As an overly romantic kid, I spent a good portion of my youth wearing bulbous headphones, analyzing the lyrical content of pop music. I once passed an entire family vacation listening to “Bennie and the Jets,” trying desperately to both memorize the lyrics and comprehend their meaning. The weird and the wonderful. Religious leaders were […]
While researching Mitt Romney’s family history for a future post, I happened upon this most interesting thing today. According to Mitt’s listing at the Ancestry.com, Willard Mitt Romney died about 2005! So, consider me a “Deather!” Mitt, I demand to see your death certificate! Now, in line with a good conspiracy, I expect this information […]
Vegas is a cold mistress. Loss expected, we sit at the table anyway. Whiskey and ice. Confident in our stack of chips, built slowly over time. We hold them close, tempting others to draw us in. Check. Check. Fold. Fold. Check. Fold. Fold. Bet small and lose on a weak hand. Just to show we’re […]
Bad thinking leads to bad results. Previously, I’ve stated that my primary purpose in life is to achieve joy. In the foundational post on this blog, I state: I choose joy as the primary purpose of my life. I specifically choose the word joy instead of other similar words such as happiness. In my usage […]
“The death penalty is a human system created by human beings, run by human beings. That means there is human error built into it. A human system is not capable of perfection. Government does nothing flawlessly. Government cannot flawlessly kill people. If you give government the power to kill people, you are giving government the […]
Ask: Could a woman ever be appointed to lead your religion? Should they? Mitt Romney is sexist. He adheres to a philosophy, Mormonism, which denies women equal rights. Mormon women are not allowed to hold leadership positions within the church and forbidden ordination into the priesthood. Similarly, before 1978, the Mormon church did not allow […]
Summary Asking whether one believes in God is a nonsensical, and ultimately, meaningless question. One would not ask “Do you believe in King?” God, like King, is a title, a political office. What matters is not belief in the existence of a being who claims the title, but rather, agreement with the political philosophy of […]
“When people began living in settled agricultural communities, social reality shifted deeply and irrevocably. Suddenly it became crucially important to know where your field ended and your neighbor’s began. — Christopher Ryan, Ph.D. and Cacilda Jethá, M.D. in Sex At Dawn” Whosoever Looketh On A Woman As we closed our eyes for the congregational prayer, […]
Summary To match the ideals outlined in the U.S. Constitution, we must define and measure our values. We have already defined our values. We do not yet measure outcomes. Science is the only tool capable of abstracting human experience over populations, allowing us to know whether we are achieving our goals. By choosing not to […]
Diamond Life: Heaven Help Him, When He Falls click arrow to play…listen to each song as you read each section October 1984 | 2:30 am | Provo, Utah Lying across a sturdy sofa, empty lobby of a dormitory, Brigham Young University. Eyes smudged with eyeliner, highlighted hair tousled, bleached white 501s. I’d been at The Star […]
I’m leaning against a bar, swirling Johnnie Walker Black on the rocks and reading Somerset Maugham’s “Of Human Bondage” when a woman approaches with a scowl and purpose. “Empty that bag and prove to me that you need to carry everything in it” she demands, handbag slung defiantly over her shoulder, arms crossed. “You should […]
George Lakoff suggests that Obama’s April 13, 2011 speech provides a solid guide for how to talk about progressive issues: “Last week, on April 13, 2011, President Obama gave all Democrats and all progressives a remarkable gift. Most of them barely noticed. They looked at the President’s speech as if it were only about budgetary details. […]
Summary Ask: Was the Mormon Church wrong to deny priesthood to black members before 1978? The official policy of the LDS Church is that the racist practice was commanded by God, and not a result of racism among its leadership. The Church has never apologized for the practice nor specifically repudiated racist teachings by LDS […]
Summary David Frum reversed his position on gay marriage. Conservatives would have you believe that the case for or against it requires a review of evidence. In framing his reversal this way, he’s misrepresenting his previous position, and glossing over the deeper question: is conservatism capable of producing coherent policies in a nation whose foundational […]
Conservatism is the anchor on the ship of progress.
Summary My theory of Progressivism holds that knowledge improves over time, allowing us to better understand ourselves and our environment. Knowledge is advanced by individuals through both free and systemic inquiry. I encourage change through the application of better knowledge, resulting in a more perfect union. My theory of Conservatism, by contrast, places value on […]
Summary The United States has a single foundation: The Constitution. It outlines our legally shared values: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our […]
My Chosen Purpose My primary purpose is joy. My secondary purpose is pursuit of knowledge. My Chosen Faith I choose faith in free will, in my ability to transcend those forces that limit me. My Chosen Community I choose faith in humanity. I choose faith in the equality of individuals I choose faith in human […]
This is an issue that just won’t go away, darn it! That’s frustrating to those mormons who don’t like the implications of racism in past (and current!) prophets of the LDS church. The LDS Church, in 1978, became the last major religion to fully integrate all races into it’s priesthood (though, still, women are left […]