![\"FAIR](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2025\/06\/28-3.jpg\")
<\/a>I\u2019m trying to find the time to get my remarks together for the upcoming FAIR conference, which I\u2019m scheduled to deliver in the concluding session, I believe, of the final day, on Friday, 8 August. \u00a0But it\u2019s genuinely difficult. \u00a0(Last night, for instance, watching K-Pop Demon Hunters<\/em> with an element of my progeny cut unexpectedly into my work time.) \u00a0I know what I want to say, but I\u2019m confronting a mass of good material, and selecting from it is a real challenge. \u00a0What do I want to omit? \u00a0(Hint: Nothing. \u00a0But that\u2019s not a realistic option.)<\/p>\n The Internal Revenue Service has indicated that churches may now be free to make political pronouncements, including endorsements of candidates, from the pulpit.<\/p>\n Of course, I\u2019m not sure that very much will change in the real world as a result of this: Although my own church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a>, has, as \u00a0a matter of regular policy, declined to endorse candidates or, except in very rare instances, to endorse political measures or policies, it is regularly accused of political meddling and theocracy by its critics. \u00a0I don\u2019t expect that to change. \u00a0By contrast, although I can\u2019t recall them ever being condemned for political interference to the extent that my church often is, Black Protestant Churches have been handing their pulpits over to political officials and candidates such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jesse Jackson, and Joe Biden for campaign speeches for as long as I can remember, and Evangelical Protestant leaders such as Franklin Graham, Paula White-Cain, the lamentable Robert Jeffress, and the execrable Jerry Falwell Jr. are often to be seen \u201canointing\u201d and praising and endorsing and praying over Donald J. Trump. \u00a0I don\u2019t really see how they could be more explicit or un-subtle than they already are.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, here\u2019s an important warning from a noted law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, who happens to be a Latter-day Saint: \u00a0\u201cPerspective: The temptation now facing America\u2019s religious institutions: If America\u2019s various religious groups become indistinguishable from political campaigns, what will they offer their congregants?\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n And here\u2019s a warning on a completely different topic from the estimable Robert George, of Princeton University: \u201cPerspective: It\u2019s time to hold the line against the culture of death:\u00a0People who believe in the dignity of every human life must seek to reverse the assisted-suicide revolution\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n I found these quite personal remarks, given by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a visit in Paris, quite moving: \u00a0\u201cElder Ulisses Soares \u201cHeard a Voice From Heaven\u201d After Losing Two Children\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe that you need to have experienced a similar loss \u2014 though, unfortunately, some of us (including myself) have<\/em> \u2014 to appreciate his words, but surely such a loss is likely to make them more poignant.<\/p>\n Driving out to Williamsburg this afternoon, the Third-Generation Unit in the back seat was playing K-Pop Demon Hunters<\/em> on its child-friendly laptop computer. \u00a0I wouldn\u2019t have recognized the soundtrack prior to last night.<\/p>\n But on to another subject: As the science-minded researchers over at the Peterson Obsession Board have been able to declare on the basis of many scores of their rigorous studies over the years, by far the two principal themes of my blog entries here are my attacks on gay people and my assaults on racial minorities. \u00a0(You need look no further for an illustration of such attacks than the foregoing portion of this particular blog post today.) \u00a0Running a close second in frequency, however, are my lengthy celebrations of my sybaritic adventures in fine dining. \u00a0Accordingly, I close with a typically voluminous and overwritten restaurant review:<\/p>\n This evening, in obedience to the wishes of the Third-Generation Unit under whose regime we are currently living, we went out to eat at something called Super Chix<\/a>, which is located at 200 College Row in Williamsburg, near the campus of the venerable College of William and Mary (an institution that was founded in 1693 by royal charter). Truth be told, I wasn\u2019t looking forward to the experience, even though \u2014 apparently along with racism and homophobia \u2014 my life essentially revolves around indulging in such gourmet culinary treasures. \u00a0But I have to report that my Cordon Bleu sandwich was actually surprisingly good, as were the French fries when accompanied with Super Chix\u2019s \u201cSignature\u201d sauce. \u00a0(I think, however, although theirs was more than just good, that I may still slightly prefer the frozen custard at Utah\u2019s own Nielsens<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Super Chix was apparently founded in Dallas, Texas, and it\u2019s heavily represented in the American Southeast. \u00a0Lest you Westerners despair, though, I\u2019m happy to report that the chain operates a number of restaurants in Utah as well as in adjacent areas, and that another one of their outlets will soon open in Provo<\/a>.<\/p>\n Finally, I share this article about a really good guy from a really good family whom my wife and I have had the good fortune to know (and to travel with): \u00a0\u201cBritain Covey has his Super Bowl ring. Here\u2019s what it looks like:\u00a0The former Utes star is the latest Super Bowl champion from the school, after he won one with the Eagles\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 I wish him well with the Rams.<\/p>\n Posted from Williamsburg, Virginia<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u00a0 I\u2019m trying to find the time to get my remarks together for the upcoming FAIR conference, which I\u2019m scheduled to deliver in the concluding session, I believe, of the final day, on Friday, 8 August. \u00a0But it\u2019s genuinely difficult. \u00a0(Last night, for instance, watching K-Pop Demon Hunters with an element of my progeny cut […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":17673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[292,2905,788,11471,3703,38984],"class_list":["post-112031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-brigham-young","tag-latter-day-saint","tag-mormon","tag-race","tag-slavery","tag-super-chix"],"yoast_head":"\n