Dan Brooks's Blog, page 26
April 6, 2014
Which Spirit Speaks?
God's spirit stills our racing hearts. In that spirit we find reassurance, we find enlightenment, we find forgiveness and comfort and if we allow it that spirit leads us.
Satan's spirit does not forgive, it condemns. It rushes us and pushes us. Satan's spirit discourages us, it frightens us and it confuses us. The reason is that for Satan to be in power we must be controlled but for God to be in power we must be in control to be able to serve God out of choice and due to our own free will. If Satan plays to our fears we become panicked and are controlled by our fears.
If God plays to our strengths we become truly free and become better more perfected versions of ourselves, of who He created us to be.
Jesus tells the story of a Sheppard with 100 sheep and one goes missing, that Sheppard knows the 99 will stay put so he goes after the one who is missing and the point is that we are never so lost that we cannot be found and that there is great rejoicing in Heaven when one who was lost is found again.
But there is jealousy on the part of some who feel that the sinners do not deserve redemption, the prodigal son's older brother is a good example another are the laborers in the vineyard who say much the same thing against those who only worked one hour out of the whole day and yet receive the full days wage.
20 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:1-16
Is thine eye evil because I am good? This I think refers to these men being angered at the generosity of the man of the house. Why is it that kindness shown towards those who are viewed as less causes so much bitterness, anger and jealousy?
I wrote a post awhile back that had one facebook commenter saying "Show me the scripture that shows that these drug addicts are the same as the beggars in scripture." This shows that many have the view that these people don't count because some people don't want them to count. It's not that they don't count, it's that they are viewed as lesser and unworthy of God's love.
But who are they to deny God's love to anybody? God denies His love to no one. Jesus forgave sins of all who had a humble heart and repentance within it. A woman who washed Jesus' feet with her hair is a good example of a sinner becoming loving and kind and in return becoming redeemed.
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. Luke 7:36-48
To me there is a lesson here that Jesus served as compassionately as this woman served Him. He washed the feet of His disciples as would a servant though He was their master. He healed the lepers, the lame, the blind and He forgave the adulteresses, the murderers that hung on the crosses next to His. His love was limitless as the word agape entails the meaning of unconditional spiritual love, the love Jesus had for us and commanded us to have for one another.
He asks us to minister to one another as He did for us when He walked the Earth. To care for each other when in need as He cared for so many while alive. He feed the multitudes and showed them what His love was like, He didn't just preach that love He made it live in the hearts of all those He touched with it, all those lives that were changed forever not just by His words but by His deeds.
And those deeds have been so extraordinary that in every culture and in every language those stories are told they burn in the hearts of so many who've heard them with the power of the Sun nourishing and enlightening His disciples of every generation and standing guard like a lighthouse in a storm signalling the way home for all us tired and poor huddled masses yearning to breathe free until we land ashore and set foot on the soil we will call home once more.
That light is what enlightens all who see it and embrace its message.
Embracing the better angels of ourselves and using the discernment we all have to know which spirit is speaking and which to listen to is what can save not one of us but all of us. Jesus said no one hides a lamp to hoard its light but instead keeps it in the open so its light may shine for all to see. He also said a city on a hill cannot be hid. One who has been saved cannot be hid or go unnoticed either.
This kind of love is life changing for all involved it leads to a total transformation.
Satan's spirit does not forgive, it condemns. It rushes us and pushes us. Satan's spirit discourages us, it frightens us and it confuses us. The reason is that for Satan to be in power we must be controlled but for God to be in power we must be in control to be able to serve God out of choice and due to our own free will. If Satan plays to our fears we become panicked and are controlled by our fears.
If God plays to our strengths we become truly free and become better more perfected versions of ourselves, of who He created us to be.
Jesus tells the story of a Sheppard with 100 sheep and one goes missing, that Sheppard knows the 99 will stay put so he goes after the one who is missing and the point is that we are never so lost that we cannot be found and that there is great rejoicing in Heaven when one who was lost is found again.
But there is jealousy on the part of some who feel that the sinners do not deserve redemption, the prodigal son's older brother is a good example another are the laborers in the vineyard who say much the same thing against those who only worked one hour out of the whole day and yet receive the full days wage.
20 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:1-16
Is thine eye evil because I am good? This I think refers to these men being angered at the generosity of the man of the house. Why is it that kindness shown towards those who are viewed as less causes so much bitterness, anger and jealousy?
I wrote a post awhile back that had one facebook commenter saying "Show me the scripture that shows that these drug addicts are the same as the beggars in scripture." This shows that many have the view that these people don't count because some people don't want them to count. It's not that they don't count, it's that they are viewed as lesser and unworthy of God's love.
But who are they to deny God's love to anybody? God denies His love to no one. Jesus forgave sins of all who had a humble heart and repentance within it. A woman who washed Jesus' feet with her hair is a good example of a sinner becoming loving and kind and in return becoming redeemed.
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. Luke 7:36-48
To me there is a lesson here that Jesus served as compassionately as this woman served Him. He washed the feet of His disciples as would a servant though He was their master. He healed the lepers, the lame, the blind and He forgave the adulteresses, the murderers that hung on the crosses next to His. His love was limitless as the word agape entails the meaning of unconditional spiritual love, the love Jesus had for us and commanded us to have for one another.
He asks us to minister to one another as He did for us when He walked the Earth. To care for each other when in need as He cared for so many while alive. He feed the multitudes and showed them what His love was like, He didn't just preach that love He made it live in the hearts of all those He touched with it, all those lives that were changed forever not just by His words but by His deeds.
And those deeds have been so extraordinary that in every culture and in every language those stories are told they burn in the hearts of so many who've heard them with the power of the Sun nourishing and enlightening His disciples of every generation and standing guard like a lighthouse in a storm signalling the way home for all us tired and poor huddled masses yearning to breathe free until we land ashore and set foot on the soil we will call home once more.
That light is what enlightens all who see it and embrace its message.
Embracing the better angels of ourselves and using the discernment we all have to know which spirit is speaking and which to listen to is what can save not one of us but all of us. Jesus said no one hides a lamp to hoard its light but instead keeps it in the open so its light may shine for all to see. He also said a city on a hill cannot be hid. One who has been saved cannot be hid or go unnoticed either.
This kind of love is life changing for all involved it leads to a total transformation.
April 3, 2014
Slut Shaming And Rape Culture
This link is about a young BYU student being slut shamed because she was wearing a long sleeved v neck shirt and a boy were ogling her so she was causing him to sin because clearly all women are responsible for men's sexual reactions which is what is called rape culture.
Rape culture is defined as a concept which links rape and sexual violence to the culture of a society, and in which prevalent attitudes and practices normalize, excuse, tolerate, and even condone rape. ...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_culture
Men, not women, are responsible for how they treat and mistreat women. Women can wear as much or as little as they feel like and if those men sin it is their own fault.
In the Middle East in certain countries if a woman is raped is the man punished? Oh no, the woman is punished by prison or by death. Because obviously she caused him to sin and loose control.
This mentality of rape culture is deadly to a woman's self-worth and self esteem and also the concept of personal responsibility of men.
It just amazes me that when it comes to sex men are not at fault for their misdeeds.
It is morally reprehensible to hold women responsible for the sins of men and to hold them responsible for controlling their own libido.
In our rape culture in Utah women bear the responsibility for all sexuality.
