Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1149

Perhaps the two creepiest political ads I’ve ever seen

    I really can’t decide which of these two ads is the most bizarre:   This one is horrible.   But isn’t this one worse still?   What out-of-touch weirdo imagined that normal people would find such things attractive?  What loon didn’t immediately see that most voters would see them as repulsive?   That said, I’m perfect happy [Read More...]

“How to become gluten intolerant”

    The inimitable Dr. Gregory L. Smith, of Alberta, Canada, brought this important video to my attention:   http://theawesomer.com/how-to-become-...   (Note: It might . . . umm, help, at just a couple of brief points, to have had practical medical or nursing experience.)   And here, on a more serious note, is an item [Read More...]

“Mormons free to back gay marriage on social media, LDS apostle reiterates”

    I don’t imagine that the Brethren are altogether pleased when members of the Church contradict and oppose (quite rarely occurring) official Church positions on public policy — I’m surely not — but they’ve been very clear that such political disagreements aren’t cause for excommunication or Church discipline.  Thus, Elder Christofferson is simply reiterating what [Read More...]

“Nearly 70% of Evangelicals do not view religion and science as being in conflict”

    It’s often claimed that conservative Protestants are hostile to science, but a recent sociological study seems to demonstrate that claim to be false:   http://news.rice.edu/2015/03/13/nearl...   On the other hand, conservative Protestants also seem to be relatively uninterested in current science.   Interesting results, worthy of thought.   How would the Latter-day Saints [Read More...]

“BYU Model Arab League wins regionals in Denver”

    I’m quite pleased.   Ryan Newell, mentioned in the article, is my teaching assistant for Middle East Studies (Arabic) 250.  Lucy Walker, who is also mentioned, is a student in that class.   Moreover, Ryan Nebeker, who is likewise mentioned in the article, is one of my two teaching assistants for Islamic Humanities 242 [Read More...]

“The Cokeville Miracle”

    I’m really looking forward to this film:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   I’ve read a fair amount about the incident and have spoken with people with connections to Cokeville.  (And, for what it’s worth, I’ve visited the town, though I didn’t conduct any research of my own there.)   It’s a remarkable story.    

“Jews, Muslims, and UCLA”

    Though all isn’t bleak by any means, this is a disturbing story from one of my alma maters, and I hope that it isn’t a harbinger of things to come:   http://www.jewishjournal.com/rob_eshm...   I fear, however, that it’s precisely that.   And, as tolerance for religious dissent from today’s prevailing orthodoxy on redefining marriage [Read More...]

New Testament 104-105

    Matthew 10:40-42; 11:1 Compare Mark 9:41; Luke 10:16; John 5:23; 12:44-45; 13:20   The principle that whoever receives Jesus’ authorized representatives receives him, and that whoever receives him receives his Father — something of a theological or ecclesiological version of the transitive property of equality in mathematics — is fundamental to the Latter-day [Read More...]

“The Cosmic Web, or: What Does the Universe Look Like at a VERY Large Scale”

      Thanks to Scott Pierson for a calling this to my attention.  If it doesn’t leave you feeling at least a little bit humble and awed, you probably need to slow down and reflect a bit:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74Isy...    

“Dispelling 5 more myths about Mormons”

    This is a valuable blog, from a faithful Mormon perspective:   http://www.aggielandmormons.org/2015/...   More such are needed.   Why should the Devil have all the good blogs?