Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1165

The Prophet Muhammad on God’s forgiveness

    “A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and, tying it with her head-cover, drew out some water for it.  So Allah forgave her because of that.” Cited in the [Read More...]

Recommitting to family history and temple service

    “‘Prepare as many names for the temple as baptisms you perform in the temple, and help someone else to do the same.”  (Elder Neil L. Andersen, Council of the Twelve Apostles)   Elder Neil L. Andersen, a member of the Council of the Twelve, issued a renewed and expanded challenge for family history [Read More...]

New Testament 75

    Matthew 7:24-27 Compare Luke 6:47-49   The image of the house built upon a rock is a memorable one, and clearly understandable.   The fundamental point, obviously, is that we should found our lives upon the truth about God.   It can be extended, though, to illustrate (among other things) the idea that, [Read More...]

“How one stupid tweet ruined Justine Sacco’s life”

    Barbara and ER Roberts shared this New York Times link with me, presumably because they’re aware that I’ve had considerable experience myself — quite continuously over many years, though on a much smaller scale — with the sort of online mobbing, the malicious and anonymous bullying, that it describes:   http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/...   I’m a [Read More...]

England’s leading rabbi, on religion and science

    “Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean.” Lord Jonathan Sacks    

More on “Emotional Problems among Children with Same-Sex Parents”

    I posted an item yesterday regarding a paper entitled “Emotional Problems among Children with Same-Sex Parents: Difference by Definition.”   Here’s an accessible summary of the thesis of the paper:   http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/v...   I’ve been told by an anonymous supporter of gay marriage that the paper is riddled with methodological errors and incompetence so [Read More...]

Do you think you’re too ordinary to be great?

    “When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” George Washington Carver (1864-1943)    

New Testament 74

    Matthew 7:21-23 Compare Luke 6:46; 13:25-27   I believe that I’ve said it before, but, even if I have, I’ll say it here again:   A reader would be extremely hard-pressed to construct a case for the doctrine of salvation by grace alone, without works, from the four New Testament gospels (which is [Read More...]

“Emotional Problems among Children with Same-Sex Parents: Difference by Definition”

    http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf...   Some will, I’m sure, now feel an imperative need to pronounce Donald Paul Sullins a hate-filled and incompetent pseudo-scholar, despite his apparently impeccable academic credentials.  (Some will also feel duty-bound to denounce me along similar lines, of course, for the sheer act of posting this link.  But that’s scarcely news.)   [Read More...]

A study of the relationship between religious involvement and education

    Here’s a BYU student journalist’s account of a recent study conducted by two respected LDS sociologists:   http://universe.byu.edu/2015/02/10/by...