Ask MetaFilter

Ill keep it short. I suspect there is a God. But I prefer there wasn't. Believing In God puts me in a bad mood, and yet I do believe there is a God. [more inside]
posted by ygmiaa at 6:49 PM - 33 answers

My father is a fairly observant Conservative Jew. I am culturally Jewish, but an atheist and not observant. When he passes away, I do not intend to sit shiva (or, by extension, host it). What are my options for remaining respectful of his beliefs without doing something with which I’m uncomfortable? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:39 AM - 13 answers

I was a practicing Soto Zen Buddhist for over a decade, since lapsed but only because I got busy and lazy. Husband also practiced for a long time. We now have a 6-year-old who knows that Mommy is Buddhist and is curious about what that means. I am bad at explaining. Need books. Help. [more inside]
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:25 AM - 11 answers

I'm trying to find a quote that went something like: At the age of 30 I could draw a line, At the age of 40 I could draw a circle, ... Upon reaching 70 I was able to draw a landscape Something about the intensity of study required for mastery of seemingly simple things. I believe it's from a zen calligrapher. Similar to this: http://www.zenpaintings.com/deiryu-article.htm
posted by jkaplanenator at 3:12 PM - 2 answers

Help me find a progressive, friendly church in DC or NOVA. [more inside]
posted by nowadays at 4:56 PM - 9 answers

I need help structuring my thoughts and feelings. Please point me to guiding questions, templates, checklists, etc. [more inside]
posted by yawper at 8:10 PM - 4 answers

Last Saturday an alt-right shooter attacked the Chabad in my hometown, Poway, CA. I didn't hear about it until yesterday night, and I am devastated. I don't know how to process my grief. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:29 PM - 7 answers

In some European myths, from Plato's Cratylus to Rumplestiltskin, knowing someone's True Name means having special knowledge about them, or power over them. What kind of powers are those? What about other cultures of the world? [more inside]
posted by kandinski at 8:43 PM - 18 answers

Please recommend recordings (and/or podcasts) of devotions or meditations that would be suitable for a morning routine. [more inside]
posted by notquitemaryann at 9:09 AM - 5 answers

I'm trying to improve my understanding of stoic philosophy and one way I've found to increase the resolution of my understanding is to try to identify the key differences between different proponents of a view. So what are the key differences and disagreements we can identify between them?
posted by casebash at 4:51 AM - 3 answers

What are your favorite quotes or short passages about having patience and persevering? Positive and encouraging excerpts from religious texts, poems, etc are especially welcome. Thank you.
posted by Hermione Granger at 4:29 PM - 26 answers

Help me re-center my quality of life expectations by comparing what I have access to against aristocracy of the past. What lifestyle elements were accessible only to rulers and the elite in the past, and are generally accessible now? Here's a diagram! [more inside]
posted by rebent at 10:03 AM - 39 answers

I’m torn between the world of legal agreements and my social justice heart. I got lied to, a lot, in a real estate transaction. Details inside. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:16 PM - 66 answers

What happens if someone has a heart attack during a church service? [more inside]
posted by amicamentis at 1:34 PM - 16 answers

I'm dealing with an existential crisis and am not sure humanism is still a mindset that works for me anymore. I'm reading about religion and spirituality at the moment to see if I can experience subjective divine experience (about the only framework I think I could understand God or some kind of cosmic order through). I'm also considering psychedelics. I can function at work but the rest of my life is getting strained. What are good resources to help me through this? [more inside]
posted by MuppetNavy at 9:09 PM - 45 answers

So, I'm an atheist, but I'd like to read the parts of the Bible that are about Jesus's life on Earth, and I'd like to avoid reading any of the rest of it. If that's my goal, what sections should I read? [more inside]
posted by 23skidoo at 3:05 PM - 28 answers

I read a sci fi story recently (Aspirate) that got me a bit too close to the absurd. It's turned into fixation and rumination. I want to move on and make the most of my time on Earth because what else can I do, but that's a tall order. I guess I should put this stuff in the extended explanation if it's a bit much for people to scroll past. [more inside]
posted by MuppetNavy at 10:32 AM - 20 answers

What are the best philosophical works (including novels) you've read that touch on belief (the nature of, not the content of), memory, and identity?
posted by perhapses at 7:44 PM - 9 answers

I am looking for an original taxonomy of monsters. [more inside]
posted by nantucket at 1:23 PM - 5 answers

I was raised non-religiously in a nominally Catholic family, but I've never believed in God. However, I went to college at a Jewish university, my ex-husband was Jewish, my social circle is predominately Jewish, and my current boyfriend is Jewish. I've been Jewish-adjacent for decades. When I married my ex, I didn't convert because of the atheism thing. But my boyfriend asked me to marry him yesterday, and this loud, clear voice in my head boomed "you should convert." But can I? [more inside]
posted by Neely O'Hara at 11:01 AM - 24 answers