What is the gospel?

I see many people who ask what the gospel really is. I see many who ask how we can know what is true. I see many who ask why if there is a truth, why are there so many churches. 

I think this is an important question. And I think one of the reasons why there is so much controversy over the matter is because the purpose for the gospel gets glossed over, making it easy for men to capitalize with their own agendas and lead people astray. 

The simplest definition I have, the cleanest way to define it that I have found is this. "The gospel of Jesus Christ is the story of how God became God, and how we can apply a set of principles to become like Him."  In a nutshell that's what it is. It's goal is to teach us what actually makes God, God. Then by extension He has promised that if we follow His teachings we can be "joint heirs with Him". 

So in looking at any church or organization, let us ask "what does this church teach?"  If that church teaches us to feel good about who we are, that's not going to make you into a Godlike person. If a church teaches that ordinances save you, but does not require any actual repentance, that's not going to make you like Christ either. 

In order to become like God, you must first determine what His attributes are. To do that you must read and study the scriptures. You must study out what the prophets can teach us about Him. Then you must strive to apply those same principles into your life. 

Modern Feminism and Materialism

The link between modern feminism and materialism cannot be ignored. It plays a large role in where and why feminism has gone wrong. While feminism is hardly alone in this regard, materialism certainly has itself rooted very deeply into every facet of modern culture, and I will discuss that another time, it certainly has had a critical influence on how modern feminism has formed. 

In order to investigate this fully I think outlining the official definitions is important.  According to philosophybasics.com

"Feminism comprises a number of egalitarian social, cultural and political movements, theories and moral philosophies concerned with gender inequalities and equal rights for women. It is the doctrine advocating social, political and all other rights for women which are equal to those of men."

The basic idea is that women ought to have all the same basic rights as men.  On many points I agree with this. But I don't believe in a forced equality, and especially one where it robs women of their identity. 

And that is where modern feminism often fails women. It pulls the focus off women and puts it on materialistic pursuits. Wage equality, employment equality, the ability to serve military roles, the power to do what they want when they want, etc. if a woman wants these things that's fine, but most of these pursuits will pull a woman away from her natural womanhood. 

Feminism encourages women to pursue these things. But it discourages the pursuit of family life. Why because materialism is the driving creed of society and family pursuits are often in conflict with that. 

Now it may seem I'm grasping at straws here but I'm actually holding back and maybe I should stop doing so in this case. If you look at the popular and political advocates for feminism today at least in the United States you find plenty of examples in Hollywood, popular music, and politicians. This may seem to be unfair but like it or not this is the movements mascots. 

Let's look at what they promote.  They say women should use birth control because if they were to have a pregnancy and child it would interfere with their education and careers. If a woman does get pregnant she is encouraged to have an abortion because that child will interfere with her lifestyle. If she does want children, she should only pursue that later in life so that her career and personal pursuits in materialistic interests can take center stage. And she should not have more than one or two children because more would place too much of a burden on her (and society they argue, that's for another article).  And she ought to be free an independent. A women should not be married because that will restrain her ambitions. But if she is to marry she needs to assert her equality (which usually translates to dominance).  

I'm not saying all who claim to be feminists are adamant about all these issues. I'm saying the movement itself advocates these standards and it's really all about materialism.  Normally materialism teaches to acquire more wealth and possessions. This ideology takes mankind further from God and deeper into the selfish desires. But modern feminism takes this same step with a twist. It teaches that women are empowered by materialism and that they can use the fact that they are female as a means to do so. If anyone dares disagree, or try to convince women to forsake materialism, they turn it around and say that the naysayers are bigoted, backwards sexists. 

How Feminism is Anti-woman

An issue I wanted to touch upon today has to do with modern feminism. Now this may inflame some of my readers, but I ask that you can bear with me to the end of this. 

Today we have a movement that claims to empower women. A movement which claims women are equal to men and that women ought to have all the same rights and liberties as men. That women ought to make the same wages, that they should be given the same opportunities, and that they should be freed from the stigma of the past. 

Let me begin by saying that I am all for giving women the highest degree of respect, and that they should be given the opportunities they desire. But I also know that men and women are in fact different. Feminism tries to enforce an "equality" that is not in fact equal. 

Feminism is anything but feminine. The reality is that it's doctrines rob women of their womanhood. It does not empower women to be women. What modern feminism does is compare women to men and then attempt to make women more like men.  Feminism insists than not only can women do anything a man can, but that a woman is empowered by doing so. 

