Philosophy

For many people, leaving religion is a philosophical experience, and as part of that books play an important part in their journey. Richard Dawkins played an important influence in my brother's journey, for example. For many others, Christopher Hitchens has been a strong influence. For me, these heretical books...

Around two years ago, one of my siblings was struck in a hit and run accident. They spent a day in the hospital before any of us family members even found out about it. When we did, there were a few panicked hours as we tried to figure out...

For a long time, I was angry at religion for its own sake. And don't get me wrong, the thing is full of irrational beliefs and oppressive ideas. But I'm coming to appreciate over time how, like almost all things, Fundamentalist Religion is really just a tool - a...

We're currently in family therapy, all nine of us and two parents. Even with sessions being 90 minutes long, that gives each of us 8 minutes a week to talk about what is most important to us, assuming the therapist doesn't talk at all. (spoiler: she does) The best possible...

When I left religion, I lost the reason to get out of bed in the morning. Aish had the only reason, and I left it behind. No longer was I doing God's work. No longer was I saving the Jewish people, keeping the world afloat with every word of...

"Judaism is not all or nothing," they preached at Aish Essentials. "Do what you can, God appreciates it all, every bit counts. Except, word on the street was that when you entered Intermediate I, Motty Berger had a class where he explained that it was all or nothing. Sorry, we...

Everybody should —in their lifetime consider death, To wonder what it will be like to go to sleep and never wake up. the contemplation of death, and the acceptance of death, is very highly generative of creative life. - Alan Watts In my hypnotherapy practice, I tend to attract a certain...

Why must drag our next generation through the dregs of the holocaust? So that it doesn't happen again? Baloney. It's happening right now. It could happen again in a heartbeat. And if it happened to anyone else but your own ethnic kin, you'd be a lot less bothered. So let's...

“I’m poly,” I wrote her. “So it’s complicated.” “How come I’m only finding out now?” She wanted to know. “Most poly people put it in their profile. I am not poly.” “I’m sorry,” I said. “I forgot to add it.” “Well, take care then.” --- We had hit off unusually well. Most of my...

After my last post went Shalom Tzvi level viral (as defined by the odds in which someone shared it with my grandparents), lots of people emerged from the woodwork. And they had a lot to say, being people and all. They wanted me to know that they were happy for...