Hamblin-Peterson Column In Deseret News

[3DOP]

I was thinking, Rory, of our secular high school and college system when I suggested that teachers of Bible as literature at such institutions ought to focus on the esthetic qualities rather than attempt to indoctrinate the students in a particular belief system. Of course, specifically religious schools can freely pass on the deep spiritual meaning felt by the teachers, which can be infectious and very inspiring. So your intuition is good and on point.

By far and away, in my opinion, the biggest problem we face is biblical illiteracy.

Bob

Okay...yes...tax supported schooling creates complications. I have often thought that in justice, public education, if it would rigorously avoid giving offense to the diversity of tax payers, would need to be more careful than it is. I think it does tend to be mediocre though for the reason that they want to make everybody pay for it no matter their beliefs. So they ought to be somewhat accommodating. I'll bet those on the opposite end of the political/moral/religious spectrum from me have the same complaint. Be that as it may. I now understand your point. I was just thinking of the ideal teacher, not practical scenarios. Thanks for the clarification.

Rory

[Daniel Peterson]

The latest Hamblin-Peterson column for the Deseret News:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765628987/Jihadist-aim-To-expel-US-from-Mideast.html

[Daniel Peterson]

For whatever reason, the latest Hamblin/Peterson column for the Deseret News is up quite a bit earlier than normal:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865580099/Henry-VIIIs-war-against-the-monasteries-of-England.html

[Daniel Peterson]

It looks as if I've missed a few here.

But this column, on the ziggurats or ancient temple platforms of Mesopotamia, appeared on Saturday:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865581769/Ziggurats-are-temple-platforms-of-ancient-Mesopotamia.html

[Daniel Peterson]

I forgot to post a notice two weeks ago about this appreciation of John Henry Cardinal Newman, which seems particularly relevant now that I'm being accused of anti-Catholicism:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865580865/John-Henry-Newman-was-an-eminent-Victorian.html

[3DOP]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the good article. My understanding of Newman's reticence about papal infallibility was not regarding whether it was true, but whether it was prudent for the Council to proclaim it at that time. In my opinion, subsequent events and trends in the Church have proven the wisdom of Newman's misgivings.

Do you care to reveal where you are being charged of anti-Catholicism? Unless it is at Catholic Answers (falsely so-called), where I am permanently banned, it might be fun to speak up in your defense.

Rory

[Daniel Peterson]

Thanks. To an extent, I've been accused of anti-Catholicism in the comments section of my blog. But the worst has come at another message board where they simply loathe and despise me and happily join in chorus to accuse me of every sin in the book (including, to date, anti-Semitism, gay-bashing, voyeurism, racism, homicidal urges, sexism, slander, libel, etc., etc., etc.) But even they've finally begun to tire of repeating the charge. (They even changed the title of one thread from something like "Peterson's Anti-Catholic Post" to roughly "Peterson's Post Offensive to Christians." It's not much, and it's still a gross distortion, but it's progress, I guess.)

It's probably best, at this point, to simply let sleeping dogmatists lie. They're an extraordinarily nasty lot, anyway.

I have to admit that the accusation caught be by surprise. I don't think I have an anti-Catholic bone in my body; to the contrary, I'm very respectful of both Catholicism and the Catholic Church. (My youngest son is even partially named after St. Thomas Aquinas.)

Interesting to see that you're banned from Catholic Answers. I used to participate there, a couple of years ago. I was only there to try to defend my faith, and to clear up misunderstandings. But I soon tired of being attacked, and left.

[Daniel Peterson]

The latest Hamblin/Peterson column, on "the Bible as literature":

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865583606/The-Bible-is-literature-but-also-much-more-than-that.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Last weekend's Hamblin-Peterson column:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584330/Factions-grew-out-of-government-failures-in-the-Middle-East.html

[Daniel Peterson]

This morning's Hamblin-Peterson column:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865585078/Here-are-2-examples-of-Muslim-respect-for-Christian-churches.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Up a bit early:

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2013/09/european-religious-apathy-and-the-steep-decline-of-christianity-in-britain.html

[3DOP]

State interference in the religious market isn’t the only factor behind European religious apathy. But, argues professor Stark, it plays a significant role.

 

 

In many ways I wish I could agree with professor Stark's assessment. What an easy fix that would and will be! Unfortunately for his theory, all of Europe has been trending away from "state interference in the religious market" for a long time. Let's see what happens when England places the Church of England on an equal footing with other religions. Will there be an overall revitalization of Christianity in that country? I have to doubt that the collapse of faith in Europe can be traced to lack of religious liberty when there is everywhere in Europe in 2013 as much of such liberty as ever there was. If anything, I would theorize that Europe demonstrates that what follows when religious liberty arrives, is religious indifference.

 

I do not believe that religious liberty causes religious indifference. But it could be more reasonably argued. The states of Europe have been loosening their laws on religion for centuries now. I suspect it is other problems, far more serious than archaic laws allowing a privileged sect to be tax exempt, that is causing the trend all over the Continent and elsewhere towards unbelief. I see that Professor Stark acknowledges that there are other factors. Good. I agree to lament the symptom, but I cannot agree as to the diagnosis. I do not agree that the freedom or lack thereof that all religions now labor under in the West has made much difference one way or the other to the notable decline in attention to matters regarding the afterlife.

[Daniel Peterson]

You would find his discussion interesting, I think.  And more nuanced than I was able to be in a 737-word newspaper column.

[Nathair/|\]

The malevolent stalker is "the good Doctor?"

In what universe?

Regards,

Pahoran

The Master, more likely if he's a Time Lord at all.  Has anyone reported a persistent drum beat in his presence or heard him complaining about one?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdfmMuIOyS0

[Daniel Peterson]

I'm falling behind on these:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865591680/Thanksgiving-has-very-ancient-roots.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Still falling behind:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865594809/An-ancient-pagan-prophecy-of-Christ.html?pg=all

[Robert F. Smith]

Still falling behind:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865594809/An-ancient-pagan-prophecy-of-Christ.html?pg=all

You and Bill mention the Sibyl who was a daughter-in-law of Noah.  That account is from the earliest and most certainly Jewish of the Sibylline Oracles, and tells of the sibyl Sambethe (Sibtu, Queen of Mari) who came into Egypt just after the Flood.  The parallel with Book of Abraham Egyptus (Zeptah) is inescapable.  See H. C. Youtie, "Sambathis," Harvard Theological Review, 37:213-217; Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, I:318, citing Rosenstiehl & Heinz, "De Sibtu, la reine de Mari, à Sambethe," Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuse, 52 (1972):13-15; Sibylline Oracles, Prologue:33; I:289, III:809,823-827.

[Daniel Peterson]

Another one:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865597083/Diving-into-the-afterlife-in-Hawaii.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Wow.  I'm way, way, way behind on these.

 

And yet not a peep of complaint!

 

This just goes to show how patient my vast and eager audience is.

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865604233/Art-and-the-language-of-the-divine.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Sigh.  Still behind.  But here's the most recent one, about the recent announcement of a new "caliphate" in Iraq:

 

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865606770/Turning-the-clock-back-to-the-seventh-century-in-Iraq.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Not catching up.  But here's today's:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865610336/Is-Islam-a-primary-cause-of-international-violence.html

[Daniel Peterson]

I don't know why I keep forgetting to post notices about these (not that anybody cares), but here's the most recent one.  It's about the Kurds:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865614471/Who-are-the-Kurds.html

[Daniel Peterson]

And here's today's:

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2014/11/christianity-is-a-middle-eastern-religion.html