Don't believe this is the case?  Tell me why is it so important that a woman pursue a career?  Yet the stay at home mom is shamed by that same society. The feminist will applaud the working mother for the most part, but her success in their eyes is not measured in how much she actually nurtures her children but rather by pointing out that she has success in her career while raising a family.  

The feminist is encouraged to go out and follow her dreams. Travel the world, experience life, demonstrate strength, be a leader, etc. Thats the slogan. But if that woman wants to settle down, raise children, be a mother, then she is missing out on what the world has to offer. That is the approach the feminist movement takes.  

Why does this have to be?  If you look at feminism from earlier times it wasn't like this. The great women who fought for sufferage and other such causes were all pro-woman. Women were being robbed of just rights. But as time went on the movement shifted more and more towards this idea that women needed to be in the workplace. That such women were successful and happy. That truly powerful women can be better men than men, and ultimately that they don't even really need men anymore. There's the messy business about raising the next generation so men are grudgingly given some role.   

Many may say this version is painted as an extreme, but let me point out two facts. "Isms" tend to their respective extremes in terms of their goals. The second is this, that I've heard some popular feminists go way farther than I just did. People who take it to such an extreme that if science can make it possible that the roles of men and women could truly be reversed, or that women could reproduce without men.  Somehow this is treated as an ideal or goal. 

Feminism is an anti woman movement. It promotes the men vs women argument. It divides the human race. Just like the cause it claims to fight against, it subjugates one gender to promote the other. It promotes the female while attempting to rid itself off all that is distinctly feminine. It attempts to take masculinity away from the male and give it to the female, while stripping away anything that is distinctly masculine. As a whole it robs humanity. 

The Love of Hate

Today I would like to share with you a reality. This is an idea that permeates our modern popular culture. It is in the majority of music, it is depicted in movies, described in novels, and has infiltrated the modern ideas of love, marriage, romance, and the roles of men and women in our society. 

What am I getting in about?  Well think about it. How many of our cultures "love songs" are actually about love?  How many of them even attempt to describe two individuals learning to love, and to enjoy one another?  

No the reality is that most of these songs revolve around either someone wanting someone they can't have, someone proclaiming how much happier they are with a new partner, someone lamenting how their lover is gone, someone trying to convince someone else why they should be together, or someone boasting about how they've cheated. One of these scenarios describes the vast majority of what our culture calls love songs. In some cases they do try to demonstrate a devotion to an individual, which while an improvement, still doesn't depict what love actually is beyond the immediate infatuation. 

Because the majority of the people listen to music, watch movies, and indulge in other media that reinforces that view without ever actually teaching what love is, then the majority of people emulate the popular culture with disastrous results.  As a result many people tend to associate love with misery and heartache. The only enjoyment they see in it is the sexual pleasure, and maybe a temporary emotional satisfaction. A satisfaction for ones self. So in other words, what many call love is actually selfishness. 

There is very little regard for the feelings or needs of the other individual apart from what may secure future benefit for the self.  This is basically a great deal of indifference towards others. And indifference is only one step removed from hatred. Because many were never invested for the right reasons, all it takes to create bitterness and resentment is unfulfilled expectations, a misunderstanding, an argument, or a more enticing option, and what they once thought was love  turns into hurt, anger, and misery. 

And yet they persist in this course, to a large degree, because in most cases they haven't seen many, if any, examples of real love. The world has taught them this faux love, and taught them that the pain and hardship are part of it. Also selfishness is a natural tendency. Real love requires that we become selfless. That we give up the pride and ego. That we actually sacrifice for others. That we put away our vain ambitions, our selfish desires, and our need to "be right" and to justify our own position. 

My position on the popular culture is this. Don't listen to it. It brings nothing but pain and misery. The popular music will not bring you happiness. The popular movies will not bring you joy. And emulating the doctrines they teach will bind you down in misery. 

How to Empathize

In my last article, I don't want to leave the impression that I don't care about problems. Or that you act like you are in la la land when troubles arise. Doing that will concern those around you for sure. And I don't want to come across as that I don't care about people's struggles or that I think that problems shouldn't be discussed. 

My point was in that we can't focus on negativity. In the moment hard times are hard. And very often people need help and encouragement during those times. But it should not be the focus. There is a difference between explaining your situation or asking for help, versus complaining. 

When we complain, there is no resolution. Not that a resolution isn't possible, I mean that nothing gets resolved. Complaining usually serves one purpose, and that is an attempt to get pity. However pity really serves no useful purpose. To feel sorry for someone doesn't help them. It doesn't help us either. And to try to get pity doesn't help us. 

What I'm trying to get at is that we need to help people. And if we need help, we need to try to get it. We need to actually try to do something. One of the best ways I can explain this is by an example. 

