“Our culture has accepted two huge lies.  “The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them.  “The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do.  “Both are nonsense.  “You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”   Pastor Rick Warren     Read more

    John 12:20-36 Compare Matthew 3:17; 10:39; 16:24-25; 17:5; 20:28; 26:38-39; Mark 1:11; 8:34-35; 9:7; 10:45; 14:34-36; Luke 3:22; 9:23-24, 35; 10:18; 17:33; 22:41-42.   The prediction of his death given here by Jesus is quite clear.   So is his statement, in John 12:27, of the principal purpose of his life:   Νῦν ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται, καὶ τί εἴπω; πάτερ, σῶσόν με ἐκ τῆς ὥρας ταύτης. ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον εἰς τὴν ὥραν ταύτην.   “Now my soul... Read more

    Luke 21:37-38  Compare John 8:1-2   Jesus spends a lot of his time teaching in the Temple.  (After his resurrection, so do his apostles.)  One might hypothesize that he went there simply because it was an open space where large crowds could be found.  But his dramatically-illustrated zeal for its purity and his reference to it as “my Father’s house” strongly suggest that he genuinely revered it.   Some have claimed that the idea of a Temple has... Read more

    Matthew 25:31-46 Compare Matthew 16:27; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; John 5:29   Three quick observations and an addendum that will explain my inclusion of the image above:   1.   The notion of an all-accepting, non-judgmental Jesus has no foundation in the New Testament.   2.   The criteria of judgment seem to be largely if not behavioral.  We won’t be asked a lot of theological questions, I think.   3.   And the behavior most central —... Read more

    This is a really good article.  Why?  Partially because it’s clear and rational.  Also because it’s right.   There is, for instance, genuinely no such thing as “religion.”  Just as nobody speaks “language.”   Take a look:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article/426668/atheism-science-religion   If I had a nickel for every critic who’s triumphantly informed me that the historical arguments I make aren’t “scientific,” or some such thing, I could retire a wealthy man.     Read more

    I like this very, very much, and I recommend it highly:   http://www.flirtingwithcuriosity.org/?p=208   Things would be so much better if it were understood that neither the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nor the Church’s mainstream membership, nor opponents of gay marriage, nor the vast majority of homosexuals are people of ill-will motivated by hatred and a desire to cause pain.   Heck, the proposition ought not to be even controversial.   Just imagine,... Read more

    http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/press-release/looking-deliberate-radio-signals-kic-8462852     Read more

      “No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse.” Randy Pausch     Read more

    http://gaymormonguy.blogspot.com/2015/11/waiting-on-lord-same-sex-adoption.html   By the way, I cannot express how much I admire his dedication to his religious beliefs and to keeping his covenants despite the enormous challenges involved.   If they remain faithful, of such most definitely is the Kingdom of Heaven.     Read more

    A nice, calm, reasonable, irenic, lucid, faithful, personal response from Sister Kayla Lemmon to the recent policy announcement:   http://lemmonythings.com/2015/11/06/this-much-i-know-my-take-on-the-lgbt-mormon-controversy/   The contrast between her tone and that of some other things I’ve been seeing — including some communications sent directly to Yr Obd’t Servant — is both striking and, I think, significant.   Thanks to Darren Zechiel for alerting me to it.     Read more