Category Archives: Religion

How I Beat Advanced Spider Solitaire a Bajillion Times and What It Means for the Rest of My Life

Posted on June 22, 2013 by jackpelham

Whooda thunkit, but I learned some invaluable life lessons from a solitaire card game that came preloaded on my computer! The game is Spider Solitaire (advanced 4-suit version) and if you don’t know it, don’t worry; I won’t bore you … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Dysrationalia, Paradigms, Philosophy, Politics, Religion | Leave a comment

“What do you suggest (to save America)?”

Posted on January 6, 2013 by jackpelham

A Facebook friend invited me to like the Facebook page of the Republican Liberty Caucus.  I took the time to send a considered reply (below), to which she responded by asking what I think should be done.  Here is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Politics, Religion | Leave a comment

Ancient Aliens Debunked

Posted on December 30, 2012 by jackpelham

For those of you who are familiar with the History Channel’s series, Ancient Aliens, you’ll want to watch this video that I ran across at YouTube. I’ve watched several episodes of Ancient Aliens over the past couple of years, with … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Religion, Science | 1 Comment

The Hypocritical Question: “Why does God allow evil?”

Posted on December 15, 2012 by jackpelham

Many have ventured to ask why God allows evil and suffering.  I’m sure the discussion of this question could range through several chapters in a book on the topic, but my concern at the moment is simply the hypocrisy that … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Leave a comment

Dysrationalia: God is leading the United States

Posted on November 18, 2012 by jackpelham

Many claim that the United States is a “Christian nation”, that God is somehow “leading” us, that when we get bad presidents, that is God “giving us what we deserve”, and so forth. Here’s an example of a similar notion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dysrationalia, Politics, Religion | Leave a comment

The Gold Bar Metaphor

Posted on November 18, 2012 by jackpelham

See this gold bar? Chances are, you’ve never seen one laying on a neighbor’s lawn.  Likewise, I’d say that chances are pretty good that if you had one, you wouldn’t keep it out our your lawn, either. And why not?

Posted in Character, History, Logic, Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Science, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Am I Too Focused on the “Mind”?

Posted on November 16, 2012 by jackpelham

In a recent conversation on a religious forum, a participant expressed his opinion that I’m too focused on the mind and on facts, and not enough on other factors.  Here’s my reply. —————————————- In your summation, you wrote (emphasis added): … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Leave a comment

Pelham’s Law of Cognitive Error

Posted on October 14, 2012 by jackpelham

Pelham’s Law of Cognitive Error:  “I am most likely wrong about many things.” Cognitive science has solidly identified certain traits of human behavior by which people operate habitually at a sub-optimal level.  We make frequent cognitive errors, some of which … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Pelham's Laws, Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Science | Leave a comment

How Can You Tell When God Says “No”?

Posted on September 9, 2012 by jackpelham

You pray for a million bucks and two seconds later the doorbell rings.  You answer the door to find an angel with a big sack of money–$1Million, to be exact.  You consider this a “yes”—an “answered prayer”. You pray for … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Leave a comment

Commentary: The Coup De Grace by Ambrose Bierce

Posted on September 5, 2012 by jackpelham

This post is in response to a question sent in by a reader earlier today: I’m currently taking a Biomedical Ethics course at the college. Your writings cover a wide range of topics and interests so I thought you would … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Ethics, History, Paradigms, Politics, Religion | Leave a comment