Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1151

New Testament 96-97

    Matthew 9:27-34; Matthew 12:22-24; Matthew 20:29-34 Mark 3:22; Mark 10:46-52 Luke 11:14-15; Luke 18:35-43 Compare John 7:20; 8:48, 52; 10:20   I have a certain respect for those who attempt to explain otherwise inexplicable miracles by invoking demons.  Sometimes, that’s the best you have.  Sometimes, naturalistic explanations just can’t do the job.   [Read More...]

“Iran’s Spiritual Challenge to American Christians”

    I don’t believe in any single thing called “a Christian foreign policy.”  But I candidly admit that thinking about foreign policy in explicitly Christian terms poses a host of challenges.   How should Christians think about American policy toward Iran?   Here’s one perspective:   http://philosproject.org/irans-spirit...   Posted from Monterey, California    

The worst book ever written about Jesus?

    You may have heard about The Lost Gospel, by Simcha Jacobovi and Barrie Wilson.  (Not Barry Wilson.  Not even Bary Wilson.)  If you haven’t, you may yet.  Unfortunately.  It’s the kind of thing that tends to do well in our somewhat silly and debased culture.   I read about people, and saw a [Read More...]

Against caring too much about originality in literature and art

    “Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” C. S. Lewis Posted from [Read More...]

“Why Marco Rubio would be the strongest Republican candidate”

    I’ll admit that I’m tentatively leaning toward Marco Rubio myself.  Even back in 2012, I was hoping that Mitt Romney would choose him as his vice-presidential running mate.   http://www.nationalreview.com/article...   My only concern is that our current experiment of electing a junior senator without executive experience has proven such a spectacular failure [Read More...]

New Testament 95

    Matthew 9:18-26 Mark 5:21-43 Luke 8:40-56   These accounts are interesting, among other reasons, because the story of one miracle is contained within the story of another.   I’ll concentrate on just one of them here.   Try to imagine the case of the woman with a hemorrhage.  For twelve years.  One hundred [Read More...]

Sometimes, I confess, it’s embarrassing to be so . . . well, COOL.

    There’s been non-stop, wall-to-wall good music here at the “Jazz Bash by the Bay.”  Thus far, though, I would say that my favorite act has been Tom Rigney and Flambeau.  So far, we’ve seen them twice.  And I especially enjoyed it when they were joined by Bob Draga.  Which, I’m told, will happen again tonight. [Read More...]

“The Unfortunate Consequences of Banning Sharia Law”

    This article may come from an angle unfamiliar to you, and give you food for thought:   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03...   Posted from Monterey, California    

Think globally. Act locally.

    “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”  (Mother Teresa)   Posted from Monterey, California    

On the tax proposal recently unveiled by Sen. Mike Lee and Sen. Marco Rubio

    http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/...   I confess that I find Marco Rubio (see here for an interesting profile of him) a very attractive possibility for a national Republican ticket — not least because he speaks fluent Spanish and because, being young and energetic, he would make Mrs. Clinton look like the kind of archaeological relic that ISIS would feel [Read More...]