Stumbled across this. While I'm not in favor of polemics like this, I thought it was interesting.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Thursday, December 29, 2005
From another site.
6/13/2004
Some other items of note. Last October I was ordained a High Priest in my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Did a lousy job as an elder and will probably be continue the tradition. FYI, High Priest is about the last office in the LDS priesthood that ordinary mortals can get. Beyond that is apostle but only 12 or so people have that. HP is the office that bishops hold. The local church and churches are presided over by HP. My calling is just an assistant so I have very little real authority, which is a good thing. I think I'm 5th in line to conduct church services but in all my years, I've never had the entire bishopric out of town so the HP Group Leaders ever take over. So far, so good.
I'm sure I'll think of other things later.
7/25/2003
Quite a bit has happened since the last entry. Tracy's father died and we had to race to Arizona to take care of business there. I spent my time looking at the train wreck that occurred about 75 miles out of town, traveling to cities that I hadn't visited before, and making a trip up to Vegas. Vegas wasn't all that exciting but I hadn't been there for several years and I wanted to see what had changed.
I've spent some time reading some books. Most of the fiction had to do with the newest Star Wars books. Have to read all of those. I read a couple more political books. The best was "What's So Great About America" by Dinesh D'Souza. I watched a lecture that he gave at Santa Barbara which really impressed me. This book was fantastic. I highly recommend it.
Our adoption hasn't been the greatest experience in our lives. At present, we are still waiting to hear if something is amiss in Ecuador. The agency that we are using had told us that they were no longer doing international adoptions. We complained strongly and got them to help finance at least one child. We had to make up the rest for the second. That and the situation at work has been very stressful. Anyway, we're trying to get things back together and deal with the situation we are in.
One good thing that has happened is finding an old friend of mine. Glad to hear from him again. Hi John!
Interesting links:
Christians Online
www.ShiaChat.com
www.ahmadiyya.ibforums.com
6/4/2003
I want it known that the past weekend was incredibly instructive for me. I've been reading the Qur'an on and off for the past several months. In some cases, it was quite enlightening. Other times, it could be disturbing. Basically, the disturbing portions to me were what the text had to potential to do. Of course, I couldn't get recent history out of my mind. 9/11 still haunts me, as it does most americans.
My curiousity with the Qur'an really stems from a couple levels. First, I am fascinated by religion. Just the mainstream ones, usually. Second, recent history made me more culturally curious. To be quite blunt, how could a huge religion be so violent. It was more a morbid curiousity. When I served my mission in Europe, I couldn't get over the order and quality of the German people. But really all I knew previously were the horrors of World War 2. As I lived among them, I couldn't help but ask myself how this people could perform such terrible deeds. The more I studied the more I could get a picture of how such a thing could occur. Well, that interest also branched into the Near East. We have had almost constant difficulty in that region of the world. What was the problem? I really had a hard time believing these people were barbarians. The West had learned so much from them. Anyway, that was my basic interest.
I had made several attempts at the Qur'an but have always allowed the reading to stop. Most of the time, certain verses offended me, or the commentary was offensive. I'm still not saying that it now doesn't offend me but I'm really trying to realize that the commentary is just a particular opinion. I have read other books and commentary that are much more liberal and much more soothing to my ear. Anyway, after the latest attempt (the Iraq war distracted me) I realized that I was in desperate need of cultural commentary. Why was the commentary written like this, when I didn't necessarily read that into the verse. Why were other muslims that I knew were offended when I offered my opinion...etc. Either they didn't get it, or I didn't. My bets were that I didn't.
I read one small book called "The Place of Tolerance in Islam". It was an interesting book. The first essay was how tolerant the Qur'an actually was. There were several different takes on some verses that I was familiar with. I realize that the author was taking an extremely liberal view, as subsequent authors pointed out. In any case, it helped to see that these things were in some level of debate, although some views were in a clear minority.
One of my favorite persons to hear lecture is Daniel C. Peterson. He currently works for FARMS and CPART and has been active in LDS apologetics, and Islamic studies. On certain message boards, his wit was refreshing and his commentary on Islam was insightful. I decided to see what he had to say on the matter. I found a book through inter-library loan called "Abraham Divided". I read it during last weekend.
It was a great read. It provided a good summary of the history of the region, with some background on Muhammed and the various schools and ideology. It also provided a good background on the current situation. It was very instructive. It gave a history that I haven't read before. In the Christian West, we are very focused on Israel and our slant is definately pro-Israel. Well, this book took a more balanced look and provided some information that western news wouldn't necessarily report. It really opened up my eyes. It provided a perspective that I was completely ignorant on and probably would have remained so because of the rhetoric surrounding the issue. I really dislike rhetoric, even as I catch myself using it.
It did bring back memories from my undergrad work at Brigham Young University. The issue of Israel didn't come up often but when it did, some of the most conservative religion professors didn't show any preferences to the current state of Israel. This might also have had something to do with the struggles that the school was having opening up their extension school in Jerusalem. The government and conservative Jews showed a real intolerance to the LDS church and the school, and I think that made an impression on the professors. Very little respect was shown to present-day Israel. Some of my attitudes changed then also as I found out how intolerant Israel really was. I am very deeply committed to freedom of religion, and Israel doesn't have it. That is usually enough to get my disapproval.
I also had an english teacher who was a Colonel in the Reserves. Several times during the course of the class he expressed his dislike to Israel. He was also a bishop in the LDS church so this opened my eyes that there was lattitude for opinions on the matter in the church. I grew up in the protestant midwest where Israel was a fortold event. (Even some LDS leaders have expressed this view.) Now I had someone in the military express dislike for the state of Israel. That really allowed me to change my overall view. Nothing like the education I had from this book though. I really have to rethink what my opinions are. I know many of my previous views were wrong now that I have this further light and knowledge.
My next book that I'm setting to read is "The Idiot's Guide to Islam". I've looked through the book and it seems to be a good primer.
I'm not saying that this new-found respect of the muslim people will translate into my accepting certain ideas that I've read in the Qur'an but it will help explain some of the things that I read. I'm still looking for a good board to ask my questions. There are still a bunch of questions floating around my head.
5/30/2003
Well, today we received our 171H form from INS. That gives us the fed's permission to go get our next children. The plan is to get them from Ecuador. We'll see how it goes.
From my Blogger.com account
Monday, November 28, 2005
Friday, October 07, 2005
Sunday, September 25, 2005
True to the Faith
posted by Darth Bill | 6:05 PM | 4 comments
Saturday, September 17, 2005
The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done. [HC 4:540]
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