Lent Lessons Learned

This last Lent I decided on a sugar fast. (No, I'm not a member of a religious organization that observes Lent, but I think it's a good idea, so...what the heck.)

In my extremely limited knowledge of the observations and practices of other religions, I presumed that fasting for Lent is analogous to the fast that Jesus is recording as having gone on. If Jesus could go on a complete fast for 40 days, I could easily give up something as insignificant as sugar for 40 days. Besides, I was going to give up sugar around that time, anyway, so why not call it a Lent observation?

So sugar became a thing of the past for a little while. As time passed, the most difficult thing to overcome was the automatic reaching for sweet things as I passed them. I was quite proud of how I was doing until one day I realized in the late afternoon that I totally unconsciously grabbed a handful of mints from the restaurant I went to and crunched them down without a thought. I was quite annoyed with myself. But now, in hindsight, I realize it was in perfect similitude of reality. No matter how good I think I'll do, no matter how much effort I put into being like Him, I will always fall short. No, this isn't an excuse for not trying - quite the opposite. It's a measure of the level of condescension He and His Father underwent and undergoes for us. Lowly, lowly us. Good for us. VERY good for us.

Guilt Is for Mean Sheep

I wish I could express how tired I am of people requiring guilt to be part of repentance. Guilt is good for one thing and one thing only: a way to identify what it is you're doing wrong. Repentance is simply turning away from sin...i.e. changing your behavior to something more conducive to one's goals.

When you repeatedly stub the same toe on the same coffee table leg when you go through the living room, do you really have to feel guilty to stop doing it? No? You identify a problem with what you're doing and you choose to stop doing it because it doesn't serve you!

We are required to feel guilty by social organizations who find it necessary to punish the wrong-doers. But who are we to want to punish? Who are we to punish? Who are we to punish ourselves? We simply adapt our actions to what will get us what we want and need.

Yes, it is that simple. Painless? No. Repentance is change. Change is often painful. So do we really need to induce more pain before we remove its source?

Happy Boy Scout

I remembered the things I thought of when reading Matthew yesterday! I'm glad, too, since it gives me the opportunity to record them for future amusement.

First, let me start by recording an hypothesis I got from listening to one of 311's songs. The lyrics went something like, "Six electrons, six protons, six neutrons are encoded on this plane we live on." It got me thinking. That is the atomic structure of carbon, the building block of everything in this life. It followed that if the dread Mark of the Beast was indeed 666 and it is to be branded on some people's foreheads, perhaps it really meant that anyone whose primary focus was this world and all things therein with no thought given to things of another, more spiritual world, they have branded themselves with the building blocks of this world alone: 666.

Some people take the Mark to be literal, that we will be forced to have a tattoo or a chip or something that causes our enslavement to the Beast. While my hypothesis does not contradict this, it does take into consideration Jesus' intent of fulfilling the law, transforming it into something spiritual. He turned our minds from exclusively living and considering the laws as a physical act only and introduced the idea of spirituality regarding it. Perhaps we are not meant to worry so much about getting a tattoo so much as being concerned about losing focus of what is more important: our immortal souls--something just outside--and not trapped by--six electrons, six protons and six neutrons.

So, with all that in mind, let us consider what our current obsession is during these trying times: food storage and preparedness. Let me first just state that I am a rabid enthusiast of being prepared. But when it consumes our every thought, are we not focusing just a bit too much on things of this world? Worse (or "also") are we not ignoring what our Savior said in Matthew about the flowers and birds and how God takes care of them? Remember when he said we should relax and let God do His holy job of taking care of us? (I'm paraphrasing, of course.)  I think we should let Him.

Please understand I believe we should always do everything we can before we bother Him with our Wish Lists--I mean "prayers." Yet I wonder if we are spending so much time and money to the detriment of our families and loved ones; if we are making ourselves unhappy in the pursuit of all things survival, are we then forgetting yet another ideal: "man is that he might have joy?"

I know what you're thinking. But you would be wrong. The measurements of doughnuts in space really are not fleeting monkeys. But that aside, I am not advocating "eat drink and be merry" (though sometimes that sure sounds appealing!). I am advocating a healthy respect for the Love of God (His Love for us) and our trust in Him. In short, do everything you can do within the constraints of His commandments. And remember that most of His commandments are about love and happiness, not obsession with survival when the Big One hits.

