God and the Devil
Don't worry, I've not forgotten about this here blog. Just been terribly busy. But I've canceled the seven other things I want to/should be doing for the next thirty or so minutes to pawn my thoughts off on you. Just thinking out loud, or thinking on digital paper.
An interesting thought crossed my mind the other night when I should have been sleeping: God created the Devil. To paraphrase from the Bible, Lucifer was a powerful/important figure in the pre-mortal life and fell from grace, to become the devil. But if you think about it (from a Christian view of religion), if he hadn't fallen, none of God's plan would have really been able to work. The plan being: come to earth, be tested, return to God again in the next life if you lived worthily.
So was Lucifer doomed all along to become the Devil? Someone had to do the job right? Is it possible that maybe we don't really understand any of it that well, and to some degree, he volunteered for the part? Either way, if you think about it, the Devil makes life a lot more interesting. Certainly, I'm no fan of evil or the hardships and treachery that occur(ed) as a result. We humans are definitely obsessed with and fascinated by tragedy, horror, drama, misfortune, and so on. Why do you think news corporations do so well? Without the Devil, what would we do? Trying to look at it from an outside perspective: life would be pretty bland without him stirring things up.
If religion at large, as we know it, had never existed, do you think we as humans would still arrive at the same moral laws? Most of our moral, societal, and even legal laws are derived from or based on religious laws and teachings. Compare our national laws with the Ten Commandments...see what I mean?
Now for some other observations and opinions on religion.
Of course, there is the conundrum of all religions saying that they are the only true religion. I'm going to try and look at this objectively, not pushing my own religious views. Certainly, not all religions can be true, can they? There are so many different beliefs and theories out there. Or can they all be true at the same time? Maybe all religions have a few pieces of truth. I believe that most religions have some true principles and ideas. What I don't understand is why people have to fight about it. Let alone feel the need to go to war and kill people over their differing beliefs. But all throughout human history that has been the case. Even in our modern "sophisticated" world religious strife, conflicts, and wars continue to rage on. I just can't wrap my mind around it. Just because I don't believe what you believe doesn't mean I need to attack you or even argue over it. Frankly, it's none of my business how you choose to worship, or what you believe in. Even more confusing is that if people were truly living and practicing their religions, we shouldn't have any problems at all. Almost all religions across the globe, in some form or another, have a goal of teaching you to become a better person. Nearly all teach the principles of loving or respecting those around you. Of course, people aren't perfect, but if you're trying to live those principals even a little bit, it should be easy to avoid wars and major conflicts.
Growing up and living in the very religious community that I do, I've always been surprised how quick people are to judge and gossip. It seems to me that there is an unspoken communal or societal phenomenon where members of the LDS faith judge and look down upon others for their "sins". It feels as though there is a tangible cloud of pressure "to be perfect" blanketing this society. "If you sin once, you're going to Hell" seems to be the unwritten verdict. But it makes no sense! Constantly throughout the scriptures, we are reminded that we are imperfect, and can never be perfect in this lifetime. So why are we so harsh on each other? Why are we so harsh on ourselves? Why do people look down on one another when they commit a sin? If the gospel was being lived how it should, you ought to view someone who has sinned, and think: "what can I do to help them? Is there something I can do to aid them along their path of repentance?". Only where appropriate though, as this can quickly be twisted back to the "I'm better than you cause I'm helping you get better" frame of mind. But if it was done with true humility, out of charity and love, people would be able to help each other greatly. You could compare it to substance abuse counselors. With their patients, they understand that the patient has made mistakes and needs help changing and correcting such behaviors. However, their job isn't to go around judging their patients. What the patient has done in their past is nearly irrelevant; other than the fact that it's what they're trying to get away from. The focus is on recovery. How to deal with the pain felt and caused to yourself and others, how to move forward, leave the bad behind and strive for something better. But it seems that in our community we look at people and think "oooh he smokes, drinks, cheated on his wife, she doesn't go to church, has tattoos, etc, stay away from them! We don't want their disease, they're not as good as us cause they're sinners". News flash: everyone sins and messes up.
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. -Matthew 7:5
Why can't we seem to get that into our heads? There are already enough hardships in life, why do we go casting our judgments on others to make their hardships worse?
I'm by no means a bible thumper, but obviously, have strong enough religious beliefs to have served as a full-time missionary for two years. From my experiences as a missionary, I came to believe that there are truths in many if not most other religions and philosophies.
I always loathed missionaries who had the mindset: "we're going to go out and save everybody, baptize them all, then they'll be saved from their sinful ways". First, that kind of mindset is derived directly from pride. Secondly, the goal of a missionary is "to invite others to come unto Christ", not to shove your beliefs down their throat. I don't feel like I ever tried to force the gospel on anyone. If they weren't interested, they weren't interested, and I left it at that. I definitely don't profess to be the most perfect missionary or even a good missionary. But I went out there to try and see if I could lighten someone's life, maybe make a difference, or ease their burdens just a little bit. I can only hope that I was successful, but I may never really know.
