Essay: Religion, science, and our quest for truth

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Religion, science, and our quest for truth

From the book: Chum for Thought: Throwing Ideas into Dangerous Waters by David Satterlee

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Chum For Thought:
Throwing Ideas into Dangerous Waters

Religion, science, and our quest for truth

Both religion and science build theoretical models to explain observations. Sometimes the models work, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes sacrificing infants to Baal brings productive crops, sometimes bleeding a patient breaks a fever. Most cultures have rejected both of these models (religious and scientific, respectively). Even having a thoroughly-consistent theory does not establish truth. Traditional Chinese Medicine successfully treats "spleen deficiency" for problems totally unrelated to our anatomical spleen's function. Both religious and secular authorities have found themselves needing to adjust their accepted doctrine.

Sometimes religious ideas lead secular as in the Genesis record of the sequence of life’s appearance on earth, or the sanitary laws of the Israelites coming out of Egypt. Also, science is seriously beginning to explore the efficacy of some types of prayer. Sometimes secular ideas lead religion. In 2000, The Catholic Church apologized

Essay: Dis-integrating old beliefs

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Dis-integrating old beliefs

From the book: Chum for Thought: Throwing Ideas into Dangerous Waters by David Satterlee

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Read or download this essay as a PDF file at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4eNv8KtePyKTW1ENEN0aTRMUVk/edit?usp=sharing

#Faith #Integral #Psychosocial 

Chum For Thought:
Throwing Ideas into Dangerous Waters

Dis-integrating old beliefs

I have recently been challenged that my comments threaten to “dis-integrate” people’s beliefs and that this comes off as “threatening and painful” to them. Thus, I am being rude, inconsiderate, and unsociably aggressive. Talk about a curve ball! I just didn’t see that one coming.

The concept is that most people are already quite satisfied with their sources of authority and their beliefs. They believe things that are similar to what their friends believe and this makes them feel comfortable and secure. They feel that their existing beliefs all make sense together (are integrated). Thus, it is not nice for someone like me to come along and upset their apple cart.

I chewed on this problem for a while before it occurred to me to launch from, “What Would Jesus Do?” Actually, Jesus published a new gospel and admitted that he came to cause division, rather than peace. He warned his disciples that they and their new message would encounter violent resistance. I don’t mean to compare myself to Jesus – only to point out that there come times when one’s ideas have to transcend comfortable and familiar traditions.

While having a similar discussion with my youngest son, he proposed a model of

Networking: Section 9 - Exerting Influence and Gaining Compliance Part 3

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Section 9 - Exerting Influence and Gaining Compliance Part 3

From the book: Building Your Network Business: Proven Ideas from Successful Leaders by David Satterlee

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Read or download this essay as a PDF file at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4eNv8KtePyKOGtDUFcxODlUSGM/edit?usp=sharing

• The power of direct command
• Everyone likes to be liked
• Compulsive response to authority
• Get it while you can
• Because there is a reason
• The best defenses against exploitation
• Creating change
• Managing change