December 5, 2015 Dear Republicans, With only one-year left in the race, the time has come to formally thank you for handing us the 2016 Presidential Election. Having one of our own in the White House for the next four to eight years seemed like such an improbability when Hillary Clinton’s email scandal broke. She really did herself and our party no favors there! And let’s face it, even though she is, by far, the most qualified candidate in the... Read more
When I “qualified” for a concealed carry permit I was shocked by the absolute low-level requirements and the ridiculously shallow instruction provided. Seriously, it was laughable. In one evening I was “certified” to carry a weapon of just about any caliber and shoot to kill if I felt that my life was in jeopardy. In fact, a good percentage of the instruction that night was focused on what to tell a police officer after she arrived at the scene so... Read more
If you follow this blog you know that I am a gun enthusiast. I own plenty of guns. I have a gun safe, I have a beautiful hunting dog, the whole nine yards. However, you also know that I advocate reasonable gun control measures. I am willing to forfeit some freedoms in order to promote the public good. Why? Yesterday, fourteen people were killed by a shooter in San Bernardino in another mass murder. Last week, three were killed in... Read more
Hezekiah was a most impressive king and religious reformer during part of the ministry of Isaiah. A seal (used to impress the royal name and household in clay sealing official documents) was discovered by archeologists in the Ophel between the Temple Mount and the City of David. This archeological discovery is yet another find that confirms the reality of events and personalities described in the biblical text. Read the following article to get the exciting details. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/204294#.Vl9GstKrTIU Read more
An Atheist and Catholic join ranks to bridge religion and the zombie craze. Is there a market among zombie enthusiasts for such a merger? Should this product be allowed? The tenets of religious liberty say, “Yes.” Read on. http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/3251212-155/zombie-nativity-an-irreverent-addition-to Read more
National security interests are frequently employed to justify extreme and inhumane measures. For example, recently many governors in the United States vowed that they would not allow Syrian refugees to enter their respective states. Too big of a threat to state security. By the way, how would a state enforce this measure? Check points at all entry boarders of the state? Additionally, some government leaders insisted that Syrian refugees should be placed in internment camps to insure national security. The... Read more
Jesus taught the parable of the lost sheep in response to Pharisees that found his association with sinners distasteful. Jesus actually ate and socialized with sinners and this was unacceptable in their world. Associate with sinners and you become tainted by the association. Well, Jesus found this attitude to be nothing shy of repugnant and the parable of the lost sheep was a strong response to their self-righteousness. Jesus taught much about sheep. Of course, he was teaching about his... Read more
“Islam is perfect, Muslims aren’t.” These are the words of 19-year-old Adam Bersanov who moved to France from Chechnya. On the heels of the Charli Hebdo attack in January of this year, anti-Muslim incidents rose 281 percent when compared to January 2014, one year earlier. As you might suspect, there was a significant spike in anti-Muslim activity following the attack in Paris earlier this month. The door of a Mosque was tagged with the phrase “France, Wake up”, and a... Read more
I get the opportunity to consistently take people to the Holy Land. Watching the Jewish people usher in Shabbat, or Sabbath, is always a highlight of travel to Jerusalem. The Hebrew word “Shabbat” means “to rest” and it is a celebratory holy day. Jews celebrate its arrival and celebrate its departure. It is a premier manifestation of God’s will to break from the world and refresh the soul and it is also a new beginning—a fresh start to a new... Read more
At a time when some Mormons (50 E. North Temple) have formalized their departure from Mormonism without major repercussions from the Church, we are reminded that other Mormons (Hildale and Colorado City) cannot formally leave their Church. And that is enforced by law. It is not surprising that, by mutual decrees from both groups, not all Mormons are Mormons. The lawsuits brought against the Hildale/Colorado City Mormons are moving toward a formal trial. The link below takes you to an... Read more
Civil Nations
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