Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1003

“The Return of the King”

    Another piece from the redoubtable Ralph Hancock:   http://www.patheos.com/blogs/soulandc...    

New Testament 317

    John 14:1-14   I’m sorry.  I can think of no commentary right now that would be better, richer, more theologically profound, or more comforting than this text itself.   But at least I can give it to you in a different translation — the one by J. B. Phillips; above is a link [Read More...]

A blitheringly stupid article responding to the San Bernardino massacre

    http://www.salon.com/2015/12/03/syed_...   Nobody can legitimately charge me with despising Islam or hating Muslims, let alone with demanding the internment of American Muslims in camps.  (See this post from yesterday, for example.)   I adamantly insist that ISIS and al-Qa’ida and their ilk represent a grotesquely deformed and evil caricature of the religion of [Read More...]

“Making Visible the Beauty and Goodness of the Gospel”

    We’re sometimes obliged, as in this instance, to scrape the bottom of the barrel.  But the fact remains that this is the 176th consecutive Friday (out of the 177.5 total weeks of its existence) that Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture has published at least one new article:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/maki...    

“San Bernardino victims: Who they were”

    The despicable murderer Syed Farooq and the despicable murderess Tashfeen Malik are receiving a great deal of attention, as they should.   But I see it as a moral duty not to permit the victims of their crime simply to be forgotten.  They were people, irreplaceable, infinitely valuable, with uniquely individual lives and [Read More...]

“Mexico experts: Passageway may lead to Aztec ruler”

    Interesting archaeological news out of Mexico City:   https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...    

“Are Mormons villains, or just people with a different story about their identity?”

    Jacob Hess suggests a way to help Latter-day Saints and their critics get beyond the hateful, polarizing rhetoric that has ensued in the wake of the Church’s policy explanation on homosexual marriages and children being raised in homosexual homes:   https://www.opendemocracy.net/transfo...   I’m not optimistic — demonizing and hating those with whom one [Read More...]

New Testament 316

    Luke 22:35-38   a)  Jesus seems to be speaking metaphorically here, but his disciples misunderstand and take him literally.   b)  He’s definitely predicting an imminent time when society and dominant opinion will be hostile to the ancient Church.   c)  We should never have expected that society and dominant opinion would be [Read More...]

“Behold, the Love of God! A Christmas Vision”

    Neal Rappleye suggests a rich new meaning for the beloved but (perhaps) originally pagan symbol of the Christmas tree:   http://www.studioetquoquefide.com/201...    

“Mass Shootings and Gun Control”

    There’s a new outcry for solutions that will solve nothing:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article...