Maxel

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Everything posted by Maxel

  1. Animal sacrifice was instituted in the days of Adam (Moses 5:5) and preceded the time of the Old Testament (excluding Genesis ). Christ's sacrifice fulfilled the ends of the Mosaic Law- while the law of Moses required animal sacrifice, it wasn't unique to Moses' law. There are some things we find in the Old Testament that are still required of us- such as tithing- so I don't think a reinstatement of animal sacrifice would be a denigration of Christ's sacrifice or covenant.And a thought about the "sons of Levi"- I always assumed it would be the literal descendants of Aaron that would offer said sacrifice. It seems that that final animal sacrifice will somehow answer the ends of the Aaronic Priesthood, after which it will be taken from the Earth and only the Melchezidek would remain.
  2. I wish a candidate with a better record could be found (him posing nude is a huge letdown). What's the chance that the Democrats pull out the nuclear option to try to pass healthcare reform anyway?
  3. They hate the Christ.John 15:18-25: 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
  4. The idea that a Creator oversees the entire universe, that He has declared laws upon which governments must operate to give the people maximum freedom, and that a certain morality is required to maintain said freedom, is actually very "Founding Fathers"-ish.
  5. LostSheep:Study the precepts of Natural Law, which is the framework upon which the Constitution was built. In a nutshell, Natural Law presupposes a creating entity- a God. Also, you can make the argument that ancient Israel's legal system was a great inspiration to the Founders (so much that the original conception of the Seal of the United States had, on one side, an image of the ancient Israelites following the pillar of fire that represents God). That second argument- ancient Israel's inspiration to the Founders- is ancillary to the first, and won't stand up to scrutiny unless you make a strong case for Natural Law.
  6. From Rules for Radicals, page 20: "Force those in a bad spot to become indebted to you, and perpetuate that indebtedness by demanding they divert their assets elsewhere. When your debtors pay you back (or try to), get angry, ignore facts, strut and posture, make it very hard for them to pay up, and then levy taxes on them for being so irresponsible."
  7. I have a powerful urge to quote Justice. A white policeman "acts stupidly" when he arrests a black man suspected of breaking and entering and refusing to cooperate. Yet justice will not be administered to these men who clearly broke a very serious law.
  8. Actually, I am the dog, and Glenn is the lamb.Nah, just kidding. I like boxer dogs, and I thought the picture was cute. Hence, it became my avatar.
  9. I'm constantly amazed at the rest of the world's infatuation with Barack Obama. Methinks this musical might be about as good (bad?) as Rent or Angels in America or- heaven forbid- High School Musical.
  10. I think it would be really funny to watch Glenn make fun of himself on SNL. I've never been a fan of Palin... The interview didn't get her my support, either. And, since she's never been a performer, I don't think she'd be that funny to watch.
  11. This is one of those times I wish there was a "cry" button...
  12. I think there's a fine line to tread. For example, two weeks ago in Sunday School when discussing Moses 1, a brother shared his insight as to the "nothingn[ess of man]" described by Moses in Moses 1:10, and used 2 Nephi 4:16-17 as an example, explaining that it is through the bridge of the Atonement that the two facts- God's greatness and our own nothingness- can be happily reconciled. The whole explanation took about 15-20 seconds, and the whole class was edified (you could feel the spirit enter the room). 2 Nephi 4:16-17 wasn't in the lesson plan. Contrast that with an experience in Elder's Quorum this past Sunday, where a comment about how quantum mechanics testified of God quickly derailed the whole discussion into how well various scientific facts did (or did not) testify of the reality of God. The Spirit of God was chased from the room as a (minor) war of opinions ensued- opinions that were not necessarily opposite of each other, but that each man thought was important enough that he had to share it. Therein lies the problem, I think- not all discussions based on the scriptures teach truly correct doctrine (like one brother who opined that Satan may have been doing the will of the Father and not rebelling when he drew a third part of the hosts of heaven away from the Savior's plan, and cited a few scriptures to support his claim). Not all teachers are Gospel gurus, and so they might be lead, in their weakness, to indulge discussion about a topic that not only drives the Spirit away, but is doctrinally incorrect while supposedly being based in the scriptures.
