Hamblin-Peterson Column In Deseret News

[Daniel Peterson]

In partial fulfillment of my New Year's resolution to write more than I read or think, I've teamed up with Bill Hamblin to do a new semi-weekly column, appearing on Saturdays, devoted to non-LDS religious matters of all kinds. Here's the first:

http://www.deseretne...till-alive.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Here's the second:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700219659/That-old-time-religion-still-draws-us-in.html

Unfortunately, on-line at least, it seems to be attributed only to me, and not, as it should be, also to the column co-author, William Hamblin.

I'm down in Phoenix at the moment. Does anybody, by any chance, have access to the hard copy version? Is it attributed solely to me in print, as well?

I've written to the editors asking for more accurate attribution, but they may be out of the office on the weekend.

[rmpoulsen]

It shows both of you now. William first.

[The Nehor]

It shows both of you now. William first.

Oh great.......now cue the malevolent stalker getting some key intel from an informant about the ongoing battle between the two for name precedence in the column.

[Bill Hamblin]

Oh great.......now cue the malevolent stalker getting some key intel from an informant about the ongoing battle between the two for name precedence in the column.

For the first shall be first, and the least shall be last.

Or something like that.

[Mike Reed]

Bill and Dan wrote: "Religion is fascinatingly still alive.... The notion that the world is growing more secular... is simply wrong.... Mormonism, some say, is poised to become the first new global faith since Islam emerged from Arabia in the seventh century...."

"Some say" all sorts of things. But is it true?

Special Report: Mormonism besieged by the modern age

[Pahoran]

"Some say" all sorts of things. But is it true?

Special Report: Mormonism besieged by the modern age

You're right. Some do say all sorts of things.

And if it comforts you to cling to a bit of populist, superficial journalism written as a commentary upon the Romney campaign, then by all means, go for it.

Regards,

Pahoran

[Kenngo1969]

I have the perfect solution to the "battle-of-the-bylines" between Drs. Peterson and Hamblin, courtesy of West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder: Attribute the column to Danwill Peterblin.

[Scott Lloyd]

I'm curious about how you guys co-write a column. Do you hammer out a general concept beforehand and then take turns from week to week composing the text? Or do you sit at a keyboard together and let the verbiage flow between you?

[Daniel Peterson]

Our plan, carried out with perfect precision thus far in the two columns that we've done, is that each of us writes a column every other week, and the other reviews it, suggests modifications, and ultimately signs off on it.

Thus far, I was the principal author on the first column, and Bill was the principal author of the second.

Given our travel schedules, though, I'm sure that it'll get irregular fairly soon.

[Daniel Peterson]

Here's the third installment:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700224056/Will-Islam-embrace-pluralism.html

[Daniel Peterson]

And here's the fourth installment, wherein, somewhat indirectly, we engage the current controversy about vicarious baptisms on behalf of those who have died:

http://www.deseretne...-afterlife.html

Our original title for the article was "Rescuing the Dead."

[Daniel Peterson]

Fifth installment, on the Muslim view of the Qur’an. This might help, at least a little bit, in understanding the eruption of violence in Afghanistan following alleged desecration of a copy of the holy book of Islam:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765558159/Muslims-view-the-Quran-as-purely-divine.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Concerning the recent death of the Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria, the Egyptian Pope, and the history of Egyptian Christianity:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765562430/Christians-mourn-death-of-a-pope.html

[Daniel Peterson]

On the celebration of Easter in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher at Jerusalem:

http://dcpsicetnon.blogspot.com/2012/04/holy-fire-in-jerusalem.html

[Daniel Peterson]

On non-useless interfaith dialogue:

http://dcpsicetnon.blogspot.com/2012/04/achieving-genuine-dialogue-between.html

[Daniel Peterson]

On one of my personal heroes:

http://dcpsicetnon.blogspot.com/2012/05/indian-ruler-sowed-seeds-of-buddhism.html

[Libs]

That last one was very interesting!!

[Libs]

The one before that...........interesting, as well. I had to wonder if you thought it really would have been wise (more productive) to have "conservative" Evangelicals expressing their views on hell and who will end up there? Anyway..."liberal" Christians are real Christians, as well. I would say, some of them have more of a philosophy than a hard "doctrine", but the philosophy/beliefs are based on the teachings of Jesus.

