REASONED SPIRITUALITY: exploring spirituality, the meaning of life, the concept of God.

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Home to Reasoned Spirituality

FAQ's

There is one question that is by far, the most frequently asked.

* Can we have some information about the author of this site?

 

There are no other questions that are "frequently" asked, so this section will gradually be expanded by including a variety of queries that I consider to be interesting. The following are edited excerpts of actual questions and their replies. If you want your name attached to your question, let me know.

Religion

* I wanted to point you to Zorastrianism. ...you mentioned the concepts of good and evil having come from an earlier Persian belief system. (Sep. 00)

* In Part 5, you state, "...the development of Yahweh was strongly influenced by Hinduism,...". I find this interesting and am curious if you could produce some references as to where you read this. (Nov. 00)

* the thing i don't agree with is your view on reicarnation. as u said it is a mystical element that is an add to realigion. than how come little children have memmories of their past lifes? that is just one of the exsampels... (Dec. 00)

* plese send me your opinion about one question that i have. We live in a sociaty where has seen a rise in in atheism and many people want spirituality on thair own terms. How the religion survive? (Dec. 00)

* We did not evolve naturally like all other animals on Earth have done. This means 'We' are the proof that a Creator or if you prefer, a 'God' must exist, or we would not exist (Jan. 01)

* I'm willing to bet that you and I live by differing moral standards. According to the Bible, there is One who is large enough to speak into existence all things and large enough also to speak on morality in an absolute sense. (Jan. 02)

* Why should one love wisdom? Is wisdom merely the accumulation of and abilty to recall vast quantities of information? The Bible speaks extensively of wisdom, but never without purpose. It is always in the context of right living before God. (Jan. 02)

* regarding Hinduism being the oldest organized religion known to man - What about Native Americans? Is your answer based on written literature? (Mar. 03)

* how in the world could humanity possibly survive? The chances of one religion ever capitulating and willingly embracing the beliefs of another seems impossible because of the way we're put together. (Aug. 04)

Population Issues

* I just wanted to point out that there is a hole in your argument about over population. Although it is true that the world population is increasing at a rapid and dangerous rate, it is not growing equally the world over. (Nov. 99)

* Surely you have considered the possibility that our planet could sustain many times more people with better managed resources? (Feb. 00)

* What were you referring to in: PART 2 The balance inherent in nature , lemming migration? If you're talking about the suicidal plunge into the water as a method of population control I believe it's a myth (Dec. 02)

Relationships/Sexuality

* I enjoyed reading your chapter on relationships but one thing did leave a dark cloud over my head... I'm a sex addict and that new thrill of sex with another partner is something I constantly crave. (Dec. 02)

* although numbers of partners was not addressed directly (in the 'Relationships' section), your arguments seemed to assume monogamy as the baseline of a healthy relationship (Mar. 00)

* I wonder why you first say that monogamy is an ilusion, but later emphasize the importance of achieving a lasting monogamous relationship (Feb. 04)

* Our closest relative in the animal kingdom use sex for many different reasons. I'm speaking of the Bonobo (Dec. 04)

Books

* I would love if you would be able to recommend me any "must reads" that you have encountered. (May 04)

Determinism

* Could you expand on our illusion of free will? (Mar. 03)

* I feel as if I'm NOT contributing to the universe as I should... (Feb. 03)

Intelligence

* My book claims that the Flynn effect shows a global increase in intelligence test scores of about 3 points per decade (Nov. 04)

Mysticism

* I would like to know your opinion - Prophecies of Nostradamus: Century 2, Quatrain 62. (May 99)

Political Correctness

* Why not use the more inclusive "humankind" instead of mankind? How would it feel if you replaced the word with "womankind?" (A brief exchange) (May 01)

Psychology/Disorders

* I'm basically an "artsy" person, very sensitive, very intuitive and a positive person. Do you think depression is typical of this type of person? (Jan. 04)

Quantum Mechanics

* I'm not sure if you have read about quantum mechanics, but if you haven't, i urge you to read about it, and everything on the topic... (Jul. 03)

Vegetarianism

 * I am a hunter, I kill for food. I hunt deer, elk, any wild game. We process our own meat from cattle. ...What are your thoughts on humans killing for food? Should humans become vegitarians? (Feb. 03)


Can we have some information about the author of this site?
I resist revealing my gender, race, age, or any other information that may subconsciously bias a person's opinion of the text. Whether we like it or not, humans are conditioned by society to perceive others in certain roles; and I prefer to remain as neutral as possible. [May 1998]

