Dan Brooks's Blog, page 21

The Gospel Of Exclusion

I think, based on my reading of scripture, that Jesus was all about inclusion. He said He was like the Shepard who left His 99 sheep to search for the one missing sheep from His flock.
He took tax collectors and all manner of sinners into His fold provided they "go and sin no more" and follow His teachings.
Jesus' circle of followers included all the outcasts of His society. Those deemed unworthy of participation in polite society were included, felt loved and understood.
If people could see all your sins, every last act in life and could see the contents of our hearts, all the good and all the bad, how would they react? Would they refuse to sit by you, would they gossip about you? Would you treat them the same?
Shunning is common practice in every culture throughout history. This treatment is one of the most hurtful tactics that can be employed to deal with people considered less than.
But why is the practice of shunning and exclusion so prominent in a culture, in a church that so prides itself on following possibly the most inclusive teacher to have ever lived?
It seems as though the Gospel Christ preached was more about inclusion whereas the Gospel today seems rather content in it use of exclusion.
Is it truly Christ demanding that certain people be excommunicated, excluded from and kicked out of His church?
I don't think those who ask uncomfortable questions are doing Satans work, or are filthy for crying foul, or are detestable for challenging the status quo.
Know that I am grieved at seeing so many good people shunned and shamed because they just don't fit in. Or because they were victimized and are thus unclean and had to be asking for it.
Wouldn't it be great if we were as inclusive as we are currently exclusive? And allowed all into our ranks? 
If we were as concerned with including people as was Christ what would our community, our world look like? Would it truly bring about the kingdom of God on Earth as it is in a Heaven?
Who is not worthy of inclusion? Are we all not alike unto God? Are we not all brothers and sisters with more sinners than saints?

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:10-14

A repentant sinner is welcomed by God at His Temple. Wouldn't it be great if we welcomed sinners in our ward houses these days?

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bondand free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. 2 Nephi 26:33

Imagine what this world could be if we all accepted our own short comings and that of others and accepted each other as children of God.

If people pursued acceptance, love, understanding and forgiveness as they do material wealth and power, we would see more than Zion, we would see the Kingdom of God on a Earth as it is in Heaven.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
How can we love those we exclude and shun? Even our enemies deserve love according to Christ.

The Altar Of The Heart

Rumi once wrote: "I see one altar in temple, mosque and cathedral.”
Rumi implies that with one altar one God is worshipped by Jews, Muslims and Christians.
The Dalai Lama said that "Kindness is my religion." And he has said that love is at the core of every religion. Given his study of religion and looking at my own study I am inclined to agree.
Our hearts are the altars on which we lay our sacrifices, our prayers, our hope and our loss.
It is on the altar of our hearts that God whispers the answers to our prayers, it is where we recognize our blessings.
The altar of our hearts is the medium by which we communicate to our God and those we've lost along the way.
The altar of our hearts guides us through life as a compass guides the lost.
In modern life the heart is often forgotten or cast aside in favor of the analytical.
It is easier to cast the heart aside than to take on the responsibility that comes with being truly loving.
One famous Sufi Hallaj once said "I am God." And it was considered as truth by many precisely because once you are in touch with the love within each soul you have discovered the love of God and have discovered oneness with Him.
It is with our hearts that we find union with God and each other. It is the means by which we meet hate with love, it is how we love our enemies and find the strength to pray for those who curse us.
It is, I think, how Christ was able to beg God to forgive His murderers. I also think it was the vehicle to allow Christ to bear the burden of the atonement.
It is I believe what allows us to rise above a fallen state into the glorious state we were created to be.
It is what we all seek I think but it has always been seeking us.

Twisting Truth Into Lies

My Wife and I have been married almost 3 years. In that time we have had ups and downs but my Wife has consistently been my best support and my biggest cheerleader.
I went to the hospital last summer because I needed a medication adjustment and I was in for 5 days.
My Wife then had to talk to my Mother to keep her up to date about my health. It was then that my Mother threatened to have me declared mentally incompetent so she could swoop in and take care of me.
My Mother and I rarely talk so I don't understand why she thought she knew better or so much more than my Wife.
After this my Mother has twisted half truths into hateful and vicious lies. She has poisoned my family against my wife.
For example 2 years ago I tried to rejoin the Army so I could get better health care for my wife and kids and so that we would have better financial stability.
My Mother turned that into my Wife pushed me into joining so she wouldn't have to work.
Twisting truth into lies my Mother continually uses my Facebook feed as ammunition to keep twisting truth into lies to slander my wife.
I blocked her on Facebook and just don't call her. We rarely talk as I said so she hasn't even noticed my steps to prevent any further twisting of truth into lies.
I am honestly shocked my Mother has been so hateful and vindictive for no real reason. She thinks she knows best but we so rarely talk so how can she know anything?
My Wife says we should kill our enemies with kindness and she has been consistently gracious to my Mother and it just makes her all the more furious.
I often preach loving your enemies but I can't maintain a relationship with anyone so hateful and negative. I just can't because it will bring me down and affect my mental health.
I am in a difficult position between choosing a healthy and stable life or accepting my Mothers hateful, vindictive and negative influence on me and my family.
I'm certain what direction is best but I feel that any choice is still wrong in some way. I'd be open to more ideas and other options.

