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What is the purpose of my life? - this is a question I have been thinking a lot about. [more inside]
posted by 8LeggedFriend at 3:22 PM - 32 answers

Looking for suggestions -- books, websites, personal anecdotes -- about what to do once you realize, "I want to learn to read tarot." (Like, other than "Buy a deck," what are the literal next few steps?) [more inside]
posted by lazuli at 7:01 PM - 17 answers

I was quite serious about my Christian faith until my late twenties. Now I’m not sure what I believe, and I find that for me the first step is to take some time to reexamine what evidence there is for and against God’s existence/the Bible/etc. I think it would be healthy to talk to other people who are in a similar situation, but I don’t want to join a group that will try to persuade me in one direction or the other. Any suggestions? (Also open to your own stories and more general advice.) [more inside]
posted by a huckleberry at 9:55 PM - 27 answers

I have accidentally found myself to be the advisor to Lutheran friends' church library. The "Other Faiths" shelf is pretty empty. Given that I am dealing with Lutherans, explainers for other religions that take something close to the form of Luther's Small Catechism would be good (i.e., explicitly designed for children or those who are woefully ignorant of religious details). [more inside]
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 4:48 PM - 11 answers

Some time back I remember reading an article that talked about conspiracy theories and how the people who believe them don't always actually believe them, that instead it's group signalling. I have wanted to show it to people a couple of times since then but didn't save it, please help? [more inside]
posted by imabanana at 9:40 AM - 3 answers

What are some good texts/resources for starting/guiding a meditation when I don't want to listen to audio? [more inside]
posted by rorgy at 6:04 AM - 3 answers

For a book proposal, I need to illustrate (preferably quantitatively) that people are still interested in Jungian psychology and related therapies (including narrative therapy). [more inside]
posted by mermaidcafe at 8:31 PM - 8 answers

Sometimes, my Jewish friends and coworkers will approach me for forgiveness around Yom Kippur. I’m not Jewish, but am always humbled by the gesture and intent. However, I really don’t know how to respond in the moment. Accepting the (sometimes very direct) apology seems to me to be acknowledging that my friend has done a wrong against me, which makes me uncomfortable. Assuring them they have nothing to be forgiven for seems disrespectful of the intent of the request. My brain spins and I tend to get tongue-tied at this point. [more inside]
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 6:03 AM - 16 answers

What makes internet discussion good? And where do you go to get it? (MeFi included, natch.) [more inside]
posted by rustipi at 2:26 AM - 4 answers

in the mid 80s we were assigned a story [more inside]
posted by brujita at 12:00 PM - 2 answers

This morning, I found a small salamander in the road that had just been gravely injured. It was writhing in pain and it was clear it could not live from its injuries. I seemed to be in excruciating pain for several minutes, but finally closed its eyes and died in my hands. I've been deeply upset over this seemingly small event all day, and I'm wondering whether I should have done more to reduce its suffering. Should I have stepped on it? I am not sure I could have brought myself to do such a thing. What would you have done?
posted by tealcoffeecup at 6:23 PM - 28 answers

I'm wondering how spiritual people would reconcile the following: I've had low thyroid this week, and it has dramatically altered my ability to feel "centered" and connected to something greater like I usually have the capacity to feel when I am healthy and chemically/hormonally where I should be. If my experience of spirituality is so fragile, is it real? If low thyroid can so affect my (and anyone's) experience of God and peace and joy, etc., how can I trust my experiences in times of balance? What if all I was experiencing was the health of my body? And how big can God be if we have to be balance chemically and hormonally in order to experience him?
posted by ygmiaa at 6:55 PM - 18 answers

I heard this CD by I think a couple in real life, very spiritual - guitar - where the only words in the lyrics I made out was the re-phrase: *I love you* but the song was in Hebrew. The vibe was mellow and laid back but musically rather well done. So, I'm seeking that artist if you know what I'm referring to - and also those similar in vibe to Ishai Ribo. THANK YOU for any help.
posted by watercarrier at 9:22 PM - 1 answers

I'm interested in books and other resources to learn about money and wealth from a philosophical point of view. How money moves through the economy. What it means to be wealthy. How these relate to more tangible goods and services, and other things you can do with money like influence how resources are spent. I'm interested in this a foundational qualitative sense, not in terms of how to predict recessions or set monetary policy. [more inside]
posted by serathen at 3:11 PM - 12 answers

Do students in parochial school for elementary/middle grades have to write reports on saints? If so, which class would assign these reports?
posted by pxe2000 at 2:50 PM - 11 answers

You're Jewish, but you're not planning on going to temple for Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur. Your kid attends a public school where these are not days off. Do you let them stay home, knowing you're not really observing? Just on the principle that no Christian kid ever has to go to school on Christmas or Easter, irrespective of the fact that they might not attend church that day? Opinions wanted as I consider what to do with my kid. [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:25 PM - 37 answers

I'm looking for philosophy sources that address the idea that a moral or ethical harm one causes to others (dehumanizing another person, for instance) also harms the self. What philosophers address this idea? Any specific passages, essays, articles, etc. would be very appreciated.
posted by Mystical Listicle at 12:20 PM - 8 answers

So my friend works in at a pizza place in Concord, California and the other day noticed this (see picture). Anybody know what it means (if anything)? [more inside]
posted by SloppyTree at 1:38 AM - 5 answers

I often listen to Universal Unitarian sermons just before bed. They align well with my social justice and self-awareness perspective. I find the more religious aspects interesting, and the lack of dogma approachable. My 7-year-old knows that I do this an has started asking to join me. Can you help me find something that is age-appropriate? [more inside]
posted by lab.beetle at 1:14 PM - 6 answers

I want to do some art referencing Isaiah 46:3-4 and I need the right translation. I heard good things about Robert Alter's version, so I would love to see his translation of those two lines, if anyone has access to it. I would also be curious if there are other variations that you love. It is for someone who is Jewish and liberal thinking (ie not gendering God as male would be good).
posted by metahawk at 4:29 PM - 2 answers