Unfortunately, only the second of these two items appears to have been satire:   “NPR Tweeted The Declaration Of Independence And Some Trump Supporters Were Offended: ‘Literally no one is going to read 5,000 tweets about this trash.'”   “The Declaration of Independence, as read by President Trump”     Read more

    The experience of a Muslim doctor in a small, rural Midwestern town:   https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/in-a-midwestern-town-that-went-for-trump-a-muslim-doctor-tries-to-understand-his-neighbors/2017/07/01/0ada50c4-5c48-11e7-9fc6-c7ef4bc58d13_story.html?utm_term=.c8046c4d8d62   It puts a human face on — or, perhaps a bit better, illustrates the human cost incurred in connection with — the issue of religious tolerance and anti-Islamic bigotry.   Although he was raised in the United States, should he leave this country for Canada, as his brother is doing?     Read more

    A former stake president and member of the Seventy how serves in the British Parliament:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865684071/Scottish-Mormon-in-Parliament-talks-Teresa-May-and-Europes-future.html?_cid=Email-4     Read more

    Interesting ideas from Dr. Michio Kaku:   “World Renowned Scientist Michio Kaku Proves Existence Of God”   But that article proves to be just a bit sensationalized.  So this one helps:   “Michio Kaku Clears Up God Discovery”   But his position is still very much of interest from a theistic point of view:   “Math is the Mind of God”     Read more

    “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.  The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)     Read more

    For those who want to be prepared for the battle that’s raging and that, in my judgment, will only become worse over the next several years, this book might provide very important preparation:   https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/book-review-debating-religious-liberty-and-discrimination   It really is, in my view, a struggle for freedom and specifically for freedom of conscience.   What we once assumed to be set in stone — American religious liberty — is in more danger now than perhaps, generally speaking, it has been at... Read more

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/04/health/canadian-baby-gender-designation/index.html   this baby searyl atli doty marks an exciting new development it will decide its own gender or they will decide their own gender its not yet clear whether singular pronouns will survive long after the demise of gendered pronouns and maybe the pronoun it will be good enough because separating living things from things that arent living is probably doubleplusungood too   sorry about the paragraph divisions theyre a relic of my ancient education and retrograde... Read more

      If someone shares this tale with you — I’m informed that it’s become quite popular in some circles — please don’t pass it on.   Except, perhaps, as an illustration of sloppy and inaccurate historical claims:   “Star-spangled voodoo history”   Thanks to Kevin Taylor for alerting me to this item.     Read more

    On 4 July 1776, the same day that it approved the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress of the United States of America appointed a committee — made up of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson — to create an official “Great Seal” for the new nation.   The first design, shown above, was principally the conception of Benjamin Franklin, although the other two approved it.  (Jefferson liked the slogan around the edge so much that he... Read more

    A bit of social science out of Belgium:   http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/07/03/religious-people-are-more-tolerant-open-minded-than-atheists-new-study-reveals/   If you’re interested in pursuing this topic further (as I am), the original study is available online here:   “Are atheists undogmatic?”   Fortunately for me, I have access to a university library and its resources.     Read more