Posts (page 2)

Amsterdam with a capital DAMN! This is just abut the coolest city in the world. I know a lot of you have been here, some of you have even lived here (a feat I can't imagine as I don't think half of our furniture would even fit through the doors of the houses here, let alone my fat-ass self). There is a bar every 20 feet (the tour guide said that was because the water in the canals was suspect and alcoholic beverages were relatively safe...whatever, pour me another). Here's something I didn't know: Some guy from here (I don't remember his name) from the West India Trading Company bought Manhatten for a string of beads (that part I remember from 5th grade) and named it New Amsterdam. I guess the British came along after that and named it after a drink I like. Anyway here are some pictures I took of Amsterdam and a really cool car I found outside a bar I was drinking at.

OK, so I know we just got started with the TED Tuesday thing, but I'm off to TED Global so I won't be doing TED Tuesday until I get back. In the meantime I will try and blog from Tanzania.
Cheers

Every Tuesday morning I present a TED talk to a group of friends, co-workers, clients and competitors. I call it TED Tuesday. I've been holding them, with few exceptions, every Tuesday for the last 18 months. This is an attempt to have a parallel experience here. Each week I'll post the video we watched (subject to availability from ted.com) and a few words from our discussion.

This week we watched Rev. Tom Honey who attempts to answer the question "How could God have allowed the tsunami?"

I think the statement Rev. Honey made that intrigued me the most is toward the end. He asks "Isn't it ironic that Christians who claim to believe in an infinite, unknowable being, then tie God down in closed systems and rigid doctrines?"

I think this statement is incredibly insightful and liberating. While he never says the word, Rev. Honey is describing aspects of Pantheism. As an atheist, I would welcome a religious view closer to Pantheism. It seems to me that saying God is in everything would result in much the same behavior as saying God doesn't exist. Both would foster a more thoughtful approach to life and our treatment of other living things.

I was also very impressed with the thoughtful and gentle way he delivered his talk. It set the tone for a great, measured and civil discussion between atheists and Christians.

See it here, join the conversation here if you like.

Thanks TED for making these available.