Jared Cowan
I'm a college grad, 2 years out of school and enjoying writing, following the news on issues of religion in society and commenting on it. I have a sizeable library of which I try to read from on a weekly basis and cover a wide array of topics, from Buddhism to philosophy; philosophy of religion to theology. I blog on these issues through Blogspot as well at http://toholdnothing.blogspot.com
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- 6/17/2011
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B.A. in Religious StudiesMotto
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Displaying Results 1 - 81 (of 81) for All Content
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Aversion to AtheismAtheism is still one of the most disliked "groups" in the United States, let alone the potential distrust across the world to some degree or another.
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Eternal Knot and Essential QuestionsThe endless knot is a symbol in Buddhism seen fairly often, though not as much as the wheel. I talk about various interpretations of its meaning and how they relate to Buddhism in general
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Giving Thanks for AbortionAbortion is a topic we don't speak about in positive terms so much, so I thought for thanksgiving, I'd explain why I'm thankful for abortion and how it benefits the world in various ways.
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Seeds and Fruits, Actions and ResultsKarma is a word with different meanings in different religions. Buddhism's ideas are especially unknown to many in the West, so I thought I'd give an explanation
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Is God Both a Deterrent and Distraction?People often wonder about the advantages and weaknesses of God belief. A study by the American Psychological Association suggests that there may be a bit of both.
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Rebirth, Not ReincarnationRebirth is probably one of the most misunderstood ideas in Buddhism and often conflated with reincarnation. I give an explanation as to how different they really are.
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Looking at Eastern Religion from the WestThe Western study of religion can create difficulties with students who come from the East or with those who see the explicit differences that exist with Eastern belief systems. Perhaps there is a better way to resolve these conflicts.
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Two Truths, One PathIn today's culture, the idea of truth is very important to us and creates a great deal of conflict. Buddhist has an idea of truth that resolves a seeming conflict between relative and absolute truth theories
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do About Science?Atheism is sometimes equated with science, but is this actually the case? Do you automatically qualify as atheist if you are a scientist?
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Prayer and PoliticsPeople have prayed for politicians for ages, but now we have more prominent communities organizing on the internet, such as the Presidential Prayer Team
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Neither Determinism nor DestinyThe teaching in Buddhism of dependent arising is both compelling and contentious in the implications it brings up about many things in life.
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do About Meaning of Life?Atheists are commonly said to have no real meaning in their life, but that is false for a number of reasons. Meaning is far more complex than many try to boil it down to and atheists understand this more because of lacking belief in God
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Vote Christian or Vote ConscienceWhile not all Christians think this way, many are influenced to think they must vote Christians into office as their political duty. I consider why this is not only undemocratic, it's irrational on its face.
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Shifting Sea of SatisfactionBuddhism's first truth is also the first thing to throw people off. Does it actually say life is suffering and what is the implication of what it may actually say?
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do About Church/State Separation?Atheism is seen many times at the head of advocacy and activism for church/state separation, but many wonder why this is the case. I explain in some detail as to how it benefits believers and non believers to keep religion and government separate
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Gods and SuperhumansSupergod, a graphic novel recently released in trade paperback by Avatar Press, tells a story of an alternative history with humans competing in an arms race with fascimiles of gods as the main weapons. What does this say about the gods created by humans?
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No Self but SkandhasBuddhist teaching of anatta, or no-self, is commonly misunderstood. Herein lies a short explanation of its basis in skandha and phenomenology as well as related ideas in Buddhist thought.
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do About Religious Norms? Part 2Continuing from last time, we confont saying "God bless you" when people sneeze as well as the supposed Christian nation America is and whether atheists can be patriots
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Flux and FlowBuddhism has three characteristics we are told to recognize in order to further our path towards enlightenment and the first is anicca, which states the world is always in a state of change.
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do About Religious Norms? Part 1Atheism has many preconceived ideas about what it can and can't do from religious people that I thought I should confront a few popular ones
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What Youth Yearn ForMany young adults are leaving their home churches, either for new churches or leaving entirely for other beliefs. What are the major factors that churches are unaware of in terms of pushing away their future?
