Mormon Inquiry

Mormon Inquiry

Friday July 10, 2009

Categories: Politics

One more reason I like the Pope

Pope presses Obama on abortion, stem cells.

Pope Benedict XVI stressed the church's opposition to abortion and stem cell research in his first meeting with President Barack Obama on Friday, pressing the Vatican's case with the U.S. leader who is already under fire on those issues from some conservative Catholics and bishops back home.

The 30-minute meeting Vatican audience was described by both sides as positive -- constructive talks between two men who agree on helping the poor and pushing for Middle East peace but disagree on what the Vatican considers prime ethical issues.

I know what the Pope means by "prime ethical issues," but I'm not sure how to connect that concept to President Obama.

Thursday July 9, 2009

Categories: Christianity

Tribalism and religions

Between being out of town and the Fourth, it's been a slow couple of weeks here. Let's get July started with an Orson Scott Card column at the Mormon Times, "Mormon 'Tribe' Feels Like Home." OSC reflects on the fact that Utah seems like home to some Mormons who weren't born there and don't live there.

Tuesday June 30, 2009

Categories: Mormon culture

About Mormon missions

At Mormon Matters, a post reflecting on the positive and negative aspects of serving a two-year LDS proselyting mission. Young men who follow the standards of the LDS Church are very strongly encouraged to serve. Young women are, at present, neither encouraged nor discouraged from serving; many do in fact volunteer. Young men are eligible to serve starting at age 19, young women at age 21.

Saturday June 27, 2009

Categories: Prop 8

Gay marriage petition

At the Salt Lake Tribune, "Petition urges LDS Church to soften stance on gays," reporting efforts of a collection of LDS and ex-LDS to lobby the LDS Church by delivering a petition reproving its stand on Prop 8. According to the article, "The committee plans to deliver the petition to top LDS leaders Nov. 4, the first anniversary of Prop 8's passage." The headline is somewhat misleading -- the LDS Church has already softened its stance on gays within the Church. What the petitioners want is for the Church to change its opposition to gay marriage in particular.

Monday June 22, 2009

Categories: Mormon culture

Is Mormonism a world religion?

That question has been getting more consideration recently, with the general consensus being, "No, at least not yet." By Common Consent is posting an academic piece by scholar Walter E. A. van Beek that helps understand the question. He uses the examples of Islam and Roman Catholicism to highlight diversity within the religion as a key indicator of world status.

The diversity mentioned in Islam and Catholicism allows for identification processes of the individual with that religion, that vary widely. People may define themselves as Catholic or Muslim on widely diverging grounds, ranging from full and total commitment (the literal meaning of "Islam") to identification of a very low intensity.

Friday June 19, 2009

Categories: Bible

Bart Ehrman's latest book on the Bible

I've enjoyed every book I've read by Bart Ehrman, including his latest, Jesus Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About Them). I only had time to read the first couple of chapters carefully...

Wednesday June 17, 2009

Categories: Evolution and science

Heresy at BYU

In 1911, when "heresy" wasn't such a dated term, as related at Mormon Organon. The whole episode (in which several BYU profs of that era came under suspicion for teaching the sort of things that are supposed to be taught...

Tuesday June 16, 2009

Categories: Prop 8

Are Mormons misunderstood?

That's the headline in a longish Time story on Mormons, "The Church and Gay Marriage: Are Mormons Misunderstood?" It's a fairly balanced story, although the author still manages to impute "seamless unity" to the Mormon community while, at the same...

Thursday June 11, 2009

Categories: LDS history

Inoculation: That word does not mean what you think it means

In the small world of Mormon Studies and online blogging, the term "inoculation" refers to teaching mainstream Latter-day Saints enough accurate LDS history that they won't contract a terminal case of apostasy when they encounter publications or talks that use...

Wednesday June 10, 2009

Categories: Conferences

CESNUR in Salt Lake City this week

A reminder from Morehead's Musings that the CESNUR Conference is being held in Salt Lake City June 11-13 (Thursday through Saturday). CESNUR stands for the Center for Studies on New Religions. It is an academic organization that promotes the objective...

Advertisement

Search This Blog

About Mormon Inquiry

David Banack is an attorney living in Jackson Hole. He joined the LDS Church at age 15 and later served a two-year LDS mission to France and Switzerland. He has lived up and down the West Coast, as well as in Fiji, Samoa, Sweden, Utah, and now Wyoming. Dave has been running the Mormon Inquiry site discussing LDS and Christian issues since 2003. He is a website editor for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought and also participates at the LDS weblog Times and Seasons. The views expressed on this blog are his own.

Now Reading

  • Nauvoo Polygamy - The latest book-length treatment of the controversial early LDS practice of plural marriage. This book focuses on the beginnings of the practice in Nauvoo, Illinois under Joseph Smith, before the migration of the main body of Mormons to Utah in 1847.
  • The God of Hope and the End of the World - Theologian and scientist John Polkinghorne takes a hard but hopeful look at "end things" as viewed by science and by Christian theology.

More LDS Books

LDS Websites

Media Websites

Mormon Blogs

feed icon Subscribe

RSS Feed

Receive updates from Mormon Inquiry

Advertisement

Advertisement


About Beliefnet

Our mission is to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness. More about Beliefnet.

Legal

Copyright © Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. Constructed by Beliefnet.

Advertisement

Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.