That Religious Studies and Philosophy Blog

Updates

2008-12-15T11:15:00.003-06:00

Inspired by my recent dabblings with Joomla!, I have decided to re-do my religious studies website using PHP. Bascially, I'm converting the site from a .html to .php based site. The changes will mean .html pages will no longer be active (but I am adding forwarding links to them so nothing is going to be lost), but the use of PHP will greatly improve and simplify the navigation and updating of the site. Also, making these changes is giving me the opportunity to (once again) re-group and re-organise the folders and files behind the scenes. I'm also going to be adding back to the site articles related to philosophy.

In short, it's going to look like my old faithnet.org.uk site, but with the new domain name (That Religious Studies Website).

Now what's that about reinventing the wheel?

Room 101: Prayer

2008-11-24T22:05:00.004-06:00

"The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world" (O'Brien, 1984)

Room 101, where the worst things in the world are found, was introduced by George Orwell in his novel “1984”. It was described as a place where people not only have to face their worst fears, but that these ‘fears’ would be utilised as a means to torture them. Lately, Room 101 has become associated with a place where people can put the things they dislike. In the UK, this revised notion of Room101 has come about largely as a result of a BBC TV programme called “Room 101”.

In this blog entry, I would like to discuss something associated with religion that I would like to see put into Room 101.

The thing I would like to see banished into Room 101 is prayer, and this is because I think praying is both a pointless and a selfish activity.

For example, to illustrate the pointlessness of prayer I think of those times people have ‘offered prayers’ on behalf of those who are suffering, or after some dreadful tragedy has occurred. For me, the pointlessness of prayer was brought home when I read the story of a woman who had been raped in the grounds of a church in Belfast (Northern Ireland), and that she was, ‘being prayed for’ in services.

‘The police are appealing for information following the rape of a woman in the grounds of a church in south Belfast at the weekend. The woman, who is in her early 20s, was attacked on Sunday in the grounds of Fisherwick Presbyterian Church in Chlorine Gardens. She was left severely traumatised by the attack, which took place some time between 0100 and 0400 BST… A spokeswoman for Fisherwick church said the congregation was "concerned and stunned". "The woman is being prayed for in our services," she added.‘ (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4455671.stm)

Now what possible value is there in praying to God about this dreadful act AFTER it has happened? I mean, why do people think God is going to do something, or is even able to do something on behalf of this woman AFTER she has been raped, that God could not have done before? What is the point of asking God to do something AFTER she has been raped, when God could (theoretically) have done something before she was raped? Think, about it; if you believe God acts as a result of people’s prayers, then why didn’t God act to PREVENT this woman from being raped in the first place? If you believe God can do something, then the matter of God acting is simply a question of timing.

Of course, if you believe God did not do something to stop this woman from being raped because no-one was praying for her at the time, then such a God is morally questionable (as would the act of praying to such a God).

So to pray about something AFTER it has happened seems to me to be an utterly pointless thing to do.

I also believe praying is a fundamentally selfish thing to do, and let me recount another story to illustrate what I mean.

During morning devotions at a theological college I used to attend, a woman recounted a story of how God had answered her prayers to catch a train she was late for. This lady told the story of how she had got up late on the morning she had to attend an important interview, and that despite this God had worked (in response to her frantic prayers) to enable her to get across London in time in order to catch the train she needed, so as not to be late to the interview.

I’ll never forget this story because to this day, I cannot comprehend how someone can believe that God would direct and/or influence the lives of every single person using the London transport system that day, in order for one person to catch a specific train.

For instance, think about the logistical nightmare that such an act poses. I cannot even begin to conceive of the logistical nightmare one would be faced with in trying to get someone who is late, across from one side of London to the other. God might be God, but God still has to deal with people and over 6 million of them live in London alone! Think about all those people whose lives would need to be directed and/or influenced in such a so as to achieve the goal of someone catching a train; all those people who would need to be directed to do certain things at certain times, and not something at another time; who would need to be made to be here, but not there; or there and not here. Now think of all the people who would have to be inconvenienced in some way, just so that ONE PERSON could get from A to B in London that day. Oh, and that’s before we take into account the prayers other people might have prayed that morning, in order that they might be able to do X or Y or Z at the same time.

People who pray always seem to fail to take into account the various ways their prayers will affect (and often inconvenience) other people’s lives. It is amazing that in this day and age (post James Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis), that someone can still believe that God can enable them to catch a train, especially if they got up late! Not only are such thoughts supremely unreasonable, but they are also supremely selfish. To imagine that your needs and desires (expressed in prayer) are more important than other people’s around you, and that God should work things out in the world so that YOUR needs and desires are met (or your prayers answered), is utterly selfish.

Here’s the kicker to this particular story; this woman was actually notoriously late for everything. She was always getting up late, arriving at lectures late, arriving at meetings late. You name it, she had been late for it! What an utterly selfish thing to imagine that one can live without any sense of time management, and that when the chips are down God will bail them out.

