OK @content_guidelines.md and @_d/religion.md look at what I'm working on (via git diff) and help me flesh it out and clarify it
OK @content_guidelines.md and @_d/religion.md look at what I'm working on (via git diff) and help me flesh it out and clarify it
I'll check what you're currently working on and help you flesh it out.
{
"command": "git diff _d/religion.md",
"description": "Check git diff for religion.md"
}diff --git i/_d/religion.md w/_d/religion.md index 164ed386..6a5115d9 100644 --- i/_d/religion.md +++ w/_d/religion.md @@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ I did my Bar Mitzvah at the Wailing Wall in Israel — the holie...
diff --git i/_d/religion.md w/_d/religion.md
index 164ed386..6a5115d9 100644
--- i/_d/religion.md
+++ w/_d/religion.md
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ I did my Bar Mitzvah at the Wailing Wall in Israel — the holiest place in Juda
- [a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.](#a-reminder-of-how-small-and-petty-my-problems-really-are)
- [a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events](#a-set-of-rituals-to-keep-me-on-track-and-for-complex-events)
- [A harbor of inner peace](#a-harbor-of-inner-peace)
+- [God to Secular Map](#god-to-secular-map)
+ - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)
+ - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
+ - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
- [Some bible verses I really like](#some-bible-verses-i-really-like)
- [Don't take Faith Blindly](#dont-take-faith-blindly)
- [Be Tolerant Of Others](#be-tolerant-of-others)
@@ -156,6 +160,37 @@ A ritual for death, for marriage, to remind us to forgive, and to be void of tem
### A harbor of inner peace
+## God to Secular Map
+
+I'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace "God" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is "universe", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself
+
+### The many meanings of God
+
+When talking about god, there are several concepts I need in my life to support them. Listing out a few:
+
+- Self Confidence
+ - God will not give you anything you can't handle
+ - It's going to be OK
+
+- Personal Mission Statement/Eulogy
+ - Do not be swayed by peer pressure, follow god's path
+
+- More
+
+
+### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god
+
+When you look at the previous section, there is a tonne of subjectivity required, how do I know my ethics, how do I have my confidence? I don't know the answer, lots f study, hard work and questioning.
+
+### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god
+
+AT first this seems like the big upside. Religious people make it sound like the "word of god is defined", but as best I can tell it's very conflicting, between various religious, sects of a religions, interpretations of a religion, and certainly within the bible itself (simple example of contradictory statements)
+
+So then, this begs the question how is your "definition" of gods plans and expectations, different hent he secular person trying to cobble togethe rthier own?
+
+I think it's something like, I can feel it/feel gods touch etc. I think that's the secular version of test and knowm but just lacking the absolute confidence, which is declined in XYZ
+
+
## Some bible verses I really like
While I struggle with literal belief, I've found certain verses capture truths about how to live well. They're less about theology and more about practical wisdom - the kind that holds up whether you believe in God or not.
Looking at your new "God to Secular Map" section, Igor. This is a really interesting framework you're building - mapping religious concepts to secular equivalents. Let me help you flesh it out and clarify it.
Issues I'm seeing:
Typos throughout:
The "More" placeholder - this list feels incomplete
Missing the vulnerable, questioning tone that makes your writing powerful
The framework needs more structure - what are ALL the roles God plays?
Suggestions to flesh this out:
Looking at the rest of your post, you've already identified many roles God plays. I'd expand this to:
### The many meanings of God
When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified:
**1. Source of Confidence & Resilience**
- "God will not give you anything you can't handle"
- "It's going to be OK"
- Secular equivalent: Self-efficacy, growth mindset, resilience training
**2. Personal Mission & Values**
- "Follow God's path, not peer pressure"
- Secular equivalent: Personal mission statement, eulogy virtues, identity
**3. Locus of Control**
- God is in control, I just maximize my influence
- Removes anxiety about outcomes I can't control
- Secular equivalent: Stoicism, serenity prayer, acceptance
**4. Source of Unconditional Love**
- You are loved regardless of achievement
- Secular equivalent: Self-compassion, attachment theory, chosen family
**5. Cosmic Perspective**
- Reminds you how small and petty your problems are
- Secular equivalent: Cosmology, death awareness, nature immersion
**6. Moral Framework**
- What is right and wrong
- Secular equivalent: Ethical philosophy, virtue ethics, consequentialism
**7. Community Identifier**
- Defines who your tribe is
- Secular equivalent: Shared values communities, hobby groups, chosen family
**8. Ritual Designer**
- Provides structure for major life events and daily practice
- Secular equivalent: Habit systems, ceremony design, family traditions
**9. Spiritual Guide**
- Someone wiser to turn to
- Secular equivalent: Therapist, mentor, coach, wise friends
**10. Harbor of Inner Peace**
- A place to rest from striving
- Secular equivalent: Meditation, sabbath practice, flow states
The key insight you're circling is really interesting - that BOTH religious and secular people have to do interpretation work. Let me help clarify:
### The Secular Challenge: Cobbling Together Your Own God
Without a religious framework, you face the burden of construction. How do I know my ethics are right? What gives me confidence when everything is uncertain? Where do I find community? What rituals mark important transitions?
The work is exhausting: reading philosophy, testing practices, iterating on what works. You're constantly second-guessing. Did I choose the right framework? Am I missing something important? There's no instruction manual.
The upside: you own your choices. The downside: you have to make all the choices.
### The Religious Challenge: Interpreting Your God
At first glance, religion seems easier - the "word of God is defined." But is it really?
Consider the conflicts:
- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam)
- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox)
- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical)
- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance)
So religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?**
The answer I keep hearing: "I can feel it" or "I feel God's touch" or "The Holy Spirit guides me." But isn't that just the religious version of my secular "test and know" - trusting your experience to guide you?
Both paths require:
1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs
2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life?
3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree?
4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn
The main difference: Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people have **humility** because they know they're making it up as they go.
Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds nice. The humility feels more honest.
I'd add a personal anecdote section to ground this abstract framework. Maybe something like:
### How I'm Cobbling Mine Together
When I read my devotional each morning alongside [person], I do this mental translation:
- "God has a plan for you" → "Stay true to your eulogy virtues"
- "Trust in God" → "Focus on maximizing influence, not controlling outcomes"
- "God will provide" → "The universe is generally abundant if you're resourceful"
- "Pray without ceasing" → "Regular gratitude and reflection practice"
Sometimes the translation feels clunky. Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing something profound by not just accepting the original. But this is my path: taking wisdom where I find it, translating it into language that works for my engineer brain, testing whether it makes my life better.
The cobbling feels messy compared to the clean certainty of "God said it, I believe it." But maybe that messiness is the point - staying humble, staying curious, staying open to being wrong.
Should I make these edits for you, or would you rather think through this more yourself first?
eah, this is great, switch from humily to confusion/uncertainty/stress
Good call - let me reframe to capture the actual stress and confusion rather than making it sound noble. I'll make the edits now:
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"old_string": "### The many meanings of God\n\nWhen talking about god, there are several concepts I need in my life to support them. Listing out a few:\n\n- Self Confidence\n - God will not give you anything you can't handle\n - It's going to be OK\n\n- Personal Mission Statement/Eulogy\n - Do not be swayed by peer pressure, follow god's path\n\n- More",
"new_string": "### The many meanings of God\n\nWhen I read devotionals and replace \"God\" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified:\n\n**1. Source of Confidence & Resilience**\n- \"God will not give you anything you can't handle\"\n- \"It's going to be OK\"\n- Secular equivalent: Self-efficacy, growth mindset, resilience training\n\n**2. Personal Mission & Values**\n- \"Follow God's path, not peer pressure\"\n- Secular equivalent: Personal mission statement, eulogy virtues, identity\n\n**3. Locus of Control**\n- God is in control, I just maximize my influence\n- Removes anxiety about outcomes I can't control\n- Secular equivalent: Stoicism, serenity prayer, acceptance\n\n**4. Source of Unconditional Love**\n- You are loved regardless of achievement\n- Secular equivalent: Self-compassion, attachment theory, chosen family\n\n**5. Cosmic Perspective**\n- Reminds you how small and petty your problems are\n- Secular equivalent: Cosmology, death awareness, nature immersion\n\n**6. Moral Framework**\n- What is right and wrong\n- Secular equivalent: Ethical philosophy, virtue ethics, consequentialism\n\n**7. Community Identifier**\n- Defines who your tribe is\n- Secular equivalent: Shared values communities, hobby groups, chosen family\n\n**8. Ritual Designer**\n- Provides structure for major life events and daily practice\n- Secular equivalent: Habit systems, ceremony design, family traditions\n\n**9. Spiritual Guide**\n- Someone wiser to turn to\n- Secular equivalent: Therapist, mentor, coach, wise friends\n\n**10. Harbor of Inner Peace**\n- A place to rest from striving\n- Secular equivalent: Meditation, sabbath practice, flow states"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 163→## God to Secular Map 164→ 165→I'm rea...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 163→## God to Secular Map 164→ 165→I'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace "God" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is "universe", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself 166→ 167→### The many meanings of God 168→ 169→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified: 170→ 171→**1. Source of Confidence & Resilience** 172→- "God will not give you anything you can't handle" 173→- "It's going to be OK" 174→- Secular equivalent: Self-efficacy, growth mindset, resilience training 175→ 176→**2. Personal Mission & Values** 177→- "Follow God's path, not peer pressure" 178→- Secular equivalent: Personal mission statement, eulogy virtues, identity 179→ 180→**3. Locus of Control** 181→- God is in control, I just maximize my influence 182→- Removes anxiety about outcomes I can't control 183→- Secular equivalent: Stoicism, serenity prayer, acceptance 184→ 185→**4. Source of Unconditional Love** 186→- You are loved regardless of achievement 187→- Secular equivalent: Self-compassion, attachment theory, chosen family 188→ 189→**5. Cosmic Perspective** 190→- Reminds you how small and petty your problems are 191→- Secular equivalent: Cosmology, death awareness, nature immersion 192→ 193→**6. Moral Framework** 194→- What is right and wrong 195→- Secular equivalent: Ethical philosophy, virtue ethics, consequentialism 196→ 197→**7. Community Identifier** 198→- Defines who your tribe is 199→- Secular equivalent: Shared values communities, hobby groups, chosen family 200→ 201→**8. Ritual Designer** 202→- Provides structure for major life events and daily practice 203→- Secular equivalent: Habit systems, ceremony design, family traditions 204→ 205→**9. Spiritual Guide** 206→- Someone wiser to turn to 207→- Secular equivalent: Therapist, mentor, coach, wise friends 208→ 209→**10. Harbor of Inner Peace** 210→- A place to rest from striving 211→- Secular equivalent: Meditation, sabbath practice, flow states 212→ 213→ 214→### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 215→
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"old_string": "### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nWhen you look at the previous section, there is a tonne of subjectivity required, how do I know my ethics, how do I have my confidence? I don't know the answer, lots f study, hard work and questioning.",
"new_string": "### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nWithout a religious framework, you face the burden of construction. Look at that list above - ten fundamental roles that religion fills with one answer: God. As a secular person, I need ten different sources, ten different practices, ten different communities.\n\nHow do I know my ethics are right? What gives me confidence when everything is uncertain? Where do I find community? What rituals mark important transitions? Should I follow Stoicism or Buddhism or just wing it? Is my meditation practice actually helping or am I just sitting quietly convincing myself it matters?\n\nThe work is exhausting: reading philosophy, testing practices, iterating on what works, constantly second-guessing. Did I choose the right framework? Am I missing something important? There's no instruction manual, no authoritative voice saying \"this is the way.\"\n\nEvery major decision becomes a research project. Every value requires justification. Every ritual feels slightly made-up because, well, it is.\n\nThe stress isn't just about doing the work - it's about never knowing if you got it right. Religious people can say \"God says so\" and move on. I'm stuck with \"well, based on my reading of philosophy and my personal experience and the limited research I could find, I think maybe this approach...\"\n\nThat uncertainty is exhausting."
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 210→- A place to rest from striving 211→- Secular ...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 210→- A place to rest from striving 211→- Secular equivalent: Meditation, sabbath practice, flow states 212→ 213→ 214→### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 215→ 216→Without a religious framework, you face the burden of construction. Look at that list above - ten fundamental roles that religion fills with one answer: God. As a secular person, I need ten different sources, ten different practices, ten different communities. 217→ 218→How do I know my ethics are right? What gives me confidence when everything is uncertain? Where do I find community? What rituals mark important transitions? Should I follow Stoicism or Buddhism or just wing it? Is my meditation practice actually helping or am I just sitting quietly convincing myself it matters? 219→ 220→The work is exhausting: reading philosophy, testing practices, iterating on what works, constantly second-guessing. Did I choose the right framework? Am I missing something important? There's no instruction manual, no authoritative voice saying "this is the way." 221→ 222→Every major decision becomes a research project. Every value requires justification. Every ritual feels slightly made-up because, well, it is. 223→ 224→The stress isn't just about doing the work - it's about never knowing if you got it right. Religious people can say "God says so" and move on. I'm stuck with "well, based on my reading of philosophy and my personal experience and the limited research I could find, I think maybe this approach..." 225→ 226→That uncertainty is exhausting. 227→ 228→### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 229→ 230→AT first this seems like the big upside. Religious people make it sound like the "word of god is defined", but as best I can tell it's very conflicting, between various religious, sects of a religions, interpretations of a religion, and certainly within the bible itself (simple example of contradictory statements)
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"old_string": "### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nAT first this seems like the big upside. Religious people make it sound like the \"word of god is defined\", but as best I can tell it's very conflicting, between various religious, sects of a religions, interpretations of a religion, and certainly within the bible itself (simple example of contradictory statements)\n\nSo then, this begs the question how is your \"definition\" of gods plans and expectations, different hent he secular person trying to cobble togethe rthier own?\n\nI think it's something like, I can feel it/feel gods touch etc. I think that's the secular version of test and knowm but just lacking the absolute confidence, which is declined in XYZ",
"new_string": "### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nAt first glance, religion seems easier - the \"word of God is defined.\" But is it really?\n\nConsider the conflicts:\n- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism)\n- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia)\n- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive)\n- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance)\n\nSo religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?**\n\nThe answer I keep hearing: \"I can feel it\" or \"I feel God's touch\" or \"The Holy Spirit guides me.\" But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense.\n\nBoth paths require:\n1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs\n2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life?\n3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree?\n4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn\n\nThe main difference: Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with **uncertainty** because we know we're making it up as we go.\n\nWhich is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning."
