deliberate musings

Due to the notoriety of Mitt Romney’s campaign, the Mormon faith has been in the news a lot lately. As more attention and curiosity has been perked, I’ve observed news programs and morning talk shows have attempt to classify and define Mormonism in relation to the Christian faith. This is actually a simple task, but oddly I’ve seen these waters unnecessarily muddied.

The faith’s founder Joseph Smith, for instance, claimed to have several visions and articulated a contested history regarding the acquisition of The Book of Mormon through finding golden tablets (in western New York state) left by the last of an ancient race of North American people, the Nephites…

In short, LDS doctrine is distinct from historical Christian orthodoxy in several key aspects: God and Jesus have fleshly bodies, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the offspring of God and a heavenly wife, there exists a plurality of Gods, human beings can progress to be gods themselves, and finally God started off ages ago as a normal person long ago and gradually became “God” over time (Idiot’s Guide to Christianity, 214-217). These statements rub up against (canonized) texts such as Galatians 1:8-9, Revelation 22:19, Colossians 1:15-20, Deuteronomy 4:35, Isaiah 44:6, & John 1:1-3.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Paul, Galatians 6:9

Today Now! Interviews The 5-Year-Old Screenwriter Of “Fast Five”

The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.
- C.S. Lewis

It’s a mistery to me - we have a greed - with which we have agreed
You think you have to want - more than you need - until you have it all you won’t be free

Society, you’re a crazy breed -I hope you’re not lonely without me

When you want more than you have - you think you need - and when you think more than you want - your thoughts begin to bleed
I think I need to find a bigger place - ’cos when you have more than you think - you need more space

Society, you’re a crazy breed - Hope you’re not lonely without me…
Society, crazy indeed - Hope you’re not lonely without me…
There’s those thinking more or less less is more - but if less is more how you’re keeping score? - Means for every point you make your level drops - kinda like its starting from the top - you can’t do that

Society, you’re a crazy breed - Hope you’re not lonely without me
Society, crazy indeed - Hope you’re not lonely without me

Society, have mercy on me - Hope you’re not angry if I disagree
Society, crazy indeed - Hope you’re not lonely without me

 

- Eddie Vedder, Society (Click here to listen)

I wouldn’t swallow this message whole, but Dave Meslin gives insight into explaining the prevalence of apathy and its relation to media. Meslin also provides thoughtful prescriptions worth consideration:

You may be familiar with “The Umbrella Man;” a mysterious man (who held an umbrella by the motorcade on a perfectly sunny day) associated with the Kennedy Assassination. I’ve long been fascinated with the JFK assassination, so naturally this is crack for the history-loving part of my soul. The following is a link to an excellent 6ish Minute documentary and an interesting article that teaches us a profound lesson in media literacy and Historical inquiry – about how our suspicions can take on a life of their own.

…While our Lord had much to say about people’s need to give first priority to Jesus’ call to discipleship, he provided comparatively little instruction on marriage. Doubtless the major reason for this is that Jesus, as did his contemporaries, assumed the validity of the divine pattern for marriage set forth in the opening chapters of Genesis. For this reason it would be fallacious to assume that, because of Jesus emphasized people’s higher spiritual calling and requirements for Christian discipleship, he held a low view of marriage or now viewed this divine institution as dispensable or superseded by a higher, nobler calling, perhaps involving singleness in light of the imminent end of the age.

- Andreas J. Kostenberger, God, Marriage, And Family: Rebuilding The Biblical Foundation, p.52

A Call to Men to Take Responsibility.