Monthly Archives: October 2009

Why Margaret Barker is Right

Posted on October 28, 2009 by jupiterschild

It is no secret that in the past I have not pulled many punches when it comes to the assessment of Margaret Barker and her attempts to reconstruct lost Old Testament beliefs (that dovetail nicely with particular LDS concepts) from … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments

A Glimpse of Public Reason: Lincoln and Rawls (Mormon Rawls Project)

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Chris H.

Author’s note: I originally posted this at Approaching Justice. The talk by Elder Oaks has gotten me thinking about the implications of public reason on the SSM debate and the use of public reason (directly and indirectly) in Elder Oak’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Globalizing the Word of Wisdom

Posted on October 27, 2009 by smallaxe

I overheard part of an interesting discussion this past Sunday when a member of our ward was discussing traveling to China. Knowing that “tea” would be served at practically every meal, this member wondered what kinds of teas were against … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 36 Comments

Church Stance on Birth Control, Public and “Private”

Posted on October 23, 2009 by jupiterschild

Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators (DMBA), the Church’s insurance company, does not cover prescriptive contraception, for any reason that relates to (“voluntary”) contraception. That is, any Church employee or covered spouse (including BYU employees) that wants contraception requiring a prescription must … Continue reading →

Posted in BYU, Family, Feminism, Mormon Culture, Personal Issues | 35 Comments

Criticism of Leaders and Inerrancy

Posted on October 22, 2009 by TT

Using Elder Oaks’ guide to would-be critics of church leaders, I’d like to explore some of the implications of this important text. In this talk, he recommends five options for those who wish to criticize the church. First, one can … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments

Recycled Posts on Criticism

Posted on October 21, 2009 by TT

The topic of “criticism” of Church leaders has arisen again in the blogs in response to three recent important talks: 1) Elder Holland’s Oct 2009 General Conference address on the Book of Mormon, 2) Elder Oaks’ BYU-I talk about preserving … Continue reading →

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Religion and Politics: The Philosophical Problem and its Contemporary Implications

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Chris H.

BYU’S TOCQUEVILLE PROJECT With funding from THE JOHN ADAMS CENTER For the Study of Faith, Philosophy and Public Affairs PRESENT A SYMPOSIUM Religion and Politics: The Philosophical Problem and its Contemporary Implications October 29-30, 2009. Thursday, October 29 5pm B192 … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Free Exercise of Religion…and Sex

Posted on October 19, 2009 by TT

In the recent talk by Elder Oaks to BYU-I addressing the topic of the constitutional right to free speech and free exercise of religion, he also noted the establishment clause of the first amendment. The prohibition against “an establishment of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments

The Mormon Rawls Project: The Original Position and the Council in Heaven I

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Chris H.

Authors note: The following is the second in my Mormon Rawls Project Series. It is also the expansion of my first ever post here at FPR. When Rawls develops the concept which he labels “justice as fairness.” This does not … Continue reading →

Posted in Marginalia, Mormon Studies, Political Philosophy, Speculation, Theology | 19 Comments

The Mormon Rawls Project: Introduction

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Chris H.

John Rawls is a prominent 20th century philosopher. While his work is well respected, it is also a great source of controversy. Much of this controversy is rooted in the fact that his work has forced those in the areas … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 12 Comments