Rape is the only violent crime in Utah that occurs at a higher rate than the rest of the nation. One in three Utah women will experience some type of sexual assault in their lifetime and one in eight will be raped. In 2008, Utah’s reported rape rate was 63.7 per 100,000 females compared to the U.S. rate of 57.4 per 100,000 females. However, the majority of rapes (88.2%) are never reported to law enforcement, indicating that sexual violence in Utah is grossly underestimated. (Sources: Utah Department of Health and 2007 Rape in Utah Survey)
Rape is the fault of the rapist not the victim. It doesn't matter what a woman was or wasn't wearing no one deserves sexual assault.
If a man looks at a woman with lust in his heart he has committed adultery according to Christ. It goes back to coveting women and lusting after them, they are daughters of God not objects existing for your pleasure at your submission.
I know a woman who was raped by her ex husband and when she talked to others about it she was told "A good wife submits to her husband."
Sad thing is too many people don't understand that rape can occur in a marriage.
It just amazes me that when so many Mormons fear Muslim extremists they wind up having the same mindset toward women as the Taliban.
I've heard of BYU students who were not allowed to take a test because of the way they were dressed. Shouldn't we evaluate college students based on their intellect rather than their appearance or is that asking too much from a institution of "learning?"
Part of this rape culture became painfully obvious during a lesson in young men's for me in the mid 90's. My teacher and his wife brought cupcakes and then my teacher offered one to me after he licked it. When I said I didn't want it anymore he said that's what it's like when you marry a woman who isn't a virgin.
So our culture is at the point of saying if a woman has been with anyone but you it's like eating a licked cupcake but of course you can have as many temple marriages as you want if your a man.
The best example of why this harmful teaching is so atrocious is Elizebeth Smart. So here's some lengthy quotes:
“I remember in school in one time I had a teacher who was talking about abstinence and she said ‘Imagine you’re a stick of gum. And when you engage in sex, that’s like getting chewed. And if you do that lots of times you’re going to become an old piece of gum and who’s going to want you after that?’
“That’s terrible, nobody should ever say that. But for me I thought ‘oh my gosh, I’m that chewed up piece of gum. Nobody re-chews a piece of gum. You throw it away.’ And that’s how easy it is to feel like you no longer have worth, you no longer have value. Why would it even be worth screaming out? Why would it even made a difference, your life already has no value.”
“I felt like my soul had been crushed. I felt like I wasn’t even human anymore. How could anybody want me or love me or care about me? I felt like life had no more meaning to it.”
“It’s feelings of self-worth. It’s feelings of ‘who would ever want me now?’ I’m worthless. That is what it was for me the first time I was raped."“I was raised in a very religious household, one that taught that sex was something special that only happened between a husband and a wife who loved each other and that’s what I’d been raised, that’s what I’d always been determined to follow, that when I got married then and only then would I engage in sex. And so, for that first rape, I felt crushed –’Who could want me now?’ I felt so dirty and so filthy I understand so easily all too well why someone wouldn’t run. Because of that alone. I mean, you can imagine the most special thing being taken away from you –not that that was your only value in life –but something that de-valued you? Can you imagine going back into a society where you’re no longer valued? Where you’re no longer as good as everybody else?" - Elizabeth Smart
How can anyone who has compassion or any sense of fairness and accountability for choices as is so often touted in our culture see anything but detrimental harm and abuse in these teachings found in modesty rhetoric?
Jesus said by their fruits ye shall know them. Meaning that good teachings produce good fruits and bad teachings produce bad fruits so for me these teachings are doing so much more harm than good so to me these teachings are evil rotten fruit and we need to replace them with nourishing and strengthening teachings.
These fruits have kept rapes unreported, they've kept rapists free to rape again, they've scarred women for generations.
To change bad fruits to good we must change these teaching and change our culture from one that excuses or even condones rape to a culture that blames the victimizer instead of the victim.
April 1, 2014
Altruism
Everyman must decide whether he will walk in the creative light of altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. -Dr.Martin Luther KingAltruism is at the heart of Christ's message, to love others as yourself, even your enemies, doesn't just earn your salvation, I think it is your salvation and the salvation of others as well.
And if altruism is salvation then it follows than selfishness is destruction. Selfishness means that everyone and everything else comes second to your wants and desires, so it is easy to see how and why it becomes such a destructive essence in society and in a person.
Altruism though becomes the greatest good in a society or in an individual because it is an all for one and one for all mentality which serves all according to need and benefits all. There is no greater accomplishment than living out the altruistic message Christ preached.
It's an accomplishment because it is so rarely lived, most people do well to live by rules but Jesus gave us only 3 and they were more geared toward living by principles than by a code of law. By living by the codes to love God, to love your neighbor and to love one another as Jesus loved us, we learn to go the extra mile in any situation. To ask ourselves what is the most loving approach to this situation is to ask what would Jesus do.
Altruism is that selfless service that soldiers live by to truly serve their countrymen and their brothers in arms, it is that sense of sacrificing wants for the needs of others as monks in every religious tradition do.
It is that sense of baptism by fire that the men and women who march with Dr.King or Gandhi had when they persevered through beatings and jail times and untold injustices that granted civil and national rights for millions of others, they sacrificed so much so that others could benefit.
Jesus was Master and Lord yet He served so many.
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. John 13:4-17
And Jesus gives us another example of service.
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:32-46
This details the spirit of the principles Jesus asks us to live by. Sowing genuine compassion for even strangers is not a common trait, neither are the rest of the examples of service in this last example.
Cain. An example of one who had no concern for others (Genesis 4). Most are familiar with the story of Cain -- how God rejected his sacrifice while accepting that of Abel, his brother. Cain, jealous of his brother and having no regard for anyone but self, murdered his brother. When God afterward asks him where Abel was, Cain responds with the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen. 4:9). All of us must realize we are our "brother's keepers." We are to look out for the interests of others (Phil. 2:4) and to esteem others better than self (Phil. 2:3). We must love one another (1 John 4:7). Cain's selfishness caused him to hate his brother and kill him (1 John 3:11-12).
Ahab. An example of one whose selfishness led him to be concerned about things before he was concerned about people. King Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard and pouted when he could not get it (1 Kings 21). His wicked wife Jezebel killed Naboth and then gave his vineyard to her husband as a gift. He was ecstatic. He gave no thought to Naboth or his family. He had what he wanted. Too many people place undue emphasis on things of this world and too little on people. Jesus said one cannot serve God and things (Matt. 6:24).
David. An example of a selfish attitude which caused him to seek fulfillment of his own pleasures with no regard to the cost in getting them. His selfish pursuit of pleasure caused him to sin with Bathsheba. His selfishness then led to lies and murder (2 Samuel 11). God did not allow his sin to go unpunished. He sent the prophet Nathan to expose the sin of David and to announce God's judgment upon him. Like David, far too many people today are selfishly pursuing pleasure with no regard for either consequences or the impact of their actions upon others.
James and John. Examples of those who selfishly desire power and prestige for themselves. They asked for the most prestigious and powerful positions in Jesus' kingdom (Matt. 20), not to help others, but to have their own egos inflated and fulfilled. The rest of the apostles were greatly distressed at their actions but it seems that James and John had given little thought to what the others thought or how they were affected. They wanted what they wanted and were willing to alienate themselves from their brethren in order to get it. Jesus told them their selfishness reflected the selfish attitude of the worldly-minded. Such ambitious drive today still is opposed to the teachings of Jesus. He said that those who would be great in His kingdom would be a servant of all (Matt. 20:26-27).
