http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shmuley-boteach/are-mormons-any-weirder-t_b_1116390.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
A friend posted this on facebook and I really liked the article for the ending point he makes (this is just the part I really liked not the whole article) :
"Hence, our concern need not be with a person's faith in public office. It does not matter if they are Jewish, evangelical, Mormon or Muslim. What does matter is whether their faith is focused on relating to God and, by extension, caring for God's children, or whether they see the purpose of their high station to promote their particular religion. It is easy to identify the difference. People who are in a relationship with God are humble and do their utmost to refrain from judging others. Their proximity to a perfect being reminds them of their own fallibility. Their experience of God's compassion leads them to be merciful and loving. But those who worship a religion are arrogant and think they have the only truth. They are dismissive of other people's beliefs and maintain that advancing the cause of their religion is more important than life itself. The rabbi in Israel who recently made the strange comment that soldiers should face a firing squad rather than listen to a woman sing is a classic example of this heresy.
Those who worship their religion evince the classic characteristic of cult members. Whereas a real faith system is empowering and makes one strong and capable of operating outside their own faith community, cult members can only identify with other members of their group and require the environment of the cult in order to function. They don't have beliefs. Rather, they take orders."
I like this so much because I do believe there are both types of people, I however don't believe that those who worship their religion and not God are always aware of their error. I have gained humility and understanding through the trials I have been through in life, not just current but also previous things to my divorce. I continue to learn about the Saviors unconditional love and that the atonement is there for everyone and every sin, big or small, young or old, mormon or not mormon, and that its not my place to judge a persons heart, I do believe that you can judge a persons actions though which brings the opportunity to safeguard yourself or your loved ones from becoming caught up in the wrong things. My dad told me when I was really angry with Kevin a few wise words that go through my brain at random times now and that was "You cant crucify him because of what he did, he may not have been thinking about everyone involved, but you have to love him and show him forgiveness" To me that means because someone makes a crappy choice you cant hate them or badger them or spread a bad rep but you have to realize that they are human and make choices that they may already or may one day really regret and then let go of it. How would it be if everyone I had ever wronged or everyone that knew my mistakes "crucified" me for my mistakes. Oh boy! So any person at anytime is deserving of love and forgiveness. It's required of us to forgive everyone (everything) but God will choose who he forgives because only he knows the sincerity of the heart. I'm kind of getting sidetracked from the article! haha. But I think as an LDS member having lived in Utah you do run into people who are judgmental and worship the rules of their religion and miss that step of getting to know the Savior and his infinite love and understanding and tolerance and forgiveness. I know that even those members probably mean good but don't quite see the foolishness in the way they are. I have recently said "I'm not mormon because I believe in the people, I am mormon because I believe in the doctrine." That is true. If my testimony of the gospel was only people deep I would have left the church a long time ago. But when you weed out the negative people in your life and really read The Bible and The Book of Mormon and understand the things they teach and open your heart and feel God's love and goodness then you will know as well :) Anyways yep, I liked what he wrote.. and I like Mitt Romney.. hes got my vote.. and not just because hes mormon! Obama seems to disagree though .. he is always after Mitt!
Nighty night! xoxo
Way good article. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete