Understanding we are Worthy, Capable, Connected, and Called to Adventure for a more Joyful and Resilient Life
Moral disagreements are a common part of life. But there is something very surprising about moral disagreements that we often don’t realize. To illustrate this, allow me to present you with a thought experiment.[1] Please imagine these four people: Person #1: Jill believes X is the moral thing to do. Now, Jill truly cares about… Continue reading A Surprising Thing about Moral Disagreements
Does it pay to be good? At one point in our life, probably most of us ask ourselves this question. After all, sometimes it feels like trying to be good holds us back from things we desire. And sometimes it feels like people who break the rules get ahead and achieve their dreams more easily.… Continue reading Does It Pay to Be Good?
Lately in the news, I have heard various people claim that the United States should be a Christian nation. Some folks also argue that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. I will return to this point shortly. Now, I am a Christian from the Quaker Christian tradition. And sometimes when I hear… Continue reading Should the United States Be a Christian Nation?
I have been thinking about rights a lot lately because of some units I teach on ethics and politics. There is something very tricky about rights, and most of us (including me) often don’t consider it. I became aware of this issue years ago when I first read a quote by Voltaire that goes something… Continue reading A Tricky Thing about Rights
Is non-conformism a virtue? When people are non-conformists, they usually refuse to go along with some (or most) of the dominant norms of a given society. Non-conformists often seem brave. After all, it often takes courage to buck widely accepted trends and to live differently. Doing so can often make you very visible to the… Continue reading Is Non-Conformism a Virtue?
What is your automatic response to the question “Is the World Getting Better or Worse?” If you are like a lot of people your answer to this question is something like, “Well, obviously, it is getting worse.” And if you are anything like me, and many folks, you could martial a lot of evidence to… Continue reading Is the World Getting Better or Worse?
People discuss wokeness a lot lately. For example, some folks urge people to “stay woke”, while others criticize the dangers of what they term “woke” politics. Either way, the word woke is an emotionally laden word. As such, it may be helpful to examine the word more carefully. Did You Know? The term woke has… Continue reading About Wokeness and Love
Yesterday while preparing for classes, I was reviewing some historical lessons about tyranny. Once upon a time, people believed in the Divine Right of rulers. This view suggested that God had given rulers power, and so, therefore, they could just do whatever they wanted and people just had to put up with it because Deus… Continue reading About Tyranny
Morality vs. moralism: Morality and moralism are two different things, but we often confuse the two. And I understand this tendency because at one time I didn’t understand the difference between morality and moralism either. And sometimes even now, I think I understand the difference, and then I realize I don’t understand it as well… Continue reading Morality vs. Moralism
I would like to tell you a weird story about the Satanic Panic that occurred in the 80s. Believe it or not, it relates to some contemporary events. First, a sensitive content warning: This post briefly discusses rumors of satanism and pedophilia. So please be aware of that as you read. The 80s Satanic Panic… Continue reading What the 80s Satanic Panic Can Teach Today