The Way
Harmonic Atheist podcast (4/9/2024)
Last week, I was a guest on the Harmonic Atheist podcast, hosted by my friend, Tim Mills.
Why Do We Believe What We Believe?
Sometimes, we believe things because they are comfortable, not because they are sensible.
Is Free Will an Illusion?
Surely, it seems like we have free will, but is free will an illusion?
War Machine podcast (3/12/2024)
Last month, I was a guest on the War Machine podcast, a place for "theological nomads." This is one of my favorite podcasts, hosted by my friend, Matt Baker.
The Desert Sanctuary podcast (10/7/2023)
Last fall, I was a guest on The Desert Sanctuary podcast, hosted by my friends, Karl and Laura Forehand. Karl and Laura are a former pastor and pastor's wife, who authored several books. They are truth-tellers who have been helpful and inspirational to me.
No Self? No Soul? No Worries.
In the Eastern worldview, there are some people who believe that self is a construct, and soul is a fiction. These are some of the most challenging and interesting ideas that we will encounter in our journeys.
Are We Separate From God and From Each Other?
Many religions, particularly Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism, embrace nonduality. Christianity, too, has been interpreted in nondual terms.
All Religion is Cultural. All Theology is Speculation.
There are many paths to the top of the mountain and many ways of looking at things.
Spiritual Reading List
This list appears as an appendix, "Suggestions for Further Reading," in my book, The Way: Meaningful Spirituality for a Modern World.
Why I Always Say, "You Might Be Right."
“You might be right” emerged as an unscripted theme during my first author talk in Crestone, Colorado. This disarming phrase has become one of my catchphrases.
Welcome to "You Might Be Right: An Interspiritual Journey"
Welcome to “You Might Be Right: An Interspiritual Journey,” my column on Patheos!! Thanks for joining me on an interspiritual journey and for reading my column.
Awe, Gratitude, Reverence, and a Sense of Responsibility
We believe different things for different reasons. Sometimes, our beliefs are rational or sensible. Sometimes, our beliefs are borne of experience. Sometimes, our beliefs are due to fear or insecurity. Some people believe things because it feels more comfortable to believe them.
The Seventh Principle
Last month, the local Unitarian Universalist church asked me to speak about the seventh principle, "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part," since the principle so closely matches my one-line creed that "Everyone is related, and everything is connected."
A Minister, a Rabbi, and a Zen Teacher Walk into a Bookstore
A minister, a rabbi, and a Zen teacher walk into a bookstore. If this is the setup for a corny joke, then the punchline is that they all like the same book.
The Joe Shlabotnik of Spiritual Writing
Joe Shlabotnik was Charlie Brown's favorite major league baseball player. Joe's unfortunate claim to fame was making spectacular catches of routine fly balls.
Less Than I Expected
Recently, I posted about the joys of writing. The post was heartfelt and true, and it best reflects my feelings about writing, but it was not the whole story. There are some frustrations of writing, too.
More Than I Expected
My adult children encouraged me to write The Way, and the book was modeled after an “ethical will” in the Jewish tradition. An ethical will is NOT an autobiography. Instead, it is an expression of one’s experiences, life lessons, and values.
Crestone, Colorado
Soul Doubt
Love: Attraction, Impersonality, Unconditionality, and Witness
A few years ago, I read a book that suggested that the Universe is governed by attraction. In the physical world, we call it "gravity," and in the metaphysical world, we call it "love."