Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1223

Some hypersensitive Muslim somewhere might complain, maybe . . .

    http://pamelageller.com/2014/09/uk-kf...   Good grief.   If I were to go around taking offense everywhere somebody might be drinking coffee or tea — to say nothing of smoking cigarettes and drinking beer — I could be one of the foremost victims on Planet Earth.  (Not a bad career plan, perhaps.)   Just about every [Read More...]

Why regard people as “equal”?

    Why regard people as “equal” when, in so very many ways (e.g., in strength, intelligence, industriousness, cleverness, appearance, musical and artistic ability, athleticism, wit and humor, social poise, and so forth), they’re demonstrably unequal?   “The Declaration of Independence dogmatically bases all rights on the fact that God created all men equal; and [Read More...]

The ancient Hawaiian account of Creation?

    I’m not even remotely a scholar of Polynesian religion or mythology, and I don’t pretend to be.  However, I spent a few minutes today reading an essay by “Rev. C. M. Hyde, D.D.” on “Legends Resembling Old Testament History” that was originally published in a collection of Hawaiian Folk Tales by one Thos. [Read More...]

2 Nephi 11

    Today’s reading, 2 Nephi 11, is very brief.  But it’s significant.   Why?   Because, in it, Nephi announces that he has seen the Savior, and that his brother Jacob and the prophet Isaiah have also seen the Savior, and he declares that the three of them stand together as witnesses.   One [Read More...]

“Mormons surpass Catholics in Tonga”

    http://matangitonga.to/2014/10/02/mor...   Posted from Koloa, Kaua’i, Hawai’i (in the same general neighborhood)

“Some background notes about the Islamic State”

    Today’s bi-weekly Hamblin/Peterson column is now up,  I hope that it helps at least a little bit in understanding some of the current headlines in the news.  (There’s only so much that can be done within <740 words, of course.)   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   Posted from Koloa, Kaua’i, Hawai’i    

“The Economist” calls for the abolition of money

    Well, not quite.  But a fascinating article in the 20 September 2014 issue of The Economist does advocate the abolition of cash, arguing that doing away with coins and banknotes would bring enormous benefits.   Already — and, with the ever-increasing prevalence of electronic transactions, the numbers will surely decline even further — [Read More...]

Threats to Christians in higher education

    Religious freedom on college campuses has just taken an unmistakably major hit:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article...   And, in related news (also contained in the article just above), I can see a danger in the not too distant future to BYU’s accreditation.  See here for another take:   http://thefederalist.com/2014/07/18/w...   Posted from Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii [Read More...]

“Hitting ISIS everywhere but where it matters”

      http://www.commentarymagazine.com/201...   Posted from Koloa, Kaua’i, Hawai’i  

There will be worship.

    “Once abolish the God, and the government becomes the God.” G. K. Chesterton, Christendom in Dublin (1933) Think of the French Revolution’s Culte de la Raison, of the Führer and the Third Reich, of the essentially scriptural “thoughts” of Chairman Mao, of the League of the Militant Godless and the omniscient will of [Read More...]