[Daniel Peterson]

Not all Evangelicals find it necessary to talk all the time about how everybody but them will go to hell, and some really liberal Christians -- I'm not saying "all" -- don't seem to be Christians very much at all anymore, There is a wide spectrum, and stereotypes really don't work. That was something of my essential point, actually.

[Libs]

You said, in the article, that those representing Christianity, seemed to distance themselves from Christian belief, even seemingly apologizing for "every distinctive tenet of Christianity". First of all, I was really curious about who this person was (you said, "now deceased"?); secondly, from a few of your statements, it just sounded like you didin't believe these people were even Christians. There is a broad spectrum of beliefs, in Christianity, I agree, and I can understand why a conservative Christian may not feel their beliefs are well represented by a liberal Christian. But, that doesn't mean the liberal Christians views are not Christian (is all I was trying to say). Sounds like, you were hoping for broader representation of Christianity, on this panel...which is understandable.

I belong to a Facebook group called "Unfundamentalist Christians", who often get a little ruffled, because conservative Christians, in America, seem to have co-opted the Christian label and definition of Christianity, and are very exclusive, in their beliefs (as you know). Liberal Christians do not want to be defined by Conservative Christianity, but they, at least, do not exclude those conservatives or others, from the larger tent of Christianity. Not that I am accusing you of doing that, Dr. Peterson - I know you are more open-minded than that, which is why I was a little surprised at this article...some of the wording seemed to be almost wanting to exclude certain segments of Christianity....but, perhaps, I was misunderstanding, and what you were really seeking was a broader representation.

[Calm]

but the philosophy/beliefs are based on the teachings of Jesus.

I assume we are not talking about Christ's teachings about his resurrection and being the son of God, but rather the interpretations of how to live a moral life. It seems to me since one can find plenty of the same moral teachings these days without ever referring to Jesus, that there is nothing really unique in such a philosophy of moral living that identifies it as "Christian". If so, while I would not deprive them of the label if they want it, it seems an empty identification to me.

If my assumption is wrong and there is something that uniquely points to Christ in a belief system in those you are thinking about, then the identification becomes more meaningful, of course.

[Libs]

By this definition, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints could be considered "liberal" Christianity, in particular the part about not subscribing to any creed, plus a willingness to interpret scripture without any preconceived notion of inerrancy..

Liberal Christianity, broadly speaking, is a method of biblical hermeneutics, an undogmatic method of understanding God through the use of scripture by applying the same modern hermeneutics used to understand any ancient writings. Liberal Christianity does not claim to be a belief structure, and as such is not dependent upon any Church dogma or creedal statements. Unlike conservative varieties of Christianity, it has no unified set of propositional beliefs. The word liberal in liberal Christianity denotes a characteristic willingness to interpret scripture without any preconceived notion of inerrancy of scripture or the correctness of Church dogma.^[1] A liberal Christian, however, may hold certain beliefs in common with traditional, orthodox, or evenconservative Christianity.

http://en.wikipedia....al_Christianity

I think many liberal Christians do hold rather traditional beliefs about the resurrection and Jesus as the Son of God. I consider myself a Christian and I do believe Christ was God, but not exactly in the way most conservatives believe it (and I don't think LDS hold to the "traditional" view, either). In both Mormonism and Liberal Christianity, same terminology may be used, with slightly varying definitions of those terms.

Not all (or even most) liberal Christians believe Christ was just a moral teacher.

[Daniel Peterson]

Some specimens of misrepresenting and distorting important religious texts:

http://dcpsicetnon.blogspot.com/2012/05/sacred-texts-must-be-read-with-caution.html

[Daniel Peterson]

You said, in the article, that those representing Christianity, seemed to distance themselves from Christian belief, even seemingly apologizing for "every distinctive tenet of Christianity". First of all, I was really curious about who this person was (you said, "now deceased"?); secondly, from a few of your statements, it just sounded like you didin't believe these people were even Christians.

In one or two cases, I'm not sure that they were even theists.

His name was Gordon Kaufman. A very decent man.

I know you are more open-minded than that, which is why I was a little surprised at this article...some of the wording seemed to be almost wanting to exclude certain segments of Christianity....but, perhaps, I was misunderstanding, and what you were really seeking was a broader representation.

I had no intention of excluding anybody, but I certainly didn't think that our Christian contingent was representative of typical Christian belief.

I'm not eager to exclude. Not even remotely. But I do think there are boundaries.

.