I greatly admire Archbishop Chaput, and have met him.  I only partially share his positive estimation of St. Athanasius, but I think his little article makes some good points:   https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2017/05/the-land-of-athanasius-and-its-lessons   Posted from Tiberias, Israel     Read more

    An important argument from David French:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article/447338/trump-religious-liberty-executive-order-failure   Posted from Tiberias, Israel     Read more

    We were up early today, as usual, and headed first to the Wadi al-Hammam, “the Valley of the Doves,” near Magdala.  We walked up it a bit, looking at the cliffs that are so famous from Josephus, encountering cows, and pondering the fact that this was the ancient path that Jesus and his disciples would have taken between the Sea of Galilee and the much higher towns of Nazareth and Sepphoris.   Next, we went to the Church... Read more

    I realize that, in some sophisticated circles, accounts such as these are derided and dismissed:   http://www.ldsliving.com/5-Insights-into-the-Spirit-World-from-Those-Who-Have-Seen-It/s/82344/?utm_source=ldsliving&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=related   I, however, make no pretense of being sophisticated, and I take them quite seriously.   Posted from Tiberias, Israel     Read more

    I dreamed of something like this telescope myself, when I was a late pre-teen.  But I never did it, of course — nor came anywhere close:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865679143/Worlds-largest-amateur-telescope-finds-new-home-in-Tooele-County.html   One of the things that intervened to dampen my enthusiasm was poor eyesight, which I “discovered” only at about the age of twelve (when I had to take an eye exam for a gun safety class).  Up till then, I simply marveled at all the things that others said... Read more

    “I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation.  If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations . . .  They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth.  The Romans and their empire were but a bubble in comparison to the Jews.” John Adams   Posted... Read more

    My friend and colleague Ralph Hancock responds to a Deseret News article by Spencer Fluhman:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865679304/Ralph-Hancock-LDS-progressivism-is-not-grounded-in-LDS-belief.html   Posted from Tiberias, Israel     Read more

    One old anti-Mormon chestnut claims that Joseph Smith couldn’t keep his tall tale straight:  Was he visited by “Moroni” or by “Nephi”?   Robert Boylan reminds us of something on this topic by the late Matthew Brown:   http://scripturalmormonism.blogspot.co.il/2017/05/matthew-b-brown-on-angel-nephimoroni.html   Posted from Tiberias, Israel     Read more

      I really love gifts such as this:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865679285/Mormons-present-family-history-to-African-American-congresswoman.html   I can’t imagine anybody, whatever his or her status or position or politics, who wouldn’t be entranced and delighted to receive such a thing.  By all accounts, Barack Obama was.   I love the humanness of the gift, which transcends, or goes deeper than, transient party politics.   Posted from Tiberias, Israel     Read more

    A good, albeit quite Catholic, response to atheist mockery of the resurrected Jesus as a “zombie”:   https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2017/05/jesus-is-not-a-zombie   Posted from Tiberias, Israel     Read more