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Desire and DelusionBuddhism is sometimes characterized as being opposed to desire due to an initial misunderstanding of teachings on the subject. But is this really the case?
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do About Religious Family?Atheism is a tough situation in general, but having a religious family can strain those bonds to the breaking point. How can atheists confront their religious family without separation?
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Why Moral Language MattersUnbeknownst to me, there is a crisis of sorts with many young adults who, unlike myself and some others, don't have much aptitude or vocabulary to discuss morality. How could we solve this problem?
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Mindfulness and MuBuddhism's use of koans in Zen as well as other initially foreign ideas can make people think Buddhism is anti-rational. But is this really the case?
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do About Ethics?Are atheists immoral, amoral or without a basis for ethics? Why do atheists behave morally? Various questions are answered in part about this issue of atheism and morality/ethics
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Capital Punishment and Conservative PoliticsRick Perry was applauded for his vocal support of the death penalty in Texas, which is a problem many have observed of the GOP being pro life in terms of abortion but pro death in many other areas
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Nothingness and No-thingnessBuddhism has many beliefs that perplex people, so I thought I'd try to explain them by means of compare/contrast. This time is the belief of sunyata, or emptiness.
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do to Find Peace?Atheists can persist in spite of crisis, but theists may ask how they find peace in those times of crisis at all. I present answers on both inner and outer peace.
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Faith on FacebookFacebook has commonly been a source of controversy, but now, according to a blog following trends of Facebook page interaction, a page devoted to Jesus and Christian devotion has become the most popular page recently.
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Deepening Divorce in the Deep SouthThe South is stereotyped in many ways, but a study by the U.S. Census Bureau suggests that the shotgun wedding of sorts commonly portrayed as part of the South could be a factor, among others, as to the higher rate of divorce.
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WDAD: What Do Atheists Do in Times of Crisis?There are many questions people ask atheists. This time, the inquiry about what atheists do in times of crisis, such as a hurricane, gets into further issues of the ethics of belief.
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How Education Helps or Hinders ReligiosityWe usually think that with more educaiton, you become less religious, but a study by professor Philip Schwadel suggests that people may remain religious, but in a different way, even as they gain more knowledge through college, etc
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Conservatives Clamoring for ChristianityIn the wake of the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, the popularity of some candidates and the unremarkable losses of others speaks to the importance of Christian beliefs to Republican voters
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Military Missionary MessagesThe military, Air Force in particular, has been notorious for ignoring much progress made in the name of keeping proselytizing out of the government sponsored force. Two incidents recently have come up that necessitate more on why this is a problem.
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Speaking Christian for Social ConvenienceMarcus J. Borg's new book, Speaking Christian, poses the thesis that Christian language has become confused in modern usage, missing the point of many of the original meanings of those terms, like salvation, and making up others, like rapture
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Inaugural of IrreligionSecularism and nonreligion are now getting a publication centered around them by the same name. Trinity College and the Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network have collaborated to put out this academic magazine online.
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Evangelism and EvangelicalsEvangelism might be a beneficial practice in part, but evangelicals seem to have taken that practice and warped it into a divisive move to separate people by being saved or unsaved.
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CRU Cuts Out Campus and ChristCampus Crusade for Christ, now known as Cru, has officially announced the name change and reasons behind it. But some Christians are calling this a move of political correctness. What do you think?
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Christians Changing Gears on Changing GaysEven with the Bachmann counseling center controversy about the use of reparative therapy, many Christians and groups, including Focus on the Family and Exodus International are starting to reject the use of this method towards gays and lesbians
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Bachmann Backslides on BackgroundMichele and Marcus Bachmann have gotten themselves into the news on and off concerning their counseling center's alleged use of reparative therapy. Is there evidence that they have been trying to force people to be straight through this practice?
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ReFocus on the FamilyFocus on the Family has been notorious for being involved with political conservatives, but since founder James Dobson stepped down, new head Jim Daly says he wants to shift the group back to its original intent.
