myTakes: Religion & Spirituality

I used to know a guy that I thought was absolute trash. He flunked out of college, flunked out of his real estate exam, slept with strangers at bars, had anger issues, talked hate all day long and could not understand why...

As a Christian, I have many things you can't buy with money or social status I have the promise of good health through the many verses in the bible about healing, many conditional on acts of faith. I have peace, that I'm...

My parents are Catholic. Shortly after I was born, they stopped going to church because it was difficult for them. I believed in God then, and when I'd see my grandparents, they'd take me to church with them (they're...

In Isaiah, it says, the spoil speeds, the prey hastens. If you reverse genders, you could say, riches flee from your life when you chase them too hard, same as lovers or achievements. From what I observe in my own life,...

The bible teaches that love is not enough. It must be combined with dignity, humility, honesty, modesty, patience, obedience, tolerance, delayed gratification, respect, obedience, receptivity, productivity, philanthropy,...

I believe trusting in God means investing your emotions and thoughts to God and not making assumptions about people. I was offended when a lady that I believed disliked me did not give me a link to a digital zoom event...

People who follow the bible say you should not judge others, but most believe it’s okay to judge those that judge others, since they invite judgment when they justify their own ability to judge others. I realize one...

Over ten years ago I was having a private conversation with my pastor and I told him I did not want to listen to my parents because my parents were crazy and aggressive and they might endanger my health or my self...

Jesus passed through a village and a harlot came and laid her head at his feet and her tears began to flow. He washed their feet with his tears. The moral men of the village said that it was not right for a prostitute to...

I believe what goes around comes around, and I will give you a few examples I know from my life. A guy I used to know spent exam week in university volunteering at bible study instead of studying and he was a humanities...

Jesus said a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, which means: You cannot destroy hate by practicing hate. You cannot build your faith by destroying the faith of others. You cannot enter the kingdom of justice and...

Epicurus thought sensation left to happiness but ask yourself, Have you ever met a happy drug addict? Or a happy glutton? Or a happy gambler? Or a happy alcoholic? Or a happy adult video addict? Or a happy video game...

So I’m on vacation now but I have access to wifi in the morning and at night. Anyway, I think Christians have difficulty forgiving others because they believe that forgiveness and gifts from God are based on sacrifice and...

One reason some Christians find religion to be difficult is that they are serving God through a position of ego and self consciousness and not through a position of spirit and God conscience. God understands you’re human...

The bible teaches you cannot be both ethical and appetite indulgent. Many people push aside the needy or unhelpful because they view the person as a distraction to their goals or their purposes, but a true person does not...

It's so odd that Christians are transphobic. Stay with me on this: Transphobes are the ones saying that a person's ENTIRE BEING is their physical body. An individual begins and ends with flesh and blood. I was born male...

Rabbi Manis Friedman says that human beings need to be do and believe in good in order to be truly happy inside. We were not programmed to hate and this is why bullies and abusers are miserable and often suffering severe...

A stranger told me on the bus during a chat that all we do in life is hard and there is no such thing as an easy job, an easy friendship, an easy marriage, an easy family, an easy degree, an easy chore, an easy life or an...

Rabbi Manis Friedman says there is a universal desire among 90% of people that trumps all other human desires. That desire is the want to be a good person. Freud suggested this desire to be good was based on our own...

I decided to share this article with you inspired by the celebration of the Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi these days. In case you don't know, Lord Ganesha is the elephant God in the Hindu pantheon and apparently one of...