Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div, LMFT
Religion has played a large role in my life. I grew up in a religious home and my grandma was a Wesleyan Holiness Preacher. When I was old enough to enter the ministry, however, I did not discuss it with that grandma. Her ways were too narrow, and she had long ago made it clear that she did not approve of “my brand” of Christianity. It was my dad’s mom who I discussed it with. She was a pleasant Danish woman who, even though she may not have agreed with me, was nonetheless willing to discuss religious issues with me. She was great and her warmth, acceptance and ability to look beyond her own convictions to consider mine made a tremendous impact upon my life. Everyone is different and there are many beliefs out there. Defining one as “the way” is problematic and leads to conflict throughout the world and today, such intolerance is starting to erode our ability to get along with one another and destabilizes our democracy.
Through my life experiences as informed by a great deal of study, I have come to the conclusion that triumphing one belief as if it answered all questions is a problem. I suppose that is why philosophy, rather than theology, is my passion. But because philosophy is my passion, my interests are many ranging from religion to politics, from sociology to mental health, from teaching to being a student. This blog represents these interests and more, including my love of travel. By reading my blog, thinking about the many interests revealed here, you get an insight into….well…me. I hope you like me, but agreement has never been something I have demanded of parishioners, students or interns. I am much more interested in honest exploration and often find disagreement is a much more fertile ground for exploration and development. Welcome to my blog. I hope that the essays contained herein will challenge, inform, provoke, and entertain, but also, they provide an insight into me. Welcome to me and I hope to know a little about you are your respond to my blogs.
If you are interested in reading more about me, read my blog “Harold and the Art of Asking Questions: A Short Autobiography.” It’s found in the “Personal” section of my blog.