If I am going through a hard time financially, and I need money, I have several options available to me. I can ask for help, I can try to do work to obtain more money, and I can try to make sure that I use whatever resources available in the best way possible. Now if I turn to someone and tell them my situation I need to do it for a useful purpose. If I am seeking advise, then I'm not complaining, I am trying to get help. If I ask for money, I'm not complaining, I'm asking for help. And if I'm trying to obtain work, I'm asking for help and demonstrating that I'm trying to help myself. But if I'm just trying to get sympathy or just trying to vent my frustrations, or I'm feeling sorry for myself, or I'm trying to blame someone else for my situation, none of that is helpful. It's just complaining and it's not useful to myself or anyone else. 

Now one area where we can help others is by doing this. When someone comes to us, and they are complaining, we need to examine our own role. We don't want to be dismissive, or come across that we don't care. What we want to do is help them. If the person is simply looking for pity or wanting you to agree that their problem is terrible, then we need to try to direct that to a more positive and productive energy.  Again by example, if I am on a job and someone complains that the job is terrible, isn't working well, or other negativity, we can try in whatever way to help that situation. I can bring up something positive in the situation, like what a nice sunny day it is, or offer to help them in some way. Try not to be dismissive, but don't feed attempts to fish for pity.  Smile. And don't let them drag you into that negativity.  Be understanding. 

When someone complains to me, and I start also complaining back, talking about how my own life is so hard, that life is just hard, and basically agree with them, not only does it not help them. It actually in many ways pulls the focus away from them and their problem and places it on myself. I have not only failed to help them, but have actually hindered both them and myself. In contrast, if I share with them my experience in that area and then offer advise, or a solution, and reassure them that I know what they are going through, now I have become a help to them.  I have helped them not only with the immediate problem, but as a whole have become a positive influence.

My own experience is that our society is geared towards this negativity. From the time we are very young, society at large has been teaching us to think and behave this way.  The reason it matters to try to become aware of this and try to overcome it is that if we are constantly complaining, we can be grateful and appreciative. We can't see the benefit of adversity. We don't learn the lessons. It stagnates our own growth and limits our full potential.

Freedom vs Bondage

It has been a while since I've written anything. I've been trying to decide how to express my next article regarding Adam and Eve (Havah) and who they are, and why that matters. I will get to that, but for now I have decided to take a break from that topic and instead discuss another matter. 

In this post I'm going to share some personal experiences so that you can get to know me, and perhaps learn why I view things the way I do. In this case, I'm going to discuss a situation that vividly demonstrates the difference between freedom and bondage in a way that perhaps you might not have considered before. 

I used to work for a company that installed furnaces and air conditioners. While I worked there I worked with a guy who was offended by my overall optimistic attitude. (I was in fact going through some struggles, but that's another story).  For example, when asked how I was doing, when I would respond that things were great, he would view it as a lie or an outward show, as though I was trying to be superior.   When I would ask how he was, or how things were going in his life he would usually respond with a negative comment, like how things could be worse, or the issues he was having with his wife, or kids, or how terrible the job was, and that he wouldn't be able to enjoy life till he was too old to enjoy it.  Nevertheless, this guy choose to leave me alone, and I had no success with trying to encourage him to be more positive. 

I later worked for another company as a service plumber and worked with another guy that was similar, only more persistent. For example, I don't swear. By that I mean don't even think it. In fact in contrast to himself, my reaction to frustrating circumstances is very calm and composed.  This really aggravated this guy, and he made it a mission to try to get under my skin and make me swear. I'm serious, he told me to my face that one day he was going to make me mad and that I was going to curse and swear and that I would feel so much better by getting it all out.  And so he kept trying, though he would back off when I let him know that I didn't appreciate it and that he had crossed the line. He never did succeed. 

Another thing is that I would greet customers with positivity, even though our being there was because they usually had a plumbing problem, so they probably weren't having the best day. I always believed that by being helpful and friendly that I could help them. One day this same coworker told me that I should empathize with them by talking about how terrible these problems are. That I should talk about things that go wrong, and that I too have things pretty bad. As though by talking about negativity, that it helps cement a friendship with the customer.  As if to suggest my upbeat positive attitude makes people feel worse and makes me seem unrelatable to most people. 

Now both of these individuals have something in common. Both of them believed that they were free. They believed they were free to express themselves verbally, as well as by behavior. That being able to curse, and swear, and dress as they please, and do as they please, is freedom. Indeed this is a common attitude. Many look at me and think that I must have been brainwashed, and am therefore not free. That my religion and upbringing restricts me. 

