Radically Happy

  • A reasoned conversation about Christianity and atheism

    Prompted by a discussion about the so-called “proof” that belief in God is an evolutionary accident, I engaged in a discussion on the FoRK mailing list about Christianity vs. atheism. While not nearly as coherent (or civil 🙂 as my DiaBlogue with Alan, I felt it was at least worth…

  • John 15 The Root (and Branch) of Love

    Questions: In what do we trust? When can God trust us? Do we really believe that pursuing love will lead to joy? Even if it means being hated and persecuted? If so, will God stand by us? Will we stand by Him? “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel…

  • Five Empirical Tests of Theism

    One of the points I’ve been trying to make in my Reasoned Conversation is that my belief in God is a hypothesis that is supported by empirical evidence. My hypothesis isn’t perfect, and is constantly evolving, but I still find it to have superior explanatory power than the alternative “null…

  • John 14 House Citing

    Questions: Why would we want to go with Jesus? Where is he taking us? How can we get there? What’s the catch? Why doesn’t everyone see him? How important is it? “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel of John.

  • DiaBlogue: Wanna Bet?

    However, it is justified — at least in the mind of the researcher — because he or she “feels” that this problem “ought” to be solvable, since it is “similar” in some way to a previously solved problem; even if they can’t formally justify it according to the rules of…

  • John 13 Crow’s Eat

    Questions: How do we expect Jesus to behave? What does he expect from us? What does he long to give us? Will we honor or betray that trust? Is Jesus surprised? “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel of John.

  • John 12 Crowd Pleaser?

    Questions: Whom are we trying to please? How much are we willing to pay? What does it mean to welcome Jesus? To reject Him? What price will He pay? “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel of John.

  • John 11 Death to Life to Death

    Heck, they even have witnesses:Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat [still] in the…

  • John 10 Talking In Your Sheep

    Questions: How can we recognize God? How is His voice different? What kind of sheep trust Him — and don’t trust thieves and robbers? How can we tell if someone is crazy versus inspired* How do we know if we are His sheep? How can anyone know if Jesus truly…

  • John 9 Incurably Blind

    Questions: Whose fault — if any — is blindness? How do we see hurting people? How do we see God’s role? What happens when our theology conflicts with reality? What price might we pay for believing the truth? Is it worth it? “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel…

  • John 8B Who’s Your Daddy?

    Questions: Is it always good to believe in Jesus? What kind of truth brings freedom? When do we need it? Why does it matter whose son we are? What does it mean to have a Father? How does it impact who/what we love?”Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel…

  • DiaBlogue: Sam Harris Deist? Eerie.

    Ironically, the position outlined by Sam Harris:But if there are psychophysical laws that underwrite human well-being?and why wouldn’t there be??then these laws are potentially discoverable. …Belief in a transcendent moral purpose for the universe is as well-justified and essential for social inquiry as belief in the transcendent mathematical nature of…

  • John 8A Judge – Not?!?

    Questions: On what basis does Jesus judge? On what basis should we? Where exactly is he coming from? Who is he coming from? Can we know Him? Have we? “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel of John.

  • TriaBlogue

    They’re no Ebon Muse — so I’m not ready to inject them into my debate with Alan — but the similarity in name, topic, and approach is so striking I wanted to link to the Triabloguers here. They appear even more over-educated than I am, so I wouldn’t want to…

  • John 7 Show, Time

    Questions: When and why will Jesus reveal himself? Will we recognize him when he does? Why does it matter who sent him? Might we end up attacking the one we say we believe in? “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel of John.

  • John 6 Bread Lines

    Questions: What do the crowds want from Jesus? What does he want for the crowds? How should the disciples cope with their limited resources? How can we know what God wants from us? Why does Jesus give us what we need? Is it worth sticking around for?”Read More” to pursue…

  • DiaBlogue: Ratioanalizing Virtue

    Once again, I am pleased that Alan agrees that we can treat Universal Utilitarianism (UU) as Metric, Not Imperial. That is, we both agree it is a useful Metric, vs a System of ethics as Ebon Muse would construe it. Alan ended with a challenge for me to “to tell…

  • John 5B Just, Like His Father

    Questions: Why did Jesus do what he did- By what authority dare we judge him? By what authority does he judge us? On what basis dare we believe him? For what reasons do we fail to recognize him? Click “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel of John.

  • John 4C/5A Act Like a Heal

    Questions: Do we honor God, or are we just impressed? Do we feel Jesus doesn’t honor us? What is he trying to get us to believe? Is there a reason he keeps pushing our buttons? “Read More” to pursue answers in the Gospel of John.

  • John 4B Seed ’em and Reap

    And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.He is trying to redirect their hearts to “hunger and thirst for righteousness”; to become part of what God is doing.I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their…