cinepro Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 (edited) If you do not believe in answered prayers, miracles and such to be real, but want to be part of the church due to good morals, how do you justify the fact that there are those who will buy into it literally. Even if you do not go out and give testimony making promises that God answers prayers and such, being part of the church gives passive influence to others and you are backing things up you do not believe by association. Is it truly moral to do so?Everybody has fun at a Star Trek convention, even the people not wearing the costumes.But the people in the costumes are having the most fun. Edited July 11, 2013 by cinepro 3
Maidservant Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 (edited) Hope is not 'wishing really hard that something is going to happen'.Hope is a deliberate choice to believe that life is worth living, generally. Or a choice that a certain course in life is worth pursuing, specifically. Hope is to hold in your soul, in your spiritual eye, the completion of what you hope to create (by yourself or in this context, in connection with God) (in a zen sort of way, because we can't control exact outcomes), and then to walk down that path toward your hope diligently and through all trial. Hope is a decision and a commitment based on who you are, not on who God is.So the question may be: how valuable and precious is your (potential) relationship with God, how valuable and precious is the potential of the understanding of the purpose of life and the meaning of the gospel to be unfolded to you? How valuable and precious these things are is something you determine. It is your choice.If you determine that your relationship with your Father in heaven and an understanding of the mysteries of God are priceless (which is the decision I personally have made), then there is no amount of time of seeking that would cause me or you to completely stop that journey. THAT is your hope--the decision that these gifts are priceless and worth any journey and seeking on your part.If I am disappointed, afraid, stuck, betrayed, weak, blind, deaf, on and on and on in this journey between me and God, I still find a way to renew and go on. Because it's not up to God. It's up to me. I will find Him, and if by some measure He is trying to hide from me, I will outlast Him, ha ha. Because I want Him more than anything else in this life or the next!To the degree that I find myself either disagreeing with or understanding differently the scriptures and the tenants of the Church, I still find it important to participate in the Church if for no other reason than home teaching and visiting teaching, because if I stop doing service like that, and taking callings and doing them to the best of my ability--then I think that is pride on my part that I'm not willing to participate in that community based on conceptual reasons. So for me, I think I'll stay forever until they tell me to leave if it gets that bad. Edited July 11, 2013 by Maidservant 1
thatjimguy Posted July 13, 2013 Author Posted July 13, 2013 (edited) Everybody has fun at a Star Trek convention, even the people not wearing the costumes.But the people in the costumes are having the most fun.I'm not getting you. I don't think anyone in Star Trek claims the stories are literal. Edited July 13, 2013 by thatjimguy
thatjimguy Posted November 24, 2013 Author Posted November 24, 2013 Hey all, I just wanted to thank you all for responding to his post. I just went back and re read it all again. Taking a few months off from it shakes it up again. I was thinking about this again today and decided to look up this old post. A lot of it really was good. Actually all of it was. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Recommended Posts