Miscellaneous Blogs by Matt Ryan (mryan_author)

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Monday, January 28, 2008

The Role of Global Doubt in the Search for Knowledge

Ever since Descartes, Global Doubt has been a tool used off and on by many philosophers. Some think that it is too strong, that it leaves nothing for us to be certain of. Others, like myself, believe it is necessary, that through it we can establish absolute certainty in a small number of things.... Sign in to see full entry.

Prophets, Psychics, and the Voice from Beyond

I was raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition, so I have some familiarity with the prophets of the Old Testament. Additionally, I have had some exposure to New Agers, Wiccans, and other modern day believers in psychic phenomena. Let me say, for the record, that I believe in psychic phenomena, but I... Sign in to see full entry.

Back from Vacation

**************************************************************** Yeah! I'm back from vacation. **************************************************************** Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Vacation Notice

****************************************************************** Greetings Readers, I wanted to let you know that I will be on vacation next week. It will only be a couple of days, but I will not be adding to the blog during that time. I expect to pick it up again on Monday the 28 th. Thanks for... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

On the Golden Rule

There is a place for pure analytical reason and logic, and there is a time to put such thought processes aside. I studied ethics in college, and it took me a long time to figure out that ethics is not a strictly axiomatic enterprise. Forgive me, so I am an idiot. That said, there are such things as... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Sacred Law and Moral Truth

An important distinction to be made in the field of ethics is the distinction between Sacred Law and Moral Truth. Misunderstanding this distinction is one path to the perilous embrace of moral relativism. The notion of The Sacred is essentially the referent of a human emotion directed toward the... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, January 14, 2008

The Gender of God

Perhaps this is a trivial theological question, but it is one that I wish to address: what, if any, is the true gender of God? Wiccans worship the God and Goddess. Christians worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all of whom are male. Jews, Yahweh, and Muslims, Allah, both male. In order... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Chilled to the Bone (part 3 of 3)

Turning up the lamp, he scanned the room. A large canopied bed sat against one wall complete with velvet pillows and tessellated bedspread. A tall gilded mirror stood in the far corner of the room, its shiny surface alive with the reflected light of the lamp. A pace away from the mirror stood an... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Chilled to the Bone (part 2 of 3)

Corig stepped through the doorway with lamp in hand and was hit by a wall of cold air. The chill sucked at his breath, making him feel as if he had just run a mile. Frosty white mist hissed from between his clenched teeth. He shivered. The servant had mentioned a chill, but this was damn near... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Chilled to the Bone (part 1 of 3)

The wind howled. Bitter rain swept down from an angry sky. Corig Malan wrapped his cloak tightly about his shoulders and stared at the road ahead of him winding through the rocky terrain like a convoluted grey serpent. A gully on his left demarcated the edge of the Spider’s Web Forest, while to his... Sign in to see full entry.

About this Blog

This will be a blog devoted mostly to philosophical, religious, and other miscellaneous topics. There are no real limits as to what I will post here. Originally, it was going to be devoted to sci-fi and fantasy short stories, but I am no longer writing such. I am, however, writing short articles on philosophy and religion, and these I intend to post here.