Acting Like Christ

I can't pretend to know how Christ would live His life were He living in this generation. I can only extrapolate from scripture the way He lived His life 2,000 years ago.
So much has changed and yet people are very much the same.
So I'll share a few things I've learned from my scripture study.

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:36-40

And then we have these scriptures that echo this ethos:

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

Love is the foundation of the Gospel. See I think if you guide yourself by the principle of love you will not only fufill the letter of the law but also the spirit of it.

If you are truly a disciple of Christ and not just a fan of Christ the your actions and words will bear that out.

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:17-20

In other words the way you live your life is proof enough as to who you follow. Not everyone who claims to be Christian really is. Jesus deals with this directly:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: Matthew 7:21-28

Acting like Christ is a tall order but I believe we can get much closer to that goal that most think is possible.

Many people are quick to condemn others saying that Jesus never condoned sin and these people are saying such things in order to justify their condemnation of others which is not how Christ lived His life.

They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. John 8:4-11

Jesus was the only one who could have ever thrown a stone justly, yet He did not. Why? Neither did He condemn her. Yet so many of Christ's followers are the first to condemn.

Why is it that so many people who claim to follow Christ don't seem to act in as compassionate and understanding way?

Many argue that forgiveness, like love, should be withheld from sinners.

Jesus said otherwise:

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22

Seventy times seven is representative of infinity you can google it. 

So Christ didn't say we have to condone anything but He did say we are taught to forgive as we are taught to love; infinitely.

As Christ loved and forgave us and bore each sin from each person all at once.

The idea that we are to withhold forgiveness and love denies the purpose and power of the Atonement.

In mental health and counseling circles withholding love is considered a type of abuse and a means of control and manipulation. It is rotten fruit from a corrupt tree.

"We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey."

"There are many attributes which are manifestations of love, such as kindness, patience, selflessness, understanding, and forgiveness. In all our associations, these and other such attributes will help make evident the love in our hearts."

Both quotes are from President Monson who eloquently described how and why love is the very essence of the Gospel.

How we talk to and about people makes evident the contents of our hearts. How we treat others and how we treat ourselves also makes evident the contents of our hearts.

Jesus said it's not what goes in our mouths that defiles us it's what comes out that defiles us because our speech is one of those things that makes evident the contents of our hearts.

We know the contents of the Saviors heart and we know how far away we may be from acting like Him.

We can't change who we've been or even who we are but we have complete control over who we become and we can become like Christ to the degree any mortal can.

We can be exactly who we were meant to be.

Proof Of God

I'm not quite convinced as of yet as to the validity of these claims but according to the Wyoming Institute of Technology scientific proof of God exists and has been discovered in human DNA.

What was discovered is that in junk DNA the structure resembled language but it was not apparent as to which of all the languages corresponded to what was being seen in the DNA.  After searching it was determined that the language in DNA corresponded to only one language: Aramaic.

More than that quotes from scripture and similar quotes were discovered in our genome. Here is an excerpt from this short article about this:

"The Language in the “Junk DNA”, the DNA that scientists had for years discarded as useless, was indistinguishable from ancient Aramaic. Even more amazingly, as linguists started to translate the code within the human genome, they found that parts of the script it contained were at times remarkably close in composition to verse found in the bible. And at times contained direct biblical quotes.

On the human gene PYGB, Phosporomylase Glycogen, a non-coding transposon, holds a linguistic sequence that translates as “At first break of day, God formed sky and land.” This bears a stunning similarity to Gen 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Gene Bmp3 has a Retrotransposon sequence which translates to the well-known 1 Cor 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” This is repeated over and over throughout the entire sequence of human DNA: embedded equivalent genetic code of ancient Aramaic that seems to translate as the word of God to his people."

 How is it that this is not front page news?  Is it possible that such amazing news isn't being spread far and wide because such a topic makes so many people feel uncomfortable? 

I want further proof but this news is still amazing to me, the word of God has been woven into our DNA.  We carry living scripture with us everyday throughout our lives.  Our bodies are Holy Temples.  Does it make the majesty of our God all the more tangible and miraculous?