Because the short answer as to why I do not include biographical information on the website has failed to reduce the number of inquiries as to my identity, I have written the following long answer:
If I were to say that I held a degree in philosophy, some would say that society has granted me the authority to speak on philosophical matters, while others would see me as a person who lives in the rarefied atmosphere of the intellectual, with no concept of the realities of the working class.
If I were to say that I was a psychologist, some would say that my occupation verifies my ability to analyse the human psyche, while others would be afraid of me, because so many hide their fears and insecurities from the world, and suspect that it shows to those in the mental health field.
If I were to say that I was a theologian, some would say that I have an understanding of religion, while others would say that I am a clergyman in a specific faith, and if it is not theirs, then I am misguided.
The reverse holds true as well: not being one of the above can be construed in positive and negative ways, depending on the reader.

Rich or poor, male or female, white or otherwise; everyone sees people in certain preconceived roles. Left to their own devices, my readers generally form their own image of me, which will normally be as one of them.
Do not attempt to read anything into the preceding examples; I think it is safe to assume that I have some knowledge of the social sciences, since that is what I write about.

I also follow a long tradition when it comes to writing of spiritual matters. The words, and not the person, are of importance. The ‘Tao Te Ching’ is widely read, yet the true authors are completely unknown (although it is attributed to Lao Tze). Of the hundreds of writers who contributed to the books of the Bible, only 27 of them are known by name. The Vedic literature, the Analects of Confucius, the Buddhist Dhammapada, the Zen ‘Chuang Tzu’, and many other spiritual works were written (in whole or in part) by anonymous authors.
Keep in mind that I do not attribute any mystical or “holy” properties to the authors of the preceding works, and the comparison between my writing and theirs is only that of a shared philosophical/spiritual tone. In ancient times, having the ability to read and write was quite uncommon, and that alone made it more likely that a person’s text would be included in the works of the day. Until recently, all philosophical material had to have a connection to the culture’s deity, otherwise the authors faced grave consequences. Therefore, much has been written that was intended only as examinations of the nature of existence, and the “mystical qualifiers” have led to the inclusion of these essays in the religious books of the period.

Due to the nature of what I write, there are a few people who become obsessed with finding me. The stalkers generally express the most altruistic of motives, yet I am uncomfortable with the level of need they exhibit in demanding to get close to me, and with the image they have formed, which too often takes on near-mystical qualities. There are also the handful of fundamentalists who have threatened my personal safety. Although the rare attempts at intimidation have ceased as the website has grown to the point where the text makes it clear that my intent is not to damage any religion, I really do not have the time to deal with hostile, misguided visitors.

There is no great mystery as to my identity. Obviously, in my day-to-day existence, my attempts to aid people with experiencing life in a positive way means that I have personal contact with many individuals. Being active in charitable endeavors, spending time with a wide variety of religious organizations, constantly pursuing opportunities to broaden my education, and past public engagements (although I have not made a television appearance in over a decade) precludes my being a recluse. I do however, prefer maintaining a low profile. A near-destruction of my heart in 1999 (attributed to an unknown virus) caused two significant strokes. My heart has completely recovered, but the strokes interfered with my ability to orally organize words, so I now resist formally speaking to groups until I find a way to compensate for the loss of the related areas of the brain. These developments were certainly a disappointment, being that I had always been a far better public speaker, than a writer. [Dec. 2000] [back to FAQ index]

  

Site map indexHomeComments?Links to other interesting sites
Part 1:  IntroductionPart 2:  BalancePart 3:  DivisionsPart 4:  Unitypart 5:  Concept of GodPart 6:  Defining GodPart 7:  SexualityPart 8:  Instinctive MoralityPart 9:  Moral Compromise - ReproductionPart 10: Moral Obligation -reproductionPart 11:  DeterminismPart 12: Determining Our DestinyPart 13: Good and EvilPart 14:  Crime and PunishmentPart 15:  Belief - fact and faithPart 16: MaterialismPart 17: AppreciationPart 18: Abstract PerceptionPart 19:  RelationshipsRelationships (conclusion)Part 21:  DeathPart 22:  KnowledgePart 23: Knowledge - geneticsPart 24: Knowledge (conclusion)Part 25: Meaning of LifePart 26: Meaning of Life (continued)Part 27: Meaning of Life (conclusion)

Copyright 1998 - 2005 B.W.Holmes - all rights reserved (unless noted otherwise). Quotes from ancient literary works do not carry a copyright.