The title of the article is somewhat inaccurate, since the real topic, I think, is archaeological heritage.  It’s about black market antiquities trading, looting, the wanton destructiveness of Da‘esh (“ISIS”), and related issues — which are, in my view, quite a bit more complicated than they might seem to many at first glance:   https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/07/who-gets-to-own-iraqs-religious-heritage/533598/   Posted from Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii     Read more

    “Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.” Robert Louis Stevenson   Posted from Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii     Read more

    Thanks to David Wills for bringing this notable item to my attention:   “Handwritten Draft of The Bible Discovered Proves Complete Work of Fiction”   I’m not quite sure what to make of it, though.   Is it a joke?   Is its author simply stupid and/or ignorant?   Unless I’m misreading the piece, it seems to presume that, to some considerable degree at least, the Bible was actually composed in English by the authors of the King... Read more

      This week’s offense against reason, common sense, and basic human decency:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865685158/Even-without-gills-we-need-oceans.html   Posted from Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii     Read more

    This is actually a rather interesting ethical question.   What do you think?   Posted from Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii     Read more

    This article was posted in 2014, but the same sort of thing continues still:   https://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2014/9/17/nytimes-surprise-covers-mormon-sexual-ethics-without-talking-to-mormons?rq=Mormon   Just pay attention.  You’ll see it quite often.   Posted from Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii     Read more

    https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/on-trumps-new-appointee-moscow-says-wait-and-see-58442   The last paragraph of the article is striking — and more than a bit ominous — in light of recent developments regarding the freedom of religion in Russia.  And it’s about Mormonism.   Unfortunately, I have the impression — I hope I’m mistaken — that the Russians needn’t worry overly much about the new ambassador’s “Mormon roots.”   Posted from Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii     Read more

    If the theorizing mentioned in this article is at all correct, the universe has just become even stranger than it already was:   http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2017/07/14/dark-matter-might-form-planets/#.WXBeEmW0zdn   See also “Materialism isn’t what it used to be.”   “I have no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly more surprising than anything I can imagine,” remarked the British geneticist and evolutionary biologist J. B. S. Haldane (d. 1964).  “Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is not only queerer... Read more

    “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)     The Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer Robert Louis Stevenson — author of such works as Treasure Island, The Black Arrow, Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Master of Ballantrae, and A Child’s Garden of Verses — was one of those dealt a poor hand, but he played it very well.   He was sick,... Read more