But the Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts — the very same judge whose legal brilliance was being celebrated yesterday by devotees of Obamacare for his majority opinion  — appears to share my worry.   This just in from a friend who watches such things:   A lot of people are pointing to this in Kennedy’s opinion as a reason not to fear:   “Finally, it must be emphasized that religions, and those who adhere to... Read more

    A preliminary response to today’s 5-4 SCOTUS ruling on same-sex “marriage”:   From 2 Samuel 12:   15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he... Read more

    I’ve had some peak experiences with seeing plays of which I’d previously known essentially nothing.   I am, for example, an enthusiastic admirer of the playwright Michael Frayn.  His farcical comedy Noises Off, which I first saw at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, is, when performed with energy and good timing, one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.  And his remarkably different two-and-a-half-actor drama of ideas Copenhagen, which I saw in London, is perhaps the... Read more

    I’m not sure how long the exchange between Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Hamblin will continue, but more has now been posted.   First, there are three “rejoinders” from Professor Jenkins:   Jenkins Rejoinder 5: Persian Version   Jenkins Rejoinder 6: No ABMS   Jenkins Rejoinder 7: Where’s the Beef?   Then there are three responses from Professor Hamblin:   Jenkins Response 10: Empiricism and the Past   Jenkins Response 11: Historicity and Authenticity   Jenkins Response 12:  Epistemology... Read more

    “Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Read more

    It will soon be July, and, at that time of the year, my thoughts naturally turn to Las Vegas.   Where else would anybody want to be at this time of the year?   Anyhow, I’m going to be giving a couple of minor talks at FreedomFest, an annual event that I’ve really, really enjoyed in the past.   This year, I’m not listed among the “Featured Speakers.”  (I think I once was, in the past.  When I... Read more

    Luke 10:38-42 Compare John 11:1; 12:1-3   Mary and Martha, and their brother Lazarus, were friends of Jesus.  He apparently often stayed with them when he came to Jerusalem.   They lived in Bethany (Aramaic בית עניא, Beth anya; Greek Βηθανία), the traditional site of which is still known today, in Arabic, as al-Eizariyya (العيزرية), a name that derives from Lazarus.  It’s a West Bank town located just over the Mount of Olives, on its southeast slope, from Jerusalem.  The Garden of Gethsemane... Read more

    Today’s installment of my weekly Deseret News column has now appeared:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865631371/From-Darkness-unto-Light-takes-a-fresh-look-at-recovery-publication-of-the-Book-of-Mormon.html     Read more

    A new proposal for the early history of our Solar System that might account for some of its seeming peculiarities:   http://www.astrobio.net/news-exclusive/jupiters-movements-made-way-for-earth/     Read more

    Further evidence of Hollywood’s tender respect for the sensibilities of religious believers:   http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/tv/2656476-155/new-abc-series-features-mormon-character   I’m trying to think of equivalent acts toward devout Jews or Muslims.   But there’s no real point:  You can be certain that Hollywood wouldn’t do anything equivalent.   Have you heard of the hit Broadway musical satire The Qur’an?  No?  Well, surely you’ve seen the smash musical play The Talmud?  Sure.  You remember.  The one about two absurdly madcap and misfit yeshiva... Read more