The Older Brother of the Prodigal (Luke 15). An example of one who had no compassion or love for others. Jesus stated to His disciples, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34). While the older brother seemed to love his father, his lack of love for his brother showed otherwise. The Christian may claim to love God but if, out of selfishness, he does not love his brother, he, in reality, does not love God (1 John 4:20-21).
Many people have the attitude of the older brother of the prodigal son. He had no compassion, no joy at finding his brother alive, he thought only of the jealousy that he was not as treasured as his brother long thought dead. Many feel Jesus was wrong in pointing out that there is as much joy in heaven when a sinner repents and finds the righteous path again as this father when he finds his son who he thought was dead was actually alive. This is a hardened heart that needs to be softened.
We have good examples of what to do and what not to do, we only need to do them and to soften our hearts enough to delight in selfless service.
In early Christian communities there were so many new converts that there was often not enough food. So what was done to deal with this? All would fast until there was enough for all to eat!
Therein lies the living of the principle of love and compassion.
March 30, 2014
Republican Jesus
Jesus lived long before American partisan politics yet the party that invokes His memory and name as if they owned it is definitely the modern Republican party and the "religious right."
This is a comparison of Ayn Rand's philosophy and that of Jesus, not of them as people but of their respective messages.
The Ayn Rand loving philosophy has more in common with the anti-Christian Ayn Rand than it does with the Jesus we meet in scripture.
For example: "Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue." "Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper’s bell of an approaching looter." Ayn Rand
Jesus:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21
And in Matthew 19 we have Jesus saying this:
"The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
It seems that Republican Jesus does not jive with the actual Jesus and yet so many people look to the republican Ayn Rand ethos to guide their words and actions.
Jesus feed the multitude, yet Republican Jesus would refuse saying "I cannot feed this multitude, it would destroy their incentive to work."
The real Jesus said He came to call sinners to repentance:
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:30-32
Republican Jesus says "Save yourselves, everyone else is on their own."
This is in the spirit of levity but still, many people seem to operate as if Jesus really did support a strong military and police force, that He would support cutting funding that feeds the poor or cutting funding to provide health insurance to millions.
These policies, many of which but not all, are of paramount importance to the G.O.P. are in complete opposition to the message of Christ.
Now to the message of Ayn Rand; a Russian born writer and "philosopher" Rand is most know for the book Atlas Shrugged as well as for a philosophy of do it yourself. As in Stephen Colbert quoted her first love poem once, it went: Rose are red, violets are blue finish this poem yourself you dependent parasite.
All you have to do is google her to find gems of screw the poor, the needy, the sick and aflicted and most of all Jesus. What most Ayn Rand loving "Christians don't know is that she hated religion but Christianity especially.
“Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.” – Ayn Rand
If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject.” – Ayn Rand
Jesus has a very different view:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Mat 22:39b
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34
“Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” – Mat 5:42
“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” – Matt. 6:24
Jesus strongly rebukes those who indulge in mindless pleasure and love of power and love of money, He instead asks us to cultivate a love of our neighbor, He asks us to cultivate compassion for all God's children. He asks us to care for those who are in need not to be heartless and leave them to the elements.
Lazarus and the Richman is a parable which explains how He feels about the battle between rich and poor. Jesus saying "He who is without sin may cast the first stone" is a hallmark of how Jesus feels about the compassion we should all have for those who have done wrong.
Ayn Rand is all about the individual and the indivdual's right to be free and only morla reletive to himself.
Jesus is about morality that is clear whether or not you believe in Him and He is about community and family and the responsibility that entails.
Ayn Rand tells us that in order to prosper we must reject altruism whereas Jesus tells us we must go the extra mile and reinvent it!
Jesus tells us altruism is a moral imperative that we must embrace to be truly moral people and in order for all of us to prosper, instead of just 1% of us.
Ayn Rand says love yourself whereas Jesus says love your enemy and love your neighbor.
Ayn Rand and Jesus Christ have two very different messages. Which one should we truly embrace and live by after we leave the chapel?
This is a comparison of Ayn Rand's philosophy and that of Jesus, not of them as people but of their respective messages.
The Ayn Rand loving philosophy has more in common with the anti-Christian Ayn Rand than it does with the Jesus we meet in scripture.
For example: "Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue." "Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper’s bell of an approaching looter." Ayn Rand
Jesus:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21
And in Matthew 19 we have Jesus saying this:
"The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
It seems that Republican Jesus does not jive with the actual Jesus and yet so many people look to the republican Ayn Rand ethos to guide their words and actions.
Jesus feed the multitude, yet Republican Jesus would refuse saying "I cannot feed this multitude, it would destroy their incentive to work."
The real Jesus said He came to call sinners to repentance:
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:30-32
Republican Jesus says "Save yourselves, everyone else is on their own."
This is in the spirit of levity but still, many people seem to operate as if Jesus really did support a strong military and police force, that He would support cutting funding that feeds the poor or cutting funding to provide health insurance to millions.
These policies, many of which but not all, are of paramount importance to the G.O.P. are in complete opposition to the message of Christ.
Now to the message of Ayn Rand; a Russian born writer and "philosopher" Rand is most know for the book Atlas Shrugged as well as for a philosophy of do it yourself. As in Stephen Colbert quoted her first love poem once, it went: Rose are red, violets are blue finish this poem yourself you dependent parasite.
All you have to do is google her to find gems of screw the poor, the needy, the sick and aflicted and most of all Jesus. What most Ayn Rand loving "Christians don't know is that she hated religion but Christianity especially.
“Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.” – Ayn Rand
If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject.” – Ayn Rand
Jesus has a very different view:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Mat 22:39b
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34
“Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” – Mat 5:42
“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” – Matt. 6:24
Jesus strongly rebukes those who indulge in mindless pleasure and love of power and love of money, He instead asks us to cultivate a love of our neighbor, He asks us to cultivate compassion for all God's children. He asks us to care for those who are in need not to be heartless and leave them to the elements.
Lazarus and the Richman is a parable which explains how He feels about the battle between rich and poor. Jesus saying "He who is without sin may cast the first stone" is a hallmark of how Jesus feels about the compassion we should all have for those who have done wrong.
Ayn Rand is all about the individual and the indivdual's right to be free and only morla reletive to himself.
Jesus is about morality that is clear whether or not you believe in Him and He is about community and family and the responsibility that entails.
Ayn Rand tells us that in order to prosper we must reject altruism whereas Jesus tells us we must go the extra mile and reinvent it!
Jesus tells us altruism is a moral imperative that we must embrace to be truly moral people and in order for all of us to prosper, instead of just 1% of us.
Ayn Rand says love yourself whereas Jesus says love your enemy and love your neighbor.
Ayn Rand and Jesus Christ have two very different messages. Which one should we truly embrace and live by after we leave the chapel?
March 28, 2014
Informing Your Doubts
Some have immersed themselves in internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and in some cases invent shortcomings of early church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony. Any who have made these choices can repent and be spiritually renewed.
Elder Quentin L. Cook, General Conference, October 2012
There are exaggerations and misinformation out there but those I have known who researched Church history using LDS sources have found much that troubles them, and once they found that the official history and actual history do not match the flood gates of doubt were opened.
For me this started before the internet, much less google, existed.
So when I started to go back to an LDS church I had to study and be at peace with all the issues that troubled me, like the priesthood ban and the curse of Cain doctrine. So getting to the bottom of these issues is what brought me peace with so many troubling issues. Rock Waterman at PureMormonism helped me get back to church and stay.
And as the link to Rock's post will testify, we need not have a testimony of the Church, only of the Gospel, Jesus, and scripture. The Church is an institution and is neither true nor false but the Gospel is what I believe to be true.
