10-26-2007, 09:09 PM | #11 | |
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I was struck by this, having spent time in Europe lately, a place dotted with beautiful cathedrals. BBC did an interesting show once focusing on this very behavior (the church demanding obedience and using it to "tax" the people in order to build cathedrals). Its conclusion was that while beautiful, most if not all cathedrals had been constructed at great cost to the local populations, particularly the poor. Better the wealth had been left with those that produced it or used to make life better for all. It provided another perspective on cathedrals. Okay, I'll take a stab at some of you questions. I see the motivation for our obedience as being on a continuum, with one end being gaining some sort of benefit and the other being loving God. While obeying in expectation of gaining some benefit is an okay motivation, loving God is better. Hopefully as we grow, we move closer loving God. As for divine intervention, much comes naturally from obedience to God's will, although that is probably not direct intervention; it is merely a consequence of obedience, although we may see it as intervention. Then every so often, God reaches down and acts on our behalf according to His wisdom. We may or may not be aware of such intervention.
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Give 'em Hell, Cougars!!! Religion rises inevitably from our apprehension of our own death. To give meaning to meaninglessness is the endless quest of all religion. When death becomes the center of our consciousness, then religion authentically begins. Of all religions that I know, the one that most vehemently and persuasively defies and denies the reality of death is the original Mormonism of the Prophet, Seer and Revelator, Joseph Smith. |
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10-26-2007, 09:38 PM | #12 | ||
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10-26-2007, 11:45 PM | #13 | |
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10-26-2007, 11:49 PM | #14 |
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Obedience is the stick and Divine Intervention is the carrot. And worshipers are the donkeys being led.
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...You've been under attack for days, there's a soldier down, he's wounded, gangrene's setting in, 'Who's used all the penicillin?' 'Oh, Mark Paxson sir, he's got knob rot off of some tart.'" - Gareth Keenan |
10-27-2007, 05:15 AM | #15 |
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as intellectually as ever ..thanks for educating me how should i put this.
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11-01-2007, 07:35 PM | #16 |
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11-01-2007, 08:02 PM | #17 | |
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I don't believe the religion I belong to promises great blessings in mortality for obedience. I think it teaches obedience to God's laws because it is the lifestyle God himself lives. The purpose is to progress to become more like Him. I do believe the religion to which I belong promises that our financial needs will be met. Now as for the culture, I am sure everyone will have a great story from their mission president about how he paid 20% tithing and kept getting richer and richer and blah blah blah. God doesn't promise wealth and there are those in the Mormon church who will claim but He gives it to those he trusts, perhaps he does. I don't think He really cares a great deal and I think the fact that everyone's mp was wealthy was because the mp had skills the market valued. I don't think God intervenes based upon a level of obedience, I think He intervenes based upon His purposes. I don't think He views mortality like we do.
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She had a psychiatrist who said because I didn't trust the water system, the school system, the government, I was paranoid," he said. "I had a psychiatrist who said her psychiatrist was stupid." |
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11-01-2007, 08:06 PM | #18 |
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HEE-FREAKING-HAW!
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She had a psychiatrist who said because I didn't trust the water system, the school system, the government, I was paranoid," he said. "I had a psychiatrist who said her psychiatrist was stupid." |
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