Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 777

On last night’s debate

    I’m simply not interested.  I see little reason to choose between the wooden and corrupt woman and the thoughtless, ignorant, but authoritarian buffoon, given the fact that neither one cares a bit about limited government or the Constitution and that neither of them has much if anything to say about freedom.   So [Read More...]

A report from Geauga County

    Some of you may be wondering what on earth I’m doing here in Ohio.  (My more unhinged critics will be eager to find in my presence here redundant further evidence of my corruption, viciousness, and dishonesty.  Or something of that sort.)   Permit me to explain what I’m up to.   I’m here [Read More...]

A challenging standard

    I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least. Dorothy Day (1897-1980)   Posted from Mentor, Ohio    

“How Old is the Bible?”

    A quite short but also quite interesting little piece:   http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/how-o...   Please, as you read it, keep the fact in mind that Joseph Smith’s claim of a sacred book written on metal plates has seemed absurd to many.  Now note the material on which the oldest known biblical text was written.   Posted [Read More...]

“Prominent theologian says secularism, not religion, is set to decline”

    Timothy Keller is an interesting thinker, and he’s been extraordinarily successful in building up a congregation of people in New York City who had previously been living ostensibly secular lives.  I think there’s much to be learned from him:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   Posted from Mentor, Ohio    

“Abraham and Idrimi”

    In 2013, my friend and former Maxwell Institute colleague Dr. John Gee — who is currently enjoying a sabbatical research leave at the University of Heidelberg in Germany — published a fascinating article comparing the patriarch Abraham, as he’s depicted in the Book of Abraham, with Idrimi, an ancient ruler of Alalakh, in [Read More...]

“Whosoever Will Come, Him Will I Receive”

    In the 181st scripture roundtable posted by the Interpreter Foundation, Bruce Webster and Martin Tanner focus on 3 Nephi 8-11, in connection with 2016 Gospel Doctrine lesson 37:   Scripture Roundtable 181: Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 37, Whosoever Will Come, Him Will I Receive   Posted from Mentor, Ohio    

“What happened when Christian writers watched an all-Muslim movie?”

    http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2...   I haven’t seen it yet, either.  Hadn’t even heard of it.  But now I want to.   Posted from Mentor, Ohio    

The inescapable choice

      At the conclusion of his classic essay “The Will to Believe,” William James cites the English writer, lawyer, and judge Fitzjames Stephen, from that author’s Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, 2nd ed. (London, 1874), 353.  It’s a nice summary of the position in which humans find themselves with regard to secular public arguments for and against religious [Read More...]

Joseph Smith as a businessman at Kirtland

    Trying to meet his financial obligations and support his family, Joseph Smith established a store in Kirtland fairly late in 1836.  The sojourn of the Saints there would turn out to have little more time to run after that, and he apparently operated the store for less than a year — partly, it seems, [Read More...]