Obedience: Most Important Virtue of the 21st Century?

Bruce Charlton has pointed out that the modern world is highly dysgenic, and as a side effect our basic moral compass and healthy instincts may be the first to erode.

I think his conclusion must be accepted if one believes in both 1) Historic high child mortality rates, and 2) The process of natural selection.

Now, if one does accept that conclusion - the evidence is everywhere! Moral standards are corrupted, inverted, dissolving. People thing what was once obviously wrong is good, etc. That is, the conclusion is confirmed by our present reality and experience.

So religion can serve as a remedy to that situation, but only if one is willing to be obedient. That is, if one is genuinely unable to see why various sins are wrong, because they've lost that advanced social and sexual instinct, then the only other option is to remain humble and obedient to God's will - to recognize that our own will is corrupted, prone to sin, and likely to mislead us.

I think the hardest part about this is that people likely to be obedient will be raised on public schools and mass media, so what they seek to be obedient to will be corrupted. This was my problem, in part - even though so much *seemed* wrong, everyone goes along...

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Then of course, there is the possibility of supernatural help. If one sincerely desires to be obedient to God's will, makes oneself child-like and humble, and prays!

Christian Acceptance

"Progressive" Christians imply that acceptance of others should mean acceptance of their sins as OK. This dissolution of moral standards never stops at mere tolerance, the goal is acceptance, and then enforcement, legalization, and *promotion*.

That is, ultimately, the societal goal is to make the sin inverted - it should ultimately be accepted by society as a whole to be virtuous to engage in the sin - perhaps it even makes one special, unique, better than those who don't engage in it.

So, starting at the beginning, a church must be firm in its goals. It may accept the sinner, as a wayward brother, but it must always be at the forefront that the sinner should be expected to repent, to work on changing their sin. The community should in no-way be ashamed in acknowledging a sinful behavior as wrong and destructive.

That is, a Christian community accepts the sinner - welcomes them - insofar is they desire to help the sinner reform out of true charity.

"Political correctness" in this regard is severely harmful, insidious, deceitful, and fundamentally seeks to undermine the health of the community. 

"Progress" Wins in the Catholic Church?

With the numerous problems facing the church, family, etc. it seems interesting that the head of the Catholic church seems to be suggesting the priority for Catholics should be to combat global warming.

I'm afraid, at that point, it's already a lost argument.

The Pope, through essentially giving a spiritual veneer to the mainstream opinion, has nothing necessarily good to offer. If he did - it would have been the centerpiece, not a few lines here or there. Everyone is already on-board as far as the media and mainstream society is concerned. His released would be primarily a unique take or emphasis, to reorient things towards the Spirit...

Instead we have the same old "well, science seems to prove..." and so now, because science has "prove it" it's a moral imperative. Yet, the main argument for global warming combatants is population control and reduction - which directly flies in the face of the Pro-Life position. That means, in an argument against life and death as priorities in the Catholic church, the pro-death position has apparently taken the drivers seat.

That may seem a little extreme, but as far as I can tell the Pope's argument is thoroughly socialist and materialistic. God, in this current, appears optional. It almost appears a pathetic "me too, the church isn't just an old fuddy-duddy, but we are up with the times - just look at Vatican II and now this!"

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Hearing this from the pulpit today, what does the Catholic think in a 20 minute sermon from the Priest or Deacon: "Hey guys, the Pope thinks it's a priority to combat global warming and be eco-friendly." What more? Is there a unique Catholic perspective on this that doesn't mean more tax subsidies, more solar panels, etc.? If so, why wasn't that the essential point or broadcast?

(That is what I heard today anyway, at a very conservative, Traditional Latin Mass church)

No, the most an obedient Catholic, and the general gist, is going along with already established opinion - to think is something like: "Oh, I guess the TV was right! I better go out and buy a Prius, turn off the lights, and install a windmill. And, oh, by the way, the central power structure needs more power to enforce this globally! Also, anything else science overwhelming proves is also probably true."

Has the Church essentially acquiesced to its position as a primarily state institution, like the Church of England, etc.?

"Progressives" Have No Forgiveness

Christianity recognizes sin, but offers forgiveness.

Secular leftists deny sins exist,* and offer no forgiveness.

* While not a "sin" the secular left always has an enemy. That enemy is not offered forgiveness, and can not change their ways. They are, effectively, targeted for destruction and the only way to be granted temporary expediency is to claim to accept their own wrongness and acquiesce to the destruction.