Of course, there are prayers some people pray which are not easily considered pointless and/or selfish. For example, what about if someone prays that a cure for cancer would be found? Well, if we weigh up the value of such a prayer in light of the evidence we have for God actually answering prayer, we might begin to see things differently.

For instance, many people believe that God has answers many prayers. People have been healed, people have found something they lost, and people have got somewhere safely. Some even believe they have been able to catch a train, even though they got up late. However, although God seems to have answered these prayers (and many more like them), a cure for cancer has yet to be found. So although God (apparently) answers prayer, it seems, based on God’s track record, that God is not really interested in prayers to find a cure for cancer, so what’s the point in praying that one will be found?

Of course, it could be argued that one day a cure for cancer will be found and that these prayers will be answered, but my response to this is always that if God has actually answered the prayers of someone to enable them to be able to catch a train (even though they got up late), then surely God would be far more interested in providing a cure for cancer? What’s more important to God; enabling a lazy person to catch a train, or providing a cure for cancer (especially if God knows what that cure is, as many people believe God does)?

The bottom-line is this; it’s clearly pointless to pray for a cure for cancer, because based on the evidence that God answers the seemingly trivial prayers, such a cure should have been found by now (or this prayer should have been answered). Of course, it could also be argued that God wants us to discover the cure for ourselves, rather than provide it for us, but this only supports my argument further that is once again pointless to pray for a cure for cancer. If it is ultimately up to us (not God) to find a cure, then why bother to ask God for any help or clues.

So these are the reasons why I believe prayer should be put into “Room 101”:

It is pointless to pray for anything at all;
It is selfish to pray about things you want.

Some thoughts on 'disabled' places and spaces

2008-10-15T10:22:00.006-05:00

Recently I was trying to find a parking space in a very full car park, when I noticed one right near to the front door of the store I was visiting. So I drove round the parking lot and was about to pull in, when I saw it was reserved for disabled drivers.

I have often wondered why disabled drivers should have parking places reserved only for them in parking lots, and why an able-bodied person should be fined for using them when they are empty. I mean, able-bodied people don't get fined for using a 'disabled' toilet or get fined for walking up a wheeelchair ramp into a building when they are not being used.

The irony of setting aside parking spaces for disabled people is that it is singling them out as being different, and drawing attention to their disability - something many disabled people often want people to look beyond.

Most disabled people want to be treated as 'normal' by society, yet by singling them out for special social privilages this seems to be advocating that we should do the exact opposite!

I see no reason why able-bodied people should not be able to use disabled parking spaces, or disabled toilets or anything else for that matter. This is because I think we should make every place and space big enough to accomodate a wheelchair, walkers and whatever else (oh, and add to that pushchairs and prams for parents). Let's not reserve the best spaces and places for some, and not for all!

I mean, even if I break my leg I'm still not allowed to park in a disabled parking space, even though I would be technically 'dis'-abled at the time.

By all means acknowledge that some people need (and should be provided with) 'special' places and spaces , but let's not punish those who were by chance born without disabilities from using them too.

Everyone who uses parking lots and roads pays the same amount in fees and taxes - whether abled or dis-abled - right?

Is God more interested in gas than a cure cancer?

2008-08-19T10:13:00.005-05:00

I read a story on the BBC News website over the weekend about some Christians in Washington DC, who are claiming that their prayers have been responsible for the lowering of gas (petrol) prices across the USA:

Petrol pump pilgrims keep faith

Now let's for a moment forget about the issue of whether there is a God, or whether prayer works, and assume that there is, and that it does. What insights can we glean from the belief that God is answering the prayers of a few people in Washington DC to lower gas prices? What does it say about the fact that God has seemingly answered the prayers of these people, yet has failed to answer the prayers of many others?

For instance, if God is able and willing to lower gas prices, why is God not also willing (and able) to help people find a cure for cancer, or bring about world peace, or end poverty and famine etc.?

Doesn't it smack of being somewhat ignorant, short-sighted and selfish to believe that of all the things people need help with in the world, that praying for the lowering of gas prices is a priority, and that such prayers have been answered.

Oh, and while we're on the subject , why is God only lowering gas prices by 20 cents? Surely if God is REALLY interested in low gas prices, then God would have the ability (and desire) to cause the oil companies to give it away for free?

I mean, if you truly believe God created the heavens and the universe, can part seas, stop the sun from moving in the sky, and has come down to earth as a human to die for sins... Then surely giving us FREE GAS is a rather modest (and trivial) prayer for God to answer... don't you agree?

US factory worker in gun rampage

2008-06-25T09:19:00.004-05:00

You wake up...

Get in the shower...

Get dressed...

Have breakfast...

Kiss your loved ones goodbye...

Go to work...

and die!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7472963.stm

You just never know when it's going to be yours, or someone else's, last day...