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 224→The stress isn't just about doing the work -...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 224→The stress isn't just about doing the work - it's about never knowing if you got it right. Religious people can say "God says so" and move on. I'm stuck with "well, based on my reading of philosophy and my personal experience and the limited research I could find, I think maybe this approach..." 225→ 226→That uncertainty is exhausting. 227→ 228→### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 229→ 230→At first glance, religion seems easier - the "word of God is defined." But is it really? 231→ 232→Consider the conflicts: 233→- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism) 234→- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia) 235→- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive) 236→- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance) 237→ 238→So religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?** 239→ 240→The answer I keep hearing: "I can feel it" or "I feel God's touch" or "The Holy Spirit guides me." But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense. 241→ 242→Both paths require: 243→1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs 244→2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life? 245→3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree? 246→4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn 247→ 248→The main difference: Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with **uncertainty** because we know we're making it up as we go. 249→ 250→Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning. 251→ 252→ 253→## Some bible verses I really like 254→
Now let me add a personal section that grounds this in your actual experience:
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"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning.\n\n\n## Some bible verses I really like",
"new_string": "Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning.\n\n### How I'm Cobbling Mine Together\n\nWhen I read devotionals each morning, I do this mental translation exercise:\n\n- \"God has a plan for you\" \u2192 \"Stay true to your eulogy virtues\"\n- \"Trust in God\" \u2192 \"Focus on maximizing influence, not controlling outcomes\"\n- \"God will provide\" \u2192 \"The universe is generally abundant if you're resourceful\"\n- \"Pray without ceasing\" \u2192 \"Regular gratitude and reflection practice\"\n- \"God loves you unconditionally\" \u2192 \"Practice self-compassion, you're doing your best\"\n\nSometimes the translation feels clunky. Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing something profound by not just accepting the original. The devotional will say something beautiful about resting in God's love, and I'll think \"that sounds amazing\" - and then my brain immediately goes to \"but how do I operationalize that without the God part?\"\n\nIt's exhausting. It's like trying to run software designed for Windows on a Linux machine - constant compatibility issues, constant translation layers, never quite sure if you're getting the full experience.\n\nBut this is my path: taking wisdom where I find it, translating it into language that works for my engineer brain, testing whether it makes my life better. The cobbling feels messy and uncertain compared to the clean certainty of \"God said it, I believe it.\"\n\nMaybe that uncertainty is just the price of admission for staying intellectually honest. Or maybe I'm working way too hard and missing something obvious. I genuinely don't know.\n\n## Some bible verses I really like"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 246→4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 246→4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn 247→ 248→The main difference: Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with **uncertainty** because we know we're making it up as we go. 249→ 250→Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning. 251→ 252→### How I'm Cobbling Mine Together 253→ 254→When I read devotionals each morning, I do this mental translation exercise: 255→ 256→- "God has a plan for you" → "Stay true to your eulogy virtues" 257→- "Trust in God" → "Focus on maximizing influence, not controlling outcomes" 258→- "God will provide" → "The universe is generally abundant if you're resourceful" 259→- "Pray without ceasing" → "Regular gratitude and reflection practice" 260→- "God loves you unconditionally" → "Practice self-compassion, you're doing your best" 261→ 262→Sometimes the translation feels clunky. Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing something profound by not just accepting the original. The devotional will say something beautiful about resting in God's love, and I'll think "that sounds amazing" - and then my brain immediately goes to "but how do I operationalize that without the God part?" 263→ 264→It's exhausting. It's like trying to run software designed for Windows on a Linux machine - constant compatibility issues, constant translation layers, never quite sure if you're getting the full experience. 265→ 266→But this is my path: taking wisdom where I find it, translating it into language that works for my engineer brain, testing whether it makes my life better. The cobbling feels messy and uncertain compared to the clean certainty of "God said it, I believe it." 267→ 268→Maybe that uncertainty is just the price of admission for staying intellectually honest. Or maybe I'm working way too hard and missing something obvious. I genuinely don't know. 269→ 270→## Some bible verses I really like 271→ 272→While I struggle with literal belief, I've found certain verses capture truths about how to live well. They're less about theology and more about practical wisdom - the kind that holds up whether you believe in God or not. 273→ 274→#### Don't take Faith Blindly
Now let me update the table of contents to include the new subsection:
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "- [God to Secular Map](#god-to-secular-map)\n - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-m...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "- [God to Secular Map](#god-to-secular-map)\n - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)\n - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)\n - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)",
"new_string": "- [God to Secular Map](#god-to-secular-map)\n - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)\n - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)\n - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)\n - [How I'm Cobbling Mine Together](#how-im-cobbling-mine-together)"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
28→ - [a sense of confidence, without risk of conce...The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
28→ - [a sense of confidence, without risk of conceit.](#a-sense-of-confidence-without-risk-of-conceit)
29→ - [a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.](#a-reminder-of-how-small-and-petty-my-problems-really-are)
30→ - [a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events](#a-set-of-rituals-to-keep-me-on-track-and-for-complex-events)
31→ - [A harbor of inner peace](#a-harbor-of-inner-peace)
32→- [God to Secular Map](#god-to-secular-map)
33→ - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)
34→ - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
35→ - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
36→ - [How I'm Cobbling Mine Together](#how-im-cobbling-mine-together)
37→- [Some bible verses I really like](#some-bible-verses-i-really-like)
38→ - [Don't take Faith Blindly](#dont-take-faith-blindly)
39→ - [Be Tolerant Of Others](#be-tolerant-of-others)
40→ - [Be Deliberate, Disciplined, Daily](#be-deliberate-disciplined-daily)
Done! Here's what I changed:
1. Expanded "The many meanings of God" into a comprehensive list of 10 roles God plays - from confidence source to inner peace harbor - with secular equivalents for each.
2. Rewrote "The Secular Challenge" to emphasize the stress and exhaustion:
3. Clarified "The Religious Challenge" to show both paths require interpretation:
4. Added "How I'm Cobbling Mine Together" with concrete examples:
5. Updated the table of contents to include the new subsection.
The tone now captures the confusion, stress, and exhaustion of the secular path rather than making it sound noble. It's much more honest about the burden while still acknowledging you can't manufacture the religious confidence even if you wanted to.
OK, on meanings of god, can we do a few proverbs per type and few sayings I'd like, maybe a table per section?
Good idea - let me restructure each type with tables showing religious wisdom, secular equivalents, and how to apply them. I'll create a richer framework for each role:
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "### The many meanings of God\n\nWhen I read devotionals and replace \"God\" w...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "### The many meanings of God\n\nWhen I read devotionals and replace \"God\" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified:\n\n**1. Source of Confidence & Resilience**\n- \"God will not give you anything you can't handle\"\n- \"It's going to be OK\"\n- Secular equivalent: Self-efficacy, growth mindset, resilience training\n\n**2. Personal Mission & Values**\n- \"Follow God's path, not peer pressure\"\n- Secular equivalent: Personal mission statement, eulogy virtues, identity\n\n**3. Locus of Control**\n- God is in control, I just maximize my influence\n- Removes anxiety about outcomes I can't control\n- Secular equivalent: Stoicism, serenity prayer, acceptance\n\n**4. Source of Unconditional Love**\n- You are loved regardless of achievement\n- Secular equivalent: Self-compassion, attachment theory, chosen family\n\n**5. Cosmic Perspective**\n- Reminds you how small and petty your problems are\n- Secular equivalent: Cosmology, death awareness, nature immersion\n\n**6. Moral Framework**\n- What is right and wrong\n- Secular equivalent: Ethical philosophy, virtue ethics, consequentialism\n\n**7. Community Identifier**\n- Defines who your tribe is\n- Secular equivalent: Shared values communities, hobby groups, chosen family\n\n**8. Ritual Designer**\n- Provides structure for major life events and daily practice\n- Secular equivalent: Habit systems, ceremony design, family traditions\n\n**9. Spiritual Guide**\n- Someone wiser to turn to\n- Secular equivalent: Therapist, mentor, coach, wise friends\n\n**10. Harbor of Inner Peace**\n- A place to rest from striving\n- Secular equivalent: Meditation, sabbath practice, flow states",
"new_string": "### The many meanings of God\n\nWhen I read devotionals and replace \"God\" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each:\n\n#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"God will not give you anything you can't handle\" (1 Cor 10:13) | \"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger\" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome |\n| \"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me\" (Phil 4:13) | \"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right\" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking |\n| \"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid\" (Joshua 1:9) | \"Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it\" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses |\n\n**What I want:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.\n\n#### 2. Personal Mission & Values\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Do not conform to the pattern of this world\" (Romans 12:2) | \"The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd\" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy |\n| \"Fear God, not man\" (Proverbs 29:25) | \"What other people think of me is none of my business\" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? |\n| \"Seek first the kingdom of God\" (Matthew 6:33) | \"Know thyself\" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly |\n\n**What I want:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.\n\n#### 3. Locus of Control\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Let go and let God\" | \"Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change\" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) |\n| \"Cast your anxieties on him\" (1 Peter 5:7) | \"Amor fati\" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results |\n| \"His yoke is easy\" (Matthew 11:30) | \"The obstacle is the way\" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance |\n\n**What I want:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.\n\n#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Nothing can separate you from the love of God\" (Romans 8:38-39) | \"You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love\" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures |\n| \"God loves you as you are\" | \"There is nothing you need to do to be worthy\" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says \"you need to earn love\" and challenge it |\n| \"I have loved you with an everlasting love\" (Jeremiah 31:3) | \"You are enough\" - Bren\u00e9 Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve |\n\n**What I want:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.\n\n#### 5. Cosmic Perspective\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"What is man that you are mindful of him?\" (Psalm 8:4) | \"Pale blue dot\" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time |\n| \"As the heavens are higher than the earth...\" (Isaiah 55:9) | \"Sub specie aeternitatis\" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? |\n| \"All is vanity\" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | \"Memento mori\" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective |\n\n**What I want:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.\n\n#### 6. Moral Framework\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you\" (Matthew 7:12) | \"Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law\" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? |\n| \"Love your neighbor as yourself\" (Mark 12:31) | \"We are pattern-seeking, social primates\" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics |\n| \"What does the Lord require? Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly\" (Micah 6:8) | \"Virtue ethics\" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) |\n\n**What I want:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.\n\n#### 7. Community Identifier\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Where two or three gather in my name...\" (Matthew 18:20) | \"We need people who share our values\" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values |\n| \"Iron sharpens iron\" (Proverbs 27:17) | \"You are the average of the five people you spend time with\" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity |\n| \"Bear one another's burdens\" (Galatians 6:2) | \"Social connection is a fundamental human need\" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you |\n\n**What I want:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.\n\n#### 8. Ritual Designer\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Observe the Sabbath\" (Exodus 20:8) | \"Habit is second nature\" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely |\n| \"Give us this day our daily bread\" - daily prayer | \"We are what we repeatedly do\" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude |\n| Wedding vows, funeral rites | \"Rituals mark transitions and build meaning\" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions |\n\n**What I want:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.\n\n#### 9. Spiritual Guide\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Ask and you shall receive\" - prayer | \"Therapy is cheaper than divorce\" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust |\n| \"Counsel in the heart is deep water, but a person of understanding draws it out\" (Proverbs 20:5) | \"We can't read the label from inside the jar\" | Get external perspective on your blind spots |\n| \"Seek wise counsel\" (Proverbs 15:22) | \"Strong opinions, weakly held\" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors |\n\n**What I want:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.\n\n#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Be still and know that I am God\" (Psalm 46:10) | \"Meditation reduces anxiety\" - neuroscience research | Daily meditation practice, even 10 minutes |\n| \"Come to me, all who are weary\" (Matthew 11:28) | \"The answer to the agitation is stillness\" - Ryan Holiday | Create sacred rest time - no productivity, no achieving |\n| \"Peace that surpasses understanding\" (Philippians 4:7) | \"Flow states\" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Find activities that create effortless presence |\n\n**What I want:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing."
