Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1020

“Selinunte: Site of ancient massacre yields the secrets of a lost Greek city”

    This story is archaeologically and historically fascinating.  But it’s also humanly moving.  There’s been so terribly much pain and sorrow and horror in human history:   http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sci...   Stories such as this make it impossible for me to understand how any thinking, feeling human being can be indifferent to, apathetic about, the idea [Read More...]

“God in the Making: How Science Supports that We Can Become Like God”

    I look forward to reading this book, both because I think its theme looks very interesting — intriguing title! — and because I’ve long admired the writing and thinking of Catherine Thomas:   http://ldsliving.com/God-in-the-Makin...    

“A Chosen Generation”

    In the Interpreter Foundation’s 141st scripture roundtable, Martin Tanner and Bruce Webster discuss 1 Peter 1-4, 2 Peter 1-3, and Jude, which are the focus of 2015 New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 43:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/scri...    

New Testament 303-304

    John 12:37-50 Compare Matthew 13:10-17; Mark 4:10-12; 8:17-18; Luke 8:9-10   Failure to follow Jesus can come from various causes.  John here suggests two:  (1) hard-hearted blindness, a failure (or refusal) to see what ought to be plainly evident, and (2) fear of human opinion and/or desire for human approval, which overwhelms belief [Read More...]

“Two Huge Lies”

    “Our culture has accepted two huge lies.  “The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them.  “The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do.  “Both are nonsense.  “You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”   Pastor [Read More...]

New Testament 302

    John 12:20-36 Compare Matthew 3:17; 10:39; 16:24-25; 17:5; 20:28; 26:38-39; Mark 1:11; 8:34-35; 9:7; 10:45; 14:34-36; Luke 3:22; 9:23-24, 35; 10:18; 17:33; 22:41-42.   The prediction of his death given here by Jesus is quite clear.   So is his statement, in John 12:27, of the principal purpose of his life:   Νῦν ἡ [Read More...]

New Testament 301

    Luke 21:37-38  Compare John 8:1-2   Jesus spends a lot of his time teaching in the Temple.  (After his resurrection, so do his apostles.)  One might hypothesize that he went there simply because it was an open space where large crowds could be found.  But his dramatically-illustrated zeal for its purity and his [Read More...]

New Testament 300

    Matthew 25:31-46 Compare Matthew 16:27; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; John 5:29   Three quick observations and an addendum that will explain my inclusion of the image above:   1.   The notion of an all-accepting, non-judgmental Jesus has no foundation in the New Testament.   2.   The criteria of judgment seem to [Read More...]

“The Errors of the Militant Atheist”

    This is a really good article.  Why?  Partially because it’s clear and rational.  Also because it’s right.   There is, for instance, genuinely no such thing as “religion.”  Just as nobody speaks “language.”   Take a look:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article...   If I had a nickel for every critic who’s triumphantly informed me that the historical [Read More...]

A voice of sanity attempts to bridge the LDS/LGBT divide!

    I like this very, very much, and I recommend it highly:   http://www.flirtingwithcuriosity.org/...   Things would be so much better if it were understood that neither the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nor the Church’s mainstream membership, nor opponents of gay marriage, nor the vast majority of homosexuals [Read More...]