Religion

Episode 9: Jainism, or How to Take Nonviolence So Seriously That Even Your Footsteps Need a Conscience

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If some religions ask, “How should a person live well?” Jainism walks into the room and calmly replies, “First, maybe stop harming literally everything you can avoid harming.” Which is not a small suggestion. Jainism is one of the world’s oldest living religious traditions, and it does not do casual ethics. It does not dabble … Read more

Episode 4: Confucianism — Harmony, Humanity, and the Art of Being Decent

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If you are just joining this grand tour of humanity’s spiritual and philosophical traditions, you can start at the beginning with the series introduction here: https://medium.com/@DaveLumAI/the-modern-religion-series-many-paths-one-curious-human-7b55eca82f4e Today we travel back more than two millennia to ancient China and meet a thinker whose ideas still echo in classrooms, homes, and governments around the world. When Was … Read more

Episode 3: Christianity — Incarnation, Covenant, and the Shape of Love

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Before we begin, if you are just joining this exploration of the world’s religions, the introduction to the full series lives here: https://medium.com/@DaveLumAI/the-modern-religion-series-many-paths-one-curious-human-7b55eca82f4e Christianity centers on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and has become one of the most historically influential religions in the world. It is diverse in expression, global in presence, and … Read more

Episode 1: The Baháʼí Faith — One World, Many Chapters

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If history were a long-running book series, the Baháʼí Faith would be one of the newer volumes, but it opens with an ambitious premise: humanity is one family, history has a direction, and religion is less a collection of disconnected sequels and more an unfolding narrative. The Baháʼí Faith was founded in the mid-19th century … Read more

The Modern Religion Series: Many Paths, One Curious Human

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Religion is one of those subjects everyone has opinions about, strong feelings about, or polite silence around at dinner. It has shaped civilizations, inspired art and music, justified wars, fueled peace movements, and quietly guided billions of ordinary lives. Ignoring it does not make it less powerful. Understanding it, even a little, makes the world … Read more

The Meaning of Life: A Comprehensive and Comically Serious Guide

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The meaning of life is a question that has baffled philosophers, theologians, scientists, and your average Wednesday-night karaoke enthusiast for centuries. Is it love? Is it pizza? Is it that brief, blissful moment when your phone battery is at 100% and you have Wi-Fi? Let’s dive in. Philosophers Have Entered the Chat Socrates: This ancient Greek … Read more