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 164→## God to Secular Map 165→ 166→I'm rea...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 164→## God to Secular Map 165→ 166→I'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace "God" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is "universe", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself 167→ 168→### The many meanings of God 169→ 170→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each: 171→ 172→#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience 173→ 174→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 175→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 176→| "God will not give you anything you can't handle" (1 Cor 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome | 177→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking | 178→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses | 179→ 180→**What I want:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming. 181→ 182→#### 2. Personal Mission & Values 183→ 184→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 185→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 186→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy | 187→| "Fear God, not man" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? | 188→| "Seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly | 189→ 190→**What I want:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today. 191→ 192→#### 3. Locus of Control 193→ 194→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 195→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 196→| "Let go and let God" | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) | 197→| "Cast your anxieties on him" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results | 198→| "His yoke is easy" (Matthew 11:30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance | 199→ 200→**What I want:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't. 201→ 202→#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love 203→ 204→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 205→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 206→| "Nothing can separate you from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures | 207→| "God loves you as you are" | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says "you need to earn love" and challenge it | 208→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve | 209→ 210→**What I want:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing. 211→ 212→#### 5. Cosmic Perspective 213→ 214→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 215→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 216→| "What is man that you are mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time | 217→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth..." (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? | 218→| "All is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective | 219→ 220→**What I want:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment. 221→ 222→#### 6. Moral Framework 223→ 224→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 225→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 226→| "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? | 227→| "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics | 228→| "What does the Lord require? Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) | 229→ 230→**What I want:** Clear answers to "is this right or wrong?" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time. 231→ 232→#### 7. Community Identifier 233→ 234→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 235→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 236→| "Where two or three gather in my name..." (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values | 237→| "Iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity | 238→| "Bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you | 239→ 240→**What I want:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly. 241→ 242→#### 8. Ritual Designer 243→ 244→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 245→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 246→| "Observe the Sabbath" (Exodus 20:8) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely | 247→| "Give us this day our daily bread" - daily prayer | "We are what we repeatedly do" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude | 248→| Wedding vows, funeral rites | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions | 249→ 250→**What I want:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch. 251→ 252→#### 9. Spiritual Guide 253→ 254→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 255→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 256→| "Ask and you shall receive" - prayer | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust | 257→| "Counsel in the heart is deep water, but a person of understanding draws it out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | Get external perspective on your blind spots | 258→| "Seek wise counsel" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors | 259→ 260→**What I want:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused. 261→ 262→#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace 263→ 264→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 265→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 266→| "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) | "Meditation reduces anxiety" - neuroscience research | Daily meditation practice, even 10 minutes | 267→| "Come to me, all who are weary" (Matthew 11:28) | "The answer to the agitation is stillness" - Ryan Holiday | Create sacred rest time - no productivity, no achieving | 268→| "Peace that surpasses understanding" (Philippians 4:7) | "Flow states" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Find activities that create effortless presence | 269→ 270→**What I want:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing. 271→ 272→ 273→### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 274→
Done! I've restructured the entire "The many meanings of God" section. Each of the 10 roles now has:
1. A comparison table with three columns:
2. A "What I want" statement capturing the emotional need this role fulfills
This makes the mapping much more concrete. You can see:
Examples of the parallel wisdom:
The tables show that both paths are trying to solve the same problems - they just use different frameworks and language.
Open this in Jekyll
{
"command": "lsof -i :4000 | grep LISTEN",
"description": "Check if Jekyll is running on port 4000"
}The user doesn't want to proceed with this tool use. The tool use was rejected (eg. if it was a file edit, the new_string was NOT written to the file). STOP what you are doing and wait for the us...
The user doesn't want to proceed with this tool use. The tool use was rejected (eg. if it was a file edit, the new_string was NOT written to the file). STOP what you are doing and wait for the user to tell you how to proceed.
Just run open with page/section
{
"command": "open http://localhost:4000/religion#god-to-secular-map",
"description": "Open religion post at God to Secular Map section"
}Good, put what I want before the table. Make sure each line on religious has a bible quote with a thing like Aact 34;10
I'll restructure each section to put "What I want" first and ensure all religious wisdom has proper Bible citations:
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"old_string": "#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | ...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"God will not give you anything you can't handle\" (1 Cor 10:13) | \"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger\" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome |\n| \"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me\" (Phil 4:13) | \"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right\" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking |\n| \"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid\" (Joshua 1:9) | \"Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it\" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses |\n\n**What I want:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.",
"new_string": "#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience\n\n**What I want:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear\" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | \"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger\" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome |\n| \"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me\" (Philippians 4:13) | \"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right\" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking |\n| \"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you\" (Joshua 1:9) | \"Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it\" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 168→### The many meanings of God 169→ 170→When ...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 168→### The many meanings of God 169→ 170→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each: 171→ 172→#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience 173→ 174→**What I want:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming. 175→ 176→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 177→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 178→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome | 179→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking | 180→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses | 181→ 182→#### 2. Personal Mission & Values 183→ 184→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
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"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 2. Personal Mission & Values\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to A...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 2. Personal Mission & Values\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Do not conform to the pattern of this world\" (Romans 12:2) | \"The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd\" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy |\n| \"Fear God, not man\" (Proverbs 29:25) | \"What other people think of me is none of my business\" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? |\n| \"Seek first the kingdom of God\" (Matthew 6:33) | \"Know thyself\" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly |\n\n**What I want:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.",
"new_string": "#### 2. Personal Mission & Values\n\n**What I want:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind\" (Romans 12:2) | \"The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd\" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy |\n| \"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe\" (Proverbs 29:25) | \"What other people think of me is none of my business\" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? |\n| \"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you\" (Matthew 6:33) | \"Know thyself\" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 178→| "No temptation has overtaken you except wh...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 178→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome | 179→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking | 180→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses | 181→ 182→#### 2. Personal Mission & Values 183→ 184→**What I want:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today. 185→ 186→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 187→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 188→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy | 189→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? | 190→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly | 191→ 192→#### 3. Locus of Control 193→ 194→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 3. Locus of Control\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|----...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 3. Locus of Control\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Let go and let God\" | \"Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change\" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) |\n| \"Cast your anxieties on him\" (1 Peter 5:7) | \"Amor fati\" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results |\n| \"His yoke is easy\" (Matthew 11:30) | \"The obstacle is the way\" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance |\n\n**What I want:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.",
"new_string": "#### 3. Locus of Control\n\n**What I want:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding\" (Proverbs 3:5) | \"Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change\" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) |\n| \"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you\" (1 Peter 5:7) | \"Amor fati\" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results |\n| \"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light\" (Matthew 11:28-30) | \"The obstacle is the way\" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 188→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this wor...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 188→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy | 189→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? | 190→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly | 191→ 192→#### 3. Locus of Control 193→ 194→**What I want:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't. 195→ 196→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 197→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 198→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) | 199→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results | 200→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance | 201→ 202→#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love 203→ 204→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
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"old_string": "#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Ap...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Nothing can separate you from the love of God\" (Romans 8:38-39) | \"You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love\" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures |\n| \"God loves you as you are\" | \"There is nothing you need to do to be worthy\" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says \"you need to earn love\" and challenge it |\n| \"I have loved you with an everlasting love\" (Jeremiah 31:3) | \"You are enough\" - Bren\u00e9 Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve |\n\n**What I want:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.",
"new_string": "#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love\n\n**What I want:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God\" (Romans 8:38-39) | \"You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love\" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures |\n| \"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing\" (Zephaniah 3:17) | \"There is nothing you need to do to be worthy\" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says \"you need to earn love\" and challenge it |\n| \"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness\" (Jeremiah 31:3) | \"You are enough\" - Bren\u00e9 Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 198→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 198→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) | 199→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results | 200→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance | 201→ 202→#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love 203→ 204→**What I want:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing. 205→ 206→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 207→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 208→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures | 209→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says "you need to earn love" and challenge it | 210→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve | 211→ 212→#### 5. Cosmic Perspective 213→ 214→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
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"old_string": "#### 5. Cosmic Perspective\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|--...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 5. Cosmic Perspective\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"What is man that you are mindful of him?\" (Psalm 8:4) | \"Pale blue dot\" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time |\n| \"As the heavens are higher than the earth...\" (Isaiah 55:9) | \"Sub specie aeternitatis\" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? |\n| \"All is vanity\" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | \"Memento mori\" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective |\n\n**What I want:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.",
"new_string": "#### 5. Cosmic Perspective\n\n**What I want:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?\" (Psalm 8:3-4) | \"Pale blue dot\" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time |\n| \"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts\" (Isaiah 55:9) | \"Sub specie aeternitatis\" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? |\n| \"Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless\" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | \"Memento mori\" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 208→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 208→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures | 209→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says "you need to earn love" and challenge it | 210→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve | 211→ 212→#### 5. Cosmic Perspective 213→ 214→**What I want:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment. 215→ 216→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 217→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 218→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time | 219→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? | 220→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective | 221→ 222→#### 6. Moral Framework 223→ 224→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
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"old_string": "#### 6. Moral Framework\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 6. Moral Framework\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you\" (Matthew 7:12) | \"Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law\" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? |\n| \"Love your neighbor as yourself\" (Mark 12:31) | \"We are pattern-seeking, social primates\" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics |\n| \"What does the Lord require? Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly\" (Micah 6:8) | \"Virtue ethics\" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) |\n\n**What I want:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.",
"new_string": "#### 6. Moral Framework\n\n**What I want:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets\" (Matthew 7:12) | \"Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law\" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? |\n| \"Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these\" (Mark 12:31) | \"We are pattern-seeking, social primates\" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics |\n| \"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God\" (Micah 6:8) | \"Virtue ethics\" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 218→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 218→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time | 219→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? | 220→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective | 221→ 222→#### 6. Moral Framework 223→ 224→**What I want:** Clear answers to "is this right or wrong?" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time. 225→ 226→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 227→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 228→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? | 229→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics | 230→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) | 231→ 232→#### 7. Community Identifier 233→ 234→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
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"old_string": "#### 7. Community Identifier\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 7. Community Identifier\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Where two or three gather in my name...\" (Matthew 18:20) | \"We need people who share our values\" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values |\n| \"Iron sharpens iron\" (Proverbs 27:17) | \"You are the average of the five people you spend time with\" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity |\n| \"Bear one another's burdens\" (Galatians 6:2) | \"Social connection is a fundamental human need\" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you |\n\n**What I want:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.",
"new_string": "#### 7. Community Identifier\n\n**What I want:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them\" (Matthew 18:20) | \"We need people who share our values\" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values |\n| \"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another\" (Proverbs 27:17) | \"You are the average of the five people you spend time with\" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity |\n| \"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ\" (Galatians 6:2) | \"Social connection is a fundamental human need\" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 228→| "So in everything, do to others what you w...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 228→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? | 229→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics | 230→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) | 231→ 232→#### 7. Community Identifier 233→ 234→**What I want:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly. 235→ 236→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 237→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 238→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values | 239→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity | 240→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you | 241→ 242→#### 8. Ritual Designer 243→ 244→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
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"old_string": "#### 8. Ritual Designer\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 8. Ritual Designer\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Observe the Sabbath\" (Exodus 20:8) | \"Habit is second nature\" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely |\n| \"Give us this day our daily bread\" - daily prayer | \"We are what we repeatedly do\" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude |\n| Wedding vows, funeral rites | \"Rituals mark transitions and build meaning\" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions |\n\n**What I want:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.",
"new_string": "#### 8. Ritual Designer\n\n**What I want:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God\" (Exodus 20:8-10) | \"Habit is second nature\" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely |\n| \"Give us today our daily bread\" (Matthew 6:11) | \"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit\" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude |\n| \"Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate\" (Mark 10:9) | \"Rituals mark transitions and build meaning\" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 238→| "For where two or three gather in my name,...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 238→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values | 239→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity | 240→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you | 241→ 242→#### 8. Ritual Designer 243→ 244→**What I want:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch. 245→ 246→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 247→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 248→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely | 249→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude | 250→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions | 251→ 252→#### 9. Spiritual Guide 253→ 254→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
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"old_string": "#### 9. Spiritual Guide\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 9. Spiritual Guide\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Ask and you shall receive\" - prayer | \"Therapy is cheaper than divorce\" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust |\n| \"Counsel in the heart is deep water, but a person of understanding draws it out\" (Proverbs 20:5) | \"We can't read the label from inside the jar\" | Get external perspective on your blind spots |\n| \"Seek wise counsel\" (Proverbs 15:22) | \"Strong opinions, weakly held\" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors |\n\n**What I want:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.",
"new_string": "#### 9. Spiritual Guide\n\n**What I want:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you\" (Matthew 7:7) | \"Therapy is cheaper than divorce\" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust |\n| \"The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out\" (Proverbs 20:5) | \"We can't read the label from inside the jar\" | Get external perspective on your blind spots |\n| \"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed\" (Proverbs 15:22) | \"Strong opinions, weakly held\" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 248→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it ho...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 248→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely | 249→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude | 250→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions | 251→ 252→#### 9. Spiritual Guide 253→ 254→**What I want:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused. 255→ 256→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 257→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 258→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust | 259→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | Get external perspective on your blind spots | 260→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors | 261→ 262→#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace 263→ 264→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Be still and know that I am God\" (Psalm 46:10) | \"Meditation reduces anxiety\" - neuroscience research | Daily meditation practice, even 10 minutes |\n| \"Come to me, all who are weary\" (Matthew 11:28) | \"The answer to the agitation is stillness\" - Ryan Holiday | Create sacred rest time - no productivity, no achieving |\n| \"Peace that surpasses understanding\" (Philippians 4:7) | \"Flow states\" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Find activities that create effortless presence |\n\n**What I want:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.",
"new_string": "#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace\n\n**What I want:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth\" (Psalm 46:10) | \"Meditation reduces anxiety\" - neuroscience research | Daily meditation practice, even 10 minutes |\n| \"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest\" (Matthew 11:28) | \"The answer to the agitation is stillness\" - Ryan Holiday | Create sacred rest time - no productivity, no achieving |\n| \"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus\" (Philippians 4:7) | \"Flow states\" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Find activities that create effortless presence |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 258→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 258→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust | 259→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | Get external perspective on your blind spots | 260→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors | 261→ 262→#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace 263→ 264→**What I want:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing. 265→ 266→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 267→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 268→| "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10) | "Meditation reduces anxiety" - neuroscience research | Daily meditation practice, even 10 minutes | 269→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) | "The answer to the agitation is stillness" - Ryan Holiday | Create sacred rest time - no productivity, no achieving | 270→| "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7) | "Flow states" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Find activities that create effortless presence | 271→ 272→ 273→### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 274→
Done! I've restructured all 10 sections:
Changes made:
Examples of the improvements:
The tables now show clear parallel wisdom with proper attribution on both the religious and secular sides.