I counted once, out of curiosity, during fast and testimony to see how often I heard "I know this Church is true" versus "I know the Gospel is true" and it was 8 and 0 on that count. No one professed their testimony of Christ they instead professed their faith in leaders from Elder's Quorum to Relief Society to the President of the Church himself. Christ was only brought up when these people finished their talk and prayed in His name, otherwise He just wasn't important enough to bring up.
To me asking whether or not the Church is true is like asking whether or not I think BYU is the only true college.
Our Gospel is distinct in the world, and it is that Gospel that I do have faith in. I don't think our leaders are bad people, I think they're just people as fallible as I am so the only time I put absolute faith in anything is when I put my faith in Christ and in the Gospel.
The Church and the Gospel are two different things as found in Ronald Poleman's 1984 conference talk here and here.
The questions as to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and the rest of LDS scripture are heavy and hard to hold up, they, like all scripture must be taken on faith. Because we will never be able to prove the authenticity of any scripture, the Bible included, to an empirical level. There just isn't the evidence to prove it, that's why faith matters.
You cannot prove, even with science, why it is you are alive, science can't accurately define consciousness so what we call our true identities or personalities are not proven to be of God or a happy accident of random biological evolution.
We can not prove why we live or what, if anything, happens after we die no matter how many reports of an afterlife we discover, without tangible testable proof we have only our faith.
I think when it comes to doubts about the church, explore them until you reach some level of satisfaction as to the answers you've discovered. I would recommend prayer and asking for guidance and validation from the spirit as to any teaching you come across, if it troubles you dig deeper until you find an answer you can live with.
Many will say you must find the truth, and that's not bad advice it's just that every Muslim, every Catholic, every Jew has a testimony of their Gospel and they are as certain as you've ever been about yours. So from a different perspective the same truth may look very different. And there are competing faiths to look to, so what I think is important is not so much what your beliefs are about God, and whether or not you love Him but whether or not you show love to all His children is what I think matters more.
Doubts lead to questions but questions don't always lead to answers. Faith has to be front and center in any religion. Just because you know the flaws of our Church historically or the flaws of our leaders does not always mean that the Gospel itself is flawed. The church is run by human beings who don't always agree with one another which is why you often find discrepancies in what is taught over the pulpit and you find much that contradicts in scripture but I would argue that much of those issues are rather counter-intuitive rather than simply contradictory.
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Matthew 19:7-8
Jesus lets us know that man wrote the law of divorce that it was not of God. So what else did the hands of man sully, what else was the product of men and not of God in scripture?
The 613 commands of Mosaic law are very troubling at times but they have an eerie parallel with the Code of Hammurabi which was seen as a solid base of laws to live by in the ancient world and hard as it is to believe, the Mosaic law version was actually very progressive and comparatively lenient.
What helped me hold on to staying in this church has been a lot of prayer and study and friends like Rock Waterman who has an unorthodox but Rock solid testimony of this Gospel and has helped on numerous occasions to talk me through my doubts, to explore them and to reach a resolution I can live with.
For me doubt is like when you loose control of you car in a spin, to regain control you need to steer into the skid. Study more and more until you discover the answers that you can live with, you have to live with the consequences of your actions and decisions, no one else. Therefore, you need to be fair and true to yourself in your life where ever that leads you.
March 27, 2014
The Spirit Of The Law
In China there were texts discovered that prove there was an offshoot of Christianity starting in the 7th century A.D. They describe original nature being intrinsically divine rather than all of us laboring towards righteousness under the curse of Adam's fall. They even have a new take on the ten commandments which were translated as covenants.
The first covenant of God is that anything that exists and does evil will be punished, especially if they do not respect the elderly.
The second covenant is to honor and care for elderly parents. Those who do this will be true followers of Heaven’s Way.
The third covenant is to acknowledge we have been brought into existence through our parents. Nothing exists without parents.
The fourth covenant is that anybody who understands the precepts should know to be kind and considerate to everything, and to do no evil to anything that lives.
The fifth covenant is that any living being should not take the life of another living being, but should also teach others to do likewise.
The sixth covenant is that nobody should commit adultery, or persuade anyone else to do so.
The seventh covenant is not to steal.
The eighth covenant is that nobody should covet a living man’s wife, or his lands, or his palace, or his servants.
The ninth covenant is not to let your envy of somebody’s good wife, or son, or house or gold, lead you to bear false witness against them.
The tenth covenant is only to offer to God that which is yours to give.
This excerpt comes from the Stone Sutra. The message of Christ in Asia is attributed to Thomas who in the Nag Hammadi texts is the twin brother of Jesus. And Jesus having a brother is instrumental in a Japanese tale of Jesus traveling to Japan after His brother's crucifixion. But these tales sound more like the Life of Brian than the Life of Christ. There are deep messages imbedded within these tales.
The more compassionate take on the message of Jesus in forbidding not just killing of people but of any living thing goes the extra mile in terms of compassionate teachings.
The Hebrew wording of the commandment not to kill is "Do not murder" indicating that not all killing was forbidden just murder. Jesus' teachings indicate than any killing is forbidden in that He taught us to love our enemies, at the least I believe that means we should not kill them.
The reason I'm sharing this is not to go on about these being the real teachings but that everywhere that the message of Jesus traveled the message was changed to suit the listeners not specifically to suit the original intent Jesus had when He taught His own disciples.
So how do we discern what the original intent of Jesus' teachings were?
We do as most of us were raised to do which is to pray for clarification and validation of the perspectives others have on these teachings, leaders and rank and file members alike.
Jesus taught all who would listen even when the Pharisees said sinners deserved nothing. Like the puritanical attitudes that lead to people wearing scarlet letters to represent and mark their sins, the pharisees had the same elitist attitudes that kept people in their place and praised outward signs of righteousness rather than praising those like Jesus who embodied the fullest teachings in scripture.
To say that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God as Paul writes, is to say we are all equal and no one should be praised as better than another. None should be praised except Christ and God.
We do need to sift through scripture to deepen our understanding of not just what was meant but how to actually live it out.
The best indicator of how we feel is what we say and how we treat others. And that is also how we can discern whether or not we are on the right path.
Jesus said "As ye have done it unto the least of my bretheren, ye have also done it unto me."
Which is why He asks Paul on the road to Damascus "Why are you persecuting me?"
Paul was persecuting the small Christian sect on the heels of the crucifixion until his encounter with Christ. After this encounter Paul became the most influential missionary ever in terms of how many communities of Christians he was able to convert all over the Roman world.
Even if we are born into the Church we all need to have a conversion to Christ.
There is no point I think in saying "here are a set of rules to follow, do what we tell you and you're saved."
Jesus instead says "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
So it is by our love for others that we will be known by Christ and by all as His disciples. He also says that love for God and love for your neighbor is what all the law and prophets hang on.
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 22:37-40
So it is agape or unconditional love that Jesus says will mark us as His disciples. Following rules can be mindless and it is usually a matter of doing the least rather than doing the most, it's like a line in the sand, at the least do not cross it.
Jesus says the pharisees were consumed with cleaning the outside of their cups while the insides were filthy whereas if they cleaned the inside of their cups the outside would also become clean. Which to me is like saying, if you are pure of heart you are living the spirit of the laws and prophets and therefore you are truly clean, whereas if you are consumed with appearing to be righteous that is missing the mark.
