From Confucius, to Jesus to Mohammad, religion has played a monumental, even singular, role in human history. It has been a force for good as well as evil in politics, in culture, in ethics, in warfare, in philosophy and in the hearts of millions. Wherever our allegiance may lie, religion inspires us to ponder the most fundamental truths of existence and transcend the preoccupations of the moment. Galileo declared that God endowed us with sense, reason and intellect so that we may explore, rather than avoid, the big questions. Let us undertake this challenge with an open mind and a gracious disposition.
Want to contribute an issue? Click here!
An age-old institution is being attacked: what side should we be on? To answer this question, I begin with a negative argument, i.e. why we cannot accept gay marriage; I then attempt to show that the discrimination charge is circular; lastly, I propose a positive argument, namely why the current definition of marriage is the best.
(continue reading »)
The censorship debate has recently come back to life following the Bill Henson exhibition in which sexually suggestive photographs of naked 12- and 13-year-old children were displayed in Paddington. The Prime Minister, the Premier of NSW and other politicians did not hide their disgust. In an act of defiance, the editors of Art Monthly published an old picture of a naked 6-year-old girl (continue reading »)
Metaphysics aside, is the world better off with or without religion? Secularists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens argue that religion has been a malevolent force in human history and should be eradicated. Others disagree with some of the doctrinal claims of religion but believe that on the whole it is a force for good in the world. The faithful regard religion as the greatest gift of all. Where do you stand?
This paradox keeps theologians of all colours awake at night. How would you resolve it?
If God is merciful and inherently benevolent as some religions claim, how can tragedies such as the Holocaust be reconciled with his existence?
Does the divine gift of free will release God from all liability concerning human-induced suffering such as the Holocaust? Milton famously said in Paradise Lost that God made Man “Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.” If so, how can non-human-induced suffering such as the Boxing Day Tsunami be explained?
Can we believe that murder is wrong if there is no deity to which the values can be traced? If there is no such deity, where do these values come from and are they authoritative? Does atheism necessitate moral relativism or can atheists belief that murder is objectively wrong even in the absence of a God?
In September 2005, a Danish newspaper called Jyllands-Posten printed a series of cartoons mocking the prophet Mohammad and linking Islam with violence. The cartoons were reprinted in newspapers in more than fifty other countries. (continue reading »)
Are you theist, atheist, agnostic or some other ist? Time to come out of the cloister!
Assuming there is a God, which religion is most likely to be right?
I will admit that initially I was torn on this question, ultimately I believe it is about expression of identity. The argument for not allowing girls to wear veils in schools is a simple one. It creates difference and demonstrates the extent to which Muslims or any other group are not integrating into society. Those who champion this view believe in a neutral public space, a place that can nurture a common life from which religion is excluded. (continue reading »)
