Alongside the idea that the end of the world is near, another notion — perhaps somewhat less widespread but still popular — is that a New Era is approaching. Sometimes these ideas are intertwined, with the latter seen as a direct continuation of the former. This is characteristic of religions and mythologies that contain an eschatological element, predicting an ultimate… Continue reading "Is the New Era coming?"
Is it possible to reconcile science and religion? Hardly. Science is rational — it seeks explanations for life’s phenomena, investigates their causes, and studies the regularities and interdependencies of what happens. Religion, on the other hand, is irrational — it presupposes faith in the arbitrary influence of supernatural forces and, therefore, does not consider all life’s phenomena explainable or their… Continue reading "Principled Non-Opposition, or the Third Option"
In many mythologies, there are stories of ancient times — pre-flood times, or the times of the Golden Age, or times when gods lived among humans, or times of ancient kings and heroes. Science has traditionally been skeptical about these accounts. However, in recent times, scientific facts are slowly starting to erode the dam of skepticism. Data from the intersection… Continue reading "Unknown History"
Asceticism is an important element of many spiritual traditions. It is considered important because, according to the adherents of these traditions, it serves as an indicator of one’s spiritual progress. It can take various forms, but ultimately, it always comes down to the same thing. Asceticism is typically understood as the ability to renounce worldly pleasures — those things that… Continue reading "Asceticism: An Unnecessary Extremity"
