Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1153

“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...]

Don’t miss the conference at BYU this weekend!

    The Interpreter Foundation and BYU Studies have joined to co-sponsor a subtly but deeply significant conference on Saturday:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/even...   Members of the public are welcome.  Admission is free.    

Another bit of evidence against the notion that medieval Christianity hated science

    http://www.wondersandmarvels.com/2015...    

A tragic story, but also an uncanny one, out of Utah

    Read all the way through, and you’ll see what I mean by “uncanny”:   http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/09/us/utah...   For a bit more detail, have a look at this:   http://fox13now.com/2015/03/09/first-...    

Moral relativism in elementary school?

    The indispensable Ralph Hancock on Kant, sexual libertinism, and second grade:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...    

“The Plight of Palestine’s Religious Minorities”

    One perspective on the current situation of Christians, mostly, under Palestinian control:   http://philosproject.org/plight-pales...