does not measure up. It is useless in the modern world. The question is whether this is a fair standard

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-7782979542790165152017-04-07T07:46:00.000-05:002017-04-19T10:52:59.701-05:00

In this episode, I talk about the role myth plays in human spirituality. I cover everything from storytelling, to Buddhist tantra and Christian mysticism, and groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. Listen below on Soundcloud. Click here to listen on iTunes, or Stitcher. Click here to listen

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-43447663060214827982017-04-03T13:48:00.003-05:002017-04-10T09:46:34.424-05:00

The Bible is an anthology. It is a collection of books; not a single book as it is often thought to be.  Furthermore, the Bible did not fall from the sky in its completed form. The books that comprise the Bible were penned over the course of approximately 900 years. Therefore, the books of the Bible were written by many different authors, each of which had their own worldview,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-2033254021536110372017-03-31T07:21:00.000-05:002017-03-31T08:33:18.225-05:00

In the early 1930's J.R.R. Tolkien began work on The Hobbit.  Had he taken up the task of penning an academic essay extolling the virtues of courage and self-sacrifice, I doubt we would remember him. The overwhelming majority of people prefer storytellers to philosophers. Storytellers occupy a special place in society because they perform a sacred function. The storyteller's elevated

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-31002904648993337832017-03-27T17:04:00.004-05:002017-03-27T17:14:56.665-05:00

I remember it like it was yesterday: I was sitting in this small reception room while my dad was in the back talking to someone from the intake staff. As I sat waiting, I made it a point to let anyone that so much as made eye contact with me know I was not happy about being there. My chest was poked out and I was talking like a tough guy—but inside I was scared sh*tless. Eventually,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-27578625154488549292017-03-27T05:59:00.000-05:002017-03-27T05:59:11.316-05:00

In episode 9 of the Finding God in the Body Podcast, I discuss the nature of "belief." I talk about how belief often prevents believing and what religion can learn from the 12 Step approach to spirituality. Click to listen on Soundcloud, iTunes, or Stitcher.  Click here if you prefer to read How Belief Prevents Believing.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-39730322932606875852017-03-24T10:29:00.000-05:002017-03-24T10:29:17.608-05:00

Spirituality without practice is wishful thinking. Finding God in the Body draws from the wisdom of the world's traditions--Buddhism, contemplative Christianity, Judaism, and Twelve-Step spirituality--to present a modern view of embodied spirituality. It turns inward to examine the human condition, meeting personal suffering with heartfelt insight and transformative practice. It leaves no

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747200444541484696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5868150686367346651.post-82249418044733913782017-03-23T11:46:00.000-05:002017-03-23T12:01:04.244-05:00

The Conflict between Religion and Science When the word ‘God’ is used, it typically refers to an anthropomorphic God—an extra-terrestrial super-human who, having created the world, is charged with the laborious task of overseeing its day-to-day operations. Any statement that seeks to explain the origins of the universe or the dynamics by which it is governed is a scientific statement, not

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