Truly a sad state of affairs! :-(

George Carlin

2008-06-23T10:52:00.003-05:00

I only recently discovered George Carlin, but have been hooked (and greatly impressed) with his comedy, philosophy and social observations ever since. So it was quite a shock to find out today that he died yesterday... Rest well George!

For the interested amongst you, this is an interesting review of his life in comedy:

Comedian George Carlin dies at 71

And here's a clip from his routine on death:

*** CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE ***

Dead man wins election

2008-06-18T09:55:00.004-05:00

This story on the BBC News website cracked me up when I read it yesterday...

Romania village elects dead mayor

Now can you begin to imagine the emabarassment of losing an election to a dead guy? Even more to the point, how bad must this other canididate have been to have lost the vote to a dead guy?

I mean, you must really have to suck at politics to do that!

Poignant thought...

2008-06-16T15:31:00.003-05:00

The other day my wife and I were driving home, when our 11 month old son started crying because he was hungry.

Being still a little way from our home, and not having any food with us to quell his immediate discomfort, we were forced to listen to him crying for several minutes as we attempted to get home as fast as we could...

It was then that my wife said to me, "Can you imagine the distress of many people in Africa who have to listen to their child crying each day and night because they are hungry, yet do not have any food to give them?"

Who's winning?

2008-05-15T17:35:00.009-05:00

In 1994 I decided to attend theological college, with the intention of serving 'the Lord' abroad in some capacity. However, once freed from the beliefs of my church, I began to find at college that I had more questions about the viability of what I believed, and that answers were sorely lacking...

Sometime in 1996 I turned my back on my Christian faith, belief in God, and the church I had served in both as youth leader and Deacon. Many people did not (and still do not) understand why I did this, but it was largely for two reasons:

So that I could be myself and find myself spiritually, without people insisting that what I should believe was what I had once believed...
So that I did not become a stumbling block to others who were more content in their faith than I was (or ever had been).

I mention all this because the other day someone from a church I was once associated with left the follwing message in my guestbook:

"Hello Steve. You have moved on since the days when you led the youth group in Bible studies. You had a real passion for serving Christ and sharing the gospel. You never compromised and were an example to many. Your prayer life was a deep relationship with your heavenly Father, and your Faith was so contagious. What went wrong? My prayer is that you will have a Real Divine Appointment with The True Living God, and be shaken to the core. That the words on your lips will be "Lord restore the years the locusts have eaten, and restore unto me the Joy of my Salvation. Steve I pray you can find again a deep love for God, and be able to say with a real conviction the JESUS IS MY LORD."

This message got me thinking...

When I decided to attend theological college, the church prayed that I would grow in my knowledge and love for God. Yet when I subsequently found myself wanting to move beyond that which they believed, I was branded a "backslider". Although they had prayed that I would come to a deeper knowledge of the Truth of God, it seems this needed to be on their own terms!

I wonder if anyone thinks about what might be going on in my life. I have for a long time now believed that IF God exists, then knowledge of who or what God is is going to be greater than that found in any one, or the sum of, all religious traditions. To quote from the Bible: "Will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" (1 King 8:27).

I also believe that those who seek knowledge of a "living God", will find that God. I believe one needs to be honest about what one believes. Merely conforming to what others say is the Truth, is just that; conforming! I was not content to rest on what I had been told was the truth... I wanted to KNOW that it was the truth.

People who prayed for me in the past (and even now) have a dilemma on their hands... Why would God let me fall away from the Truth, if they prayed in the past that I would come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of God? If I have rebelled and chosen to 'turn away' - contrary to the Will of God - then this makes me greater than God, which is impossible for me to be (as far as they are concerned). If facing my doubts was a test to strengthen my faith, and make me stronger as a believer, then this puts God in charge and I cannot be accused of 'backsliding'. Of course, if there is a devil and it has pursuaded me from the Truth, then it has won (not God). Yet why would God allow this to happen, especially if people prayed that I would only ever come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of God?

Of course, there is another option for people to consider:

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance." (Hebrews 6:4f).

It's somewhat ironic that those who believe the Bible to be the Word of God, often do not want to take those thoughts very seriously, but I do and honestly believe it is the reason why I will never again say "Jesus is my Lord" as my friend Peter desires...

You have to wonder...

2008-05-13T23:28:00.003-05:00

I have just got back from a trip to Washington DC, with my wife and 9 month old son. On the flight back one of the attendents kept referring to my son as as a 'she', thinking he was a little girl. Now granted, he does not have much hair, so that has been known to cause some people to ask whether he is a boy or a girl. However, I was surprised that she was getting it so wrong, seeing as he was wearing a blue hooded top, a blue under shirt, blue denim jeans, blue socks and a pair of England soccer shoes!

What the Bible says about abortion

2008-04-29T17:38:00.001-05:00

A short video I made to get people thinking (and talking) about the issue...