But by describing the love He had for us being the love that we should have for God and all His children, the same unconditional love Jesus has for us He is telling you how to act in any given situation so you no longer need a laundry list of rules to follow and you wont be in a bind when a confusing situation befalls you, you will instead know what to do because all you have to ask yourself is whether or not your actions will be in the spirit of love, Christ's love. It's a what would Jesus do kind of thing.
The first covenant of God is that anything that exists and does evil will be punished, especially if they do not respect the elderly.
The second covenant is to honor and care for elderly parents. Those who do this will be true followers of Heaven’s Way.
The third covenant is to acknowledge we have been brought into existence through our parents. Nothing exists without parents.
The fourth covenant is that anybody who understands the precepts should know to be kind and considerate to everything, and to do no evil to anything that lives.
The fifth covenant is that any living being should not take the life of another living being, but should also teach others to do likewise.
The sixth covenant is that nobody should commit adultery, or persuade anyone else to do so.
The seventh covenant is not to steal.
The eighth covenant is that nobody should covet a living man’s wife, or his lands, or his palace, or his servants.
The ninth covenant is not to let your envy of somebody’s good wife, or son, or house or gold, lead you to bear false witness against them.
The tenth covenant is only to offer to God that which is yours to give.
This excerpt comes from the Stone Sutra. The message of Christ in Asia is attributed to Thomas who in the Nag Hammadi texts is the twin brother of Jesus. And Jesus having a brother is instrumental in a Japanese tale of Jesus traveling to Japan after His brother's crucifixion. But these tales sound more like the Life of Brian than the Life of Christ. There are deep messages imbedded within these tales.
The more compassionate take on the message of Jesus in forbidding not just killing of people but of any living thing goes the extra mile in terms of compassionate teachings.
The Hebrew wording of the commandment not to kill is "Do not murder" indicating that not all killing was forbidden just murder. Jesus' teachings indicate than any killing is forbidden in that He taught us to love our enemies, at the least I believe that means we should not kill them.
The reason I'm sharing this is not to go on about these being the real teachings but that everywhere that the message of Jesus traveled the message was changed to suit the listeners not specifically to suit the original intent Jesus had when He taught His own disciples.
So how do we discern what the original intent of Jesus' teachings were?
We do as most of us were raised to do which is to pray for clarification and validation of the perspectives others have on these teachings, leaders and rank and file members alike.
Jesus taught all who would listen even when the Pharisees said sinners deserved nothing. Like the puritanical attitudes that lead to people wearing scarlet letters to represent and mark their sins, the pharisees had the same elitist attitudes that kept people in their place and praised outward signs of righteousness rather than praising those like Jesus who embodied the fullest teachings in scripture.
To say that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God as Paul writes, is to say we are all equal and no one should be praised as better than another. None should be praised except Christ and God.
We do need to sift through scripture to deepen our understanding of not just what was meant but how to actually live it out.
The best indicator of how we feel is what we say and how we treat others. And that is also how we can discern whether or not we are on the right path.
Jesus said "As ye have done it unto the least of my bretheren, ye have also done it unto me."
Which is why He asks Paul on the road to Damascus "Why are you persecuting me?"
Paul was persecuting the small Christian sect on the heels of the crucifixion until his encounter with Christ. After this encounter Paul became the most influential missionary ever in terms of how many communities of Christians he was able to convert all over the Roman world.
Even if we are born into the Church we all need to have a conversion to Christ.
There is no point I think in saying "here are a set of rules to follow, do what we tell you and you're saved."
Jesus instead says "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
So it is by our love for others that we will be known by Christ and by all as His disciples. He also says that love for God and love for your neighbor is what all the law and prophets hang on.
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 22:37-40
So it is agape or unconditional love that Jesus says will mark us as His disciples. Following rules can be mindless and it is usually a matter of doing the least rather than doing the most, it's like a line in the sand, at the least do not cross it.
Jesus says the pharisees were consumed with cleaning the outside of their cups while the insides were filthy whereas if they cleaned the inside of their cups the outside would also become clean. Which to me is like saying, if you are pure of heart you are living the spirit of the laws and prophets and therefore you are truly clean, whereas if you are consumed with appearing to be righteous that is missing the mark.
But by describing the love He had for us being the love that we should have for God and all His children, the same unconditional love Jesus has for us He is telling you how to act in any given situation so you no longer need a laundry list of rules to follow and you wont be in a bind when a confusing situation befalls you, you will instead know what to do because all you have to ask yourself is whether or not your actions will be in the spirit of love, Christ's love. It's a what would Jesus do kind of thing.
March 26, 2014
Yielding And Loving
I like the idea of passive resistance like turning the other cheek and going the extra mile when forced to go only one.
Jesus says "do not resist evil" but the Greek word translated as resist had a violent connotation so Jesus is not saying be at peace with evil but to avoid using violence to solve problems.
Violence may work sometimes but not always, think of Iraq and Afghanistan.
And even if non violent resistance doesn't always work that failure to me is preferable to the horrors of war and violence.
We are taught by Jesus to love our enemies. So how can we expect to win hearts at the same time we cause so many to stop beating?
Killing them with kindness is a better way to go. It isn't always easy but the dividends are amazing when you finally reach a breakthrough.
Like dealing with an estranged relative or your teenager. You don't stop loving them.
Dr.King transformed America with this non violent tactic taken from Gandhi. What black people faced during and before the civil rights era has been described as terrorism because white men could use or make up any excuse to beat, mistreat or kill black men.
And for black women, they had to endure any sexual assault white men could dish out.
Black Americans had been taught to deal with these issues for fear of it being worse if they fought back.
But Dr.King taught his community to endure this evil while resisting it without violence because if they defended themselves with violence that would be sold as the justification for even more violence against them.
Dr.King convinced his followers to endure the beating, endure the time in prisons and jails and he did so so well that his followers would sing while imprisoned and the powers that be knew that if these men and women could have joy amidst the mistreatment they faced that there was no victory to be had over them.
No victory because you can't win until your enemies will has been crushed but these men and women who followed Dr.King could not be crushed, they had joyous resilience, they knew peace amidst hellish conditions.
A common argument against not loving your enemies is the Nazi scenario where violence is the only option to fight such tyranny.
But the community Jesus spoke to first was under a Roman occupation and exposed to similar terrorism against them.
When Jesus says "when compelled(forced) to go one mile, go two." Thus the term go the extra mile, Jesus is speaking of a common practice in His time of Roman soldiers forcing Hewish men and children to carry their equipment for them.
Jesus' answer is not to use violence or even to run but to go the extra mile and meet hate with compassion. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that. Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that.
That is the heart of this message Jesus preaches when He teaches us to love our enemies.
In this line of thought love is like medicine, if it doesn't work up the dosage.
It's better to fail in love than to succeed in violence or hate.
It's also a point worth making that when you give in to hate, when you breakdown and get violent, it infects you with the toxicity that leaves you more likely to turn to hate it violence in the future and the more often you choose that path the more toxic you become.
Whereas when you choose love and compassion you become imbued with its peace and resilience every time you choose the right path instead of what seems to be the easier path.
You are less likely to spoil like rotten fruit during the bitter moments of life. When you choose love you retain your sweetness and even become sweeter. You react with softness when confronted with the hard and ugly elements in life.
You can more easily react with love when confronted with hate. You can more easily see the beauty in the world and in life when you choose love rather than dwelling on the negative and sinister elements in the world and in life.
You always have a choice between the negative and the positive, it isn't always easy but it will always be worth it.
We are often told to choose the right but we need to think of it in different terms to help deepen our understanding.
