Jim Taylor

Taylor: Reclaiming the goodness of darkness

Animals who know they are dying don’t head for the centre of the pack. They slip off quietly into the night.

Taylor: Suddenly the light goes on

Typically, epiphanies come after a long period of struggling with an intractable problem.

Taylor: Spontaneous collaboration at work

To me, the real world’s continually changing kaleidoscope can only happen symbiotically. No one is in charge, directing every detail.

Taylor: Lessons from a few snowflakes

Without water, life itself would not have been possible. When we search for life in space, we search for evidence of water.

Taylor: The science of transitions

Linguist James Harbeck introduced me to the word “limen” which means, in its original Latin, a threshold, a crossing over.

Taylor: The only thing on my Christmas list

If I don’t want things anymore, does that mean that, for all intents and purposes, I cease to exist?

Taylor: Expecting the birth of our new selves

…it’s hard to attach hope, peace, joy and love to specific outcomes.

Taylor: The camel takes over the tent

The meaning of any story is up to interpretation by the listener.

Taylor: Where you find God

I imagine Diogenes thrusting his lantern in the face of, say, an evangelical preacher, and demanding, “Show me God!”

Taylor: Retraining my mental muscles

I don’t object to learning new skills, or new ideas…but I’d rather snack on a doughnut than deep-fried cockroaches.

Taylor: Hard-sell commercial for salvation

Maybe churches and religious bodies should get on the bandwagon to sell redemption.

Taylor: The world’s greatest religion

…religions…refer to belief in some kind of controlling power…author Harari describes [one belief as]…“the greatest conqueror in history.”

Taylor: How words shape religions

The notion of looking for God beyond the pages of a single text appeals to me.

Taylor: Toward our inevitable winter

We almost dare not imagine the death of our churches, for example, even though we claim to believe in a life after death.

Taylor: The perils of trying to please

I’d rather not be accepted than accepted for something I’m not. It’s simply too hard to live a lie.

Taylor: The ultimate tool for change

Both girls, both Muslim, agree that the best tool for change is not weapons but education.

Taylor: Use and abuse of the Bible

Basing modern laws and politics on isolated verses from the Bible makes as much sense to me as fixing cloudy cataracts with a hammer.

Taylor: Happy birthday to me…

My friend Ralph Milton says that there’s no secret to longevity; you just have to keep on having birthdays.

Taylor: Disposing of sacred symbols

Symbols are just that: They simply represent the real thing

Taylor: Open letter to an atheist

Could it be that you cling to your image of an almighty and capricious God, because if you didn’t, you would have nothing to rail against?