Spam email

2008-04-28T12:02:00.004-05:00

Due to the fact that I make being able to contact me via my websites challenging, I do not receive much spam email. Those I do get seem to be because one of my contacts had their Hotmail account hacked.

What makes me laugh about the spam mail I do get, is that the people who continually send it seem to think I am some of idiot; believing that I have won money for a lottery I have never played (or in some cases heard of), or that I have this fantastic job offer waiting for me from people I have never met (or companies I have never heard of), or something like that - *yawn!*

ALL of the spam email I receive is never opened, and goes directly into the junk mail folder where after a quick scan to make sure I am not deleting a genuine email from someone I do know (which happened once), is erased without a second thought.

Except that today I received my all-time favourite spam email...

Apparently "Yahoo! Lottery" want to contact me about an "Officail Prize Notification‏"... Officail prize notification? It seems Yahoo! don't know how to spell official...

Absolutely hilarious!

You should never open email from someone you do not know, and especially if it is in your junk email folder. You should also NEVER ever ever ever dislose personal information to ANYONE via email, even if you do know them. Emails can be intercepted and their contents read by ANYONE! Oh, and while we're on the subject, you will NEVER ever ever ever get anything in life for nothing. For instance, no-one is ever going to send you millions of dollars for a lottery you have never played, and no lottery company requires you to pay taxes before they release the funds to you. Goverments collect taxes; lottery companies do not!

I know someone who foolishly sent off $200 to a 'lottery company' after receiving an email saying they had won millions and needed to pay a fee for the funds to be released, and they never saw their money again (nor the alleged cash they were said to have won).

One thing I would LOVE to do to those people who send spam mail, is to send back a virus so that it disables their computer. Wouldn't it be great if they opened a response to their fradulent efforts, only to find it contained a virus which began to delete all the contents of their hard drive. That would be wonderful. Unfortunately most of this email is probably coming from hijacked computers, via people who do not know that they are sending it; but it's a nice idea to warm the heart on a dull and dreary Monday.

Red Cross Red Crescent

2008-04-26T16:18:00.004-05:00

I added a new article to the site yesterday about the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Everyone I know seems to have some idea of who the Red Cross are, but I have never heard of the 'Red Crescent' (something I came across the other day in a book I am reading about Women and Islam for a new article I am writing). So I decided to find out some more about this organisation, and write about it for the site.

At first I thought the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement were Christians and Muslims working together for humanitarian purposes, but I quickly realised that religion plays no active part in this group's work. In fact, the cross and cresecent symbols are simply used to identify humanitarian workers as they go about their business. Although the Red Cross is a well-known emblem, the Red Crescent is used by those workers unhappy with the negative connotations often associated with crosses (notably Muslims).

(Red Crescent and Red Cross workers in northern Lebanon - Image copyright Matt Dunham, 2007)

Isn't it interesting that people from different religious and racial backgrounds can work together on behalf of the poor and needy around the world, but only if they put aside their religious beliefs...

And we wonder why some people say the world would be a better place without religion!

How pro-life are you?

2008-04-09T09:42:00.004-05:00

Prolife Across America are a Christian group who fund the placement of billboards in order to promote an anti-abortion message. Here's an example of one of the billboards they have sponsored:

Now I have no axe to grind in terms of people buying advertising space in order to promote a pro-life message. They are free to buy as much billboard space as they want, just as other people are free to ignore them.

However, I wonder just how pro-life they are?

Prolife Across America promote alternatives to having abortion, one of which is to have unwanted children adopted. Now aside from the emotional issues adopting children raises, I want to know if pro-lifers are prepared to adopt all these unwanted children they want to see born into the world?

For instance, has everyone involved with Pro-life Across America adopted a child, and if not, why not?

That said, I do know some people who are strongly pro-life who are looking to adopt a child, but it is only a certain child of a certain age. I would guess that most people who visit adoption agencies take the same approach. They do not want to adopt any child, but only one that suits their life-style needs. I would guess that most people would not choose to adopt one with Down's Syndrome, or one with AIDs, who one who is physically or emotionally disadvantaged in some other way. Nope, I would hazzard a guess that most people who visit adoption agencies are looking to adopt a 'normal' healthy child... however you define that.

Here's something else to think about... How about we enact a law which says that pro-lifers must adopt at least one child? How about if all those who say they are pro-life, show just how pro-life they really are.

Now if people then turn around and say that the law should not force them to adopt children if they do not want to, then surely the same argument can be used to say that people should not be forced to have them?

The bottom line is this... just how pro-life are you?

George Carlin - Saving the Planet

2008-03-26T18:16:00.001-05:00

Something to think about... don't you think?

*WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE*

Guestbook

2008-03-18T11:36:00.005-05:00

I deliberately make being able to contact me difficult; not only because I want to avoid getting spam email, but also to ensure that only those who are genuinely interested in contacting to me do so. I am reminded of the time when in the first school I taught at, someone decided to send me an email via my old website to inform me that 'Religious Studies is gay!'... stupid thing to do as obviously the email had their name on, and so I knew who it was from - d'oh!