In Luke 19:40 Jesus says that the stones will cry out.  I have to wonder if Jesus is saying that all of God's creation will cry out and give evidence of His existence and glory. Because that's what the Fibonacci sequence as seen all over in nature and as seen in the structure of galaxies is evident of God's handiwork.

And now we see the hand of God at work in our DNA, if this information proves to be true.  I find this beautiful and very inspiring.

Love Is All You Need

According to President Monson love is the essence of the Gospel. 
"My beloved brothers and sisters, when our Savior ministered among men, He was asked by the inquiring lawyer, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Matthew records that Jesus responded:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”1

Mark concludes the account with the Savior’s statement: “There is none other commandment greater than these.”2

We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey. Likewise, we cannot fully love our fellowmen if we do not love God, the Father of us all. The Apostle John tells us, “This commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”3 We are all spirit children of our Heavenly Father and, as such, are brothers and sisters. As we keep this truth in mind, loving all of God’s children will become easier.

Actually, love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. His life was a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. At the end the angry mob took His life. And yet there rings from Golgotha’s hill the words: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”4—a crowning expression in mortality of compassion and love.

There are many attributes which are manifestations of love, such as kindness, patience, selflessness, understanding, andforgiveness. In all our associations, these and other such attributes will help make evident the love in our hearts."

Understanding, selflessness, and forgiveness make evident the love in our hearts and yet many say Jesus condemned sin and that love is a get out of jail free card which was something Jesus never meant.

But the actions and words of Christ tell a different story. Jesus spoke about forgiveness:

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22

Seventy times seven was representative of infinity in Jewish thought. So we as disciples are taught to be infinitely forgiving. And as President Moson said forgiveness makes evident the love in our hearts and demonstrates how closely our hearts align with Christ's.

Lamech was a descendant of Cain who said he would be avenged seventy times seven against those who wronged him. So I think Jesus is saying rather than being as evil and unforgiving as Lamech we should be infinitely forgiving and be the most righteous of Gods children rather than the most vindictive.

Many also feel that Christ was all about righteously judging and condemning those who sin. So let's look at a fine example of His style of condemnation:

They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. John 8:4-11

Jesus was the only one without sin yet He did not cast a stone, He saved this sinners life who according to Mosaic law should be punished by death and when given the chance to condemn He did not, instead He simply said go and sin no more.

That's not condemnation. What it is is a loving way to tell the woman to stop sinning.

Condemnation more often than not seems to be a way for some to lift themselves up by putting others down.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:10

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40

How closely your love aligns with Christ's demonstrates whether or not you are aligned with His Gospel.

Christ gave us only one commandment and that was to love each other as He loved us. It is not merely the lists of commandments we have kept that determine our trajectory in the next life but the content of our hearts and our characters.

Faith Untested

I would say that faith untested is no faith at all. Because it's easy to have faith when all is sunshine and roses but when trials and tribulations arise it's not do easy to remain faithful.
Job had faith so great that God boosted if His faithful servant Job. Satan then challenged God saying that if he were struck down with tragedy Job would curse God.
God says his life is in your hands but do not kill him.
Job's wife and children are killed when their house collapses. Job who had been rich was now homeless and penniless.
Trail after trial Job remained faithful. At his lowest point Job curses his life and even the day he was born but he never curses The Lord.

42 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,

2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:1-6

My wife is in the hospital due to a common cold exacerbating her moderate to severe asthma.

A friend started a prayer chain. I have been praying ever since I took her into the ER. So have many of our family and friends.

My wife has said she has felt the power of these heartfelt prayers.

When our prayers are answered I believe faith plays an intergral role in that. But when God's plan does not match ours, we are tested to accept the outcome.

When Christ prayed in the garden of Gethsemene it was truly heartfelt and He asked that if it's possible then let the bitter cup pass. The He said even so thine will be done.

Jesus put up His petition but also accepted the will of The Lord.

When we have faith that great during a trial like that then we have proven our faith.

Jesus said that faith as small a mustard seed could move mountains.

Petitioning The Lord

And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matthew 15:22-28

In our modern church all members regardless of position can learn from both the example of Jesus and the Canaanite woman.

Because though she petitioned Christ she did so respectfully and with great compassion and understanding of Jesus though He was initially dismissive.

By doing so she demonstrated her great faith in Christ. She was accepting of His rebuttals and yet she continued with her petitions.

Once her faith was displayed Christ gave her daughter the blessing for which she had petitioned.

I don't think questioning or petitioning is wrong I'm inclined to believe it is the manner in which we question and petition that makes or breaks us.

This parable is I think fitting. It's a great lesson and especially relevant today.