I agree that when the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
March 24, 2014
The Divine Spark Within
I believe the meme above makes a truthful point; that empathy and religion are not intrinsically linked.Some of the worlds greatest villains were some of the most religious of men, think of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the 9/11 hijackers.
But The Lord wrote the laws of God on the hearts of men so all would know His ways.
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:33
Isaiah 59:21 says the same.
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.
Hindus believe that the natural human disposition is inherently divine and the illusion of this world is what corrupts us.
This I think is true, that our soul is a spark of divinity that we must embrace to be truly transformed and to save ourselves and lead the way for others.
When Jesus said "The Kingdom of God is within you" I believe this is what He meant. And when He spoke of living water welling up in each of us He, I think, was describing what happens when we find that Kingdom within and use that divine spark to its fullest effect.
We can enlighten and nourish ourselves and each other.
Abraham Lincoln said "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends."
This I think is a good explanation of how to practically live out the teaching to love our enemies and our neighbors as ourselves. And to love each other as Jesus loved us which is a new commandment Jesus gave us.
Living in a Christ-like fashion isn't easy but it is worth it.
We benefit and so do all who come into contact with us. It's that example that converts the best. And it's that example that out shines the darkness we often find not only in the world but within ourselves.
Saul was born in Tarsus and raised as a devout Jew, so much so that when a new off shoot called "the way" threatens the religious order of his time he zealously fights against these followers of Christ. To the point the he takes part in the killing of the first Christian martyr Stephen.
Yet hot on the trail of these Jewish heretics he is confronted by the resurrected Christ which then makes him a believer.
And from there he becomes the most influential Christian missionary and writes 2/3 of the New Testament's scripture as Paul the apostle.
Some times the people with the ugliest pasts can create the most beautiful futures.
Being Christ-like is a tall order but if Saul can become Paul and accomplish what he did we too can transform our futures into something beautiful and leave our past in the past.
March 23, 2014
Keeping All The Commandments
Many in our Church culture believe that one must keep all the commandments in order to be saved in an almost legalistic fashion the letter of the law must be obeyed. And often the spirit of the law is forgotten.
For example the letter of the law says that the penalty for adultery is death but we no longer enact such punishments, but why? Is it out of forgiveness? I think that since such offenses are more often than not held against a person long after the fact it is not out of forgiveness that we overlook such penalties.
And working on a Sunday is also a capitol offense in scripture yet we do not carry out such advised punishments. Many look down on women especially who work and work on Sundays. Under the banner of taking care of the family as women's primary role.
But maybe it's the fact that these Biblical laws and punishments are against modern laws that we defer instead to the authority of the state and nation.
But how can we keep the commandments if we do not see to the punishments being enacted?
I would say that we should pay more attention to how Christ handled such situations to better understand what it means to keep the commandments.
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 22:37-40
Maybe this idea of agape or unconditional love being the basis for all commandments is why Jesus spared an adulteress caught in the act.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 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 8:3-11
So we can forgive and we can try again to keep the commandments when we have broken them as we can become clean again after having dirtied ourselves.
And there is the danger of thinking that if we check off all the boxes next to a list of commandments we are righteous when we may infact be missing the whole point of these commandments.
10 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 humble attitude and repentance allows a sinner to absolve himself and become clean again in the Temple of all places!
But another point is that the Pharisee who checks off all his boxes of commandments is still missing the whole point of all those commandments. Love, forgiveness, repentance and being humble is more important than the attitude of checking off boxes as if it's a packing list.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, Matthew 23:25-29
So it is the spirit of the law that gives the letter of it true power. If you have the spirit with you then you have the power of the commandments within you as well. It is not about doing at least this much, following the commandments, it about doing the most and following the spirit of the commandments.
One can get a Temple recommend by answering truthfully all the questions that are asked in an interview but one can still be lacking the spirit of all the commandments. For example; you can bey the word of wisdom and pay your tithing but if you do not feed the hungry or visit the prisoner or provide drink to those that thirst you may be missing some of the most fundamental doctrines that Jesus preached.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:34-46
So it's not that obeying the commandments is missing the point, it's how you think of them that is a make or break issue. We can not be concerned with outward signs of righteousness and forget the spirit of the law, which according the Jesus is love for God and love for all His children.
We cannot obey the letter of the law if we break the spirit of it.
Jesus compared hate to murder and lust to adultery, He said that we must forget our sacrifices to God and heal the rifts between us and those we are angry with before our sacrifices and gifts will be accepted.
So He is holding us to an even higher account than we might at first think. He is asking us to forgive 77 times (or an infinite number) and be the most forgiving person rather than like Lamech who said he would be avenged 77 times(or an infinite amount of punishment for a limited sin.)
He is forgiving but also asks more of us than many think is practical or possible.
When describing what His disciples would be known by, what would signify true discipleship Jesus said this:
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
That Christ-like love is what will signify to Christ whether or not you truly follow Him.
Praying to seek confirmation of truth, asking to receive the gift of discernment will help you verify whether or not you're on the right track, or if I'm on the right track for that matter. And asking how does the letter of the law match up with the spirit of the law will help guide your actions towards the best direction.
For example the letter of the law says that the penalty for adultery is death but we no longer enact such punishments, but why? Is it out of forgiveness? I think that since such offenses are more often than not held against a person long after the fact it is not out of forgiveness that we overlook such penalties.
And working on a Sunday is also a capitol offense in scripture yet we do not carry out such advised punishments. Many look down on women especially who work and work on Sundays. Under the banner of taking care of the family as women's primary role.
But maybe it's the fact that these Biblical laws and punishments are against modern laws that we defer instead to the authority of the state and nation.
But how can we keep the commandments if we do not see to the punishments being enacted?
I would say that we should pay more attention to how Christ handled such situations to better understand what it means to keep the commandments.
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 22:37-40
Maybe this idea of agape or unconditional love being the basis for all commandments is why Jesus spared an adulteress caught in the act.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 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 8:3-11
So we can forgive and we can try again to keep the commandments when we have broken them as we can become clean again after having dirtied ourselves.
And there is the danger of thinking that if we check off all the boxes next to a list of commandments we are righteous when we may infact be missing the whole point of these commandments.
10 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 humble attitude and repentance allows a sinner to absolve himself and become clean again in the Temple of all places!
But another point is that the Pharisee who checks off all his boxes of commandments is still missing the whole point of all those commandments. Love, forgiveness, repentance and being humble is more important than the attitude of checking off boxes as if it's a packing list.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, Matthew 23:25-29
So it is the spirit of the law that gives the letter of it true power. If you have the spirit with you then you have the power of the commandments within you as well. It is not about doing at least this much, following the commandments, it about doing the most and following the spirit of the commandments.
One can get a Temple recommend by answering truthfully all the questions that are asked in an interview but one can still be lacking the spirit of all the commandments. For example; you can bey the word of wisdom and pay your tithing but if you do not feed the hungry or visit the prisoner or provide drink to those that thirst you may be missing some of the most fundamental doctrines that Jesus preached.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:34-46
So it's not that obeying the commandments is missing the point, it's how you think of them that is a make or break issue. We can not be concerned with outward signs of righteousness and forget the spirit of the law, which according the Jesus is love for God and love for all His children.
We cannot obey the letter of the law if we break the spirit of it.
Jesus compared hate to murder and lust to adultery, He said that we must forget our sacrifices to God and heal the rifts between us and those we are angry with before our sacrifices and gifts will be accepted.