Halfway through my mission, when I began to break down the language barrier and finally understand what on earth people were saying; I crossed paths with many Buddhists. They blew me away. I'd had a few brief interactions with Buddhists earlier in my life, but truly interacting with them in a religious setting, my eyes were opened. Of the 50 or so Buddhists I met and conversed with, I have never ever met any people more humble, genuine, or happy than they. Walking down the streets, the people who would always say hello, smile and wave at us were nearly always Buddhist.
Near the church in the area I was serving at, a Buddhist man had a small little sculpting studio. We thought he was an interesting fellow, so we'd drop by now and then to say hi and chat a little. Over the weeks and months, my companions and I got to know and learn more about this man. At first, he had zero gospel interest, and I had no interest in trying to push him at all on religion, he didn't appear to be at all interested. Most of our religious conversations began with me trying to understand more about his Buddhist beliefs, and his life in general. After a while, we created a bond, and one day he started asking us about our religion because he was comfortable with us and knew that we were genuinely interested in him as a person, rather than as a baptismal statistic. My last few weeks in the area, we'd walk by to say hello, and he'd urgently usher us in to read scriptures with him and answer questions about the passages. I was transferred and don't know whatever became of that situation, but in truth, it doesn't matter, because we were able to mutually learn and gain insights from one another through our friendship. I know I certainly learned a lot from the experience.
Through my interactions in that area, I feel that my whole mindset shifted. I realized: It doesn't matter what you believe. I realized that these Buddhists know far more about spirituality and finding true joy than I may ever be able to comprehend.
Honestly, I don't think that the LDS religion is for everyone, nor the Catholic, or any other religion for that matter. If you find a set of beliefs that encourage you to be a better person, if you find meaning and happiness through those beliefs, that's what matters. Whether you draw those beliefs from yoga, music, religion, nature, or otherwise; if it works for you, I'm excited for you! I have seen the part that spirituality has played in my life and hope that others will be able to find a similar joy in their lives. When I cross paths with people interested in learning about my beliefs, great, I love to share. And if you draw spirituality from some other source I'm always interested to learn and try to understand where you're coming from. Some of the most spiritually uplifting moments of my life have come during concerts, or while listening to music. The decision to serve a mission came through such an experience; though the music being performed was not religious at all.
I believe that spirituality can be found in many forms and many places. My duty as a good person is to continue to improve myself. To continue to learn, grow, and help others find happiness, wherever it may be for them. Not to judge, not to hate, not to condemn, but to love, serve, and inspire. So whether you believe in God, Buddha, Allah, meditation, music, nature, or any other higher powers that inspire you to better yourself, or are still searching, keep up the good work!
An interesting thought crossed my mind the other night when I should have been sleeping: God created the Devil. To paraphrase from the Bible, Lucifer was a powerful/important figure in the pre-mortal life and fell from grace, to become the devil. But if you think about it (from a Christian view of religion), if he hadn't fallen, none of God's plan would have really been able to work. The plan being: come to earth, be tested, return to God again in the next life if you lived worthily.
So was Lucifer doomed all along to become the Devil? Someone had to do the job right? Is it possible that maybe we don't really understand any of it that well, and to some degree, he volunteered for the part? Either way, if you think about it, the Devil makes life a lot more interesting. Certainly, I'm no fan of evil or the hardships and treachery that occur(ed) as a result. We humans are definitely obsessed with and fascinated by tragedy, horror, drama, misfortune, and so on. Why do you think news corporations do so well? Without the Devil, what would we do? Trying to look at it from an outside perspective: life would be pretty bland without him stirring things up.
If religion at large, as we know it, had never existed, do you think we as humans would still arrive at the same moral laws? Most of our moral, societal, and even legal laws are derived from or based on religious laws and teachings. Compare our national laws with the Ten Commandments...see what I mean?
Now for some other observations and opinions on religion.
Of course, there is the conundrum of all religions saying that they are the only true religion. I'm going to try and look at this objectively, not pushing my own religious views. Certainly, not all religions can be true, can they? There are so many different beliefs and theories out there. Or can they all be true at the same time? Maybe all religions have a few pieces of truth. I believe that most religions have some true principles and ideas. What I don't understand is why people have to fight about it. Let alone feel the need to go to war and kill people over their differing beliefs. But all throughout human history that has been the case. Even in our modern "sophisticated" world religious strife, conflicts, and wars continue to rage on. I just can't wrap my mind around it. Just because I don't believe what you believe doesn't mean I need to attack you or even argue over it. Frankly, it's none of my business how you choose to worship, or what you believe in. Even more confusing is that if people were truly living and practicing their religions, we shouldn't have any problems at all. Almost all religions across the globe, in some form or another, have a goal of teaching you to become a better person. Nearly all teach the principles of loving or respecting those around you. Of course, people aren't perfect, but if you're trying to live those principals even a little bit, it should be easy to avoid wars and major conflicts.
