{"id":7,"date":"2014-07-25T20:49:02","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T20:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lordre\/?p=7"},"modified":"2014-08-20T14:41:06","modified_gmt":"2014-08-20T14:41:06","slug":"my-aims-at-the-lordre-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lordre\/2014\/07\/my-aims-at-the-lordre-blog.html","title":{"rendered":"My aims at the L’Ordre blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

Qui plume a, guerre a<\/em><\/p>\n

To hold a pen is to be at war.<\/p>\n

Voltaire<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

After accepting the rare\u00a0opportunity\u00a0to blog with Beliefnet<\/em>, I have named this blog\u00a0L’Ordre<\/strong>. This\u00a0is French for The Order<\/strong>, because\u00a0the main topics\u00a0I’m going to be addressing here\u00a0relate to religion, society and politics – the established order<\/em>. These subjects are going to be addressed from a futurist perspective – the same perspective that my readers are used to receiving\u00a0from me at several other well-known publications.<\/p>\n

This is a faith website, and for that reason my concerns and works here will be neither pro-religious nor anti-religious, but my posts will be composed with the utmost respect for all religious traditions. I consider myself to be writing from a secular standpoint –\u00a0the scholarly\u00a0approach I was taught in the Religious Studies discipline while at university.<\/p>\n

Religious Studies differs from Theology as a discipline for reasons that few are aware of. In Religious Studies,\u00a0the subject is religion itself, rather than God. Different faiths are given equal consideration and time, and a sound\u00a0analysis of their impact on society is our\u00a0main focus rather than the spiritual truth claims being put forward. It is possible, however, for Religious Studies as a discipline to evaluate\u00a0the truth claims of religious doctrines\u00a0in a pluralistic sense. Unless some special need for this\u00a0arises, it\u00a0will not be\u00a0the purpose of my\u00a0statements posted here.<\/p>\n

Religion is of interest to me due to the spectacular growth of religiosity and religious-related crises occurring in modern society. I believe that humans are religious creatures, and that religion will outlive the state as we know it. This was one of the first cases that I\u00a0made at Beliefnet in my article, Does Religion Hold the Key to World Peace?<\/em><\/a> Reflected in this analysis is a realistic consideration of the most\u00a0likely social future and our choices it presents, rather than a Utopian or politically slanted interpretation of things to come.<\/p>\n

I am authoring this blog for the same reasons that I have authored at other publications: I have a strong interest in the course of humanity’s future. I have seen a growth of interest in this future among internet users and technically-minded movements in particular. These users and movements have\u00a0a vital role to play in positive social change, so\u00a0I hope to use my\u00a0valuable relations with them\u00a0to represent them here as best I can.<\/p>\n

If you are as drawn to speculation on\u00a0the future, faith and society as I am, I am pleased to say that\u00a0we have both been gifted with\u00a0the most\u00a0excellent juncture\u00a0and network\u00a0through\u00a0which to satisfy our mutual\u00a0interest.<\/p>\n

\n

By Harry J. Bentham<\/a><\/p>\n

\"HJB<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Qui plume a, guerre a To hold a pen is to be at war. Voltaire After accepting the rare\u00a0opportunity\u00a0to blog with Beliefnet, I have named this blog\u00a0L’Ordre. This\u00a0is French for The Order, because\u00a0the main topics\u00a0I’m going to be addressing here\u00a0relate to religion, society and politics – the established order. 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