Chapter 1: Acknowledgments and Reflections

First off, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has shared encouraging comments and messages; your support truly means a lot to me.

This morning, I woke to find all my statistics and earnings reset to zero, which prompted a hasty post about potentially stepping away from this platform. However, at this moment, that is not my intention—at least, not yet.

Regrettably, after reaching out to Medium's "trust" team for clarification, I learned that the recent warning was merely a reminder triggered by an article I had previously speculated about. While I don’t wish to reiterate everything I mentioned in my last post, it’s disheartening, to say the least.

I frequently delve into topics of faith in my writings. Perhaps that’s why some of you are drawn to my work, whether you agree or disagree with my views. What I am increasingly convinced of is that humans rarely exist in a "non-religious" state. We consistently exhibit behaviors akin to religiousness. I believe that if we do not provide some of the benefits that religion offers—such as community, ethical standards, cultural coherence, shared meaning, and collective values—we risk succumbing to parasitic ideologies that adopt the more troubling traits of religiousness: dogmatism, control, heresy, and tribalism.

This dilemma doesn’t seem to me like a straightforward conflict between religious and non-religious realms, where the latter represents freedom and the former dogmatism. Instead, we all navigate a balance between healthy religious faith and detrimental literalism. This tension is a fundamental aspect of both human psychology and societal dynamics. No belief system is free from this struggle; however, some traditions present the opportunity to embody qualities that counteract their most harmful aspects, as well as the individualism and moral relativism that often accompany them, along with the strange companion of moral dogmatism.

In essence, my original article, which some found provocative, was aimed at highlighting this very issue, potentially explaining why it stirred such reactions. As I mentioned previously, receiving a warning for this feels oddly rebellious.

To clarify, I hold no strong opinions on gender issues, nor do I know what specifically may have caused offense to Medium or others. I consider such matters to be secondary to more pressing issues. While I inevitably disagree with various perspectives, I strive to treat everyone with the respect they deserve, both in life and online.

Thank you once more, dear readers; I genuinely appreciate your support. Stay tuned for a forthcoming debate with Benjamin Cain, which we conducted via email regarding naturalism versus theism. I will be posting that discussion soon on my Substack, and you can find our initial debate on his Medium page.

In the meantime, feel free to support my work:

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