Also, Religious Studies is not 'gay', it's metrosexual!

So it is always nice when someone does contact me (via my guestbook), because I know that most of the time it will be about something interesting and worthwhile.

For instance, yesterday Taz from London left the following comment:

"Love the new site, but finding it a bit more complicated than ye olde faithnet - not so easy to find the edexcel stuff Could we have a bit more on Ethical Language? Natualistic fallicy, intutionism and emotivism please."

Well first off, the new site has been designed to be less exam-board specific, due to the fact that I am getting and more more people around the world using it. As such, I took the decision to make the site a bit more generic, and less focussed on the UK exam-board scene.

In saying that, articles are still organised according to the UK Religious Studies exam board specifications, so it should not be that difficult to find what you are looking for. However, it is good to be reminded that what might be obvious to one person, may not be so obvious to others.

I guess that is always going to be a potential problem when you become familiar with the layout and content of a website, due to working on it day after day.

As for the other articles... well, they are currently sitting in a folder marked 'Old Faithnet pages", and waiting for me to get round to revising and adding them to the new site.

So thanks for encouraging comments Taz, and also for the reminder to get on with doing something about the old content from www.faithnet.org.uk.

The new God is our planet

2008-03-03T11:46:00.003-06:00

Some sobering and thoughtful words and insights...

I look at my 7 month old son lying here before me, and wonder what sort of world I am creating for him, and will leave behind:

Motivated

2008-02-26T14:47:00.005-06:00

I'm finally getting round to writing stuff for my new philospohy website - Yey!

You know, the biggest problem I have is managing to see the wood for the trees. I mean, I have soooo many things I want to write about (articles, books, film scripts), that I kind of get paralysed into doing nothing because I do not know where to start. But the other day the penny dropped, such that I have decided to simply write about the things I want to write about.

Isn't it amazing what a change of perspective (and attitude) does?

What the hell is wrong with some people?

2008-02-22T16:33:00.004-06:00

After weeks of trying to convince a jury that he did not kill 18 year old Sally Anne Bowman - whose dead body he admitted having sex with - Mark Dixie has been found guilty of killing her and sentenced to 34 years in prison. Now on my count, in 34 years time Sally would have been 52 years old. When he gets out of prison, Mark Dixie will be 71 years old.

What a waste of life on both counts. Having a string of previous sex offences, Mark Dixie killed Sally Anne Bowman after a day of binge-drinking to celebrate his 35th birthday...

What a shame that Mark Dixie did not binge-drink and die of liver failure on his 34th birthday... at least then one of his victims would have lived to see another year of her short life.

What a nasty and pathetic man Mark Dixie is. I am glad to see him being taken out of society for a long time... I'm just sorry that he cannot be (legally) taken out of it for good!

That Philosophy Website: Update

2008-01-28T15:23:00.000-06:00

Wow! I do seem to leave some time between postings...

I thought I would post something about my new website That Philosophy Website as I have just begun to start writing and uploading content to it.

One thing I wanted to note from the outset is that unlike That Religious Studies Website, my new site is not going to be all text-based. Instead, it will have a significant number of podcasts on a range of subjects, and in particular those found in the AQA Philosophy specification. The first of these podcasts has been written and is currently being recorded. I expect it to be available in the next day or so.

Now although I believe in free education, I have decided that I am no longer willing to give away everything I write and produce for my websites. I consider the work I do to be the equivalent of getting a tutor, and as people expect to pay someone to tutor them, so I see no reason why some of my work should not be compensated in the same way.

PLEASE NOTE: Most of the site's content is going to be freely available to access, it is only the podcasts which I am making a fee-based 'service'.

So far there is not a lot of content on That Philosophy Website, but I am in the process of writing new content as we speak (well, not actually as we speak because I am writing this, but you get my drift). I will also be providing reviews for books and DVDs and summaries of visits I make to places of philosophical interest. In short, it will be nothing less than the same high standard of writing and content you have come to expect from me and the websites I run.

I would be interested in your comments about my new site and in particular my new podcast venture, so feel free to add comments here or in either website's guestbook. I do read all comments and usually respond to them.

Cheers!

Cloverfield

2008-01-10T12:53:00.001-06:00

I must admit to being rather excited about the release of the film Cloverfield next week (1-18-08). There really has been quite a momentum building up about this film online, and the marketing for it has created just the right amount of interest and excitement.

My only hope now is that it does not tank like Snakes on a Plane did (which had a similar level of pre-release internet buzz about it), but somehow I think this will be #1 movie in the USA next weekend, will make a tonne of cash and spawn a few sequels...

Monsters in NYC!

Unless its another Godzilla... you're onto a winner!!!

