Morality Archives - Page 5 of 5

The facts of evil and the truth of God’s goodness

October 27, 2014 by Jeff

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin, hit by bombs in WWII, preserved as a memorial of that nightmare. Whoever rejoices in the beauty and goodness of truth has to face the shock of facts that are ugly and cruel. When something terrible happens, it is common to ask, “Why me?” or “What did he do to … Read more

The principle of the practice of the family of God

October 23, 2014 by Jeff

Pope John Paul II in 1993 Emotional sympathy and moral reason, despite their essential contributions, do not solve every moral problem. We can be well attuned emotionally and well informed, but sometimes our best thinking does not find the answer, and we spontaneously reach out for higher wisdom. Or we know what we should do, … Read more

Philosophical ethics in a nutshell

October 20, 2014 by Jeff

Immanuel Kant If the first level of morally active living to treat others with consideration for their feelings, as you want others to do to you, the next level is rule of reason. Treat others in accord with reason, as you want others to do to you. This level of the golden rule can be … Read more

What really happens when we imagine ourselves in the other person’s shoes?

October 16, 2014 by Jeff

“Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” The advice is familiar. This practice is often associated with the golden rule of treating others as we want to be treated; but we rarely think how the advice should be interpreted. There are two mistakes to avoid. First mistake: Assume that imagining yourself in the other person’s … Read more

The golden rule of sympathy

October 13, 2014 by Jeff

The good Samaritan stopping to help an injured stranger It’s fascinating how many people don’t think much about morality. Morality is not trending. In popular media the word “morality” has overtones of being repressive, stuffy, outdated, smelling of religious authority, standing in need of sexual liberation. But when we get seriously mistreated, we are not … Read more

Quick Guide to the World’s Most Widespread Moral Principle: Chapter 1

October 9, 2014 by Jeff

Here’s the Rembrandt drawing that editor Cynthia Read thought of for my book cover. Treat others the way you want others to treat you. They may or may not reciprocate. But go ahead: Smile. Risk doing good. Have fun at it. You may inspire them to live better. Sometimes doing good to others … Read more

Secrets of leadership

October 6, 2014 by Jeff

Jane Addams’ Hull House Jane Addams advised leaders to temper their idealism so that they could mobilize social support in order actually to make progress. “[The leader] has to discover what people really want, and then ‘provide the channels in which the growing moral force of their lives shall flow.’” It is common today for … Read more

Jane Addams: Unforgettable leader and servant of humankind

October 2, 2014 by Jeff

Today we turn from truth and beauty to goodness, beautiful goodness, living the truth in love. Today we begin a series on morally active living. Please allow goodness to fill your soul and your mind, to direct your path, to reward your striving. What can you see in this small picture? What calm and … Read more

Revisit Galilee (revised)

A dozen years ago I went with about twenty-five believers on a pilgrimage to Israel and beyond. I was greatly moved to discover how seeing places of Jesus’ ministry enabled me to remember, ponder, interpret, and commune. One thing that I brought back home was a placemat which I have on the dinner table. It […]

Jesus’ Scientific Knowledge: Scientific Living and Spiritual Living in the Teaching of Jesus

Jesus was not only an idealist. He was also a realist. He had his feet on the ground, and his knowledge of facts was excellent. And excellent knowledge includes some scientific knowledge. I believe that as the human Jesus grew up, he learned to be Watch the 3:50 video or listen to the podcast episode. […]

The Treasure in your Field

The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found. He covered it up again, and in his joy he went out and sold everything he had and bought that field. What was this treasure in the field? I think it’s what Jesus was talking about when he said, “The […]

A man with a funnel in his head

A few years ago, on several occasions, when I looked out from the window in my study, I would see, across the street, my tall neighbor standing in the middle of his front yard. His little girl, about two years old, was running around in the yard, staying fairly close to him. Every few minutes, […]

A workshop, a reflection on truth and love, and a correction

There is some business that I want to mention at the end of this post, and it connects directly with some of the most important teachings of Jesus. Here is the question that I want to answer today. Jesus taught that we should love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength—and our neighbor […]

With all our strength

I’ve been on a quest to live–and write about–loving God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Yesterday I sent to my editor friend a revised section on strength. She discovered weaknesses in it. It didn’t take long for me to realize (this is a pattern) that she had uncovered a fresh, hungry need […]

Faith child

The faith of a little child not only enables us to join the kingdom family of God, it also continues to guide us as we progress. Jesus’s teachings and interactions on this theme are marked by a wonderful simplicity. And the variety of these teachings touches on several concepts that are part of the whole […]

Sean finds God

A 21-year-old computer whiz embraced the concept of the wonderfulness within, but rejected the idea of the spirit of God within–until two weeks ago. How did philosophy help? Watch the 9-minute video or listen to the podcast episode. For the video, I simplified the philosophy so much it’s hardly recognizable. I have organized some ideas […]

Falling across the Pentecost finish line

After acknowledging the failure of an experiment in the last class meeting (falling across the finish line), I summarize a five-week class, "The Journey from Easter to Pentecost." Then I distinguish garden-variety spiritual experience from the taste-and-see variety. The post Falling across the Pentecost finish line appeared first on UNIVERSAL FAMILY.

The Journey from Easter to Pentecost

"Lazarus, come forth!" Imagine Jesus saying this to you, and you saying this to others. Here's class that has embarked on that venture. The post The Journey from Easter to Pentecost appeared first on UNIVERSAL FAMILY.