Making our history one step at a time
"I was just following orders." "I personally don't hate Jews." "What was I supposed to do?" All of these were justifications put forth by Adolf Eichmann for his role in the death of millions of Jews in Nazi Germany. The moral of the story: each individual is responsible for their own actions.
I am not a moral relativist. But I am what I will call for lack of a better term an experiential relativist. I believe that everyone's experiences, and thus what can be expected of them at any given moment, is different. I try to avoid any hint that I am somehow on a higher plane... Continue Reading →
I just finished reading Jonathan Haidt's most recent book The Codding of the American Mind, and I wanted to go to his original work The Righteous Mind which he wrote back in 2012. I was already familiar with some of the ideas in The Righteous Mind from his TED talk, "The Moral Roots of Liberals... Continue Reading →
This morning, I read a compelling analogy used by Elder Renlund and his wife in an address to seminar and institute teachers entitled "Doubt not, but be believing." They use this analogy to address the concepts of doubt and faith in young students. Pardon the extended quote, but I think it worth including in full:... Continue Reading →
I discovered Nikolai Berdyaev as a regularly cited source in the works of Terryl Givens (others I have found include Elie Wiesel and Julian of Norwich. Givens has given me a whole bibliography of spiritual writers I have yet to get to!). Berdyaev was officially a Russian Orthodox Christian who wrote both before and after... Continue Reading →
How do you confront the existence of evil in the world? What do you do when those who are supposed to be leaders have weaknesses and failures? Why is there injustice in society, in our institutions and governments? And ourselves too? And do you confront your own imperfections and weaknesses? You're own brokenness? Can you... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4/5 Godless Morality is, perhaps surprisingly given its title, written by Richard Halloway, Bishop of Edinburgh. The book was another well-calibrated recommendation from my Goodreads page. The title both intrigued me and perhaps disgusted or frightened me. A book written by a Bishop suggesting we take God out of ethics? It sounded like a... Continue Reading →
I got tickets to the David Archuleta concert last night at a cute small old movie theater in downtown Olympia. I got to know the two sitting next to us, striking up a conversation with "So which one of you is the David Archuleta fan?" When they posed the same question, I had to admit... Continue Reading →
I love finding opportunities to read books together with others, because I can share in the enthusiasm and excitement of new ideas and thoughts. I am currently reading The Spiritual Roots of Human Relations with my dad and my brother. I had it recommended to me by an Institute teacher a few years ago, but... Continue Reading →
The fourth book in the Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality brings Hermione more onto center stage than in previous books. After all, the title takes her name rather than Harry's: Hermione Jean Granger and the Phoenix's Call. I will again have to make a SPOILER WARNING right up front, as I am going... Continue Reading →