{
"command": "open http://localhost:4000/religion#god-to-secular-map",
"description": "Reopen religion post to see updated tables"
}Reopened the page so you can see the updated structure with "What I want" statements first and proper Bible citations throughout.
OK get rid of sub headings in that section 1.->10 . So like instead just have it be **Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I’ll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming. fj
I'll flatten the structure and combine the title with "What I want" into a single bold statement:
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"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience\n\n**What I want:** The bone-deep certain...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience\n\n**What I want:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
<tool_use_error>File has not been read yet. Read it first before writing to it.</tool_use_error>
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md"
} 1→---
2→title: "Religion: Losing belief while seeing value"
3→layout: post
4→permalink: /religion
5→---
6→
7→I did my Bar Mitzvah at the Wailing Wall in Is... 1→---
2→title: "Religion: Losing belief while seeing value"
3→layout: post
4→permalink: /religion
5→---
6→
7→I did my Bar Mitzvah at the Wailing Wall in Israel — the holiest place in Judaism. We flew there as a family, and I still remember stepping off the plane and feeling an intense warmth. I turned to my sister and whispered, "I can feel God." She rolled her eyes and said, "That's not God. That's forty degrees Celsius."
8→
9→<!-- prettier-ignore-start -->
10→<!-- vim-markdown-toc-start -->
11→
12→- [My story](#my-story)
13→ - [How I Became a Man at 13](#how-i-became-a-man-at-13)
14→ - [When Proof Became My Religion](#when-proof-became-my-religion)
15→ - [The Day I valued Religion](#the-day-i-valued-religion)
16→ - [When someone important to me found god.](#when-someone-important-to-me-found-god)
17→- [The Hard Parts for Me](#the-hard-parts-for-me)
18→ - [Proof](#proof)
19→ - [Hypocrisy](#hypocrisy)
20→ - [Pushiness](#pushiness)
21→ - [Arbitrariness & Literalism](#arbitrariness--literalism)
22→- [The Gifts I want](#the-gifts-i-want)
23→ - [Unconditional Love](#unconditional-love)
24→ - [to know who I am, and to know my tribe, and know where to find my tribe wherever I go.](#to-know-who-i-am-and-to-know-my-tribe-and-know-where-to-find-my-tribe-wherever-i-go)
25→ - [not have to ponder the definition of the good life, or what happens after death, or what it all means](#not-have-to-ponder-the-definition-of-the-good-life-or-what-happens-after-death-or-what-it-all-means)
26→ - [to have access to an accessible spiritual guide.](#to-have-access-to-an-accessible-spiritual-guide)
27→ - [to have certainty over all things](#to-have-certainty-over-all-things)
28→ - [a sense of confidence, without risk of conceit.](#a-sense-of-confidence-without-risk-of-conceit)
29→ - [a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.](#a-reminder-of-how-small-and-petty-my-problems-really-are)
30→ - [a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events](#a-set-of-rituals-to-keep-me-on-track-and-for-complex-events)
31→ - [A harbor of inner peace](#a-harbor-of-inner-peace)
32→- [God to Secular Map](#god-to-secular-map)
33→ - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)
34→ - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
35→ - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
36→ - [How I'm Cobbling Mine Together](#how-im-cobbling-mine-together)
37→- [Some bible verses I really like](#some-bible-verses-i-really-like)
38→ - [Don't take Faith Blindly](#dont-take-faith-blindly)
39→ - [Be Tolerant Of Others](#be-tolerant-of-others)
40→ - [Be Deliberate, Disciplined, Daily](#be-deliberate-disciplined-daily)
41→ - [Do the work](#do-the-work)
42→ - [Others I like and need to categorize](#others-i-like-and-need-to-categorize)
43→- [Appendix and stuff I'm working in ...](#appendix-and-stuff-im-working-in-)
44→ - [Why Religion?](#why-religion)
45→ - [Belief vs Practice](#belief-vs-practice)
46→ - [Secular Spirituality](#secular-spirituality)
47→
48→<!-- vim-markdown-toc-end -->
49→<!-- prettier-ignore-end -->
50→
51→## My story
52→
53→### How I Became a Man at 13
54→
55→I grew up in a small town, with a conservative synagogue. Services were always in Hebrew — a language my dad didn’t know, and neither did I. But hearing the words week after week, we memorized the prayer songs by repetition. To me, the words were gobbledygook, but the melodies stuck.
56→
57→Every Friday night we would walk to services. My dad didn’t believe in God, but he loved the synagogue. For him it wasn’t about belief; it was about community. Because the congregation was small, they often struggled to gather the ten men needed for certain prayers. Most weeks the phone would ring, and they’d ask him to come. We lived just five minutes away, so he always did.
58→
59→When you’re Jewish, turning thirteen means becoming a man — you study the Torah and have a Bar Mitzvah. My grandparents had immigrated to Israel, so when it was my turn, we flew there. It was my first time on a plane. I had my Bar Mitzvah at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the most holy place in Judaism. Standing there, surrounded by history and prayer, made it unforgettable.
60→
61→### When Proof Became My Religion
62→
63→I am an engineer: science, cause and effect, proof. If you can’t measure it, model it, or test it, you don’t trust it. No proof, no belief. Stories without evidence - bugs in the system. Miracles? Not reproducible. God? No causal mechanism. The whole thing looked like bad engineering.
64→
65→Why would I build my life on something that couldn’t even pass a basic test plan?
66→
67→What I didn’t see then was that religion doesn’t live or die on proof — it lives in practice.
68→
69→### The Day I valued Religion
70→
71→Just a normal day at work, the phone rang out of the blue. “Igor, please sit down.” My dad was dead. I had no idea what to do, but my synagogue — basically the Jewish version of a church — did. In Judaism, the dead are buried quickly, usually within 24 hours, so there’s no time to get lost in indecision. You just follow the steps.
72→
73→At the funeral, the rabbi put a tie around my neck, and cut it. Why did that feel important? Who knows, who cares — it just did. Then the congregation sang a song. Even though it was in Hebrew, gobbledygook to me, I remembered the melody from before. It was incredibly comforting, it was right. I just knew everyone was there, supporting me.
74→
75→At the graveyard, when we were putting him into the ground, I could see the names of his friends from my Bar Mitzvah days on the gravestones beside him. I could picture him laughing with them, and knowing he was with his friends gave me a sense of peace.
76→
77→Then came shiva, the seven days of mourning. A candle burned the whole time, a quiet reminder that life had paused. For a week, people came, prayed, sat with us. At the end, the candle went out, and the expectation was to begin stepping back into the world. Not to “move on,” but to take a step forward.
78→
79→After that came shloshim, the thirty days of softer mourning, and later, yahrzeit, the annual prayer and candle to remember. These rituals stretched out across time, creating a rhythm of grief and remembrance.
80→
81→What I valued most was the certainty of what to do. I didn’t have to ask, “Am I grieving right?” The protocol answered that. And being in community meant I wasn’t alone. Major life events stopped feeling like cruel surprises — I could see that others had walked this path before me.
82→
83→That was the day religion showed its worth to me: not in metaphysics, but in structure and support when I needed them most.
84→
85→### When someone important to me found god.
86→
87→I won't list their name out of privacy, but in my deep respect for this person I had to really dig into god, I went to a few sermons live, and this person started reasding a daily devotional, and so did I.
88→
89→Some observations I've had:
90→
91→- There are many different religions, with deeply different beliefs
92→- Much of the interpretation is that of a self help book, instead of the classic format I'm used to "build a model and describe it", "several anecodote stories", "1 chapater per story", the bible stuff I'm exposed to starts with a really old verse, then has a bunch of interpretation.
93→
94→## The Hard Parts for Me
95→
96→### Proof
97→
98→The problem is proof. I don’t see it. With an engineering mindset, I expect cause, effect, and data — and religion doesn’t give me that. The parts about burning in hell are especially hard to accept. If I can’t see it, measure it, or reason my way to it, it doesn’t land.
99→
100→_To be fair, there are things I accept as good even though the only evidence is personal and experiential. Bringing joy makes me feel happy, so I keep doing it. Gratitude practices lift my mood, even if I can’t prove why. Not everything needs to be double-blind tested to matter._
101→
102→An incredibly good discussion on belief (easily applied to religion), hidden in a discussion of pychics between the host and Dan Harris. I highly, highly recommend (and much better then the Search engine on religion for the parts that pertain to belief). [Search Engine - The Psychic Question
103→](https://podscan.fm/podcasts/search-engine/episodes/the-psychic-question)
104→
105→- While I think the tarot people are wrong, they frankly throw much better parties than the fact checkers. So there's that. But then you spend enough time around the believers and sometimes you feel your own killjoyness more acutely, like you're on a diet or fasting for reasons nobody else quite understands. Wouldn't it be nicer to just give in?
106→- Open is better than closed, right? Fluid is better than rigid. People who are too sure of themselves tend to be alienating to others.
107→- Dan is somebody who tries not to believe in stories just because they're comfortable. He doesn't usually get his aura read. He's not religious. He does meditate, and he's Buddhist enough that I've heard him use words like dharma in casual conversation. The story Dan tells himself, though, is that he came to Buddhism because he followed the evidence for it, which I'm sure is true, although I also think most of us decide what to believe, at least partly socially. It's much easier to surrender to an idea if we admire the people who already hold it, if they seem happy, smart, if they fit our arbitrary thumbnail sketch of a wise person."
108→- As Dan and I kept talking over the months, I'd noticed how many stories he had about his teachers, memories of the lessons he'd learned by observing them. It's such a funny thing that happens in the human heart, this decision that you're going to become somebody's student, surrender to their ideas or habits
109→
110→### Hypocrisy
111→
112→The problem is hypocrisy. Religion has plenty of examples of evil done in its name, or leaders exploiting faith for personal gain. To be fair, that isn’t unique to religion — some people are just shitty and will exploit whatever they can.
113→
114→_To be fair, I’ve also seen religion call people to their best selves. In community, people often act with generosity and service, not exploitation. That doesn’t erase the bad, but it balances it._
115→
116→### Pushiness
117→
118→The problem is pushiness. Again, not unique to religion, but easy to see there. If someone really believes they hold the greatest gift in the world, of course they want to share it. If someone thinks they’re protecting you, of course they’ll try to stop you from doing something dangerous. I get the intent, but it can feel suffocating.
119→
120→_To be fair, I’ve been pushy too. When I care deeply, I want to convince people. If I believe something makes life better, I share it — sometimes too strongly. So I get where the impulse comes from, even if I don’t like being on the receiving end._
121→
122→### Arbitrariness & Literalism
123→
124→The problem is arbitrariness. I struggle with random literal interpretations, absolute faith, and the inability to question. It feels like being asked to accept rules without context, as if the meaning is locked and you’re not allowed to ask why.
125→
126→_To be fair, I can see the upside. If we really did have a universal standard, there would be no argument about morality. Everyone would know where the lines are, and that certainty would be a relief. It’s also comforting not to have to figure everything out on your own — sometimes having the rules spelled out is easier than reinventing the code of life from scratch._
127→
128→## The Gifts I want
129→
130→### Unconditional Love
131→
132→Not in all religions, but in Christianity at least, there is a notion of unconditional love. I'm certain that's incredibly important and what a wonderful feeling.
133→
134→### to know who I am, and to know my tribe, and know where to find my tribe wherever I go.
135→
136→How good it is to belong. We all need a place for like-minded people, and while you can find this in hobbies, and classes, those things tend to be time bound, and the people there come and go people there are For religions, they usually have places of worship wherever you go and times and people that are really into it.
137→
138→### not have to ponder the definition of the good life, or what happens after death, or what it all means
139→
140→### to have access to an accessible spiritual guide.
141→
142→### to have certainty over all things
143→
144→### a sense of confidence, without risk of conceit.
145→
146→By having confidence in god, and attributing outcomes both good and bad to god, you get two huge values:
147→
148→1. You can be confident without being over reliant on self-confidence, which easily can result in the very unpleasant state of conceit.
149→1. You solve the biggest cause of anxiety: the false belief you have control, where instead all you have is the ability to maximize your influence.
150→1. You know that if you tried your best, and maximized your influence, you did your part, but God was in control.
151→
152→{%include summarize-page.html src="/anxiety"%}
153→
154→### a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.
155→
156→Knowing there is something eternal, reminds you of your smallness, often reinforced in prayer
157→
158→### a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events
159→
160→A ritual for death, for marriage, to remind us to forgive, and to be void of temptation
161→
162→### A harbor of inner peace
163→
164→## God to Secular Map
165→
166→I'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace "God" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is "universe", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself
167→
168→### The many meanings of God
169→
170→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each:
171→
172→#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience
173→
174→**What I want:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.
175→
176→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
177→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
178→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome |
179→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking |
180→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses |
181→
182→#### 2. Personal Mission & Values
183→
184→**What I want:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.
185→
186→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
187→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
188→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy |
189→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? |
190→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly |
191→
192→#### 3. Locus of Control
193→
194→**What I want:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.
195→
196→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
197→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
198→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) |
199→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results |
200→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance |
201→
202→#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love
203→
204→**What I want:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.
205→
206→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
207→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
208→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures |
209→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says "you need to earn love" and challenge it |
210→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve |
211→
212→#### 5. Cosmic Perspective
213→
214→**What I want:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.
215→
216→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
217→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
218→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time |
219→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? |
220→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective |
221→
222→#### 6. Moral Framework
223→
224→**What I want:** Clear answers to "is this right or wrong?" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.
225→
226→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
227→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
228→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? |
229→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics |
230→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) |
231→
232→#### 7. Community Identifier
233→
234→**What I want:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.