Belief-o-matic

2008-01-07T20:48:00.000-06:00

I decided to re-take the Beliefnet Belief-O-Matic 'quiz' tonight just to see if Unitarian Universalism is still my #1 fit (and it is). Okay, so that does not mean I am going to rush out and join the Unitarian Universalists (although I do want to attend a service one of these days), but it is interesting that currently I 'fit' into an 'anything goes' religious faith (having spent 10+ years in a Christian envronment which was totally the opposite to this).

Have a go at the Belief-O-Matic quiz and let me know what your #1 faith is (and also whether it suggests a faith different to the one you are currently in). In the meantime, check out my full list of suggestions - there are some interesting ones on there...

1.	Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2.	Theravada Buddhism (91%)
3.	Secular Humanism (84%)
4.	Liberal Quakers (78%)
5.	Neo-Pagan (77%)
6.	Mahayana Buddhism (70%)
7.	Taoism (70%)
8.	Nontheist (65%)
9.	Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (61%)
10.	New Age (59%)
11.	Sikhism (59%)
12.	Reform Judaism (48%)
13.	Jainism (46%)
14.	Hinduism (38%)
15.	New Thought (33%)
16.	Orthodox Quaker (33%)
17.	Scientology (33%)
18.	Bahá'í Faith (29%)
19.	Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (25%)
20.	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (20%)
21.	Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (17%)
22.	Orthodox Judaism (15%)
23.	Eastern Orthodox (12%)
24.	Islam (12%)
25.	Roman Catholic (12%)
26.	Seventh Day Adventist (8%)
27.	Jehovah's Witness (0%)

What do babies dream about?

2008-01-07T11:05:00.000-06:00

Last night I got in from playing football (or soccer to those living in the US - never understood the name change), to find that my five and a half month old son had been keeping my wife busy after waking up screaming and crying...

We often hear our son dreaming. I say we hear him because he can often be heard to be laughing in his sleep, but sometimes he also sobs. Yes, it is wierd to hear him sobbing in his sleep, but apparently he is dreaming about something that is making him sad - it is just that we cannot think what it might be.

What do babies dream about?

I often wonder what causes him to laugh in his sleep. I mean, I know what makes him laugh during the day, and invariably it is to do with his dad being an idiot, pulling faces and making stupid noises. I can only guess that when he is laughing in his sleep that he is recalling times such as this, but we cannot be sure.

Yet what of the times he is heard sobbing, and then wakes up screaming? It seems rather odd to think of a five month old having nightmares, but there have been times when that seems to be the only logical thing to have happened. But what has he been dreaming of during those times? I cannot see any reason why my son should dream unhappy thoughts, as he is a happy and contented baby who is greatly loved and cared for. It makes you wonder what sets him off, but that fact is we will never know.

What do babies dream about?

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T06:55:00.000-06:00

It's been another lengthy hiatus between postings - this time due to fatherhood, travelling, jetlag and illness (not always in that order) - but I wanted to snatch a few moments to blog-in to wish you all a happy and healthy new year. I also wish all those taking exams in the next few weeks good luck, and I hope this site has been somewhat helpful in preparing you for them...

This year has seen a lot of changes - Not only did I become a father for the first time (big change, HUGE change), but I decided to close my popular and widely used www.faithnet.org.uk website in order to start afresh here. In due course another new site www.thatphilosophywebsite.com will be up and running too, and will also include content previously found on my old faithnet.org.uk site.

Thanks for supporting That Religious Studies Website and for your patience as I try and update the content here on a regular basis. Although there are things for sale and ads on the site, this is not a commercial venture for me but a labour of love - put together solely for the love of the subject and studying. If I do end up making a few quid from all this, it will be pure fluke rather than business acumen!

That's it - Have a happy new year everyone, and look out for more from us in 2008!

I have just one question

2007-12-11T11:29:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if you have been following this story (Gunman planned to kill more), but a few comments from the security guard who shot and killed Mathew Murray caught my attention today:

'Jeanne Assam, a former police officer who was serving as a volunteer security guard, police said. "I saw him coming through the doors, and I took cover, and I waited for him to get closer... I came out of cover, I identified myself and engaged him and took him down," she said.'

However, the real kicker for me was what she said next:

'Assam, a member of the New Life Church, said that although she was outgunned and physically weak from three days of fasting, "God was with me. . . . God made me strong."'

Hmmm... Does anyone else notice something odd going on here? I mean, God apparently gave her the strength to take on, shot and out gun someone who had shot and killed four people that day (depsite her so-called weak state), yet did not seem to have the ability to prevent Matthew Murray from entering these places and killing people in the first place.

You know, if I got the chance to ask God a question about this situation I would ask the following; if you were able to give Jeanne Assam the strength to take on and kill someone, why didn't you instead decide to decrease Matthew Murray's ability to do what he did? Why not render him powerless to kill innocent people, rather enable one person to take him down?