(Think Communists against the bourgeois, or the French Revolution against the aristocracy and clergy. Or now, how gung-ho European nations are to replace their native populations. The Left is fundamentally dependent on having a vaguely defined grouping of enemies to tear down, and then another, and another...)

Emulating Our Father

Mormonism's literalism is very interesting to me, particularly with regard to our role in this life. As a father, my role is in part to literally emulate Our Father. That is, ideally I should be a good loving father. I should, in a sense, rule my kingdom or household oriented towards the good.

As a son, I should love and obey my Heavenly Father, and also hope for the same from my son towards me and towards God. In an ideal situation, my sold would love and respect me, and look up to me, and I should ideally strive to be worthy of that love by emulating my own Heavenly Father.

So as so many as, what is the meaning or purpose of life? Christianity answers, to follow Christ and love Our Father. Mormonism explains that, in that Christ perfectly emulated and love His Father, so we to are to always strive to be more Christ-like. To be more like Our Father, to be good husbands, and fathers. To provide, protect, and create - that our own family may hopefully participate in the good, truth and beauty of God.

So we try, fail, pray, and try again.

Tithing to the Mormons

I've decided to tithe to the Mormon church. Though I'm not baptized, they've always been welcoming and willing to allow me to participate in sacrament.

I haven't felt comfortable donating to the Catholic church as an organization in the past. I have given for very specific causes and smaller Catholic groups/churches, but as far as I can tell the money is poorly used on a broad organizational level.

I have less qualms about donating directly to the CJCLDS as a whole organization. As far as I can tell, the money is used wisely, and even the leaders have decent business acumen so that they often wisely invest excess contributions so that they're available for the future and possible hard-times. In general, I think the CJCLDS has superior missionary and support programs to the Catholic church. The CJCLDS does a good job emphasizing self-reliance over hand outs, and I think this what's needed in the US where there are no biblical "poor", but there are a lot of people with low intelligence, poor monetary management skills, and/or mental illness at the lowest ends of society.

That said, I still occasionally donate to a specific monastery and a local conservative Catholic school.

Mormons Preserving the Best of European Heritage?

When first investigating Mormonism I was biased in favor of Catholicism, because I believed Catholicism possessed and preserved the the best of European heritage. Unfortunately Europe in general and even the Catholic church seems content to see everything modernized/undermined.

Culturally and morally, Mormons do appear to preserve the best of Christian Europe. It is good to see them also doing it with music.

Mormon Work-Ethic and Success

I'm wondering if the Mormon work-ethic and their material success in this-world is directly linked to their conception of heaven. I've noticed many leaders among the Mormon church are very successful financially, the Mormon church itself heavily invests in profitable projects, and even the Harvard business school has a lot of Mormons...

In contract you have in Catholicism a sense that living in poverty is actually the highest ideal. Renouncing all personal possessions, etc. though few live up to the ideal.

Now if we look at the Catholic idea of the beatific vision, everything material is merely temporary, a delusion, keeping one from focusing entirely on God. That is, maybe your worldly endeavors could lead you to hell, and you're a lot better off renouncing everything.

In the Mormon Heaven, there is a sense that one may possibly progress to working with or for God in a real material sense. Literally helping children in another world reach God...

Now if one images their present situation as being a "training" the tasks such as leadership, organization, managing to have a beautiful home, etc. could in some sense be parallel or almost preparation for the highest task.

In a sense, leading and nurturing a healthy and successful family is literally parallel to the work God does and possibly our Heavenly work, and the above are merely extensions.

This is all, of course, entirely speculative.

Mainstream Evolution Doublethink

Evolution is responsible for all changes, diversity, intelligence differences between species, physical differences, etc.

That is, a world without God and how it came to be.

Despite this, and apparently millions of years of gender differences between countless lifeforms, there are absolutely no real gender differences. Genders are identical mentally, and any appearance of gender is fake and entirely malleable.

Also, despite this, and apparently tens of thousands of years of separation between different groups of humans, and obvious physical differences, it is absolutely and totally impossible for there to be any stereotypical character unique to different races or ethnic groups, especially with regard to intelligence or behavior.

So the mainstream opinion, very seriously and devoutly held, is that not only did evolution responsible for everything, in a couple circumstances unique to humans, and despite natural selection still working on some physical differences, evolution completely and totally stopped making any mental differences for tends of thousands of years with regard to race and gender among humans. That is, without any God to cease the process, or any reason for the process to cease. It just did, and if you doubt it shut up.

Isn't that just a little speciesist? ;-)