... Richard Dawkins, “The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.” But are both sides able to see only what they expect to see? While creationism is not easy to square with...

..., and interactions) that most align human existence scienceT and spirituality exist as an integrated way of looking at with the perceived purposes of the life force that animates the how and why the universe works the way it does; dangerous, be­ universe. It is this “higher authority” to which we...

... everyone’s needs and still get much accomplished. To address this in the context of NVC, she draws a valuable distinction between “empathy circles,” which are dedicated to healing, and “action circles,” groups that are dedicated to an external purpose. Her discussion of power-with explores how to facilitate...

... pursuit. O Aristotle understood happiness, what he called eudemonia, as a flourishing of life, a sense of accomplish­ ment and fulfillment. The key to eudemonia as I understand it is cultivating love, purpose, and meaning. Happiness is a national...

... world? Do we gain new energies and a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to beauty and creativity, or are we provided with the latest form of the “opiate of the masses” — a form of religion for the upper middle class and the variety of “me” generations that keeps us from confronting grave...

... ideologically perfect change that never gets off the ground. We never want to hold others hostage for our own purposes. Negotiation is better than war. Dialogue is better than noise. Sometimes we are faced with implacable opposition to all change. In those circumstances we are forced to abandon negotiation...

... fear might suggest? What about when something that once worked becomes broken in the course of its use? “If holy vessels were perforated yet they can be used for the same purpose as when whole, they sanctify [what is placed in them]; if not, they do not sanctify.” Here the Mishnah speaks to the...

... hold the dew before nightfall, the cloud before rain; Kiss us as we wish a lover to kiss us, without forethought or purpose. Light into the treetops, tear the resistant leaves away; Measure us, who crush them to mulch, by our own season. Not as entire emptiness, but emptiness dreaming of form...

...Stephen H. Phelps Copyright © Tikkun magazine 2012 A merica’s political dysfunction is a symptom of a a national identity crisis. Americans are drawn incompatible views of human purpose. I appreciate how Gary Dorrien (writing in both this issue of Tikkun and in The Obama Question...

... place not for what happened but what its uses are They take their sustenance where they find it The air for perspective, the ground for food Anything that catches light is treasure The fierce eye, for hunting, cannot look back Their beauty is a perfection of purpose that continues They will...

... about debt and land come alive. We can see their purpose and meaning in their ancient historical context. These radical economic laws call for: No interest on loans to members of the covenant (fellow-Israelites). People who have enough, or more than enough, are not allowed to profit from the...

.... What I suggest, sir, is this: When weighing policy decisions ask yourself, “Will this enhance our capacity to cultivate love, purpose, and meaning? Is it in service to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness?” If the answer is yes, then promote it. But if the answer is no, please, sir...

... Each Other and Caring for the Earth. This isn’t just a slogan, but a movement for building that reality. You can’t fight the longing for higher meaning and purpose in life, or the desire for community and connection. Many of these fundamentalist communities not only talk about these needs, but actually...

... has a purpose. His student asked what was the purpose of atheism. The Master replied: “that when one is in need, that you should not pass him by believing that God will take care of him.” This “atheistic” quality of sole responsibility must accompany all moral acts. Nonetheless, we know that...

..., Dr. Sandy Waldman. Moss, long an activist herself in the controversy over circumcision for Jewish ritual purposes, gives Sandy many opportunities to articulate the anti-circumcision position. The novel’s protagonist argues with rabbis and mohelim (those who perform the ritual circumcision...

..., where the slogan is, “Positively me a sense o f purpose in life—I shall be lost Fredericksburg, Texas no negativity.” For example, perhaps your w ithout it and, w ith nothing to achieve, I kids are driving you batty. Could it be that m ight as well be dead...

... playing the punch-drunk sailor in a bar who is being laughed at by the crowd. What is so troubling about the war is the misunderstanding of its purpose. If questioned as to the war’s purpose, most Americans would say it is an effort to eliminate al-Qaida from its original training bases and to prevent...

..., gambling, sexual abuse, business ethics, discrimination against Muslims, the demonization of sharia law, overpopulation, and the failure of our society to use its resources to eliminate global hunger and poverty. In each area, Yanklowitz shows that “the purpose of the Torah and the Jewish tradition is to...

.... (We moderns diminish the significance of “taking the Lord’s name in vain” by assuming that it refers to outbursts like “Goddamit!” In fact, the commandment is a radical hedge against the politicization of divinity for human purposes—perhaps not unlike saying “God bless America.”) The “name” given...

... own life! What does it mean to embezzle one’s own life? The Wikipedia description of embezzlement, which seems as good as any, reads, “Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly withholding assets for the purpose of theft by an individual to whom such assets have been entrusted to be used for other...