(Date TBD)
Now that we have finished with the Pentateuch, I'm going to return to some comparative religion lectures. The first will be a discussion of Atheism.
It's been famously said that "If Atheism is a religion, then not playing golf is a sport." Or, alternatively I have seen: "If Atheism is a religion, then not collecting stamps is a hobby." There is some merit to this assertion. As we have shown in previous lectures, defining "religion" is the most difficult problem in religious studies, and the boundary is fuzzy.
Most of the debate on this subject has to do with an argument between Theists (who want to show that Atheism is just one more religion, no more likely to be true or false than any other), and Atheists (who want to define religion as a form of superstition that they specifically reject).
From the perspective of comparative religion, sociology, and anthropology, this debate is less interesting. We are more interested in understanding a group of people, than in debating about which group is "right".
"Atheist" is one option that people can select for their "religious preference" in many surveys, which allows us to ask very interesting questions about demographics, growth, stigma, surrounding an Atheist identity. We can also ask historical questions about Atheism, its origins and early advocates. We can also ask some useful questions about behavior, practice, etc.
In our previous comparative religious classes, we have especially focused on understanding how people of various religious persuasions generate purpose and meaning in their lives. Although no two atheists do this in exactly the same way, we can still ask questions about how various atheists say that they construct meaning and purpose in their lives.
I hope to see you there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCocTkOcsMI
Recording of the Biblical Scholarship and Literacy class given Sunday, August 28, 2023 at 11:45am at the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, Adult Religious Education Program.
The fifth and final book of the Pentateuch or "Law of Moses" is The Book of Deuteronomy. In this lecture we conclude our study of the book of Deuteronomy, and of the Law of Moses.
Last time we introduced the D source. This time we read and discuss selected important passages from the Book, including:
* The 10 Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:1-21)
* The Shema (Deuteronomy 6)
* The Law for the Kings (Deuteronomy 17)
* The Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32)
* The Blessing of Israel (Deuteronomy 33)
* The Death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34)
We discussed the keeping of the Sabbath, Jewish traditions around Phylactery or Tefillin and Mezuzah. We also discussed the importance of two likely very ancient Hebrew poems preserved in Deut. 32 and 33 with regard to the very early development of Monotheism, and the Jewish religion. We concluded with the death of Moses, and the rise of Joshua as Moses' successor.
Further Reading/Resources:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Deuteronomy
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuteronomist
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuteronomist#Deuteronomistic%20history
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_hypothesis
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah#Book_of_the_Law
* The Bible for Normal People Podcast, "S2 Episode 39: Understanding Deuteronomy & the Story of Israel's Kings" https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/understanding-deuteronomy-story-israels-kings/
* The Bible for Normal People Podcast, “S6 Episode 218: Pete Ruins Deuteronomy” https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episode-218-pete-enns-pete-ruins-deuteronomy/
* Book: "The Bible with Sources Revealed" by Richard Elliott Friedman
* "Ancient Near Eastern Texts", by Pritchard, Egyptian and Hittite Treaties 529-530, Assyrian treaties p. 531-541
* Treaties Handout: https://drive.google.com/drive/search?q=treaties
These lectures are part of our Biblical Scholarship and Literacy course. Recordings of previous lectures, a calendar for upcoming lectures, and links to handouts and additional resources are available on the course web-page: https://sites.google.com/view/biblicalscholarshipandliteracy/home
Instead of having a Biblical Scholarship and Literacy Class this month, we are going to have a lecture on Artificial Intelligence at the Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum.
Title: Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy, Science, Peril, and Promise.
Presented at the Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum https://losalamosfaithandscienceforum.org/summer-2023
Location and Time: At the SALA Events Center (the Los Alamos Movie Theater) at 6:30. Feel free to come at 6:00 for food. https://sala.losalamos.com/
Abstract: Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence have surprised many, and have led to an intense discussion about issues surrounding their safety and ethical use. In this lecture we will try to address some of the philosophical questions surrounding AI, such as “Can computers think?”, “Do they understand?”, “WHAT do they understand?”, “Are they conscious?”, and “What are the true dangers they pose?” We will also discuss some of the potential religious implications such as “The Simulation Hypothesis”, and “The New God Argument”, and we will address some of the questions raised by philosophical thought experiments including “Mary’s Room”, “The Chinese Room” and the “Neural Substitution Argument”.
In another lecture available online (https://youtu.be/pH0_ECANvXI) I have discussed issues relating to the history of Artificial Intelligence, the breakthroughs that made recent advances possible, copyright, and the difficulty of the alignment problem (making sure that AI’s stay friendly). This lecture will hopefully stand on its own, while also building on these topics.