Growing up and living in the very religious community that I do, I've always been surprised how quick people are to judge and gossip. It seems to me that there is an unspoken communal or societal phenomenon where members of the LDS faith judge and look down upon others for their "sins". It feels as though there is a tangible cloud of pressure "to be perfect" blanketing this society. "If you sin once, you're going to Hell" seems to be the unwritten verdict. But it makes no sense! Constantly throughout the scriptures, we are reminded that we are imperfect, and can never be perfect in this lifetime. So why are we so harsh on each other? Why are we so harsh on ourselves? Why do people look down on one another when they commit a sin? If the gospel was being lived how it should, you ought to view someone who has sinned, and think: "what can I do to help them? Is there something I can do to aid them along their path of repentance?". Only where appropriate though, as this can quickly be twisted back to the "I'm better than you cause I'm helping you get better" frame of mind. But if it was done with true humility, out of charity and love, people would be able to help each other greatly. You could compare it to substance abuse counselors. With their patients, they understand that the patient has made mistakes and needs help changing and correcting such behaviors. However, their job isn't to go around judging their patients. What the patient has done in their past is nearly irrelevant; other than the fact that it's what they're trying to get away from. The focus is on recovery. How to deal with the pain felt and caused to yourself and others, how to move forward, leave the bad behind and strive for something better. But it seems that in our community we look at people and think "oooh he smokes, drinks, cheated on his wife, she doesn't go to church, has tattoos, etc, stay away from them! We don't want their disease, they're not as good as us cause they're sinners". News flash: everyone sins and messes up.
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. -Matthew 7:5
Why can't we seem to get that into our heads? There are already enough hardships in life, why do we go casting our judgments on others to make their hardships worse?
I'm by no means a bible thumper, but obviously, have strong enough religious beliefs to have served as a full-time missionary for two years. From my experiences as a missionary, I came to believe that there are truths in many if not most other religions and philosophies.
I always loathed missionaries who had the mindset: "we're going to go out and save everybody, baptize them all, then they'll be saved from their sinful ways". First, that kind of mindset is derived directly from pride. Secondly, the goal of a missionary is "to invite others to come unto Christ", not to shove your beliefs down their throat. I don't feel like I ever tried to force the gospel on anyone. If they weren't interested, they weren't interested, and I left it at that. I definitely don't profess to be the most perfect missionary or even a good missionary. But I went out there to try and see if I could lighten someone's life, maybe make a difference, or ease their burdens just a little bit. I can only hope that I was successful, but I may never really know.
Halfway through my mission, when I began to break down the language barrier and finally understand what on earth people were saying; I crossed paths with many Buddhists. They blew me away. I'd had a few brief interactions with Buddhists earlier in my life, but truly interacting with them in a religious setting, my eyes were opened. Of the 50 or so Buddhists I met and conversed with, I have never ever met any people more humble, genuine, or happy than they. Walking down the streets, the people who would always say hello, smile and wave at us were nearly always Buddhist.
Near the church in the area I was serving at, a Buddhist man had a small little sculpting studio. We thought he was an interesting fellow, so we'd drop by now and then to say hi and chat a little. Over the weeks and months, my companions and I got to know and learn more about this man. At first, he had zero gospel interest, and I had no interest in trying to push him at all on religion, he didn't appear to be at all interested. Most of our religious conversations began with me trying to understand more about his Buddhist beliefs, and his life in general. After a while, we created a bond, and one day he started asking us about our religion because he was comfortable with us and knew that we were genuinely interested in him as a person, rather than as a baptismal statistic. My last few weeks in the area, we'd walk by to say hello, and he'd urgently usher us in to read scriptures with him and answer questions about the passages. I was transferred and don't know whatever became of that situation, but in truth, it doesn't matter, because we were able to mutually learn and gain insights from one another through our friendship. I know I certainly learned a lot from the experience.
Through my interactions in that area, I feel that my whole mindset shifted. I realized: It doesn't matter what you believe. I realized that these Buddhists know far more about spirituality and finding true joy than I may ever be able to comprehend.
Honestly, I don't think that the LDS religion is for everyone, nor the Catholic, or any other religion for that matter. If you find a set of beliefs that encourage you to be a better person, if you find meaning and happiness through those beliefs, that's what matters. Whether you draw those beliefs from yoga, music, religion, nature, or otherwise; if it works for you, I'm excited for you! I have seen the part that spirituality has played in my life and hope that others will be able to find a similar joy in their lives. When I cross paths with people interested in learning about my beliefs, great, I love to share. And if you draw spirituality from some other source I'm always interested to learn and try to understand where you're coming from. Some of the most spiritually uplifting moments of my life have come during concerts, or while listening to music. The decision to serve a mission came through such an experience; though the music being performed was not religious at all.
I believe that spirituality can be found in many forms and many places. My duty as a good person is to continue to improve myself. To continue to learn, grow, and help others find happiness, wherever it may be for them. Not to judge, not to hate, not to condemn, but to love, serve, and inspire. So whether you believe in God, Buddha, Allah, meditation, music, nature, or any other higher powers that inspire you to better yourself, or are still searching, keep up the good work!
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