And yet when you take a step back and look at the different outcomes in their lives, a pattern emerges. The fruits if you will.

One of the obvious problems, is that both these individuals are fundamentally unhappy. Oh sure they may think they are happy at least some of the time. But their complaining is the outward sign that they are actually unhappy, and they choose to blame external factors.  They are unhappy in their marriages, unhappy in their friendships, unhappy with their jobs, etc. 

Their thought patterns, behaviors, speech, and reactions are all based upon the natural impulses of the body. They are governed almost entirely by their emotions in a raw ungoverned form. When they see an attractive member of the opposite sex, they lust after them. When they see something they like, they impulsively indulge in it. When something irritates them, they explosively act out in anger, cursing and swearing. In short, they are slaves to their natural behaviors. And every time they act based upon their natural impulses, they become increasingly unable to act any differently.

In contrast, someone who has learned to govern themselves is actually more free. I can only speak for myself, but when I get frustrated (yes, I'm still human), I don't impulsively act out in anger. I don't yell at people in an angry tone, or throw things. Instead I examine the situation and consider what can I do about it?  I will honestly express my opinions, but I'm not going to throw a fit. If I can constructively improve the situation, then I will do that, and will have learned to conquer something in the process. If I can't change anything, I can still learn from the experience, and try to do better next time. Regardless, I can choose to be positive and happy even in frustrating circumstances because it betters me as a person. 

That is the fundamental difference. These other individuals are ultimately unhappy, and have chosen to become victims of their own circumstances. They do not take responsibility for their own lives, and have become a slave, unable to be freed. They have hinged their happiness upon external circumstances, which can never be satisfied. By constraint, I have chosen to be happy, to take control of the only thing I can control, which is myself, which makes me the master, and as such I am free. Those in bondage look upon those who are free and desire the happiness that truly free people enjoy, but they cannot have it because they have not learned the means by which it is obtained. Instead they become angry that they cannot have it, they cannot in their current condition understand that people can actually be happy. 

I'm not saying or trying to give the impression that I am perfect, or that I am in any way superior.  I make mistakes. But I try to learn, and am striving to always better and perfect myself. Complaining has never brought me happiness, and I doubt it has ever brought anyone else happiness either. I want to be happy, so why should I choose a behavior that doesn't make me happy?  Why should I be angry if I want to be happy? And if I was unhappy, why should I desire that others be unhappy too?

If I learn something from every experience, then I am growing and progressing and becoming more like God. This is a good life. Enjoy it!!!

 

Masculine and Feminine

One thing I want to make clear to my readers is that most of the names for God contain both masculine and feminine aspects. Now many scholars will put forth that God possesses these traits not because He is either male or female, but because He is neither and both. That God possesses the traits of both genders for no seemingly better explanation other than He is God. 

Now before I continue, let me make this perfectly clear. Male and female are not opposites. This conflicts with our modern western teaching that concludes that they are. Let me clarify. Light and dark come close the being opposites, apart from the fact that darkness is the absence of light, but darkness cannot exist without light. Positive and negative are also close representations of opposites, positive charges are caused by the absence of electrons, which bear a negative charge.  Good and evil are close representations of opposites as well, in that evil is really an absence of good.  The word opposite means two forces or things that are opposed. A common trend you will find in all opposites is that they are set against each other and an increase in one has a corresponding decrease in the other. 

But male and female are not opposites. Masculinity is not the absence of femininity, nor is femininity an absence of masculinity. Neither gender has any inherit negativity, nor is one more good than the other. What masculine and feminine are is better attributed to separate parts of a whole. They are complimentary, not opposites. An increase in one does not equal a decrease in the other.  Both male and female are good. I think a few passages of scripture can illustrate the meaning. 

“Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.  For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.”

1st Corinthians 11:11-12

“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

Matthew 19:4-6

When man and woman become united, they become more than two individuals. The different attributes of the two genders are not meant to compete, they are meant to compliment. This is just as true here on earth as it is in Heaven. It goes well beyond the physical merging of the body. Men and women must learn how to be united mentally and spiritually as well. They must learn how to put aside their selfish interests and seek to serve one another. When they learn how to do this, they become greater than the sum of their parts. 

My point in this is to break down a mental barrier in which men and women are separate. They are intended to be joined and united. Together they form the whole. This simple truth is found in the scriptures and is repeated over and over again. God exists in plural. Often Christians refer to a Heavenly Father, it ought to occur naturally that there is a Heavenly Mother as well. And it ought to be plainly evident that the combination of a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother collectively forms God. They are referred to as one and yet pluraly because they always act as one.