Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1144

“The Real Issue on Paul Owen and the Maxwell Institute”

    Bill Hamblin weighs in:   http://www.patheos.com/blogs/enigmati...   My concern isn’t merely that the Maxwell Institute has published non-Mormon perspectives.  I pioneered that myself, by publishing articles by Michael Heiser and by (precisely) Paul Owen and Carl Mosser that were explicitly Evangelical and overtly critical of LDS claims.  I haven’t changed my view on [Read More...]

“Sorry to Disappoint the Social Justice Warriors, But the Faithful Won’t Yield on Religious Liberty”

    We won’t.   We can’t.   This is a fight that we can’t forego.   http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/...    

Children and the real meaning of Easter

    Easter tells us of something children can’t understand, because it addresses things they don’t yet have to know: the weariness of life, the pain, the profound loneliness and hovering fear of meaninglessness. Frederica Mathewes-Green

“So-Called Religious Freedom”

    Does the term religious freedom even refer to anything that’s actually real?  Contemporary elite journalism appears to think that it doesn’t: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/...    

“Freedom of Association is Burned at the Stake in Indiana”

      An attempt — quite right, in my view — to broaden the discussion about the Indiana RFRA law beyond the cartoonish misrepresentation that it’s a matter of religious fanaticism versus gays and lesbians.   In reality, this discussion should be neither about religion nor about homosexuals.   http://www.nationalreview.com/article...    

“In submission is our salvation”

    This week’s Deseret News column, inspired by the approach of both Easter and General Conference:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...    

“The platypus is so weird that scientists thought the first specimen was a hoax.”

    It seems obvious to me that an open mind, a willingness to reconsider past beliefs, and a readiness to be surprised are essential qualities for good science and good scholarship.  Dogmatism is a significant liability.   This story offers an illustration of that, in which the evidence persuaded scientists to accept as real [Read More...]

“BREAKING: LDS Church to Create Wards for Liberals”

    This is very dramatic news:   http://utahpoliticohub.com/breaking-l...   I’d put it on the same level as the 1978 revelation on priesthood, the announcement of the rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple, the unveiling of the Perpetual Education Fund, and similar events.   Thanks to Kevin Taylor for alerting me to this important story.   [Read More...]

“I was blind, now I see.”

    The 114th scripture roundtable posted by the Interpreter Foundation features Robert White, Daniel Peterson, Cassandra Hedelius, Craig Foster, and Jeff Bradshaw in a conversation about John 9-10 (which is the focus of 2015 Gospel Doctrine lesson #16):   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/scri...    

Massive underground city found in Cappadocia region of Turkey

    Some out there are probably aware of my passion for the history, archaeology, and scenery of Turkey.   As a matter of fact, my last official act on behalf of BYU’s Maxwell Institute was, with my wife, to design and lead a tour of Constantinople/Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, and several other areas associated with the [Read More...]