So He is holding us to an even higher account than we might at first think. He is asking us to forgive 77 times (or an infinite number) and be the most forgiving person rather than like Lamech who said he would be avenged 77 times(or an infinite amount of punishment for a limited sin.)
He is forgiving but also asks more of us than many think is practical or possible.
When describing what His disciples would be known by, what would signify true discipleship Jesus said this:
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
That Christ-like love is what will signify to Christ whether or not you truly follow Him.
Praying to seek confirmation of truth, asking to receive the gift of discernment will help you verify whether or not you're on the right track, or if I'm on the right track for that matter. And asking how does the letter of the law match up with the spirit of the law will help guide your actions towards the best direction.
March 20, 2014
Dogma
Before delving into Dogma let's define it. From dictionary.com I have this for you."dog·ma [dawg-muh, dog-] Show IPA noun, plural dog·mas or ( Rare ) dog·ma·ta [dawg-muh-tuh] Show IPA .
1.
an official system of principles or tenets concerning faith, morals, behavior, etc., as of a church. Synonyms: doctrine, teachings, set of beliefs, philosophy. 2.
a specific tenet or doctrine authoritatively laid down, as by a church: the dogma of the Assumption; the recently defined dogma of papal infallibility. Synonyms: tenet, canon, law. 3.
prescribed doctrine proclaimed as unquestionably true by a particular group: the difficulty of resisting political dogma. 4.
a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle: the classic dogma of objectivity in scientific observation. Synonyms: conviction, certainty. Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin < Greek, equivalent to dok ( eîn ) to seem, think, seem good + -ma noun suffix
Word story
At the turn of the 17th century, dogma entered English from the Latin term meaning “philosophical tenet.” The Greek word from which it is borrowed means “that which one thinks is true,” and comes ultimately from the Greek dokein which means “to seem good” or “think.”
The origin of the word dogma acts as a reminder to English speakers that now-established principals and doctrines were once simply thoughts and opinions of ordinary people that gained popularity and eventually found their way into the universal consciousness of society. 20th century American academic and aphorist Mason Cooley concisely observed that “Under attack, sentiments harden into dogma,” suggesting that dogma is spawned as a defensive act. This idea implies that for every dogma that exists, there is a counter dogma. With so many “truths” out there, there is sure to be a dogma to conveniently fit every set of beliefs."There is the doctrine extrapolated from scripture and then there is the philosophy of men mingled with scripture. Now when this philosophy comes from leadership it is considered doctrinal, even if it is in error as Bruce R. McConkie's book Mormon Doctrine and so many of his teachings throughout his life.Most of what people have trouble with, even as members in good standing, tend to be the philosophies, unbacked by scripture, of our leadership throughout the generations of this Church.Take the Word Of Wisdom, Rock Waterman wrote a great piece detailing how it wasn't a commandment until relatively recently and breaking it didn't bar you from Temple entry until the mid 20th century.
The philosophy of Ezra Taft Benson is as follows:
"President Benson explained that at first the revelation was not given as a commandment, but as "a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints." (D&C 89:3.)
"In 1851, President Brigham Young proposed to the general conference of the Church that all Saints formally covenant to keep the Word of Wisdom. This proposal was unanimously upheld by the membership of the Church. Since that day, the revelation has been a binding commandment on all Church members," President Benson said."
Can I take out a covenant on your behalf? Not until you die according to current doctrines. So how can Brigham Young take out a covenant for all of mankind from 1851 forward? And for clarification purposes this covenant Brigham Young asked the members to fufil was only ever intended for those in the room with him.
Brigham Young said this after many of those people who made that covenant had broken it; "I will not call upon you to make a covenant to do this, for some might break their covenants, and that would be a sin."
He almost seems to have felt guilt over asking more than so many could live with.
But the philosophy of men has turned a revelation that was not given "by commandment or constraint" and made it one all on their own.
There are countless other dogmatic doctrines in our Church but let's get to the core of why these inflexible teachings are damaging rather than balanced and healthy, let's remember Christ said by their fruits ye shall know them and also saying that good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce evil fruits so then if any teaching is bad and produces evil results they will be obvious.
So let's examine the dogmatic doctrines that homosexuality is a sin.
"According to recent gay bullying statistics, gay and lesbian teens are two to three times as more likely to commit teen suicide than other youths. About 30 percent of all completed suicides have been related to sexual identity crisis. Students who also fall into the gay, bisexual, lesbian or transgendered identity groups report being five times as more likely to miss school because they feel unsafe after being bullied due to their sexual orientation. About 28 percent out of those groups feel forced to drop out of school altogether. Although more and more schools are working to crack down on problems with bullying, teens are still continuing to bully each other due to sexual orientation and other factors."
From bullyingstatistics.org
"About 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBT, and nearly all homeless youth service providers in the U.S. now serve LGBT youth, according to a comprehensive report on LGBT youth homelessness released Thursday.
Nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) respondents indicated that family rejection was a major factor contributing to LGBT youth homelessness, making it the most cited factor. More than half (54 percent) of respondents indicated that abuse in their family was another important factor contributing to LGBT homelessness." From lgbtnation.com
So how is it that these gay kids are being bullied and kicked out on the streets by their good Christian parents if the doctrines against homosexuality are good fruit from good trees? They seem evil to me.
These statistics are not indicative of these anti-gay doctrines being good fruits, if they were why would their be such death and ostracism?
I hate that so many of our gay members are subjected to is exactly what drives them away from not only our Church but all Churches. Our collective hate drives these people from God all together given how many of His followers bully, beat and exclude them.
Working on a Sunday is referred to as an abomination in scripture and also carries the death penalty so why is it OK to work on a Sunday but not OK to lie with a man as with a woman?
Because the philosophy of the leadership of most Churches including our own reflect one being OK and the other being a "deal breaker sin."
Jesus equates lust to adultery and hate to murder so why is hate not looked on as a deadly sin as adultery is?
I think it's because people love to justify their hatred as being the fault of those that offend their delicate sensibilities and thus defer responsibility.
I hope some of this resonates with you in terms of how hurtful and deadly these doctrines can be. These separate God from His children because our Church culture can be so intolerant of other lifestyle and points of view, almost as if tolerance is viewed as a trap of some sort.
The point of the Gospel is not to hinder but to nourish and help us to grow as people and grow closer to God. And sometimes you need to look in different and unusual places to fing that truth and that knowledge.
I looked in Hindu scripture, Buddhist, Islamic and some tribal beliefs for additional inspiration.
One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may. Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 199We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 316
So why is it often considered to be blasphemous or heretical to do what I have done when our founding Prophet seems to agree with my strategy? Yet so many members are of the opinion that it is wrong to consider any opinion outside of Mormonism, and when presented with an opinion they care more about who said it than whether or not it is true! Which seems very sad to me.Once I got enough distance between myself and my past experience in the Church and delved into scriptures from almost all world religions I became inspired again and could finally be at peace with considering myself as Christian. I've seen a bumper sticker that said "Please God, save me from your followers." Because so many people have had the Christian/Mormon message rammed down their throats and are sick of the LDS standard of living being legislated as with the word of wisdom for example or with their views on gay marriage or marriage as I call it. Ya know because I had lunch today not gay lunch and I parked my car but I didn't gay park it?
