Recently, Pope Francis made an intriguing comment about faith versus ideology: “In other words, ideologies replace faith.” See National Review, 28 August 2023: Pope Francis Says ‘Reactionary’ U.S. Catholic Church Has Replaced Faith with ‘Ideology’. It's intriguing because any Religion = ideology. In my blogs, I separate faith from Religion. As I once said to someone...
Faith
If there’s only 1 God then why has God so many names?
30 Aug, 2023
In various blogs, I mentioned the various names of a Supreme Being, like Ahura Mazda, Allah, God, Jupiter, Odin, Shiva, Yahweh and Zeus. Recently, I wondered: if there’s just 1 God then why has God so many names?? The ultimate answer may well be in Mahatma Gandhi's message below. Scientists have never found any culture without evidence of...
Feeling listless and without inspiration
9 Aug, 2023
I could blame my coffee machine that broke down after some 10+ years of service. I could blame our rainy summer weather. I doubt it's about coffee or sunshine. I suppose it's far deeper. A recent road trip to Germany lifted my spirits. A lack of hotel sleep made matters worse, however. Actually, I do not (yet) know my reason(s) for feeling listless and bored. As a...
Joie de vivre
6 Jun, 2023
This topic isn't easy due to recent events. Actually, it hasn't been easy since that day in May 2013. Ever since my 2013 burnout and subsequent 18 month depression, joie de vivre doesn't come natural anymore. Faith, Hope and Love also keep me going; see my 15 March 2023 blog. Faith and religion are two separate items. I'm not religious while I have lots of faith....
Positivity and negativity: micro and macro
14 Jul, 2022
We all know these Happy-Go-Lucky people. They radiate positivity and can bring sunshine to your day. We also know people who can suck out any positivism from our (and their) life. Most of us are keen to avoid them. Recently, I was wondering if such positivity and negativity may also happen at a macro level. My curiosity was triggered by societies that are becoming...
Why do we believe in Fate?
13 Jun, 2022
The words Faith and Fate feel quite similar, semantically. I doubt that's a coincidence. In Dutch, the word Fate is ”het Lot” (eg, lottery ticket). It's fair to state that Fate refers to a slim chance on a considerable outcome, both negative (eg, accident) and positive (eg, lucky number). Hence, the Dutch word "het Lot". Faith refers to believing (eg, in a deity,...
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