Girls are like Apples

Girls are like
apples on trees. The best
ones are at the top of the tree. The
boys don’t want to reach for the good ones
because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt.
Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that
aren’t as good, but easy. So the apples at [...]

Locus of Control

The psychological locus of control has always been a pet interest of mine. I’ve written a few papers about it and so forth and so on, including one I just whipped up for my Personality Theory class. Obviously being a paper for school it was written to adhere to a critera that hinders interesting ‘blog post’ quality [...]

Religion: 1 Utilitarianism: 0

One subject that I enjoy is philosophy. I enjoy it because it’s the secular/rational version of religion. I think the same thing about psychology. It’s the secular form of religion. Anyways, so I’m reading Convictions by John Kroger and in the opening chapter he talks about his days as a philosophy major at Yale. He [...]

I believe in both Creationism/ID and Evolution

They’re not mutually exclusive.

I caught the last minute of a Wolf Blitzer interview with Ben Stein on CNN’s “The Situation Room”. Mr. Stein has come out with a documentary called Expelled; he said it addresses the persecution of teachers and students that stand up for Intelligent Design in academic settings. He brought up a quote [...]

Invictus

“Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever Gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of Circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of Chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet [...]

Mandated Welfare is not Charity

post I stole from
Latter-day Center for Moral Liberalism.
“For when aid becomes institutionalized, gratitude is replaced with a sense of entitlement, even of demands for aid, and deep resentment toward the wealthy who unjustly hoard the world’s wealth.”
“Christ’s plan is all about agency, and as such, persuasion, whereas the Adversary of Our Soul’s plan is [...]

Quotes on the “Liberty” Arguement

“Few concepts have more potential to mislead us than the idea that choice, or agency, is an ultimate goal.”
“We are responsible to use our agency in a world of choices.”
“Interesting how one virtue, when given exaggerated or fanatical emphasis, can be used to batter down another, with freedom, a virtue, invoked to protect vice.”
“People who [...]

Morality: Legislate or Keep to Yourself?

“Is it wrong for a person to gamble, smoke marijuana, or marry someone of the same sex? Says who? Who are we to tell other people what to do with their own lives? Does right and wrong exist? If so, who decides what is right and wrong and to whom it applies? The answer to [...]

Attack on the Family: Female Body Image

I think this is one of the most tragic, widespread, and potent psychological warfare against the family. Granted I’m a guy and in a sense have no business talking about ‘how hard it is being a girl dealing with body image’. No doubt. However, my closest friends are all girls and I’m a pretty analytical [...]

Why Gospel Principles should be used to approach any Policy

Here’s a great relevant article for those interested.
Because the Gospel is not just a collection of platitudes and “I luv Jeebus” warm fuzzies. It’s a set of eternal principles to be applied in all sorts of circumstances. I’ve heard the argument “Yeah, well, situations in which the Church has an Official Stance, I’ll go with [...]

LDS perspective on Communism

Well, I’m sure you’ve already heard that Fidel Castro stepped down as Dictator of Cuba. What I find amusing is when I recall a while ago when he was hospitalized. In Little Havana (down in Florida), the Cuban-American exiles there were cheering in the streets that Fidel might finally die. Tuesday he finally stepped down [...]