  13. I never liked using colored pencils in my scriptures. Since I began seriously writing/marking in them, I've found that most pens work fine (so long as the ink doesn't bleed through- most ballpoint pens work fine, as long as the ballpoint isn't so fine it rips the page). I've developed a few different patterns on how to mark my scriptures- I usually end up grouping important verses together (such as when the Lord is speaking through a prophet; when multiple verses cover one topic; etc.) with long sideways brackets; underline important phrases and words to highlight a particular verse's impact; make notes in the margins (or make my own footnotes if there's not enough room in the margins) and in between verses.
  14. Funky- That's really, really good advice, I think. When I'm not visiting my mom's house, I'll use that idea.
  15. EDIT: After a few hours of reflection, I've determined that my initial rebuttal to Snow was too personal. I regret the venue in which I expressed my anger and frustration- it's best not done on a public forum, or not done at all.
  16. deals_dog, I'd suggest not watching anything by Michael Moore (like Sicko). At all. He rants about the evils of capitalism and America while growing fat (figuratively...) on the proceeds of his endeavors. He is the quintessential self-hating capitalist- and he spreads lies and disinformation faster than anyone else I know. I know elsewhere you've posted that when you were in America, you saw people on the streets with guns "all the time". I don't know where you served, but that kind of lifestyle is found almost exclusively in the ghettos. America, as a whole, is much better than that. You wouldn't figure that out, though, by watching Micahel Moore's tripe.
  17. Thanks guys. I feel a lot better now. Misery loves company...? Anyway, it's good to know that I'm not the only one dreading the time when we celebrate the birth of our L-rd. I'm off to read me a few sections of the Doctrine and Covenants...
  18. And men cannot stop the work of God.Doesn't mean they won't try- bringing everything and everyone around them down in the process.
  19. Ugh... deals_dog, you've been fed a ton of horse manure. I implore you to rethink your position. I'll come back and deal with your statements point-by-point later... Right now my heart's not into it.
  20. I don't have the time to watch this now- I'll sit down and watch it tomorrow.Thanks for the link, he-who-Googles-well.
  21. Is anyone else dreading the holiday season, for whatever reason? My older sister is coming to visit for the next two weeks. I don't like it when she comes- she usually acts as a catalyst for my mom's emotional insecurities, and they play off of each other. I usually end up being the bad guy in the games they play, and end up having to choose to be trampled on (emotionally) or fight back and worsen the situation (or walk away, which causes more problems later). I'm not saying I'm totally blameless. I have my share of problems, and I do my share of immature/mean things. But my older sister admits her (and my mom's) dominant role in the drama- yet it begins anew whenever she comes. I'm trying to stay positive, but I'm not having high hopes for this Christmas season. Does anyone else have a cloud on the horizon, darkening the Christmas skies?
  22. Having watched these discussions about the literal/allegorical interpretation of scripture, the real dividing line I notice isn't those who believe that all of the scriptural events are(n't) literal- it's the accompanying spirit. There can be an adherence to hyper-intellectualism that leads to doubt, a trusting in the 'arm of flesh' over the power of God. Conversely, there can be an anti-intellectualism that leads to blind obedience to feel-good doctrine (such as universal salvation). And on the flip side, there can be a devotion to intellectual pursuits that leads to a bolstered faith in God; or a strong devotion to the scriptures and the prophets that also leads to the same end. The members in the first group (hyper- and anti-intellectualism) seem to be barred from receiving greater knowledge from the Lord, and denied the sweet blessings such knowledge brings. Conversely, the second group seems to be allowed to know the greater mysteries of the kingdom- even those who aren't as intellectually gifted as their peers. This observation reminds me that it is first and foremost our devotion to the living God that should occupy our thoughts in these discussions (even if said devotion is never actually talked about). What pains me most is to see the spiritual distress brought by contention over this and similar subjects.
  23. I agree with the sentiment that numbers don't matter so much. What does matter is that the members work on the two missions of the Church that deal with conversion- spreading the Gospel message and perfecting the Saints. I think, as the events of the endtimes begin to occur more rapidly, we'll see member activity and conversion fluctuate greatly. And ultimatley, numbers don't validify the Church's truth.
  24. I actually relate. I get the feeling it will be within my natural lifespan, but that I will have passed on before it actually happens.My plan is to avoid all busses.