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Marriage and Mixing ReligionsMixed marriages are becoming more common these days and not only in terms of blending cultures, but blending faiths. How you handle and arrange this sort of thing can have a big influence on the rest of your life together.
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Space Travel and SpiritualityWith Space Shuttle Atlantis recently finishing its final mission, space travel has shifted gears to the potential of space tourism. But why would people seek to do this? Perhaps astronauts are right in saying space travel has a spiritual side
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Mormon Candidate DiscriminationBoth Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Jr as Mormon candidates for president are still distrusted by some U.S. citizens. Part of it is an understanding of what belief in Mormonism entails. Can there truly be a Mormon president?
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Discussions with the Dalai LamaThe Dalai Lama recently visited the U.S. for 11 days and during that time, he did many noteworthy things including: celebrating his 76th birthday, creating a mandala as a sign of goodwill, and meeting with both members of Congress and President Obama
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Atheist Movie Advances MinorityAtheism hasn't been explicitly portrayed in a movie as heroic as far as we can observe. But now Matthew Chapman has presented "The Ledge," which portrays an atheist in a heroic position. How will this work out for atheist popularity in America?
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Founding Fathers and Founding FaithThe founding fathers are commonly seen as the authority on what the U.S. was made to be, but some people skew the facts. Did Thomas Jefferson want the country to be a Christian nation in law or just in demographics?
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Atheist Patriot Ad CampaignAtheism is not usually associated with patriotism, but American Atheist president David Silverman used an ad campaign on July 4th to argue the contrary: that atheists can indeed be patriotic.
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Christians, Conservatives and CapitalistsOne usually can automatically associate Christianity, conservativism and capitalism together, but is it consistent with the beliefs of prominent capitalist Ayn Rand?
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Christian Actions on Controlling AdoptionChristians don't all do this, but those who deny gay people the right to adopt have a conflict of values. On the one hand, they have no problem with straight people adopting, but the moment a gay person tries to adopt, they suddenly become uncomfortable
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No Southern Hospitality for AtheistsAtheist Damon Fowler called his school on an unconstitutional sponsoring of religion by the school and their attempt to bypass it didn't go much better. Are atheists really treated with so called Southern hospitality in the South?
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Minority Advantages and Majority AdvancesReligious minorities and their treatment by religious majorities is something that is especially relevant in a religiously diverse country as the United States. There are various approaches and I consider a few of them.
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American Atheists Easter SchedulingAmerican Atheists have commonly scheduled their annual convention on Easter weekend and many are confused as to why or even offended. What is the motivation behind this scheduling?
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Tanha (Craving)A haiku inspired by a combination of Buddhist beliefs and a bottle of cold water
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A Bible for Believers and Non-Believers AlikeA.C. Grayling has presented a text that might revolutionize the way we look at the relation between ethics and religion, The Good Book
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Aspies and AtheismAspergers' syndrome is not usually related in any sense to religion, but a study in Scientific American suggests that there might be a relation between it and belief in purpose or agency behind events
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To Reign in Hell Novel Mini-ReviewA mini-review of a novel I'd recommend to read to anyone. Even if you don't believe God or Satan are real, this fantasy based on Paradise Lost will draw you into its intrigue, action and drama. -
Murfreesboro Mosque Making ProgressIn the Nashville suburb, Murfreesboro, you'd think there wouldn't be active opposition to Muslim community development, but the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro's growth in recent years has created problems in the process of expanding their worship center.
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Gay Marriage Does Not Make AnarchyRecent legislation passed in New York to allow same sex marriage to be recognized in the state. But even leading up to its acceptance, there were opponents, including former Super Bowl champion David Tyree who said it would lead to anarchy
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Palin's Pseudo-Prophetic ProclamationSarah Palin's emails were made "public" recently and in her emails, one in particular was interesting to those interested in her religious beliefs. She speaks about the future birth of her son, Trig, and addresses the letter as "God". Thoughts?
