“Is Faith Compatible with Reason?”

Another passage from Joseph Smith comes to mind as I think about our various friends and neighbors who have been, are, or soon will be serving as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world:

“A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”

***

My FreedomFest 2018 debate with Dr. Michael Shermer (“Is Faith Compatible with Reason?”), which occurred early in July 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada, is now available for viewing on C-SPAN Book TV:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?448000-3/is-faith-comptabile-reason

It runs 55:20 minutes long.

***

The illustrious philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas had a great deal to say about faith and reason.  Here are a trio of them:

“We can’t have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.”

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

“Human salvation demands the divine disclosure of truths surpassing reason.”

***

Here’s an article that might be read as being somewhat related to the subject of the debate:

“‘Nones’ Who Seek Spiritual Experience Might Want to Investigate Some Religions”

***

And here is a small selection of pieces related to the increasingly controversial topic of religious liberty:

“Sessions announces new ‘religious liberty task force'”

“The Trump Administration Convenes the ‘Super Bowl’ of Religious Freedom: The event has sent a strong message that the U.S. wants to spread democratic values—if only the president will cooperate.”

“Trump’s religious freedom squad promises to deliver: Whether Trump takes action or not, an administration gathering Thursday sent a message of kinship to the evangelical voters who will be crucial to Republican chances in congressional midterm elections.”

“Judge Kavanaugh on law and religion issues”

***

Finally, for those who might perhaps care to attend (or to avoid attending), I’ll be speaking this year at BYU’s Education Week, on the topic of “Pivotal Figures in Religion and Politics in Early Christianity.”  This wasn’t the subject that I had initially proposed, but, rather, is the subject that the Education Week leadership asked me to address.

My lectures will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (21-24 August 2018), from 12:30 to 1:25 PM, in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom.

Posted from New York City