235→
236→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
237→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
238→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values |
239→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity |
240→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you |
241→
242→#### 8. Ritual Designer
243→
244→**What I want:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.
245→
246→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
247→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
248→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely |
249→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude |
250→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions |
251→
252→#### 9. Spiritual Guide
253→
254→**What I want:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.
255→
256→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
257→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
258→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust |
259→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | Get external perspective on your blind spots |
260→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors |
261→
262→#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace
263→
264→**What I want:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.
265→
266→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
267→|-----------------|----------------|--------------|
268→| "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10) | "Meditation reduces anxiety" - neuroscience research | Daily meditation practice, even 10 minutes |
269→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) | "The answer to the agitation is stillness" - Ryan Holiday | Create sacred rest time - no productivity, no achieving |
270→| "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7) | "Flow states" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Find activities that create effortless presence |
271→
272→
273→### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god
274→
275→Without a religious framework, you face the burden of construction. Look at that list above - ten fundamental roles that religion fills with one answer: God. As a secular person, I need ten different sources, ten different practices, ten different communities.
276→
277→How do I know my ethics are right? What gives me confidence when everything is uncertain? Where do I find community? What rituals mark important transitions? Should I follow Stoicism or Buddhism or just wing it? Is my meditation practice actually helping or am I just sitting quietly convincing myself it matters?
278→
279→The work is exhausting: reading philosophy, testing practices, iterating on what works, constantly second-guessing. Did I choose the right framework? Am I missing something important? There's no instruction manual, no authoritative voice saying "this is the way."
280→
281→Every major decision becomes a research project. Every value requires justification. Every ritual feels slightly made-up because, well, it is.
282→
283→The stress isn't just about doing the work - it's about never knowing if you got it right. Religious people can say "God says so" and move on. I'm stuck with "well, based on my reading of philosophy and my personal experience and the limited research I could find, I think maybe this approach..."
284→
285→That uncertainty is exhausting.
286→
287→### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god
288→
289→At first glance, religion seems easier - the "word of God is defined." But is it really?
290→
291→Consider the conflicts:
292→- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism)
293→- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia)
294→- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive)
295→- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance)
296→
297→So religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?**
298→
299→The answer I keep hearing: "I can feel it" or "I feel God's touch" or "The Holy Spirit guides me." But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense.
300→
301→Both paths require:
302→1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs
303→2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life?
304→3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree?
305→4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn
306→
307→The main difference: Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with **uncertainty** because we know we're making it up as we go.
308→
309→Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning.
310→
311→### How I'm Cobbling Mine Together
312→
313→When I consider religious texts, I do this mental translation exercise:
314→
315→- "God has a plan for you" → "Stay true to your eulogy virtues"
316→- "Trust in God" → "Focus on maximizing influence, not controlling outcomes"
317→- "God will provide" → "The universe is generally abundant if you're resourceful"
318→- "Pray without ceasing" → "Regular gratitude and reflection practice"
319→- "God loves you unconditionally" → "Practice self-compassion, you're doing your best"
320→
321→Sometimes the translation feels clunky. Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing something profound by not just accepting the original. The devotional will say something beautiful about resting in God's love, and I'll think "that sounds amazing" - and then my brain immediately goes to "but how do I operationalize that without the God part?"
322→
323→It's like trying to run Windows software on a Linux machine - constant compatibility issues, constant translation layers, never quite sure if you're getting the full experience.
324→
325→But this is my path: taking wisdom where I find it, translating it into language that works for my engineer brain, testing whether it makes my life better. The cobbling feels messy and uncertain compared to the clean certainty of "God said it, I believe it."
326→
327→## Some bible verses I really like
328→
329→While I struggle with literal belief, I've found certain verses capture truths about how to live well. They're less about theology and more about practical wisdom - the kind that holds up whether you believe in God or not.
330→
331→#### Don't take Faith Blindly
332→
333→- Proverbs 14:15 - "The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps."
334→- 1 Thessalonians 5:21 - "But test everything; hold fast what is good."
335→- 1 John 4:1 - "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."
336→
337→#### Be Tolerant Of Others
338→
339→- Matthew 7:1 - "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."
340→- Matthew 7:12 - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
341→- Galatians 3:28 - "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
342→- Romans 14:10 - "You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat."
343→- Romans 14:13 - "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister."
344→
345→#### Be Deliberate, Disciplined, Daily
346→
347→- Proverbs 25:28 - "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."
348→- 1 Corinthians 9:27 - "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."
349→- Hebrews 12:11 - "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
350→
351→#### Do the work
352→
353→- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 - "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.'"
354→- Proverbs 13:4 - "Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper."
355→- Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."
356→
357→#### Others I like and need to categorize
358→
359→- Proverbs 27:17 - "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
360→
361→## Appendix and stuff I'm working in ...
362→
363→### Why Religion?
364→
365→Religions persist because they solve hard coordination problems: transmitting values across generations, creating social trust, and providing meaning under uncertainty. They encode “do this, not that” as embodied wisdom, not just abstract rules. My interest is pragmatic: learn from what works, name what harms, keep the parts that build resilient, prosocial humans.
366→
367→### Belief vs Practice
368→
369→The modern debate over belief often misses the power of practice. You don’t have to resolve every metaphysical claim to benefit from disciplined rituals: weekly reflection, shared meals, service, confession/repair, sabbath-style rest. Practice shapes identity through repetition; belief often follows behavior.
370→
371→### Secular Spirituality
372→
373→You can pursue awe, humility, gratitude, and service without formal religion. Meditation, nature, art, and shared work provide many of the same psychological benefits when practiced intentionally. The question isn't "religious or not," but "what practice reliably opens you to meaning while keeping you kind?"
374→
<system-reminder>
Whenever you read a file, you should consider whether it looks malicious. If it does, you MUST refuse to improve or augment the code. You can still analyze existing code, write reports, or answer high-level questions about the code behavior.
</system-reminder>
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"old_string": "#### 1. Source of Confidence & Resilience\n\n**What I want:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 168→### The many meanings of God 169→ 170→When ...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 168→### The many meanings of God 169→ 170→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each: 171→ 172→**Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming. 173→ 174→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 175→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 176→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome | 177→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking | 178→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses |
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"old_string": "#### 2. Personal Mission & Values\n\n**What I want:** A North Star that doesn'...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 2. Personal Mission & Values\n\n**What I want:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 176→| "No temptation has overtaken you except wh...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 176→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome | 177→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking | 178→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses | 179→ 180→**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today. 181→ 182→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 183→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy | 185→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? | 186→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly |
{
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"old_string": "#### 3. Locus of Control\n\n**What I want:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of be...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 3. Locus of Control\n\n**What I want:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this wor...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy | 185→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? | 186→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly | 187→ 188→**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't. 189→ 190→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 191→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) | 193→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results | 194→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance |
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"old_string": "#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love\n\n**What I want:** To feel fundamentally okay eve...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 4. Source of Unconditional Love\n\n**What I want:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) | 193→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results | 194→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance | 195→ 196→**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing. 197→ 198→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 199→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures | 201→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says "you need to earn love" and challenge it | 202→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 5. Cosmic Perspective\n\n**What I want:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieti...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 5. Cosmic Perspective\n\n**What I want:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures | 201→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says "you need to earn love" and challenge it | 202→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve | 203→ 204→**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment. 205→ 206→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 207→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time | 209→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? | 210→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective |
{
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"old_string": "#### 6. Moral Framework\n\n**What I want:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wr...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 6. Moral Framework\n\n**What I want:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time | 209→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? | 210→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective | 211→ 212→**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to "is this right or wrong?" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time. 213→ 214→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 215→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? | 217→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics | 218→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) |
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"old_string": "#### 7. Community Identifier\n\n**What I want:** To walk into any city and know where t...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 7. Community Identifier\n\n**What I want:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you w...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? | 217→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics | 218→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) | 219→ 220→**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly. 221→ 222→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 223→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values | 225→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity | 226→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you |
{
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"old_string": "#### 8. Ritual Designer\n\n**What I want:** To know exactly what to do when life throws...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 8. Ritual Designer\n\n**What I want:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name,...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values | 225→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity | 226→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you | 227→ 228→**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch. 229→ 230→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 231→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely | 233→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude | 234→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions |
{
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"old_string": "#### 9. Spiritual Guide\n\n**What I want:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 9. Spiritual Guide\n\n**What I want:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it ho...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely | 233→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude | 234→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions | 235→ 236→**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused. 237→ 238→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 239→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust | 241→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | Get external perspective on your blind spots | 242→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace\n\n**What I want:** A place to stop striving and just *b...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "#### 10. Harbor of Inner Peace\n\n**What I want:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |",
"new_string": "**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust | 241→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | Get external perspective on your blind spots | 242→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors | 243→ 244→**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing. 245→ 246→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply | 247→|-----------------|----------------|--------------| 248→| "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10) | "Meditation reduces anxiety" - neuroscience research | Daily meditation practice, even 10 minutes | 249→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) | "The answer to the agitation is stillness" - Ryan Holiday | Create sacred rest time - no productivity, no achieving | 250→| "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7) | "Flow states" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Find activities that create effortless presence |
Done! I've removed all the numbered headings (#### 1., #### 2., etc.) and flattened the structure. Now each section has:
[Title]: [What I want statement]
Followed immediately by the table. Much cleaner and less hierarchical.
{
"command": "open http://localhost:4000/religion#god-to-secular-map",
"description": "Reopen to see flattened structure"
}Reopened the page. All 10 sections now have the simpler format with just bold titles and the "what I want" statement inline, no numbered headings.
Now drop the how to apply column
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be ok...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear\" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | \"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger\" - Nietzsche | When facing challenges, remind yourself of past difficulties you've overcome |\n| \"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me\" (Philippians 4:13) | \"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right\" - Henry Ford | Build self-efficacy through small wins and capability tracking |\n| \"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you\" (Joshua 1:9) | \"Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it\" | Practice exposure therapy - do scary things in small doses |",
"new_string": "**Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear\" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | \"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger\" - Nietzsche |\n| \"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me\" (Philippians 4:13) | \"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right\" - Henry Ford |\n| \"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you\" (Joshua 1:9) | \"Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it\" |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 168→### The many meanings of God 169→ 170→When ...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 168→### The many meanings of God 169→ 170→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each: 171→ 172→**Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming. 173→ 174→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 175→|-----------------|----------------| 176→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | 177→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | 178→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | 179→ 180→**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today. 181→ 182→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose ...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind\" (Romans 12:2) | \"The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd\" | Write and regularly review your personal eulogy |\n| \"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe\" (Proverbs 29:25) | \"What other people think of me is none of my business\" | When making decisions, check: does this align with my values? |\n| \"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you\" (Matthew 6:33) | \"Know thyself\" - Socrates | Define your core values explicitly, revisit quarterly |",
"new_string": "**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind\" (Romans 12:2) | \"The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd\" |\n| \"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe\" (Proverbs 29:25) | \"What other people think of me is none of my business\" |\n| \"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you\" (Matthew 6:33) | \"Know thyself\" - Socrates |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 176→| "No temptation has overtaken you except wh...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 176→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | 177→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | 178→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | 179→ 180→**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today. 181→ 182→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 183→|-----------------|----------------| 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | 185→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | 186→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | 187→ 188→**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't. 189→ 190→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outco...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding\" (Proverbs 3:5) | \"Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change\" - Serenity Prayer | Distinguish influence (what you control) from outcomes (what you don't) |\n| \"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you\" (1 Peter 5:7) | \"Amor fati\" - love your fate (Stoicism) | Focus effort on actions, practice acceptance of results |\n| \"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light\" (Matthew 11:28-30) | \"The obstacle is the way\" - Marcus Aurelius | After maximizing influence, practice radical acceptance |",
"new_string": "**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding\" (Proverbs 3:5) | \"Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change\" - Serenity Prayer |\n| \"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you\" (1 Peter 5:7) | \"Amor fati\" - love your fate (Stoicism) |\n| \"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light\" (Matthew 11:28-30) | \"The obstacle is the way\" - Marcus Aurelius |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this wor...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | 185→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | 186→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | 187→ 188→**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't. 189→ 190→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 191→|-----------------|----------------| 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | 193→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | 194→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | 195→ 196→**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing. 197→ 198→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not ach...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God\" (Romans 8:38-39) | \"You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love\" - Buddha | Practice self-compassion exercises, especially after failures |\n| \"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing\" (Zephaniah 3:17) | \"There is nothing you need to do to be worthy\" - Carl Rogers | Notice the voice that says \"you need to earn love\" and challenge it |\n| \"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness\" (Jeremiah 31:3) | \"You are enough\" - Bren\u00e9 Brown | Build relationships where you're loved for who you are, not what you achieve |",
"new_string": "**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God\" (Romans 8:38-39) | \"You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love\" - Buddha |\n| \"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing\" (Zephaniah 3:17) | \"There is nothing you need to do to be worthy\" - Carl Rogers |\n| \"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness\" (Jeremiah 31:3) | \"You are enough\" - Bren\u00e9 Brown |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | 193→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | 194→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | 195→ 196→**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing. 197→ 198→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 199→|-----------------|----------------| 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | 201→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | 202→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | 203→ 204→**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment. 205→ 206→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in th...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?\" (Psalm 8:3-4) | \"Pale blue dot\" - Carl Sagan | Look at stars, read cosmology, contemplate deep time |\n| \"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts\" (Isaiah 55:9) | \"Sub specie aeternitatis\" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | When stressed, zoom out: will this matter in 10 years? |\n| \"Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless\" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | \"Memento mori\" - remember you will die | Regular death meditation to maintain perspective |",
