Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1022

“A Look at the Church’s New Policy on Children of Gay Couples”

    In addition to the items mentioned in my previous post on the subject, and to my own five brief comments there, here’s another calm comment to weigh when considering the current brouhaha:   http://blog.fairmormon.org/2015/11/06...   By the way, I’ve recently encountered two claims about the new policy that baffle me:   1)  Children of [Read More...]

Two items relevant to the new policy on children of same-sex couples, and five comments

    I’m being asked — and, by a few, pestered or badgered — to comment on the Church’s newly announced policy regarding the naming, blessing, baptism, and so forth, of children of same-sex couples.   I may have something substantial to say on the subject at some point, but not before I’ve read more [Read More...]

“Evangelical pastor to peers: Don’t kill a Muslim”

    I don’t appreciate the seemingly obligatory denigration of Fox News — I guess it’s designed to establish one’s orthodoxy with the Politically Correct, the bien pensants, to demonstrate that the speaker isn’t one of Them (the unwashed masses) — but, otherwise, I like this piece and wish the pastor well:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...    

New Testament 299

      Matthew 25:14-30 Compare Mark 13:34; Luke 19:11-27   The word talent (Latin talentum, from the ancient Greek τάλαντον [talanton], meaning “scale,” “balance,” or “sum”) originally referred to a denomination of money or, more precisely, to a weight of metal.  Homer, for instance, knew the concept, and tells how Achilles gave a half-talent of gold to Antilochus, son of [Read More...]

“Older Beats Younger When It Comes to Correcting Mistakes”

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/i...   This isn’t only a heartening victory for us geezers — though it is that.   It also suggests that the self-congratulatory narrative that some young (theological and political) leftists tell themselves, about their greater flexibility and openness, may not be entirely true.   Of course, having never myself made a mistake, [Read More...]

“The State Department Turns Its Back on Syrian Christians and Other Non-Muslim Refugees”

    This is scandalous:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article...    

“Why Mormons Make Great FBI Recruits”

    The article is a bit of a mixed bag, but it’s interesting:   http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/...   Incidentally, I knew J. Martell Bird, who is mentioned in the article at a couple of places.  He was a member of my stake presidency when I was a kid in southern California, up to and including my [Read More...]

Governor Christie’s powerful remarks about drug addiction

    Virtually all of us know personally of cases where drug addiction has seriously damaged or destroyed lives.  For some, such stories hit horribly close to home.   I don’t support Chris Christie for the Republican presidential nomination, but there’s good reason why these remarks have gone viral:   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/c...   And it’s easy [Read More...]

On redistributing wealth — upward

    “Big government inevitably drives an upward distribution of wealth to those whose wealth, confidence and sophistication enable them to manipulate government.” George F. Will   An absolute truth that those who care about the poor, and about the just distribution of wealth, should understand and . . .  well, care about.    

On Quentin Tarantino and white supremacy

    Anybody inclined to belief in white supremacy should be obliged to spend some time with the thought and works of Quentin Tarantino.   I can’t think of anything more certain to cure the disease.   I would like to boycott his films.  But I don’t go to them.   (And I’m not even [Read More...]