Nooma, Bell and Rich

2007-12-10T16:21:00.000-06:00

I picked up the latest copy of Time magazine today, and came across an interview with someone called Rob Bell... Now I have never heard of this guy, but apparently he is pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in the history of America (so his bio says), and co-creator and front-man of a series of short films known as Nooma.

Nooma is the English phonetic spelling of the Greek word pneuma, meaning 'spirit' or 'breath', and the Nooma films are basically set around a topic such as suffering, or love etc., during which Bell shares his thoughts on the matter from a Christian Evangelical perspective. Now the thing which has caught the attention of many people are not only the way these videos use music and other visuals to get the point across, but that despite being made by an Evangelical pastor, they are not preachy or judgemental...

I have decided to review the Nooma videos for my site - well, actually I am going to review the previews of some of them from You Tube - and in the process of doing came across this one called 'Rich'. I think what is said here is quite thought-provoking... what do you think?

Some thoughts on snow and knowledge of God

2007-12-05T09:21:00.000-06:00

We had our first major snowfall of the season this week - about 10 inches of snow have fallen in around five days. Now not only is that a lot of shovelling (groan), but it also provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the matter of knowledge... (stay with me on this one).

The other day when it was once again snowing, I held my four month old son up to the window so that he could take a look outside. Now my son has obviously never seen snow before, and as I watched him looking out of the window I thought to myself, how does he know what he is looking at? I mean, although he has never seen snow and seems able to appreciate that there is something going on outside, he clearly lacks the ability to process this information and understand anything to about it.

That got me thinking about the matter of God... what if there is a God, but we lack the ability to process and understand the information we may be receiving about (and from) God. Think about this - if God is beyond our understanding and beyond the limit of sense-based experience, then in respect to knowing anything about God, we may always be limited and lacking.

Now my son will obviously learn about snow, the nature of it and how fun it is to play in it, but that is because he will gain more and more experience of it. However, in terms of God, if God is always beyond our understanding and our sense-experience then how will we ever come to know and understand who or what God is?

I mean, God might exist, but then what...?

You Tube bores

2007-11-30T09:44:00.000-06:00

Have you noticed how many utterly boring and self-indulgent people there are posting videos on You Tube these days. I mean, I watched two minutes of this video yesterday and all I could think of was GET TO THE POINT! Geez... If you think you have something important to say, for God's sake get on and say it!

Life is far too short to sit there listening to someone going on about nothing for several minutes at a time...

Free speech

2007-11-26T16:31:00.001-06:00

Two stories in the news caught my eye today, and both address the matter of what we are justifiably allowed to say.

The first story (Oxford debate delayed by protest) is about the invitation extended to Nick Griffin and David Irving to address the Oxford Union. In case you know nothing about these two men, Griffin is leader of the British Nationalist Party whilst Irving is commonly known as a Holocaust denier. Both have also been labelled facist and racists for their views...

Now I do not refuse anyone the right to protest at those things they regard as unjust. Yet on the other hand, I do not agree that we should refuse those people we disagree with the right to hold and express their views. I mean, people have the right to believe anything - even that the world is flat (just as they also have the right to join the Flat Earth Society) - but having that right does not then mean people are justified in holding the views they do... that is an entirely different matter!

Also, would not a far better 'protest' have been for those who disagree with Griffin and Irvings to have got hold of all the tickets to the debate, and then not show up leaving them with an empty hall to address?

The second story ('Muhammad' teddy teacher arrested) is about the arrest and possible conviction of a teacher working in Sudan, who allowed her class of seven year olds to name a teddy bear Muhammad. Now first of all, I do believe this matter will be cleared up quickly by sensible people, who see that this was not a deliberately malicious or blasphemous act on her part. I do not think she will be jailed, nor will she be given 40 lashes for this so-called faux pas.

However, in saying that she has been rather silly to allow a group of seven years olds to choose a name for the class bear. I mean, she gives them the option to choose a name for the bear from a list they provide, and then asks them what their favourite name is... Now in an Islamic country, if you ask a group of seven years olds to provide a list of names this will always include the name Muhammad, and if you then ask them to choose their favourite name... well, I for one would not gamble against the one they would most likely choose!

Oh, and before one condemn's the sensitivities of people out there, imagine the uproar if in certain US states one decided to name a class bear Jesus, or even Messiah!

*** UPDATE ***

I guess my positive assessemt of the situation in Sudan was premture:

Sudan demo over jailed UK teacher

I still hope for a positive outcome of this mess, if for no other reason than for the sake of moderate Muslims around the world, who too must be appauled at what is taking place in the name of their religion.

Some thoughts on the reality of death

2007-11-21T12:11:00.000-06:00

We had a death in the family a few days ago, and as always it makes you think...

The (distant) relative who passed away was in her 90s, very poorly, in a lot of pain and suffering. Her death was expected, and to some extent welcomed. She had lived a good life, but had deteriorated in health quite significantly these last few months... so her passing at least ended that!