Love for God and all His children is what Christ said all the law and all the Prophets hang on, so to me Love is the most important doctrine of all. How can love have negative results? Only if it is unhealthy love with unfair or unhealthy expectations. So maybe our expectations of people need to change and maybe our expectations of ourselves need some tweaking as well. We can do better than this, and we are taking small steps from the bottom up to change the hurtful effects of misguided doctrines and dogmas. Mormons Building Bridges of facebook and Mormons for marriage equality are doing great things in the name of a new generation of Mormons. Rock Waterman seems to be one of the poster boys of this new movement based on what can be backed up by scripture and dumping the rest of what we call Mormonism because so much of it has only caused divides and resulted in more homeless youth and estranged families and isn't family at the very core of what it means to be Mormon?
1.
an official system of principles or tenets concerning faith, morals, behavior, etc., as of a church. Synonyms: doctrine, teachings, set of beliefs, philosophy. 2.
a specific tenet or doctrine authoritatively laid down, as by a church: the dogma of the Assumption; the recently defined dogma of papal infallibility. Synonyms: tenet, canon, law. 3.
prescribed doctrine proclaimed as unquestionably true by a particular group: the difficulty of resisting political dogma. 4.
a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle: the classic dogma of objectivity in scientific observation. Synonyms: conviction, certainty. Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin < Greek, equivalent to dok ( eîn ) to seem, think, seem good + -ma noun suffix
Word story
At the turn of the 17th century, dogma entered English from the Latin term meaning “philosophical tenet.” The Greek word from which it is borrowed means “that which one thinks is true,” and comes ultimately from the Greek dokein which means “to seem good” or “think.”
The origin of the word dogma acts as a reminder to English speakers that now-established principals and doctrines were once simply thoughts and opinions of ordinary people that gained popularity and eventually found their way into the universal consciousness of society. 20th century American academic and aphorist Mason Cooley concisely observed that “Under attack, sentiments harden into dogma,” suggesting that dogma is spawned as a defensive act. This idea implies that for every dogma that exists, there is a counter dogma. With so many “truths” out there, there is sure to be a dogma to conveniently fit every set of beliefs."There is the doctrine extrapolated from scripture and then there is the philosophy of men mingled with scripture. Now when this philosophy comes from leadership it is considered doctrinal, even if it is in error as Bruce R. McConkie's book Mormon Doctrine and so many of his teachings throughout his life.Most of what people have trouble with, even as members in good standing, tend to be the philosophies, unbacked by scripture, of our leadership throughout the generations of this Church.Take the Word Of Wisdom, Rock Waterman wrote a great piece detailing how it wasn't a commandment until relatively recently and breaking it didn't bar you from Temple entry until the mid 20th century.
The philosophy of Ezra Taft Benson is as follows:
"President Benson explained that at first the revelation was not given as a commandment, but as "a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints." (D&C 89:3.)
"In 1851, President Brigham Young proposed to the general conference of the Church that all Saints formally covenant to keep the Word of Wisdom. This proposal was unanimously upheld by the membership of the Church. Since that day, the revelation has been a binding commandment on all Church members," President Benson said."
Can I take out a covenant on your behalf? Not until you die according to current doctrines. So how can Brigham Young take out a covenant for all of mankind from 1851 forward? And for clarification purposes this covenant Brigham Young asked the members to fufil was only ever intended for those in the room with him.
Brigham Young said this after many of those people who made that covenant had broken it; "I will not call upon you to make a covenant to do this, for some might break their covenants, and that would be a sin."
He almost seems to have felt guilt over asking more than so many could live with.
But the philosophy of men has turned a revelation that was not given "by commandment or constraint" and made it one all on their own.
There are countless other dogmatic doctrines in our Church but let's get to the core of why these inflexible teachings are damaging rather than balanced and healthy, let's remember Christ said by their fruits ye shall know them and also saying that good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce evil fruits so then if any teaching is bad and produces evil results they will be obvious.
So let's examine the dogmatic doctrines that homosexuality is a sin.
"According to recent gay bullying statistics, gay and lesbian teens are two to three times as more likely to commit teen suicide than other youths. About 30 percent of all completed suicides have been related to sexual identity crisis. Students who also fall into the gay, bisexual, lesbian or transgendered identity groups report being five times as more likely to miss school because they feel unsafe after being bullied due to their sexual orientation. About 28 percent out of those groups feel forced to drop out of school altogether. Although more and more schools are working to crack down on problems with bullying, teens are still continuing to bully each other due to sexual orientation and other factors."From bullyingstatistics.org
"About 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBT, and nearly all homeless youth service providers in the U.S. now serve LGBT youth, according to a comprehensive report on LGBT youth homelessness released Thursday.
Nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) respondents indicated that family rejection was a major factor contributing to LGBT youth homelessness, making it the most cited factor. More than half (54 percent) of respondents indicated that abuse in their family was another important factor contributing to LGBT homelessness." From lgbtnation.com
So how is it that these gay kids are being bullied and kicked out on the streets by their good Christian parents if the doctrines against homosexuality are good fruit from good trees? They seem evil to me.
These statistics are not indicative of these anti-gay doctrines being good fruits, if they were why would their be such death and ostracism?
I hate that so many of our gay members are subjected to is exactly what drives them away from not only our Church but all Churches. Our collective hate drives these people from God all together given how many of His followers bully, beat and exclude them.
Working on a Sunday is referred to as an abomination in scripture and also carries the death penalty so why is it OK to work on a Sunday but not OK to lie with a man as with a woman?
Because the philosophy of the leadership of most Churches including our own reflect one being OK and the other being a "deal breaker sin."
Jesus equates lust to adultery and hate to murder so why is hate not looked on as a deadly sin as adultery is?
I think it's because people love to justify their hatred as being the fault of those that offend their delicate sensibilities and thus defer responsibility.
I hope some of this resonates with you in terms of how hurtful and deadly these doctrines can be. These separate God from His children because our Church culture can be so intolerant of other lifestyle and points of view, almost as if tolerance is viewed as a trap of some sort.
The point of the Gospel is not to hinder but to nourish and help us to grow as people and grow closer to God. And sometimes you need to look in different and unusual places to fing that truth and that knowledge.
I looked in Hindu scripture, Buddhist, Islamic and some tribal beliefs for additional inspiration.
One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may. Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 199We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 316
So why is it often considered to be blasphemous or heretical to do what I have done when our founding Prophet seems to agree with my strategy? Yet so many members are of the opinion that it is wrong to consider any opinion outside of Mormonism, and when presented with an opinion they care more about who said it than whether or not it is true! Which seems very sad to me.Once I got enough distance between myself and my past experience in the Church and delved into scriptures from almost all world religions I became inspired again and could finally be at peace with considering myself as Christian. I've seen a bumper sticker that said "Please God, save me from your followers." Because so many people have had the Christian/Mormon message rammed down their throats and are sick of the LDS standard of living being legislated as with the word of wisdom for example or with their views on gay marriage or marriage as I call it. Ya know because I had lunch today not gay lunch and I parked my car but I didn't gay park it?
Love for God and all His children is what Christ said all the law and all the Prophets hang on, so to me Love is the most important doctrine of all. How can love have negative results? Only if it is unhealthy love with unfair or unhealthy expectations. So maybe our expectations of people need to change and maybe our expectations of ourselves need some tweaking as well. We can do better than this, and we are taking small steps from the bottom up to change the hurtful effects of misguided doctrines and dogmas. Mormons Building Bridges of facebook and Mormons for marriage equality are doing great things in the name of a new generation of Mormons. Rock Waterman seems to be one of the poster boys of this new movement based on what can be backed up by scripture and dumping the rest of what we call Mormonism because so much of it has only caused divides and resulted in more homeless youth and estranged families and isn't family at the very core of what it means to be Mormon?
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