The Ignorant Facts

This most recent episode of Bones once again attempted to push a philosophy on its viewers which caused me to just roll my eyes. This episode's topics: God can make mistakes and does so by putting a female into the body of a male...but it's not really a mistake, since God can't make mistakes, so we are just improving on God's design through surgical reconstruction. Therefore, if someone feels like a female and gets the appropriate surgeries, we're considered ignorant if we still call him "him". Despite what you may think, I believe God doesn't make mistakes. And I most certainly do not think that we can improve on God's design. So let's look at the facts here, with an eye toward Occam's Shaving Implement. A body (usually) is born male or female . When it's male--it's male. It has X and Y chromosomes. It has the skeletal structure of a male, it is male. Now, enter the human psyche. For some reason this human is not comfortable in his own skin. He prefers all things female. He thinks he is female...except for all the hated physical attributes created by the very building blocks of his male-ness. So...who got it wrong? God? Billions of years of evolution? Or the human. In any case he gets a surgery and now expects everyone to call him "her". Ain't gonna happen! He still has male physiology; he still has X and Y chromosomes. He is still a he except for a few tiny appearance-alterations. A mental development cross-wire (not under-wire) and some surgery does not change what that person is. Yes, I'm insensitive. Why? Because I'm fed up with the expectation that everyone should conform to, validate, and otherwise embrace whatever idiosyncrasy suits others at the moment. If you're a male who wants to be female...you're still male. And vice versa. Get over it. Don't expect others to call you "she" or "her" because that's what you want. It's not ignorance to call an apple an apple, even if it's sliced, diced and made up to look like an orange. Once again the subtle sell on Bones wasn't lost on me. And I still don't feel bad, despite its best efforts, in calling a he "he" and a she "she".

Evolution of Religion

I would be an Atheist, but I see God's hand in all things.

I would be an Agnostic, but I've seen prayers answered.

I would be a "Christian," but I believe we should earn our way.

I would be a Mormon, but I believe in consistency in principles.

What am I?

Are Christians Christians?

We've all heard the question and headlines. "Are Mormons Christians?" Headlines, articles, ranters and ravers all ask this question. Truth be told, it's an intriguing question from the lay-Christian's perspective. Truth be told, the very question is an amusingly anti-Christ one.

What is a Christian? Merriam-Webster says it's "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ." So...either the belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ do not include the living of His word, or it means that His teachings somewhere included the derision and ravening condemnation of those who don't believe His teachings.

Where did He preach the derision of others and their beliefs?

Where did He teach the ostracizing of those that believed differently than they?

Where did He suggest that it's alright to whisper behind the backs of others and denigrate their beliefs to their victims very children?

I'll leave it there, but the questions go on and on.

If you're "Christian," how about an attempt at acting like you believe in His word and allow others their beliefs? Or are you just not Christian enough?

Saints and Sinners...and Sinners

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I'm not without sin, but here come the rocks!

Whoa. Did you just read that? "I'm not without sin." And it didn't even hurt!

This post is for all those accusatory pukes who make fun of and otherwise abuse those who sin against their own beliefs. It's also for all those who sin against their own beliefs.

You who have beliefs, you hold yourselves to higher standards than the rest of the world. And still you screw up. Deal with it. Admit it. If you condemn homosexuality and enjoy homosexuality (as in the recent cases of governmental officials), admit it! "Yes, I'm completely against homosexuality...and I'm a homosexual. I'll legislate against homosexual behaviors...and yes I know it's going to cause me and everyone else like me grief. But it's what I believe in." Admit that what you enjoy is not what you believe is the higher path. It's alright to hold yourself to a higher standard. And when you screw up...prepare to pay the price that you exact.

You who profess to be avid church-goes, you who are "Christians" and follow the tenets of the Bible and get successfully sued for dishonest practices, admit that you're deceptive, that you prize money above all else...and that you want and aspire to do better. Admit that you hold yourself to higher values and fail to keep them. We all know you hope you get there and are working to get there (at least we hope so, and will treat you accordingly, as prescribed by the Bible), so just own up to the fact that you make choices contrary to your beliefs. It makes you more humble. It makes you more of a human. It may even make you less of a hypocrite. Hiding your bad decisions and passing judgement on others for theirs is what makes you a hypocrite.

You who have no morals and descend on those who are ashamed of their failures at achieving their higher standards.... What can I say? Lighten up. Because you espouse no morals doesn't make you a hero for living your morals. True there are those that preach one way and live another with no shame and no intention of attempting to walk their talk. Frankly, these are those who are on your same level. You hold everyone up to your own fickle standards with no intention of being any different. Get over it.

We're all messed up. We all need to measure up to our own standards. But most of us have such high standards it might just be impossible to measure up. And so what? The problem lies in holding others up to your standards. Morality is not about the other guy. It's about you. Look in the mirror. Accept what you see. Move forward. Life is the beautiful journey, even in its ugliness.