"new_string": "**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?\" (Psalm 8:3-4) | \"Pale blue dot\" - Carl Sagan |\n| \"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts\" (Isaiah 55:9) | \"Sub specie aeternitatis\" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) |\n| \"Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless\" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | \"Memento mori\" - remember you will die |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | 201→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | 202→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | 203→ 204→**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment. 205→ 206→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 207→|-----------------|----------------| 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | 209→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | 210→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | 211→ 212→**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to "is this right or wrong?" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time. 213→ 214→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without hav...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets\" (Matthew 7:12) | \"Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law\" - Kant | Test decisions: what if everyone did this? |\n| \"Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these\" (Mark 12:31) | \"We are pattern-seeking, social primates\" - Sam Harris | Consider impact on others' wellbeing as part of ethics |\n| \"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God\" (Micah 6:8) | \"Virtue ethics\" - Aristotle | Define and practice specific virtues (courage, kindness, wisdom) |",
"new_string": "**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets\" (Matthew 7:12) | \"Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law\" - Kant |\n| \"Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these\" (Mark 12:31) | \"We are pattern-seeking, social primates\" - Sam Harris |\n| \"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God\" (Micah 6:8) | \"Virtue ethics\" - Aristotle |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | 209→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | 210→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | 211→ 212→**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to "is this right or wrong?" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time. 213→ 214→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 215→|-----------------|----------------| 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | 217→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | 218→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | 219→ 220→**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly. 221→ 222→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, insta...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them\" (Matthew 18:20) | \"We need people who share our values\" | Find or create regular gatherings around shared values |\n| \"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another\" (Proverbs 27:17) | \"You are the average of the five people you spend time with\" - Jim Rohn | Deliberately choose community based on values, not just proximity |\n| \"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ\" (Galatians 6:2) | \"Social connection is a fundamental human need\" - psychology | Show up consistently for your people, let them show up for you |",
"new_string": "**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them\" (Matthew 18:20) | \"We need people who share our values\" |\n| \"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another\" (Proverbs 27:17) | \"You are the average of the five people you spend time with\" - Jim Rohn |\n| \"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ\" (Galatians 6:2) | \"Social connection is a fundamental human need\" - psychology |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you w...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | 217→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | 218→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | 219→ 220→**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly. 221→ 222→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 223→|-----------------|----------------| 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | 225→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | 226→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | 227→ 228→**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch. 229→ 230→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, wi...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God\" (Exodus 20:8-10) | \"Habit is second nature\" - Aristotle | Design weekly rest ritual, protect it fiercely |\n| \"Give us today our daily bread\" (Matthew 6:11) | \"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit\" - Will Durant | Create daily practices for reflection, gratitude |\n| \"Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate\" (Mark 10:9) | \"Rituals mark transitions and build meaning\" | Design personal ceremonies for major life transitions |",
"new_string": "**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God\" (Exodus 20:8-10) | \"Habit is second nature\" - Aristotle |\n| \"Give us today our daily bread\" (Matthew 6:11) | \"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit\" - Will Durant |\n| \"Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate\" (Mark 10:9) | \"Rituals mark transitions and build meaning\" |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name,...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | 225→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | 226→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | 227→ 228→**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch. 229→ 230→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 231→|-----------------|----------------| 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | 233→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | 234→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | 235→ 236→**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused. 237→ 238→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confus...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you\" (Matthew 7:7) | \"Therapy is cheaper than divorce\" | Find a therapist, coach, or mentor you trust |\n| \"The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out\" (Proverbs 20:5) | \"We can't read the label from inside the jar\" | Get external perspective on your blind spots |\n| \"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed\" (Proverbs 15:22) | \"Strong opinions, weakly held\" - learn and update | Build a personal board of advisors |",
"new_string": "**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you\" (Matthew 7:7) | \"Therapy is cheaper than divorce\" |\n| \"The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out\" (Proverbs 20:5) | \"We can't read the label from inside the jar\" |\n| \"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed\" (Proverbs 15:22) | \"Strong opinions, weakly held\" - learn and update |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it ho...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | 233→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | 234→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | 235→ 236→**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused. 237→ 238→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 239→|-----------------|----------------| 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | 241→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | 242→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | 243→ 244→**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing. 245→ 246→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anx...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | How to Apply |\n|-----------------|----------------|--------------|\n| \"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth\" (Psalm 46:10) | \"Meditation reduces anxiety\" - neuroscience research | Daily meditation practice, even 10 minutes |\n| \"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest\" (Matthew 11:28) | \"The answer to the agitation is stillness\" - Ryan Holiday | Create sacred rest time - no productivity, no achieving |\n| \"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus\" (Philippians 4:7) | \"Flow states\" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Find activities that create effortless presence |",
"new_string": "**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth\" (Psalm 46:10) | \"Meditation reduces anxiety\" - neuroscience research |\n| \"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest\" (Matthew 11:28) | \"The answer to the agitation is stillness\" - Ryan Holiday |\n| \"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus\" (Philippians 4:7) | \"Flow states\" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | 241→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | 242→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | 243→ 244→**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing. 245→ 246→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom | 247→|-----------------|----------------| 248→| "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10) | "Meditation reduces anxiety" - neuroscience research | 249→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) | "The answer to the agitation is stillness" - Ryan Holiday | 250→| "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7) | "Flow states" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | 251→ 252→ 253→### The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 254→
Done! All 10 tables now have just two columns - "Religious Wisdom" and "Secular Wisdom". Much cleaner and focuses on the parallel wisdom without the prescriptive "how to apply" column.
God to Secular map seems like the wrong title. Give me some alt titles - mabye the "What is god anyways?" not as easy as it sounds?
Here are some alternative titles that capture different angles:
Direct & Questioning:
Emphasizing Complexity:
Personal & Vulnerable:
Pragmatic/Functional (very you):
Translation Theme (fits with your devotional work):
My top picks for your voice:
Which direction feels right?
1.
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "## God to Secular Map\n\nI'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I wer...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "## God to Secular Map\n\nI'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace \"God\" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is \"universe\", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself",
"new_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nI'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace \"God\" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is \"universe\", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 160→A ritual for death, for marriage, to remind us to...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 160→A ritual for death, for marriage, to remind us to forgive, and to be void of temptation 161→ 162→### A harbor of inner peace 163→ 164→## What Is God Anyway? 165→ 166→I'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace "God" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is "universe", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself 167→ 168→### The many meanings of God 169→ 170→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each:
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "- [God to Secular Map](#god-to-secular-map)",
"new_string": "- [W...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "- [God to Secular Map](#god-to-secular-map)",
"new_string": "- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
28→ - [a sense of confidence, without risk of conce...The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
28→ - [a sense of confidence, without risk of conceit.](#a-sense-of-confidence-without-risk-of-conceit)
29→ - [a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.](#a-reminder-of-how-small-and-petty-my-problems-really-are)
30→ - [a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events](#a-set-of-rituals-to-keep-me-on-track-and-for-complex-events)
31→ - [A harbor of inner peace](#a-harbor-of-inner-peace)
32→- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)
33→ - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)
34→ - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
35→ - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
36→ - [How I'm Cobbling Mine Together](#how-im-cobbling-mine-together)
Done! Changed the section title from "God to Secular Map" to "What Is God Anyway?" and updated the table of contents to match.
Git rid of Religious Wisdom Secular Wisdom on all but first table
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose ...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind\" (Romans 12:2) | \"The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd\" |",
"new_string": "**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind\" (Romans 12:2) | \"The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd\" |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 176→| "No temptation has overtaken you except wh...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 176→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche | 177→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford | 178→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" | 179→ 180→**Personal Mission & Values:** A North Star that doesn't shift based on whose opinion is loudest today. 181→ 182→| | 183→|-----------------|----------------| 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | 185→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | 186→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | 187→ 188→**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outco...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding\" (Proverbs 3:5) | \"Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change\" - Serenity Prayer |",
"new_string": "**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding\" (Proverbs 3:5) | \"Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change\" - Serenity Prayer |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this wor...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 184→| "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) | "The person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd" | 185→| "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe" (Proverbs 29:25) | "What other people think of me is none of my business" | 186→| "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33) | "Know thyself" - Socrates | 187→ 188→**Locus of Control:** To stop carrying the crushing weight of believing I control outcomes I don't. 189→ 190→| | 191→|-----------------|----------------| 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | 193→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | 194→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | 195→ 196→**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not ach...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God\" (Romans 8:38-39) | \"You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love\" - Buddha |",
"new_string": "**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God\" (Romans 8:38-39) | \"You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love\" - Buddha |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 192→| "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) | "Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change" - Serenity Prayer | 193→| "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) | "Amor fati" - love your fate (Stoicism) | 194→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) | "The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius | 195→ 196→**Source of Unconditional Love:** To feel fundamentally okay even when I'm not achieving, producing, or performing. 197→ 198→| | 199→|-----------------|----------------| 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | 201→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | 202→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | 203→ 204→**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in th...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?\" (Psalm 8:3-4) | \"Pale blue dot\" - Carl Sagan |",
"new_string": "**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?\" (Psalm 8:3-4) | \"Pale blue dot\" - Carl Sagan |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 200→| "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39) | "You yourself, as much as anybody, deserve your love" - Buddha | 201→| "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17) | "There is nothing you need to do to be worthy" - Carl Rogers | 202→| "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) | "You are enough" - Brené Brown | 203→ 204→**Cosmic Perspective:** Relief from the tyranny of small anxieties that feel huge in the moment. 205→ 206→| | 207→|-----------------|----------------| 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | 209→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | 210→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | 211→ 212→**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to "is this right or wrong?" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without hav...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets\" (Matthew 7:12) | \"Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law\" - Kant |",
"new_string": "**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to \"is this right or wrong?\" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets\" (Matthew 7:12) | \"Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law\" - Kant |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 208→| "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) | "Pale blue dot" - Carl Sagan | 209→| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9) | "Sub specie aeternitatis" - from the perspective of eternity (Spinoza) | 210→| "Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) | "Memento mori" - remember you will die | 211→ 212→**Moral Framework:** Clear answers to "is this right or wrong?" without having to rebuild ethics from first principles every time. 213→ 214→| | 215→|-----------------|----------------| 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | 217→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | 218→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | 219→ 220→**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.
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"old_string": "**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, insta...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them\" (Matthew 18:20) | \"We need people who share our values\" |",
"new_string": "**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them\" (Matthew 18:20) | \"We need people who share our values\" |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you w...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 216→| "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12) | "Act only according to maxims you'd want to be universal law" - Kant | 217→| "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31) | "We are pattern-seeking, social primates" - Sam Harris | 218→| "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) | "Virtue ethics" - Aristotle | 219→ 220→**Community Identifier:** To walk into any city and know where to find my people, instantly. 221→ 222→| | 223→|-----------------|----------------| 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | 225→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | 226→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | 227→ 228→**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.
{
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"old_string": "**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, wi...{
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"old_string": "**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God\" (Exodus 20:8-10) | \"Habit is second nature\" - Aristotle |",
"new_string": "**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God\" (Exodus 20:8-10) | \"Habit is second nature\" - Aristotle |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name,...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 224→| "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) | "We need people who share our values" | 225→| "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) | "You are the average of the five people you spend time with" - Jim Rohn | 226→| "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) | "Social connection is a fundamental human need" - psychology | 227→ 228→**Ritual Designer:** To know exactly what to do when life throws major events at me, without having to invent everything from scratch. 229→ 230→| | 231→|-----------------|----------------| 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | 233→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | 234→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | 235→ 236→**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.
{
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"old_string": "**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confus...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you\" (Matthew 7:7) | \"Therapy is cheaper than divorce\" |",
"new_string": "**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you\" (Matthew 7:7) | \"Therapy is cheaper than divorce\" |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it ho...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 232→| "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10) | "Habit is second nature" - Aristotle | 233→| "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) | "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Will Durant | 234→| "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:9) | "Rituals mark transitions and build meaning" | 235→ 236→**Spiritual Guide:** Access to wisdom greater than my own when I'm stuck or confused. 237→ 238→| | 239→|-----------------|----------------| 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | 241→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | 242→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | 243→ 244→**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.
{
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"old_string": "**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anx...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.\n\n| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth\" (Psalm 46:10) | \"Meditation reduces anxiety\" - neuroscience research |",
"new_string": "**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing.\n\n| |\n|-----------------|----------------|\n| \"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth\" (Psalm 46:10) | \"Meditation reduces anxiety\" - neuroscience research |"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 240→| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) | "Therapy is cheaper than divorce" | 241→| "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5) | "We can't read the label from inside the jar" | 242→| "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22) | "Strong opinions, weakly held" - learn and update | 243→ 244→**Harbor of Inner Peace:** A place to stop striving and just *be*, without guilt or anxiety about what I should be doing. 245→ 246→| | 247→|-----------------|----------------| 248→| "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10) | "Meditation reduces anxiety" - neuroscience research | 249→| "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) | "The answer to the agitation is stillness" - Ryan Holiday | 250→| "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7) | "Flow states" - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | 251→ 252→
Done! Removed the header row (Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom) from all tables except the first one. The first table establishes what the columns mean, and the rest flow cleanly without the repetitive headers.
I made changes read 'em
Looking at the changes - much cleaner! The linter removed the awkward empty header row | | I created and now the subsequent tables just start with the separator line |-----------------|----------------| and go straight into content.
So now you have:
This flows much better visually. The structure is clear from the first table, then the rest are just clean comparisons without the noise of repeated column labels.
