Josh Whitehead
Bio
I have a degree in Religious Studied from North Carolina State University. You will find that a lot of my work involves religion and analytical comparisons to popular culture, as these are my two favorite things. I hope you enjoy!
Stories (6/0)
Religious Allegiance
The relationship between American patriotism and dissent has a significant history of both overlapping coexistence and frank opposition, revealing a semi-consistent series of debates on the grounds of religion and politics that began during the American independence movement and continue to be debated to this day. The presidency of George W. Bush reestablished a sense of patriotism in American politics through religious foundational ideas after the 9/11 bombings, causing a reasonable amount of dissent among the non-Christian American population. Court cases calling to question the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, such as Everson v. New Jersey Board of Education, have a history of creating conflict between state governments and religious organizations.
By Josh Whitehead6 years ago in The Swamp
So Say We All
The Battlestar Galactica television series is full of rich metaphorical comparisons that would use the Platonist idea of allegorical interpretation to delve into the characters and their significance in the plot. There is also, perhaps just as prevalent, a great many Neoplatonist moral allegories in the story that leave the audience wondering the difference between right and wrong. As a television series, Battlestar Galactica broke ground as one of the most deep, philosophical shows of its time, relating on great many levels to technological dilemmas raised by authors such as Philip K. Dick and H.P. Lovecraft. Namely in the representation of its characters, the show has a number of similarities to Greek and Roman characters and motifs, such as the need to return home found in the stories of the Trojan Cycle.
By Josh Whitehead6 years ago in Futurism
Comparative Analysis of Divine Action Proposals
The proposals for conceiving divine action in the world from Van Till, Peacocke, and Haught create an interesting set of inconsistencies such that might be deemed as incompatible with contemporary science and Christian religious traditions; however, these three thinkers are able to defend their positions and beliefs on these issues and inconsistencies. Issues such as the formational economy of the universe in its beginnings, the nature of suffering, and the metaphysical role of God in the history of life on Earth play a significant role in these religious thinkers’ theological proposals.
By Josh Whitehead6 years ago in Futurism
High on Something Greater
The role of drugs in certain religious traditions cannot be overstated as a necessary part of ritual practice, yet certain American laws prevent the legality of specific psychedelic drugs in such religious traditions. Drugs such as caffeine and alcohol are largely present in American religious traditions, whereas drugs such as LSD, marijuana, and peyote are strictly forbidden from legal use in religious rites or recreation. Drugs in America, specifically marijuana and LSD, played a significant role in the 1960s counterculture and spiritualist movement. The case of Employment Division v Smith was also a starting point for a series of debates on the legality of peyote in Native American religious practice. The implications from this case brought upon a series of discussions about the nature of religious experience, the distinction between divine law and governmental law, and the justification for governmental restrictions on religious practices.
By Josh Whitehead6 years ago in Potent
'I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream'
Harlan Ellison’s "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" represents an artificial intelligence known as “AM” to be a vengeful God-like figure in the eyes of the main character, Ted. There are numerous references to Judeo-Christian beliefs of God and Hell that could lead one to argue that AM is playing the roles of both God and Satan in this post-apocalyptic world. Ted, in a similar way, shows persistent qualities of humanity that are reflected in AM, as well.
By Josh Whitehead6 years ago in Futurism
Ubermensch
The science fiction and fantasy genres have been greatly inspired by American Mysticism and Spiritualism, beginning mostly with the new religious movements of Theosophy and Rosicrucianism. These genres present themselves in new religious movements through the mythemes of alienation, radiation, and mutation. These genres have also had a significant effect on new religious movements by instilling in people a belief in a greater universe of fantasy and magic from within a fiction text.
By Josh Whitehead6 years ago in Futurism