Plutarch wrote:... you oppose the Brethren, the only legitimate representations of the Lord Jesus Christ on this earth.
Stupid ass statements like the above, which polarize friends and families, and do not allow for common ground, are the reason that I would gladly wear the title of enemy of "the church".
Plutarch wrote:... you oppose the Brethren, the only legitimate representations of the Lord Jesus Christ on this earth.
Stupid ass statements like the above, which polarize friends and families, and do not allow for common ground, are the reason that I would gladly wear the title of enemy of "the church".
Chris <><
Well, there are some on this thread who dispute they are enemies, so my comment was not directed to you.
"Common ground" is really a hard thing to find amongst orthodox believers of any religion. But, it is a fundamental belief of the Church that Gordon B. Hinckley is the only man on earth who holds all of the keys of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without that belief one should not be baptized, receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, or attend the temple.
The best course of conduct if you doubt is to adopt the Gamaliel solution.
For those who don't know, the Gamaliel Solution is "leave well alone and let God do the sorting out". All very well and good, except for another time-honored saying: "All that is required for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing." I will not sit by and watch my church descend into mediocrity and lukewarmness. Call me a crusader, but I will continue to do as I do, and if that means suffering the slings and arrows of P and his friends, so be it.
The best course of conduct if you doubt is to adopt the Gamaliel solution.
For those who don't know, the Gamaliel Solution is "leave well alone and let God do the sorting out". All very well and good, except for another time-honored saying: "All that is required for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing." I will not sit by and watch my church descend into mediocrity and lukewarmness. Call me a crusader, but I will continue to do as I do, and if that means suffering the slings and arrows of P and his friends, so be it.
Anonymity evokes the language of a coward. I, thus, cannot call you a crusader.
Posting anonymously challenges and attacks upon the Church makes you antithetical to the Church's mission. You are out of harmony; you oppose the Brethren, the only legitimate representations of the Lord Jesus Christ on this earth. That you do so anonymously makes you cowardly. That some of you do so anonymously and are otherwise active in the Church makes you hypocritical cowards. That some of you do so anonymously, are active, and tell us all that you are active makes you true enemies, for the best enemy comes from within. (1 John 2:19 ["they went out from us, but they were not of us"].)
Rollie makes the point that he is a libertarian and he ought to say what he wants without consequence. That certainly sparked my interest. I am a libertarian. I support libertarian causes. One of my partners is on the board of trustees of one of the nation’s best-known libertarian organizations. I think I know whereof I speak, even though my live-and-let-live philosophy may not square with the typical LDS political philosophy.
But, libertarianism does not teach that one can say what one wants without the consequences that follow. Libertarian thought pertains to one's relationship with government, not to one's church or Elk’s Club, or Gay Rights’ Club. A fundamental point of libertarianism is the freedom of association; the ability to associate with others of like mind and thought, and the power to include or exclude without force or compulsion from government. You all, and especially Rollie (who in the past has subscribed somewhat to the notion of using government compulsion to force a change in the Church – tax laws), have thoroughly confused the right to say what you want with the right to be critical of a First Amendment organization and remain in good standing therein.
Nor does labeling you the enemy necessarily imply that the Church is a hate-monger. Although I can easily see the language and actions of hate on both sides, you who are enemies of the Church simply assume at all times that the disagreement with your actions by those among the faithful are the acts of those who hate. I don’t think the Savior’s repeated denunciation of hypocrites means that he hated them.
The best course of conduct if you doubt is to adopt the Gamaliel solution.
Wow, this post really breaks my heart, Plutarch. I have never assumed that church members who disagree with me hate me (some probably do, but that's beside the point). So, I guess I can count at least one enemy here.
Plutarch wrote: But, it is a fundamental belief of the Church that Gordon B. Hinckley is the only man on earth who holds all of the keys of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Can he perform a resurection? Can he grant salvation?
Plutarch wrote: But, it is a fundamental belief of the Church that Gordon B. Hinckley is the only man on earth who holds all of the keys of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Can he perform a resurection? Can he grant salvation?
Runtu wrote:Wow, this post really breaks my heart, Plutarch. I have never assumed that church members who disagree with me hate me (some probably do, but that's beside the point). So, I guess I can count at least one enemy here.
Sorry if I misread you, but you said this (among other things):
you who are enemies of the Church simply assume at all times that the disagreement with your actions by those among the faithful are the acts of those who hate.
As I said, I have never assumed that. I don't hate you, and I am not your enemy.