Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1110

New Testament 197

    Luke 12:10 Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-20   “And every one who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit [εἰς τὸ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα βλασφημήσαντι] will not be forgiven.”   In my view, people routinely act against the Spirit.  They deny obvious truths, [Read More...]

Hebrew inscriptions? How early?

    Some have argued that many of the books of the Hebrew Bible were composed quite late — and are therefore historically suspect — because Hebrew literacy and/or an Israelite scribal tradition really arose only during, say, the period of the late Judahite monarchy.   Here are a couple of little items relevant to that [Read More...]

“Is this the worst academic journal ever?”

    http://www.academiaobscura.com/is-thi...   Amazingly, despite the fantasies of some of my anonymous online critics, I’m actually not its editor!   Posted from Carlsbad, California    

“Beware of the Gaystapo”

    We’ve entered into a New Era of Tolerance.  Just keep repeating that to yourself and it’ll help you get through the day.   In the meantime, here are three articles that might be useful in orienting you to the brave new world into which we’ve recently arrived:   “Beware of the Gaystapo”   “After [Read More...]

“Mortality Gap: Why Women Live Longer than Men”

    Life’s unfair, the saying goes, and then you die.   But, for men, it may be more accurate to say that life’s unfair and that’s why you die.   But has the difference always been there?  Must it be?  Is it becoming larger or smaller?   Inquiring minds want to know — and [Read More...]

Where to find what you need

    “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.” (George Moore) Posted from Carlsbad, California    

We’re doomed.

    Incredibly, this woman not only has a law degree but is a member of the United States Senate:   http://mediatrackers.org/wisconsin/20...   One wonders, by the way, how she arrives at the determination that some parts of the First Amendment don’t apply to individuals while other parts don’t apply to institutions.  How does she [Read More...]

“God’s Warning to America”

    You might find this . . . astonishing.   Jonathan Cahn, who identifies himself as a “messianic Jewish” rabbi, delivers a strong – and remarkably energetic — speech in Washington DC:   https://www.facebook.com/Nigeriacamer...   (Thanks to Dannee Clyne for bringing these remarks to my notice.)   Posted from Carlsbad, California    

New Testament 196

    Luke 12:2-9 Compare Matthew 10:26-33; Mark 4:22; 8:38; Luke 8:17; 9:26   The world in which we now live is, all too often, one of intrigue, backstabbing, covert gossip, secret cattiness, plotting, stealthy slander, and, yes, these days, anonymous online malice.   This world, however, is not forever.  Such things will eventually be [Read More...]

“How Islamist Extremists Warp the Fatwa”

    A nice statement on the Islamic idea of the fatwa, typically misunderstood in the West, by the grand mufti of Egypt — in other words, by that nation’s chief issuer of fatwas.   http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1262903...   Many years ago, I wrote the (very brief) article on fatwa for an encyclopedia of Islam.  I can’t [Read More...]