Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1149

“Copernicus and the Church: What the History Books Don’t Say”

    Was Copernicus an enemy of the Catholic Church?  Did the Catholic Church hate and fear his model of the Solar System?  Revisit an important element of the mythology of the permanent war between religion and science:   http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2...    

Science as an impetus to religion?

    “Above all, do not attempt to use science (I mean, the real sciences) as a defense against Christianity. They will positively encourage him to think about realities he can’t touch and see. ”  The senior devil Screwtape, in C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters Thanks  to Anne Palmieri for reminding me of this [Read More...]

Disease and intelligence

    “The speed of the human brain’s expansion is one of the most remarkable phenomena in evolutionary history,” says an article entitled “A faustian bargain” in the current issue of the Economist.  “It has tripled in volume in less than 4m years.”   The article reports on cell-biological research in Italy, Germany, and the [Read More...]

New Testament 101

    Matthew 10:26-33 Luke 12:2-9 Compare Mark 4:22; 8:38; Luke 8:17; 9:26   This is an exhortation to absolutely fearless discipleship.   Even those who can kill the body have no real power over the followers of Christ, who should, rather, fear spiritual death or damage to their souls.   They — we — [Read More...]

One of my lectures in Vancouver next week

“I switched to a standing desk, so now you should, too.”

    You may have heard exhortations to stand more and to sit less.  This article will demonstrate to you that the benefits you’ll reap from making that change go far beyond mere improved health:   http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-...    

“ISIS’ Attack on Ancient History Called a ‘War Crime’”

    Obviously, the burning, crucifying, and beheading of innocent men, women, and children is far worse.  But gratuitously destroying ancient artifacts and ruins is, curiously and in a sense, even more irritating, perhaps because it’s so utterly pointless:   http://www.livescience.com/50072-isis...    

“Mormons and Evangelicals, Again. Sigh.”

    Stories like this are still depressingly common:   http://janariess.religionnews.com/201...   Quite a number of years ago, a woman of my acquaintance was slated to give the invocation at a Republican Women chapter meeting in southern California.  A few days before the event, however, she received a telephone call.  The caller hemmed and hawed, [Read More...]

Is loneliness the human reality?

    “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone.  Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.” Orson Welles   I believe Orson Welles to have been profoundly wrong in what he said above.  The truth is so much better.   Here’s a [Read More...]

New Testament 100

    Matthew 10:17-25 Compare Mark 13:9-13; Luke 6:40; 12:11-12; 21:12-19; John 13:16; 14:26; 15:20; 16:2   What is notably absent from the litany of oppression and persecution given in these passages is any promise of this-worldly success.  There’s nothing along the lines of “Just hold on, and your efforts will be crowned by success! [Read More...]