I do not believe there is an afterlife, and I am not afraid of death - I just worry about the way I am going to die. I hope I do not end up sitting in a nursing home, soiling myself, with no idea of anything going on around me. I can deal with the idea of suffering before dying, but losing one's dignity I cannot! My wife and I have both said that were we to end up in a situation like that, we would want the 'plug' pulled - and I think it is my right to choose that option for myself!

I also thought about the matter of death when I looked at my newborn son today... I mean, one day I am going to die and he is going to have to cremate me!

I hope he gives me a good send off...

Booky thoughts

2007-11-15T13:00:00.000-06:00

I have been adding to my thoughts on the matter of atheism for a book I am planning to write. What this means in practice is that I grab the nearest thing I can write on, and the nearest thing I can write with, in order to scribble down a range of incoherent thoughts in case I forget them whilst driving around.

It's wierd trying to think about, plan and write something of a bookish length. Actually, someone once said to me that my website is practically a book, to which I said - 'Thanks!"

The problem I find with writing a book is that one minute I think its about one thing, and then a few days later it's about something else. Well, actually its always been about atheism, but there are different ways one can approach the matter...

Well, maybe not!

You see, even now I am doubting myself - which is something atheists never seem to do!

This also got me thinking - if an atheist successfully argued against the pantheist's view of God, would this mean they no longer existed?

Whatever!

Is it really an inconvenient truth?

2007-11-13T13:18:00.000-06:00

I finally got round to watching the DVD An Inconvenient Truth last night (I so wanted to write incontinent truth then - not sure why), after having rented it from my local video store nearly 2 months ago (still can't say DVD store). I hope I have not gone over my alloted time for having the movie and that they credit my account... that would really suck if I now owned the film!

An Incontinent Truth (just checking you are actually reading this), is basically Al Gore's take on the matter of Global Warming, and you can read my review and thoughts on the DVD here. It was an okay film, but a far more interesting and thought-provoking watch was The Great Global Warming Swindle (which can be seen in its entirity on Google video). I saw this immediately after viewing An Inconvenient Truth and although there are some questionable bits in it, it made me re-think some of what Gore was 'preaching' as the truth.

Worried about Global Warming, or worried about the new wave of Global Warming preachers and their fanatical flock? It's going to get very nasty 'out there' if we're not careful... I suggest we all get armed with the facts, rather than the science-fiction!

Plato and a Platypus went into a bar...

2007-11-09T12:12:00.000-06:00

I've been reading a great little book over the last few days... Basically, it is a tour de force through the history and major themes in philosophy through jokes - yep, seriously! It's also a very informative and informed book. I hope to complete it today so that I can get a review up on the site in the next day or so.

I do like it when books like this cross my path, because it gives me faith that there are still good writers out there publishing lively and and interesting literary works, in the midst of a world gone mad over Crappy Potter!

*** UPDATE ***

Review added to the site here.

A life in TV

2007-11-08T11:26:00.000-06:00

Regular readers (or reader) might recall that I have spoken in the past about my work in TV - well, cable access TV to be exact - but nonetheless it is TV work (God, how many times am I going to say TV in this blog. I think the only time someone could say it more was if they were writing for a tranny blog).

So anyway - Last night I decided to go down to the studio to begin editing a new documentary I have shot about my son *** details another time ***. However, having walked in to use an edit suite, I found myself quickly co-opted by the director of a show I work on to help him set up the studio - light it etc. - for another show he was there to work on.

Anyway, to cut a long story short...

The guy who directed this other show turned out to be president of a local Humanist group. He also has his own cable-access show dealing with issues from a Humanist perspective. I got chatting to him about my work and website and he was very keen to hear about what I do, and was also happy for me to help him out with his own show. Also, he promised me he would let me interview him for my site - which I know will be very interesting. Oh, he also put me onto a really good resource for how to educate my son about matters to do with faith and moraltiy, without them feeling preached to.. etc.

Basically, it was a chance meeting of someone who has opened up doors for me to meet other like-minded people and to get involved in some really interesting stuff.

Funny how life works out!

We're here now!

2007-11-07T15:29:00.000-06:00

Hi there!

Welcome to the new blog page for the site. Regular readers will see that there have been quite a few subtle changes to the site over the last few days. Basically, we have been looking to see where we can improve things, and at the same have been removing (or updating) those things which have not been working as well as we would have liked.

This blog is one improvement we hope will make it easier to stay in touch with what we are doing, and what our thoughts are on this and that topic (blah de blah).

We used to host our blog on My Space, but feel that having a separate blog is far better than trying to utlise one within the context of a social network site. In any case, My Space is looking rather tired and old-hat these days... a fresh lick of paint is needed methinks!

So thanks for stopping by and please check back now and again to see what nonsense or profoundness is currently filtering its way onto these pages. Oh, and if you are interested in reading some of our past blog entries, these can still be found on our My Space account. We are not deleting our page there, just not writing anything more in our My Space blog.

More soon...