Asking “Why?”

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div., MFT When I was growing up, I was told that I must “believe.”  In our house, belief was equated with faith so believing in the right things made a person faithful.  What were we supposed to believe?  It was the standard affair for anyone growing up in middleContinue reading “Asking “Why?””

What would Jesus do?

by Rev. Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div., MFT I was listening to a report on TikTok about a Georgian woman arrested for having a miscarriage even though autopsy reports indicated that it was the result of natural processes.  Apparently, the woman was discovered by police in her home unconscious and bleeding.  After examination inContinue reading “What would Jesus do?”

Minimal Decency as an Obligation for Our Leaders

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div. I have never lived in a country ruled by a dictator.  Basically, in a dictatorship, anyone who does not agree with the dictator is considered an enemy and dealt with as such. Since policy under a dictator is at the whim of the dictator, no one really knowsContinue reading “Minimal Decency as an Obligation for Our Leaders”

A Lie Is a Lie…Right?

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div. Emmanuel Kant believed that a lie was a lie and lying was and is always wrong.  Do you agree?  Most of my ethic students weren’t quite sure.  Surely, they thought, a little lie—sometimes called “a white lie”—won’t hurt anything, would it?  In fact, contrary to Kant, they wouldContinue reading “A Lie Is a Lie…Right?”

Erasing Cognitive Dissonance

Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., MFT Cognitive dissonance takes place when beliefs or ideas contradict a problem behavior causing mental anguish. To resolve the conflict, people rationalize their beliefs to justify their behavior. So, for example, a person who smokes may rationalize the behavior even though they know it is not good for them. ForContinue reading “Erasing Cognitive Dissonance”

Faithful Living and the Difference between Kerygma and Myth

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div. It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament world of spirits and miracles.  We may think we can manage it in our own lives, butContinue reading “Faithful Living and the Difference between Kerygma and Myth”

“We the People”

Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., LMFT, M.Div. In a recent article, I read about a South Carolina school board that was considering banning a book taught in an AP Language course last February (The Daily Beast, “Ta-Nehisi Coats Crashes School Board…”).  Apparently, Ta-Nehisi Coates book, Between the World and Me—an essay originally written for his son whoContinueContinue reading ““We the People””