Articles written by John Devera - Page 3

What is Helium

About me - John Devera

John DeVera is a professional writer who ascribes heartily to the dictum of Samuel Johnson that "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money." As yet, his career has not allowed him to wallow in the luxury to which he would like to be accustomed, but

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Arts & Humanities > Schools of Thought Proof of God's existence and rational thinking: 2 of 35
There are a number of substantial proofs that God exists, but only arguments that he does not. You see, to argue that God does not exist is fruitless; one cannot prove that something (anything, including God) does not exist. So, we have two main arguments against the existence of God, THE PROBLEM OF EVIL, and THE PROBLEM OF F... More..
Arts & Humanities > Fantasy & Science Fiction Characteristics of science fiction literature: 1 of 17
Pick up any reputable book about the history and nature of science fiction and you will soon discover the intricate complexity of attempting to define a genre that so many disparate novels have claimed. The only reason there is such a classification is for the purposes of publishing and marketing, since the bookseller needs ... More..
Entertainment > Movie Genres Courting the undead: Assessing the appeal of zombie movies: 1 of 17
The zombie movie has a lot of appeal under its decaying flesh. It is less pretentious than its brother genre, the vampire movie. It doesn't have that whole "should we really be trying to kill them" moral conflict of the monster movie. The violence is less emotionally brutal that the slasher film. Zombie movies are perennial f... More..
Arts & Humanities > Ethics Ethics for Atheists: 2 of 33
Atheism takes guts. It is the only faith that stipulates that if you believe in it completely, sincerely and with conviction, your only reward will be that when you die, you end. There is no prize for good deeds, no Santa Claus who brings presents if you've been good, no bunny laying chocolate eggs for un-believers. This is a... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Meditation & Prayer How do I find enough faith to believe that prayer works?: 3 of 47
Here's a good place to start. Pray. You see, if you are trying to FIND faith, then you are going to be facing a very big struggle, because faith isn't hiding from you. In fact, there isn't any faith "out there." Remember when a father brought his son to Jesus and Jesus tells this man that all things are possible for someone w... More..
Arts & Humanities > Making Art What makes something great art: 2 of 31
"What is art." That's the sort of question undergraduates mull over as they smoke pot on a Friday night after their econ classes. No one who really cares about art actually bothers asking a question like that. Artists certainly don't; they're too busy chasing after the piece of art that's lodged in their mind like a splinter ... More..
Entertainment > Movie Characters & Performances Sexiest actresses in movie history: 1 of 15
Sexiness consists in more than just the possession of a curvaceous figure. If that were all it was, then there would be a constant limitless supply of bimbettes from the modeling industry that would ill the list to overflowing. Sexiness is rather a combination of charisma, personality, appearance and confidence. For instance,... More..
Arts & Humanities > Awareness & Reality Finding truth: 4 of 58
When Pontius Pilate asked Jesus bar Joseph of Nazareth "What is truth?" he was voicing a question that he learned at the knee of his philosophy tutors. Truth is ephemeral and amorphous, for the philosopher. And it's crucial to understand what truth is, to be able to debate decisively. So what is truth, and how do we discover ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Literary Themes & Ideas Point of view: Creating a relationship between readers and characters: 2 of 29
Point of view, for the writer, is the crucial decision for deciding how you want your readers to relate to your characters. There are really only a very few points of view available to a writer, and the writer's decision will sometimes determine the success or failure of a story.The most natural point of view for a story is F... More..
Arts & Humanities > Ethics Moral principles to guide existentialists: 1 of 14
To understand the moral principles that should guide existentialists, then one must understand what an existentialist is. The basic requirements for being an existentialist are accepting that we live in a meaningless universe and then accepting that we are our choices. That means that the most important principles that expres... More..