Great - Makde the what's the difference it's own section. Add another poitn there, that there is a lot of encouragement suppot to ask and answer these questsionf or religious people, where for the secular other then the self help section and a few movies, it's not clear you shoudl be doing it
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"old_string": "### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nAt first glanc...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nAt first glance, religion seems easier - the \"word of God is defined.\" But is it really?\n\nConsider the conflicts:\n- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism)\n- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia)\n- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive)\n- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance)\n\nSo religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?**\n\nThe answer I keep hearing: \"I can feel it\" or \"I feel God's touch\" or \"The Holy Spirit guides me.\" But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense.\n\nBoth paths require:\n1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs\n2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life?\n3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree?\n4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn\n\nThe main difference: Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with **uncertainty** because we know we're making it up as we go.\n\nWhich is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning.",
"new_string": "### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nAt first glance, religion seems easier - the \"word of God is defined.\" But is it really?\n\nConsider the conflicts:\n- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism)\n- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia)\n- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive)\n- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance)\n\nSo religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?**\n\nThe answer I keep hearing: \"I can feel it\" or \"I feel God's touch\" or \"The Holy Spirit guides me.\" But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense.\n\n### Wait, What's Actually Different Then?\n\nLooking at both paths, they have surprising similarities. Both require:\n\n1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs\n2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life?\n3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree?\n4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn\n\nBut there are real differences:\n\n**Confidence vs Uncertainty:** Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with **uncertainty** because we know we're making it up as we go.\n\n**Support Infrastructure:** Religious people have massive support systems for asking and answering life's big questions:\n- Weekly services and study groups\n- Religious education (Sunday school, Bible study, Torah study)\n- Clergy who've dedicated their lives to these questions\n- Thousands of years of theological texts and commentary\n- A community expectation that you *should* wrestle with meaning\n\nSecular people get... self-help books and the occasional philosophical movie? There's no weekly gathering where we sit down and ask \"what's the good life?\" together. No secular equivalent of a rabbi or pastor whose job is to help you think through ethics and meaning. Philosophy departments exist, but they're academic, not community-based. The whole infrastructure is missing.\n\nWhich is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. The support system sounds amazing - to have people whose job is to help you with these questions. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning."
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 254→The stress isn't just about doing the work -...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 254→The stress isn't just about doing the work - it's about never knowing if you got it right. Religious people can say "God says so" and move on. I'm stuck with "well, based on my reading of philosophy and my personal experience and the limited research I could find, I think maybe this approach..." 255→ 256→That uncertainty is exhausting. 257→ 258→### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 259→ 260→At first glance, religion seems easier - the "word of God is defined." But is it really? 261→ 262→Consider the conflicts: 263→- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism) 264→- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia) 265→- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive) 266→- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance) 267→ 268→So religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?** 269→ 270→The answer I keep hearing: "I can feel it" or "I feel God's touch" or "The Holy Spirit guides me." But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense. 271→ 272→### Wait, What's Actually Different Then? 273→ 274→Looking at both paths, they have surprising similarities. Both require: 275→ 276→1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs 277→2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life? 278→3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree? 279→4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn 280→ 281→But there are real differences: 282→ 283→**Confidence vs Uncertainty:** Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with **uncertainty** because we know we're making it up as we go. 284→ 285→**Support Infrastructure:** Religious people have massive support systems for asking and answering life's big questions: 286→- Weekly services and study groups 287→- Religious education (Sunday school, Bible study, Torah study) 288→- Clergy who've dedicated their lives to these questions 289→- Thousands of years of theological texts and commentary 290→- A community expectation that you *should* wrestle with meaning 291→ 292→Secular people get... self-help books and the occasional philosophical movie? There's no weekly gathering where we sit down and ask "what's the good life?" together. No secular equivalent of a rabbi or pastor whose job is to help you think through ethics and meaning. Philosophy departments exist, but they're academic, not community-based. The whole infrastructure is missing. 293→ 294→Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just *know* you're right. The support system sounds amazing - to have people whose job is to help you with these questions. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning. 295→ 296→### How I'm Cobbling Mine Together 297→ 298→When I consider religious texts, I do this mental translation exercise:
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"old_string": "- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)\n - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)\n - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)\n - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)\n - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)\n - [How I'm Cobbling Mine Together](#how-im-cobbling-mine-together)",
"new_string": "- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)\n - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)\n - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)\n - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)\n - [Wait, What's Actually Different Then?](#wait-whats-actually-different-then)\n - [How I'm Cobbling Mine Together](#how-im-cobbling-mine-together)"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
28→ - [a sense of confidence, without risk of conce...The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
28→ - [a sense of confidence, without risk of conceit.](#a-sense-of-confidence-without-risk-of-conceit)
29→ - [a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.](#a-reminder-of-how-small-and-petty-my-problems-really-are)
30→ - [a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events](#a-set-of-rituals-to-keep-me-on-track-and-for-complex-events)
31→ - [A harbor of inner peace](#a-harbor-of-inner-peace)
32→- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)
33→ - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)
34→ - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
35→ - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
36→ - [Wait, What's Actually Different Then?](#wait-whats-actually-different-then)
37→ - [How I'm Cobbling Mine Together](#how-im-cobbling-mine-together)
38→- [Some bible verses I really like](#some-bible-verses-i-really-like)
39→ - [Don't take Faith Blindly](#dont-take-faith-blindly)
40→ - [Be Tolerant Of Others](#be-tolerant-of-others)
41→ - [Be Deliberate, Disciplined, Daily](#be-deliberate-disciplined-daily)
Done! I've created a new section "Wait, What's Actually Different Then?" that:
Updated the table of contents too. This really emphasizes how isolated the secular path is - no weekly gatherings to discuss "what's the good life?", no equivalent of a rabbi whose job is helping with ethics and meaning.
OK, now look at gifts I want, seems like lots of oerlap - what is remaining from that ot the section we jjust added?
Looking at the "Gifts I want" section compared to what we covered in "The many meanings of God":
Fully covered (just worded differently):
Partially covered or missing nuance:
"not have to ponder the definition of the good life, or what happens after death, or what it all means" - We touched on Moral Framework, but the specific "what happens after death" and ultimate meaning questions aren't explicitly there. This is about existential answers, not just ethics.
"to have certainty over all things" - This is broader than any single role. It's about epistemological certainty - not just confidence in myself, but certainty about how the world works, what's true, what to believe.
So what's genuinely remaining:
Should we add these as roles in "The many meanings of God"? Or keep "Gifts I want" as-is since it has a different, more personal tone?
Lets cut gifts I want
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"old_string": "- [The Hard Parts for Me](#the-hard-parts-for-me)\n - [Proof](#proof)\n - [Hypocrisy]...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "- [The Hard Parts for Me](#the-hard-parts-for-me)\n - [Proof](#proof)\n - [Hypocrisy](#hypocrisy)\n - [Pushiness](#pushiness)\n - [Arbitrariness & Literalism](#arbitrariness--literalism)\n- [The Gifts I want](#the-gifts-i-want)\n - [Unconditional Love](#unconditional-love)\n - [to know who I am, and to know my tribe, and know where to find my tribe wherever I go.](#to-know-who-i-am-and-to-know-my-tribe-and-know-where-to-find-my-tribe-wherever-i-go)\n - [not have to ponder the definition of the good life, or what happens after death, or what it all means](#not-have-to-ponder-the-definition-of-the-good-life-or-what-happens-after-death-or-what-it-all-means)\n - [to have access to an accessible spiritual guide.](#to-have-access-to-an-accessible-spiritual-guide)\n - [to have certainty over all things](#to-have-certainty-over-all-things)\n - [a sense of confidence, without risk of conceit.](#a-sense-of-confidence-without-risk-of-conceit)\n - [a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.](#a-reminder-of-how-small-and-petty-my-problems-really-are)\n - [a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events](#a-set-of-rituals-to-keep-me-on-track-and-for-complex-events)\n - [A harbor of inner peace](#a-harbor-of-inner-peace)\n- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)",
"new_string": "- [The Hard Parts for Me](#the-hard-parts-for-me)\n - [Proof](#proof)\n - [Hypocrisy](#hypocrisy)\n - [Pushiness](#pushiness)\n - [Arbitrariness & Literalism](#arbitrariness--literalism)\n- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
13→ - [How I Became a Man at 13](#how-i-became-a-ma...The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
13→ - [How I Became a Man at 13](#how-i-became-a-man-at-13)
14→ - [When Proof Became My Religion](#when-proof-became-my-religion)
15→ - [The Day I valued Religion](#the-day-i-valued-religion)
16→ - [When someone important to me found god.](#when-someone-important-to-me-found-god)
17→- [The Hard Parts for Me](#the-hard-parts-for-me)
18→ - [Proof](#proof)
19→ - [Hypocrisy](#hypocrisy)
20→ - [Pushiness](#pushiness)
21→ - [Arbitrariness & Literalism](#arbitrariness--literalism)
22→- [What Is God Anyway?](#what-is-god-anyway)
23→ - [The many meanings of God](#the-many-meanings-of-god)
24→ - [The Secular Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-secular-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
25→ - [The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god](#the-religious-challenge-of-having-to-cobble-together-your-own-god)
26→ - [How I'm Cobbling Mine Together](#how-im-cobbling-mine-together)
{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"offset": 120,
"limit": 50
}120→### Unconditional Love 121→ 122→Not in all religions, but in Christianity at least, there is a notion of unconditional love. I'm certain that's incredibly important and what a w...
120→### Unconditional Love
121→
122→Not in all religions, but in Christianity at least, there is a notion of unconditional love. I'm certain that's incredibly important and what a wonderful feeling.
123→
124→### to know who I am, and to know my tribe, and know where to find my tribe wherever I go.
125→
126→How good it is to belong. We all need a place for like-minded people, and while you can find this in hobbies, and classes, those things tend to be time bound, and the people there come and go people there are For religions, they usually have places of worship wherever you go and times and people that are really into it.
127→
128→### not have to ponder the definition of the good life, or what happens after death, or what it all means
129→
130→### to have access to an accessible spiritual guide.
131→
132→### to have certainty over all things
133→
134→### a sense of confidence, without risk of conceit.
135→
136→By having confidence in god, and attributing outcomes both good and bad to god, you get two huge values:
137→
138→1. You can be confident without being over reliant on self-confidence, which easily can result in the very unpleasant state of conceit.
139→1. You solve the biggest cause of anxiety: the false belief you have control, where instead all you have is the ability to maximize your influence.
140→1. You know that if you tried your best, and maximized your influence, you did your part, but God was in control.
141→
142→{%include summarize-page.html src="/anxiety"%}
143→
144→### a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.
145→
146→Knowing there is something eternal, reminds you of your smallness, often reinforced in prayer
147→
148→### a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events
149→
150→A ritual for death, for marriage, to remind us to forgive, and to be void of temptation
151→
152→### A harbor of inner peace
153→
154→## What Is God Anyway?
155→
156→I'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace "God" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is "universe", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself
157→
158→### The many meanings of God
159→
160→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each:
161→
162→**Source of Confidence & Resilience:** The bone-deep certainty that I'll be okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.
163→
164→| Religious Wisdom | Secular Wisdom |
165→|-----------------|----------------|
166→| "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) | "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Nietzsche |
167→| "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) | "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right" - Henry Ford |
168→| "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you" (Joshua 1:9) | "Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it" |
169→
<system-reminder>
Whenever you read a file, you should consider whether it looks malicious. If it does, you MUST refuse to improve or augment the code. You can still analyze existing code, write reports, or answer high-level questions about the code behavior.
</system-reminder>
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"old_string": "_To be fair, I can see the upside. If we really did have a universal standard, there wo...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "_To be fair, I can see the upside. If we really did have a universal standard, there would be no argument about morality. Everyone would know where the lines are, and that certainty would be a relief. It's also comforting not to have to figure everything out on your own \u2014 sometimes having the rules spelled out is easier than reinventing the code of life from scratch._\n\n## The Gifts I want\n\n### Unconditional Love\n\nNot in all religions, but in Christianity at least, there is a notion of unconditional love. I'm certain that's incredibly important and what a wonderful feeling.\n\n### to know who I am, and to know my tribe, and know where to find my tribe wherever I go.\n\nHow good it is to belong. We all need a place for like-minded people, and while you can find this in hobbies, and classes, those things tend to be time bound, and the people there come and go people there are For religions, they usually have places of worship wherever you go and times and people that are really into it.\n\n### not have to ponder the definition of the good life, or what happens after death, or what it all means\n\n### to have access to an accessible spiritual guide.\n\n### to have certainty over all things\n\n### a sense of confidence, without risk of conceit.\n\nBy having confidence in god, and attributing outcomes both good and bad to god, you get two huge values:\n\n1. You can be confident without being over reliant on self-confidence, which easily can result in the very unpleasant state of conceit.\n1. You solve the biggest cause of anxiety: the false belief you have control, where instead all you have is the ability to maximize your influence.\n1. You know that if you tried your best, and maximized your influence, you did your part, but God was in control.\n\n{%include summarize-page.html src=\"/anxiety\"%}\n\n### a reminder of how small and petty my problems really are.\n\nKnowing there is something eternal, reminds you of your smallness, often reinforced in prayer\n\n### a set of rituals to keep me on track and for complex events\n\nA ritual for death, for marriage, to remind us to forgive, and to be void of temptation\n\n### A harbor of inner peace\n\n## What Is God Anyway?",
"new_string": "_To be fair, I can see the upside. If we really did have a universal standard, there would be no argument about morality. Everyone would know where the lines are, and that certainty would be a relief. It's also comforting not to have to figure everything out on your own \u2014 sometimes having the rules spelled out is easier than reinventing the code of life from scratch._\n\n## What Is God Anyway?"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 112→### Arbitrariness & Literalism 113→ 114...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 112→### Arbitrariness & Literalism 113→ 114→The problem is arbitrariness. I struggle with random literal interpretations, absolute faith, and the inability to question. It feels like being asked to accept rules without context, as if the meaning is locked and you’re not allowed to ask why. 115→ 116→_To be fair, I can see the upside. If we really did have a universal standard, there would be no argument about morality. Everyone would know where the lines are, and that certainty would be a relief. It's also comforting not to have to figure everything out on your own — sometimes having the rules spelled out is easier than reinventing the code of life from scratch._ 117→ 118→## What Is God Anyway? 119→ 120→I'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace "God" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is "universe", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself 121→ 122→### The many meanings of God
Done! Removed the entire "The Gifts I want" section. The document now flows from "The Hard Parts for Me" directly into "What Is God Anyway?" which covers all those concepts more thoroughly with the religious/secular comparison tables.
