After highlighting a Muslim couple dealing with sexual problems, the TLC channel showed a Mormon couple with their own sexual problems. I was frankly astonished at how the couple portrayed Mormon beliefs, because it seems quite outdated. In the show (available on Netflix), Nate and Monique state that are members of the LDS Church, and that premarital sex is wrong. I can’t disagree with that, but what Nate said at the beginning of the show, I do not agree with. Nate said (talking over a shot of the Salt Lake Temple), Continue Reading »
Honeymoon Problems
Samira and Firas
Samira and Firas are a Muslim couple married in August 2009. As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been watching the TLC program, Strange Sex (also available on Netflix.) For Firas and Samira, it was love at first sight. One week after meeting, Firas asked Samira’s father for permission to marry.
Muslims have even stronger prohibitions about premarital sex than Mormons. Samira stated that “In the craziness of the wedding planning, I knew that I had to go to an OB-GYN to get a birth control prescription because me and Firas didn’t want to get pregnant right away. I didn’t tell my mom only because Continue Reading »
Is Gender Really Eternal?
The Proclamation on the Family states that “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.† We know that gender is related to genitalia, but sometimes that can be a bit confusing. I talked previously about Intersex individuals, and TLC has a show (also available on Netflix) called Strange Sex. The show features what you would expect: swingers, a polyamorous family (2 wives and 2 husbands living in a committed relationship), but also features some unusual medical conditions.
Conjoined Twins: Lori and George Schappell
Lori and George Schappell
Lori and George Schappell are the oldest living craniopagus (joined at the head) twins.  The twin girls were born in 1961, and it was believed that they not only shared blood vessels in the brain, but also had a fused brain.  They share the frontal lobe of the brain, and scientists wondered if they might share thoughts.  A Discovery Channel documentary (also available on Netflix) discussed many events of their lives and learned (through a CT scan and MRI) that even though they shared brain matter, they did not share thoughts.
The documentary discussed the agonizing decision that parents of conjoined twins must face: the decision whether they should try to separate the twins.  Some parents choose to separate, while others choose to leave them the way they are born.  Either way, physical impairments are common, and few live as independently as Lori and George. Continue Reading »
Insurance or Medical Savings Account?
It is open enrollment time for many companies. We get to choose what insurance benefits we want to participate in. For the first time, my wife’s employer is offering the option of a Medical Health Savings Account. Is this a good option for us, or for you? Well, I didn’t know much, and I don’t claim to know everything. I may present stuff wrong, but I hope you will help me decide if this is a good option. Here’s how it works (as I understand it.)
My wife was offered 3 options: (1) Cadillac coverage, (2) Toyota coverage, and (3) Medical Savings Account. Here’s the cost breakdown of the 3 options. Continue Reading »
Mapping Elections and Mormonism
“Maps are powerful tools”, said John Hamer at the 2011 John Whitmer Historical Association meetings. His remarks have be published in the latest issue of the John Whitmer Historical Association Journal (Fall/Winter 2012). He goes on to say
Beyond their capacity to dazzle, maps allow historians to organize information in a completely different way than traditional narrative text. As a result, maps give historians the potential to discover and relate connections that might otherwise be overlooked.
…
Fig 1.9C: Results of 2008 U.S. Presidential election by county
As with any powerful tool, however, maps can also be dangerous…maps reflect the biases of their makers.
Ron Paul at UVU
In case you thought that Mitt Romney had unanimous support in Utah, you may be surprised to find out that Ron Paul was given rock star treatment at Utah Valley University a few weeks ago. KSL noted that Ron Paul supporters turn out in droves for speech at UVU.
Q&A with Terryl and Fiona Givens
What a week! I had the pleasure of attending sessions with both Ron Paul and Terryl Givens. Now I have to choose whether to write about Ron Paul, or Terryl Givens. Tough choice. Given that political discussions often devolve into ideological (and often irrational) arguments, I’m just not in the mood for Ron Paul this week. So sorry Jon and Cowboy, I know I promised, but I’m going to save it for next week. This post is about The God Who Weeps.
Terryl and Fiona Givens
This is the name of Terryl and Fiona Givens latest book. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation from Deseret Book to participate in a Q&A with the authors. When I got there, I was surprised at how small and intimate the setting would be. I would estimate that there were about 20 bloggers gathered around a conference room table at the Deseret Book headquarters office. (I actually went to the bookstore first; they were kind enough to point me to the building next door.) I was at a bit of a disadvantage during the Q&A: I hadn’t received the book yet, so I didn’t know anything other than the title, so it was pretty much impossible for me to ask any sort of intelligent question, so I simply decided to play the role of reporter and take as many notes as I could, as fast as I could, trying to get the essence of what Terryl and Fiona were trying to say. I want to give some overall themes that impressed me. These aren’t exact quotes of what they said, but are paraphrases very close to what they said.  (A Rational Faith recorded the audio, so you can hear their exact words.) Continue Reading »
Romney's Lighter Side
Mitt Romney, Cardinal Dolan, and President Obama
Mitt Romney and President Obama spoke at Al Smith’s dinner tonight, put aside politics for a night and told some jokes. Mitt brought some pretty good Mormon jokes to the dinner. I thought I would share a few, as well as a Sesame Street joke immediately after.
“Of course this isn’t a night for serious politics. It was especially nice to see President Obama and Cardinal Dolan sharing the diets (?) despite their differences. I’m sure the Cardinal has no hard feelings. We might get an indication of that during the dinner to see if he turns the President’s wine turns into water. [laughter] Or for that matter if my water turns into wine….[more laughter]”
“Usually when I get invited to gatherings like this, it’s just to be the designated driver.”
“People seem to be very curious as to how we prepare for the debates. Let me tell you what I do. First, refrain from alcohol for 65 years before the debate. Second, find the biggest available straw man and then personally attack it. Big Bird didn’t even see it coming. By the way, in the spirit of Sesame Street, the President’s remarks are brought to you tonight by the letter is the letter O, and the number 16 trillion.”
If you want to see the whole speech, go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/49471684/#49471684
Comments?
Facebook Proclamations
I am amazed at how much time people spend on Facebook. Â I post rarely, though it is nice to stay in touch with people growing up, even if I don’t comment. Â A few years ago, I noticed on Facebook an announcement from one of my Facebook “friends.” Â He posted his resignation letter from the LDS Church. Â I was pretty surprised, but not completely shocked.
Mormon Heretic 