Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 800

“Forced unveiling of Muslim women”

    There are a lot of niqab-wearing women in London, and particularly in the area, adjacent to Hyde Park, where we’ve been staying.   I’ll be candid:  Despite all my sympathies for Islam and for Muslims, I heartily dislike the niqab, which seems to me deeply dehumanizing and alienating.   But, while I disapprove, I [Read More...]

“Why ‘Rogue One’ will be more than just another Star Wars movie”

    I’ve fallen far behind on calling attention to columns by the brilliant young movie-and-pop-culture writer for the Deseret News.  But here’s one:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   This article is more than a month old.  I’m so out of touch that I don’t know:  Has the movie even come out yet?   Posted from London, England [Read More...]

Blake’s “Jerusalem”

    It seems appropriate to repost William Blake’s Jerusalem, which some have proposed as a new national anthem to replace the 300-year-old God Save the Queen [King].  (For one thing, they point out, it seems odd to sing God Save the Queen, thus invoking divine aid against the monarch’s enemies, when England plays against [Read More...]

“Under the Dark Spell of Trump, Jerry Falwell Jr. Is Damaging Public Christian Witness”

    I actually believe that one of the worst things about supporting Mr. Donald Trump for the presidency of the United States — and one of the most compelling arguments against doing so — is the damage that such support does to the moral status, intellectual integrity, and credibility of the person supporting him.   [Read More...]

“Aliens for neighbours? How the discovery of a new planet challenges Christians”

    This article is written from a mainstream Christian theological viewpoint:   http://www.christiantoday.com/article...   Latter-day Saints come to this topic with a slightly different set of assumptions, and would, accordingly, face somewhat different issues.  But, as it happens, we’ve always expected there to be life out there in the universe beyond Earth.   Posted from [Read More...]

“London activists, J.K. Rowling react to burkini ban in France”

    Some people fail to see much difference between the United States Constitution’s prohibition of the establishment of religion and French secularism, or laïcité.   They are very distinct, as this story illustrates:   http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/25/eur...   Posted from London, England    

“Reading ‘A Pentecostal Reads the Book of Mormon'”

    As it has done week in and week out for over four years now, the Interpreter Foundation greets Friday with a new article:   Reading A Pentecostal Reads the Book of Mormon   Posted from London, England    

That list of influential Mormons, again

    One positive way of looking at the Newsmax list of the fifty most influential Mormons to which I linked yesterday is to note that it includes three contributors to Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture:   Mitt Romney Clayton Christensen Orson Scott Card   Additionally, for what little it’s worth, I know others [Read More...]

“Response to attack on LDS Church’s immigration stance”

    The Deseret News, the daily newspaper owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, responds to a prominent Trumpist’s recent attack on Church leaders:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   Posted from London, England    

England

    This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,  This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,  This other Eden, demi-paradise,  This fortress built by Nature for herself  Against infection and the hand of war,  This happy breed of men, this little world,  This precious stone set in the silver sea,  Which serves it [Read More...]