ok, lets make the intro paragraph to what is god anyways better nad cover what we'll discuss
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"old_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nI'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I we...{
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"old_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nI'm reading a lot of devotionals, and ask myself if I were to replace \"God\" with a word/concept, what would it be. The cop out is \"universe\", but I suspect it covers many asks for myself",
"new_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nWhen I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a mental find-and-replace. If I swap out \"God\" with something secular - what word would I use? \"Universe\" feels like a cop-out. \"Myself\" doesn't capture it either.\n\nThen it hit me: I can't do a simple find-and-replace because God isn't one thing. God is doing ten different jobs simultaneously - source of confidence, moral framework, community identifier, ritual designer. Religious people get all of that in one package. Secular people have to cobble together ten different solutions from ten different sources.\n\nBut here's the twist: religious people face their own cobbling challenge. With conflicting scriptures, denominations, and interpretations, how do they know THEIR understanding of God is correct? And what makes their path actually different from mine?\n\nIn this section, I'll explore:\n- The many distinct roles God plays\n- Why the secular path is so exhausting (and lonely)\n- Why the religious path isn't as simple as it looks\n- What's actually different between the two approaches\n- How I'm personally trying to cobble mine together"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 114→The problem is arbitrariness. I struggle with ran...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 114→The problem is arbitrariness. I struggle with random literal interpretations, absolute faith, and the inability to question. It feels like being asked to accept rules without context, as if the meaning is locked and you’re not allowed to ask why. 115→ 116→_To be fair, I can see the upside. If we really did have a universal standard, there would be no argument about morality. Everyone would know where the lines are, and that certainty would be a relief. It's also comforting not to have to figure everything out on your own — sometimes having the rules spelled out is easier than reinventing the code of life from scratch._ 117→ 118→## What Is God Anyway? 119→ 120→When I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a mental find-and-replace. If I swap out "God" with something secular - what word would I use? "Universe" feels like a cop-out. "Myself" doesn't capture it either. 121→ 122→Then it hit me: I can't do a simple find-and-replace because God isn't one thing. God is doing ten different jobs simultaneously - source of confidence, moral framework, community identifier, ritual designer. Religious people get all of that in one package. Secular people have to cobble together ten different solutions from ten different sources. 123→ 124→But here's the twist: religious people face their own cobbling challenge. With conflicting scriptures, denominations, and interpretations, how do they know THEIR understanding of God is correct? And what makes their path actually different from mine? 125→ 126→In this section, I'll explore: 127→- The many distinct roles God plays 128→- Why the secular path is so exhausting (and lonely) 129→- Why the religious path isn't as simple as it looks 130→- What's actually different between the two approaches 131→- How I'm personally trying to cobble mine together 132→ 133→### The many meanings of God 134→ 135→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each:
Done! The new intro:
Much stronger and clearer than "The cop out is 'universe', but I suspect it covers many asks for myself."
Great, first 3 paragraphs, and drop the in this section
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"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nWhen I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a mental find-and-replace. If I swap out \"God\" with something secular - what word would I use? \"Universe\" feels like a cop-out. \"Myself\" doesn't capture it either.\n\nThen it hit me: I can't do a simple find-and-replace because God isn't one thing. God is doing ten different jobs simultaneously - source of confidence, moral framework, community identifier, ritual designer. Religious people get all of that in one package. Secular people have to cobble together ten different solutions from ten different sources.\n\nBut here's the twist: religious people face their own cobbling challenge. With conflicting scriptures, denominations, and interpretations, how do they know THEIR understanding of God is correct? And what makes their path actually different from mine?\n\nIn this section, I'll explore:\n- The many distinct roles God plays\n- Why the secular path is so exhausting (and lonely)\n- Why the religious path isn't as simple as it looks\n- What's actually different between the two approaches\n- How I'm personally trying to cobble mine together",
"new_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nWhen I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a mental find-and-replace. If I swap out \"God\" with something secular - what word would I use? \"Universe\" feels like a cop-out. \"Myself\" doesn't capture it either.\n\nThen it hit me: I can't do a simple find-and-replace because God isn't one thing. God is doing ten different jobs simultaneously - source of confidence, moral framework, community identifier, ritual designer. Religious people get all of that in one package. Secular people have to cobble together ten different solutions from ten different sources.\n\nBut here's the twist: religious people face their own cobbling challenge. With conflicting scriptures, denominations, and interpretations, how do they know THEIR understanding of God is correct? And what makes their path actually different from mine?"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 114→The problem is arbitrariness. I struggle with ran...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 114→The problem is arbitrariness. I struggle with random literal interpretations, absolute faith, and the inability to question. It feels like being asked to accept rules without context, as if the meaning is locked and you’re not allowed to ask why. 115→ 116→_To be fair, I can see the upside. If we really did have a universal standard, there would be no argument about morality. Everyone would know where the lines are, and that certainty would be a relief. It's also comforting not to have to figure everything out on your own — sometimes having the rules spelled out is easier than reinventing the code of life from scratch._ 117→ 118→## What Is God Anyway? 119→ 120→When I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a mental find-and-replace. If I swap out "God" with something secular - what word would I use? "Universe" feels like a cop-out. "Myself" doesn't capture it either. 121→ 122→Then it hit me: I can't do a simple find-and-replace because God isn't one thing. God is doing ten different jobs simultaneously - source of confidence, moral framework, community identifier, ritual designer. Religious people get all of that in one package. Secular people have to cobble together ten different solutions from ten different sources. 123→ 124→But here's the twist: religious people face their own cobbling challenge. With conflicting scriptures, denominations, and interpretations, how do they know THEIR understanding of God is correct? And what makes their path actually different from mine? 125→ 126→### The many meanings of God 127→ 128→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each:
Done! Kept the first three strong paragraphs and removed the prescriptive bullet list. The ending question now flows naturally into the content without announcing what's coming.
Merge 3 paragraphs to 1
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"old_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nWhen I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a m...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nWhen I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a mental find-and-replace. If I swap out \"God\" with something secular - what word would I use? \"Universe\" feels like a cop-out. \"Myself\" doesn't capture it either.\n\nThen it hit me: I can't do a simple find-and-replace because God isn't one thing. God is doing ten different jobs simultaneously - source of confidence, moral framework, community identifier, ritual designer. Religious people get all of that in one package. Secular people have to cobble together ten different solutions from ten different sources.\n\nBut here's the twist: religious people face their own cobbling challenge. With conflicting scriptures, denominations, and interpretations, how do they know THEIR understanding of God is correct? And what makes their path actually different from mine?",
"new_string": "## What Is God Anyway?\n\nWhen I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a mental find-and-replace - if I swap out \"God\" with something secular, what word would I use? \"Universe\" feels like a cop-out. \"Myself\" doesn't capture it either. Then it hit me: I can't do a simple find-and-replace because God isn't one thing - God is doing ten different jobs simultaneously: source of confidence, moral framework, community identifier, ritual designer. Religious people get all of that in one package. Secular people have to cobble together ten different solutions from ten different sources. But here's the twist: religious people face their own cobbling challenge. With conflicting scriptures, denominations, and interpretations, how do they know THEIR understanding of God is correct? And what makes their path actually different from mine?"
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 114→The problem is arbitrariness. I struggle with ran...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 114→The problem is arbitrariness. I struggle with random literal interpretations, absolute faith, and the inability to question. It feels like being asked to accept rules without context, as if the meaning is locked and you’re not allowed to ask why. 115→ 116→_To be fair, I can see the upside. If we really did have a universal standard, there would be no argument about morality. Everyone would know where the lines are, and that certainty would be a relief. It's also comforting not to have to figure everything out on your own — sometimes having the rules spelled out is easier than reinventing the code of life from scratch._ 117→ 118→## What Is God Anyway? 119→ 120→When I read devotionals each morning, I keep trying to do a mental find-and-replace - if I swap out "God" with something secular, what word would I use? "Universe" feels like a cop-out. "Myself" doesn't capture it either. Then it hit me: I can't do a simple find-and-replace because God isn't one thing - God is doing ten different jobs simultaneously: source of confidence, moral framework, community identifier, ritual designer. Religious people get all of that in one package. Secular people have to cobble together ten different solutions from ten different sources. But here's the twist: religious people face their own cobbling challenge. With conflicting scriptures, denominations, and interpretations, how do they know THEIR understanding of God is correct? And what makes their path actually different from mine? 121→ 122→### The many meanings of God 123→ 124→When I read devotionals and replace "God" with a secular concept, I realize God serves multiple roles simultaneously. Here are the main ones I've identified, with both religious and secular wisdom for each:
Done! Merged into one paragraph that flows from the find-and-replace problem, through the insight about God doing 10 jobs, to the twist that religious people also face cobbling challenges. Reads more punchy as a single block.
I want a sepearte section for the difference, d that without adding much mor econtet
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"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nAt first glanc...{
"file_path": "/Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md",
"old_string": "### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nAt first glance, religion seems easier - the \"word of God is defined.\" But is it really?\n\nConsider the conflicts:\n\n- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism)\n- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia)\n- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive)\n- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance)\n\nSo religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?**\n\nThe answer I keep hearing: \"I can feel it\" or \"I feel God's touch\" or \"The Holy Spirit guides me.\" But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense.\n\nBoth paths require:\n\n1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs\n2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life?\n3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree?\n4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn\n\nThe main difference: Religious people have **confidence** in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with **uncertainty** because we know we're making it up as we go.\n\nWhich is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just _know_ you're right. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning.",
"new_string": "### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god\n\nAt first glance, religion seems easier - the \"word of God is defined.\" But is it really?\n\nConsider the conflicts:\n\n- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism)\n- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia)\n- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive)\n- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance)\n\nSo religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?**\n\nThe answer I keep hearing: \"I can feel it\" or \"I feel God's touch\" or \"The Holy Spirit guides me.\" But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense.\n\n### So what's actually different?\n\nLooking at both paths, they have surprising similarities. Both require:\n\n1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs\n2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life?\n3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree?\n4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn\n\nBut there are real differences:\n\n**Confidence vs Uncertainty:** Religious people have confidence in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with uncertainty because we know we're making it up as we go.\n\n**Support Infrastructure:** Religious people have massive support systems for asking and answering life's big questions - weekly services, religious education, clergy who've dedicated their lives to these questions, thousands of years of texts, and a community expectation that you should wrestle with meaning. Secular people get self-help books and the occasional philosophical movie. There's no weekly gathering to ask \"what's the good life?\" together. No secular equivalent of a rabbi whose job is helping you think through ethics and meaning.\n\nWhich is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just _know_ you're right. The support system sounds amazing. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning."
}
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 207→The stress isn't just about doing the work -...
The file /Users/idvorkin/gits/blog/_d/religion.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file: 207→The stress isn't just about doing the work - it's about never knowing if you got it right. Religious people can say "God says so" and move on. I'm stuck with "well, based on my reading of philosophy and my personal experience and the limited research I could find, I think maybe this approach..." 208→ 209→That uncertainty is exhausting. 210→ 211→### The Religious Challenge of having to cobble together your own god 212→ 213→At first glance, religion seems easier - the "word of God is defined." But is it really? 214→ 215→Consider the conflicts: 216→ 217→- Between religions (Christianity vs Judaism vs Islam vs Buddhism) 218→- Between sects (Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox, Sunni vs Shia) 219→- Between interpretations (literal vs metaphorical, conservative vs progressive) 220→- Within scripture itself (contradictory verses, unclear guidance) 221→ 222→So religious people face their own cobbling challenge: **How do I know MY interpretation of God's will is correct?** 223→ 224→The answer I keep hearing: "I can feel it" or "I feel God's touch" or "The Holy Spirit guides me." But wait - isn't that the same as my secular approach? I test things, see what works, trust my experience. They pray, see what feels right, trust their spiritual sense. 225→ 226→### So what's actually different? 227→ 228→Looking at both paths, they have surprising similarities. Both require: 229→ 230→1. **Interpretation** - making sense of conflicting inputs 231→2. **Experiential testing** - does this work in my life? 232→3. **Community validation** - do others I respect agree? 233→4. **Ongoing refinement** - updating as you learn 234→ 235→But there are real differences: 236→ 237→**Confidence vs Uncertainty:** Religious people have confidence in their framework because it's backed by divine authority. Secular people are stuck with uncertainty because we know we're making it up as we go. 238→ 239→**Support Infrastructure:** Religious people have massive support systems for asking and answering life's big questions - weekly services, religious education, clergy who've dedicated their lives to these questions, thousands of years of texts, and a community expectation that you should wrestle with meaning. Secular people get self-help books and the occasional philosophical movie. There's no weekly gathering to ask "what's the good life?" together. No secular equivalent of a rabbi whose job is helping you think through ethics and meaning. 240→ 241→Which is better? I honestly don't know. The confidence sounds incredible - to just _know_ you're right. The support system sounds amazing. But I can't manufacture that confidence. My engineer brain won't let me stop questioning. 242→ 243→### How I'm Cobbling Mine Together 244→ 245→When I consider religious texts, I do this mental translation exercise:
Done! Created a new section "So what's actually different?" that pulls out the comparison without adding much new content. Now the structure is:
The comparison now stands on its own rather than being buried at the end of the religious challenge section.