By David P. Diaz, Ed.D.
The original concept of this site was for me to write about the “Things I Believe.” However, it didn't take me long to realize that it would be light years better if I could provide a place for other people to write about the Things They Believe, too. To that end, the Things I Believe Project (TIBP) was born. TIBP will be a community devoted to the dissemination of knowledge and to collegial collaboration. Hopefully, our process will result in the publishing of great articles on topics as diverse as philosophy, people, religion, social media, education, law, society and many, many more.
Bible scholar, teacher and theologian, Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse once said that the goal of a good teacher is “to get the hay down off the loft and onto the barn floor where the cows can get at it.” I have always followed this advice when it came to teaching and writing. There is a lot to be said for taking complex concepts and making them simple. On the other hand, Albert Einstein wrote: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not more so.” In other words, in a quest to make some concepts simpler, there is a danger of distortion and misunderstanding. This online journal will strive to present articles that are written clearly and perceptively about subject matter that our readers will consider important.
Of the themes written about in this journal, some will be intrinsically more complex, while others will be simpler to fathom. And, although our editors hope that all articles will ultimately be clearly written, there is a possibility that we will fall short of our intent to keep these articles understandable to a wide range of readers. Of course, it is also possible that, with some topics, the reader may not have the requisite background to readily understand the concepts presented.
The issues themselves will be quite often controversial and many who read these words may disagree with the assessments of the authors. One of the goals of TIBP is to publish articles that are well-researched, well-written, informative and relevant, but not articles that we necessarily agree with. There are always going to be different points of view, we want to encourage intellectual stimulation and growth through the publication of a wide range of articles on diverse topics.
Whatever your thoughts on any particular article, I hope you will take the time to verify what has been written. It is always best to play devil’s advocate and attempt to poke holes in any argument, even those you AGREE WITH. After all, what water bucket is useful if it has holes all around it? By the same token, you should take the same course of action on topics that you do NOT AGREE WITH. The bottom line is that we should “test all things!” Clarify your own beliefs by testing the beliefs of others.
If you want to express your point of view in a systematic, rational way, I recommend that you select a topic and submit an article for consideration. If you want to provide your own viewpoint and/or rant, you can do so (to a certain extent) in the comment thread, but I fully expect you to remain civil and respectful while doing so. If you merely want to argue or flame others whose views don't agree with yours, I suggest you purchase a domain and web-hosting space and have at it. Pay your nickel and have your say. Otherwise, be open to other points-of-view and respectful of those who have gone through the process of submitting articles to TIBP.
Respectfully,
David (Author/Publisher)
About the Author
David P. Diaz, Ed.D., is an independent researcher, retired college professor, and publisher of Things I Believe Project. His writings have spanned the gamut from peer-reviewed technical articles to his memoir, which won the 2006 American Book Award. Dr. Diaz holds a Bachelor’s and Master of Science degree from California Polytechnic State University, a Master of Arts in Philosophical Apologetics from Houston Christian University, and a Doctor of Education specializing in Computing and Information Technology from Nova Southeastern University.
Hello Don Quixote,
A bucket with holes is more than useful. It simply depends on the size and location of said hole. Let us begin with that fact and conclude I will continue to challenge said truths.
One must remember…
“The truth may be stretched thin, but it never breaks, and it always surfaces above lies, as oil floats on water…”
Let us see where this leads us.
~Ernesto Trump~
Ernesto,
Your words are true, we will let us lead where the truth may lead.