Content on Belief (Page 5)
Why Doubt and Uncertainty are Good — For Both Religion and Science
Knowledge and uncertainty, and belief and doubt, are often two sides of the same coin, and it’s the dynamic relationship between the two that drives us forward. At the second Sinai and Synapses seminar, Professors Karl Giberson and Stuart Firestein share their thoughts on this tension.
Knock, Knock — Your Evidence is Here
Belief, joy, awe, curiosity — these feelings are more than religious. They are more than scientific. They are reflections of the best of what it means to be human. They are the sources from which both religion and science spring.
Christianity, Science and the Search for Truth
For many Christians, Christianity and science are not in opposition; rather, they both serve as ways to search for truth.
How Science Has Changed Religion
Two fascinating presentations about science and religion from two experts in the field — Dr. Jennifer Wiseman and Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson.
Science + Religion = Better World
An excerpt from my cover story in the Winter Issue of Reform Judaism Magazine.
Even if We Are Not Free, We Are Still Responsible
“Freedom” is not a binary state – either we are free, or we are not. Rather, “freedom” is a matter of degree, but while we may not be completely “free,” we still are responsible.
Why I’m an Agnostic Theist
Atheism and agnosticism are almost totally independent of each other — and in fact, many Jews (myself included) would likely self-identify as “agnostic theists.”
What Believers and Atheists Can Learn From Each Other (co-written with Sam McNerney)
It’s inherently challenging for believers and atheists to have productive conversations. But one bright person interested in broadening the conversation is Sam McNerney, a science writer who focuses on cognitive science and an atheist interested in religion from a psychological point of view. So as two people with different religious outlooks we wondered: what can we learn from each other?
Is Religion Analytical or Intuitive?
why might critical thinking lessen religious belief? Why might intuitive thinking strengthen it? And what are the implications for the religious community?
Does Religion Make Your Brain Happy? An Interview with Science Writer David DiSalvo
Many of the things that make our brains happy are now more harmful than helpful. And some people place religion in that category, as well. Religion is like fatty foods, they claim — something we should outgrow and move beyond. But I think the better question is, what aspects of religion should we try to outgrow?
Religion Can’t Be an End Unto Itself
The question isn’t “how Jewish are we?” or “how religious are we?” The real question is, “How can Judaism help us to become better people and to create a better world?”
The Problems, the Potential and the Power of Religious Belief
Beliefs (even religious beliefs) themselves are neither good nor bad — it’s how those beliefs manifest themselves in our actions that we need to examine.