Serendipity

My life kept circling around people and places and my life today is so much richer and complete due to simple serendipity.
Some backstory first.
My sophomore year of High School I drew artwork for my art class. Some lady asked to speak to me and told me how amazing she thought it was because she had just had a baby and it spoke to her because I drew a fetus in the womb which I made look like a sun.
I had another art show my senior year and a lady again said my work resonated with her. I remember this because only one person commented positively about my work.
When I was 20 I drank a lot and smoked marijuana often. I also worked at several stores at CrossRoads mall where Ctiy Creek is currently located.
On breaks, lunches and days off I would walk across the street and get samples from the Hickory Farms kiosk because being stoned so often I usually had a raging case of the munchies, it's like being really poor cause your always hungry.
I don't remember anyone who worked there. 
One of the stores in worked in was a custom t-shirt shop where I made myself a shirt that said "I heart toxic waste." Ala the Real Genius movie.
I remember two Molly Mormon ladies who stopped me one day in the good court and asked all about my shirt. They were either laughing at me or with me, I couldn't tell.
I also worked at one kiosk where we sold incense. I remember one woman who came by now and again with 3 kids and profusely apologized for any misbehavior which struck me as odd given how well behaved they were.
When I met my wife what we didn't figure out until two years into our marriage that she remembered me hitting her up for free samples at the Hickory Farms kiosk she worked at.
And she remembered me from the incense kiosk as she was the woman with kids I remembered. She was also one of those two women who grilled me over my toxic waste t-shirt.
She also remembered me and my artwork from my senior year art show.
Our lives kept circling back around on each other.
We kept meeting until we eventually fell in love. And we are soon going to be sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. 
If you ask me I'll tell you she got me back into the church but if you ask her, she'll tell you I'm the reason she came back.
We both had a path to go down so that we fit together like pieces of a puzzle. We by then, both knew what we wanted out of a relationship and how to get it.
Our marriage counselor said to us "You are both better together than you ever were apart."
We make a strong couple because we are a good team, we are life partners not only husband and wife.

I feel like it was serendipity that kept bringing us together until we finally fell in love. It makes me think we were truly meant for each other.

Christ On Trial: Excommunications

As a LDS blogger I have long been concerned I may be excommunicated. My wife worries as well. We love our ward and time in the Temple. We are soon going to be sealed. So disciplinary action is an especially serious issue for us.
I will not name him here but one of the heads that may be rolling belongs to a dear friend of mine. So these excommunications and the issues they have brought about are more than just semantics they are deeply personal.
I love this friend like an older brother, he has given make great advice-that worked-about how to be more Christlike, how to be a better man, how to be a better husband.
So it grieves me deeply to see how far this is all going.
There is a book called "Crucial Conversations" that after much research found that the best companies were the ones in which all employees were held to account equally. The bosses were not unquestionable and the rank and file employees were held to the same standard.
It is the unbalanced questioning, accusations and waiting for their turn to speak instead of listening that I see as the obstacle to any thoughtful productive dialogue at this time from any side.
I feel it is worth mentioning that though our church leaders are under fire in the court of public opinion they have had the integrity to avoid releasing the personal information between the bishops court and the members in question. As far as I know anyhow.
I'm not sure civil discourse is a cure all or that it will solve the issues of the day but since this whole debacle began I have seen more hateful and judgmental comments from many members on both sides of the issue. That is decidedly unChrist-like behavior.
I don't think it's that you question but rather the manner in which you question.
I wish we could all just give one another the same consideration and benefit of the doubt that so many seem to be demanding without giving it out themselves.
I've been guilty of this too but I quit posting last June when my health went south and when I resumed in December I stuck to talking about things Jesus said Himself or things He personally did and avoid us versus them rhetoric which has the Bloggernacle ablaze these days.
I have seen both sides of this debate and I find it unproductive. If you want to win an argument make sure the other guy wins too as Rock Waterman once wrote.
That I think means that unless you've listen to and heard your opponent you've both lost. Doesn't mean you have to agree, you have the God given right to be wrong.
When Dr. King and his followers were arrested they didn't fight they willingly complied and bore horrible punishments to demonstrate whose side they were really on.
When Christ was on trial He said very little, He did not renounce His teachings or movement, He was mostly silent. Probably because He knew nothing He could say would open any minds.
Because that is the choice, the agency of us all to listen or not. He let His enemies win in their own court because when Christ judges us all we will be held to true account and no Earthy justice will alleviate or lessen His judgement.
Judgment is Christ's alone.
Our mission statement is to love one another as He loved us. That is not a get out of jail free card, but in this debate I don't see much love which I find odd in a Church centered and founded on the most loving, compassionate, understanding and forgiving man who ever lived.