Maksutov wrote:Smith had the second largest American military force of his time.
Whose members were apparently three inches wide and without any necks.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
There is not a lot of Nibley that I like. This lecturer is an exception.
"The worst sinners, according to Jesus, are not the harlots and publicans, but the religious leaders with their insistence on proper dress and grooming, their careful observance of all the rules, their precious concern for status symbols, their strict legality, their pious patriotism... the haircut becomes the test of virtue in a world where Satan deceives and rules by appearances."
Hugh Nibley, What is Zion? Joseph Smith Lecture Series 1972-73.
A peace-loving hippie joined the LDS Church. When attending his first Elder's Quorum meeting he noticed that most of the Elders were sneering at him. It became so uncomfortable that he finally had to ask, "What is it? Why is everybody looking at me so disapprovingly?" The group became silent until one young Elder spoke up, "It's your manner of dress. You are wearing shorts, sandals, and a tie-dyed T-shirt. All the rest of us are dressed as God commanded us in appropriate business attire."
The next Sunday the same peace-loving guy came dressed in dark suit, white shirt, and conservative tie. The members all beamed at him and shook his hand. Later, when he was walking home from church, a neighbor spoke to him and asked what possessed him to wear a suit. He looked at his neighbor and explained, "When you are a sheep and attending a meeting of ravening wolves, it helps to dress in the clothing of wolves".
"The worst sinners, according to Jesus, are not the harlots and publicans, but the religious leaders with their insistence on proper dress and grooming, their careful observance of all the rules, their precious concern for status symbols, their strict legality, their pious patriotism...the haircut becomes the test of virtue in a world where Satan deceives and rules by appearances." Hugh Nibley Approaching Zion Vol 9
Justice = Getting what you deserve Mercy = Not getting what you deserve Grace = Getting what you can never deserve
moksha wrote:Reminds me of the following story I just made up:
A peace-loving hippie joined the LDS Church. When attending his first Elder's Quorum meeting he noticed that most of the Elders were sneering at him. It became so uncomfortable that he finally had to ask, "What is it? Why is everybody looking at me so disapprovingly?" The group became silent until one young Elder spoke up, "It's your manner of dress. You are wearing shorts, sandals, and a tie-dyed T-shirt. All the rest of us are dressed as God commanded us in appropriate business attire."
The next Sunday the same peace-loving guy came dressed in dark suit, white shirt, and conservative tie. The members all beamed at him and shook his hand. Later, when he was walking home from church, a neighbor spoke to him and asked what possessed him to wear a suit. He looked at his neighbor and explained, "When you are a sheep and attending a meeting of ravening wolves, it helps to dress in the clothing of wolves".
I think with your inventive skills you could easily be a G.A.
"Religion is about providing human community in the guise of solving problems that don’t exist or failing to solve problems that do and seeking to reconcile these contradictions and conceal the failures in bogus explanations otherwise known as theology." - Kishkumen