This is a really nice little essay.  Despite the title, not at all morbid.  It focuses on what’s most important in life, and, as such, I think it’s quite appropriate for this season:   http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/20/health/what-people-talk-about-before-dying-kerry-egan/index.html?sr=fbCNN122016what-people-talk-about-before-dying-kerry-egan     Read more

    A follow-up to a post from earlier today:   “Swamp Waters Not Drained, But Stirred”   “Newt: ‘Drain the Swamp’ Was Just a ‘Cute’ Thing Trump Said”     Read more

    At first glance, I thought that this might be a comment about my blog from one of my more implacable and deranged critics.  But it isn’t.  In fact, it’s an absolutely fascinating piece about some sort of “intelligence” where I, at least, would never have imagined any kind of intelligence to exist.  Which sounds as if I’m describing the message board where some of my more implacable and deranged critics congregate to express their hatred and disdain.  But, in... Read more

    Amusingly, the “Christian university” in question is BYU:   http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/744555/Hijab-students-activists-Christian-protest   You may notice, though, that the article provides absolutely nothing to substantiate its claim that there was discernible “shock” — or should I say “SHOCK”? — on campus.  I’m pretty much oblivious to such things, but I have to say that I noticed no controversy at all.     Read more

    The author gets our theology a bit wrong, and he doesn’t seem to have noticed that the Mormon Tabernacle isn’t quite entirely white, but I’m glad he liked its performance of the carol:   http://thenet.ng/2016/12/watching-this-white-choir-sing-a-yoruba-christmas-carol-will-make-your-head-swell-seriously/   It’s one of my favorites, too.  I still remember hearing it for the very first time, at the annual BYU Christmas choir concert.  It was unexpected, and thrilling.     Read more

    People on both the political Left and the political Right are noticing it:   “Trevor Noah: Donald Trump is finally telling the truth about his ‘lying'”   “Trump Is Already Ditching His Movement”   And please, hardcore Trumpists, have a genuine look at the links above before you write impassioned defenses of Mr. Trump, telling me how he’s already made America great again, how (although he’s not yet even president) he’s already the second most powerful in the... Read more

    The prize-winning science fiction and fantasy author Orson Scott Card wrote Interpreter’s holiday message for Christmas 2014.  It’s timeless, so here it is:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/christmas-is-about-a-baby/     Read more

    Most of us seldom if ever think about our Christmas customs.  We follow them because we grew up with them.   And that’s actually not a bad reason.  It connects us with our many of our best childhood memories, with earlier generations, and with millions of our fellow human beings at a particularly happy time of the year.   Here, though, are a few thoughts on why many of us do what we do:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865592380/Charles-Dickens-and-the-invention-of-Christmas.html?pg=all     Read more

    I suppose that Xmas could be used as part of a campaign against Christianity.  But, historically speaking, it’s definitely not.  Here’s a helpful article about the background of the term:   “The X in Xmas literally means Christ. Here’s the history behind it.”   I might mention that I myself (probably owing to the fact that my undergraduate major was in classical Greek) developed a habit, early on, when I was taking handwritten notes from lectures or readings, of using... Read more

    This is, essentially, a companion piece to the column on “Is Islam a religion of peace” to which I recently referred:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865647040/Buddhism-and-violence.html   And, to any atheists out there:  Please, before you post an oration about religion as the cause of wars and violence and suffering, think about Lenin, Stalin, Enver Hoxha, Robespierre, the Castro brothers, Pol Pot, the Tamil Tigers, Trotsky, and Mao and try to avoid embarrassing yourself.     Read more