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Idle Hands Are God's PlaythingGovernor Rick Perry of Texas is trying to organize a prayer meeting for the governors across the country. Is this a waste of time for politicians that could be used for important issues like education, etc?
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Jesus, Sex Scandals and EvangelismAnthony Weiner's recent sex scandal was only made more awkward by Albert Mohler, prominent Baptist preacher and blogger, saying he needed Jesus in his life. Was he right to advise that while the Jewish politician was seeking therapy?
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A New Kind of Mormon CandidateMitt Romney is well known as the up and coming Mormon Republican candidate, but unbeknownst to many, another Mormon is running for the GOP's nomination in 2012 and he stands in some contrast to Romney.
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Dalai Lama Departs LightlyThe Dalai Lama recently announced his retirement, stunning some and others not surprised with his age. How important is the Dalai Lama to interfaith discussions and the like today?
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Dalai Lama Denies LeninismThe Dalai Lama was asked about his sociopolitical beliefs and said that he was a Marxist, but not a Leninist. Many are no doubt confused; why would the Dalai Lama still be involved in political discussions after he left his political position in Tibet?
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Revised Pledge and Religious PrideThere was an incident involving slight editing of the pledge of allegiance being recited and of course people focused most on the removal of "Under God". Was it really such a bad thing?
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Faith and Forgiveness, How Does it Work?Forgiveness usually sounds like it'd be easier for religious believers, but is it always? Some religions might have priorities mixed up, this article investigates
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Funerals Are for Both the Living and the DeadDeath is not a pleasant reality to us and when people say that this life is all you have, other people have some strong reactions to the contrary. Why do some people want to live forever and others prefer to live vicariously through memory?
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Pseudo-Biblical WisdomThe Bible is a highly respected text, but is also misused in various ways. One of them is quote mining or even misattributing quotes that are supposedly from the bible, but really aren't. We'll distinguish fact from fiction.
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The Moral Generation GapMost people think the newer generations becoming young adults in the 2000s are more liberal and/or morally accepting of abortion and gay marriage, but it seems abortion has remained steady, while gay marriage is the only thing that's changed, it seems
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History According to TexasTexas is a big state and since it's so large, it influences textbook production across the country. But last year, it passed alterations to history textbooks that would make it a more conservative oriented perspective, which troubles me still today
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Abortion Terms RevisitedAbortion is an emotionally charged subject, but the words you use to talk about it can be just as important as someone's decision to abort or not.
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Abortion Rights Past and PresentAbortion rights are thought of as being set in stone, but many who worked to get abortion legalized think today's generation are neglecting the fight against those who are trying to illegalize abortion again.
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The Tebow Pro Life/Choice Ad?The ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother from a few Super Bowls ago was touted as pro life, but also resonates with pro choice. Which way does it really lean?
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Can Christian Coitus Continue to Be Chaste and Conservative?Christians are commonly thought of as very conservative about sex and speak against sex before marriage, but even enjoying sex seems to be a sin to some these days. What about Christians who think it's fine to enjoy sex in holy matrimony?
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Pro Life or Anti AbortionThe terms pro life and pro choice are used every day, but many might point out the hypocrisy with religious people's focus on cultural issues instead of real problems that compel us to act, like world hunger. Are you really pro life, or anti abortion?
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Religion and Secularism's Questions and AnswersReligion and secularism are commonly seen as polar opposites, religion answering questions and secularism positing them. But the reverse can hold true as well. What does this suggest about the importance of religion and secularism today?
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Reconciling Creation(ism) and EvolutionSome Christians believe that evolution and creation are at odds, but this isn't the case across the board. Commentary on an article from a scientist who is a Christian and believes Jesus would also believe in evolution
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Heaven and Stephen HawkingStephen Hawking's commonly in the news concerning his scientific theories and discoveries, but now he's in the spotlight again for his statements regarding religion. This time, he says heaven doesn't exist. What do people think of this?
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Family Planning and Fertility ProceduresCatholics might be pro life across the board, but they're oddly anti IVF, even though they're supposedly all for family values. Where does this opposition come from?