Backroads

Oh, I don't know. I have a friend who used to be JW who served for over a year. I met some very evangelical Christians who are going to China for four years. There are plenty of Christians who do a lot more than be religious once a week.

I really really recommend reading "The Temple and the Cosmos". Made the most sense for me. Yeah, beware of online things. It might be true, it might be false, but it might also tend to be in a very negative light and won't give you a clear and balanced perspective. I also agree on setting it aside right now. You're not ready to go, as I'm sure you can see. Forcing yourself to do anything is not a good idea. You're not ready for the temple? Fine. I know you feel pressure from friends and family, but that is just one of those things you are going to have to shrug off as you stand up for yourself. Focus on other aspects of your spirituality before you even begin to tackle the temple.

Maybe he should charge royalties when his name is used!

And I think this is what JaG was missing out on, this concept. If a spouse were told right out of the blue he or she couldn't share his/her spiritual feelings with children, then yes, that's definitely asking way too much and I don't think anyone will argue. I was arguing, like anatess, that if priorly agreeing, the spouse needs to show some respect. If a spouse makes that agreement prior to marriage, then later decides he/she can't handle it, it will have to be discussed with the family, preferrably the other spouse. Going right up the kids and telling them their beliefs are wrong is disrespectful to not just the kids but the spouse with whom the agreement was made.

I was looking at the bullying thread elsewhere... the cure needs to be for the bullies. But it's still hard on the victim when they are denied ways to make life easier.

Now I'm trying to remember what was celebrated as lawful in Sodom and Gomorrah in Year One.

Thanks for the clarification. I think the Spirit could lead anyone where they needed to go (including man-made churches). But the Spirit would never lead away from absolute truth.

Are we talking about a man-made church or the church=the gospel?

Anatess and pam made excellent points, thanks for reminding me. I bow. But there are situations where the teeth MUST be corrected. There is difficulty in chewing, there's discomfort. I know such extremes are rare, but it happens. But sans braces as an example, there are so many situations where it's kind of obvious why the kid is being bullied. The kids that don't bathe, for instance. And often times they are raised in a family that simply isn't aware of that, no fault of the kid, but it's still sad and so easily correctable.

I must admit there is somet fun in the Random Person: But your Church has < insert controversial subject >. Me: And... your point is?

I gotta say... people who don't get braces and need them shouldn't be bullied, of course, but it does leave me wondering why they don't care enough about themselves to take care of their bodies.

Suppose a certain religion had a nugget of truth that, in the way this church presented it, made it more accessible to an individual? I know I've had great spiritual experiences studying other faiths.

... but we're not the only religion that encourages missions...

Hmm... self-fulfilling prophecy... it's an interesting notion. If we go out of our way to make things happen, it's easy to criticize and say it was us. It seems that these are blessings we will have if we live righteously, so obviously we can't stray from the path and expect to get these things by "letting life takes its course". But perhaps some of the things in our blessings are very good advice, things for which we should strive. I know I explored certain bits of life because of my blessing.

I'm with anatess. She seems to be focusing on a personal spiritual journey rather than whatever religious experiences, if I'm not mistaken.

Last year I read a comparison of studies: A few decades ago, people would list as their necessities stuff like house, water, etc. Nowadays, you ask for necessities: phone, tv, car, computer, etc.

I am truly enjoying the grammar debate. Now I'm overanalyzing the thread title.

If the father had previously decided to respect his kids' beliefs, I don't know why this would happen. I"m not saying it doesn't happen, just that it seems a bit much to assume all differently believing partners are going to dissect their loved ones' beliefs.

Public schools should be funded by the communities...

I'm in a grey area concerning health care, so I'll leave that on the backburner... basic utilities government filing fees public transportation

I think many wise things have been said here. Like I said before, my dream is to be the stay-at-home-mom. However, I also want to be doing writing at the same time, if possible, as writing is my passion. I do believe the Church--both statements and culture--have a lot to do with it. The Church does say women should be educated--and suggests so in case they need to support the family. I think women should be educated because I believe everyone should be educated. It's not all about making money, but about knowledge and intelligence. But at the same time, I really have to frown upon those who are "But Church Culture says so!" and can't find ways to make their own lives. dahlia, I would suggest that you are only seeing a small portion of the women out there. Perhaps these are the ones that make themselves known. I do take offense that this is all about being a "perfect Mormon". I know you're ranting, but you keep bringing this up over and over.

I don't know if this is what definitly will happen, and it's a little paranoid to assume as much. Rather than try to "live a lie", he should just be honest about his beliefs. He's not pretending for the kids that he's LDS, and everyone seems willing to let the kids eventually make their own decision. If he were indeed pretending to be LDS and interested in it or if really is not okay with the kids being raised as such, then not speaking up would be living a lie. This is the time to bring it up.

That is my only complaint with this particular room as well. It's a little... too perfect.

Get one of the books I have written published. Get my master's degree. Visit New Orleans. Read all the Newbery Medals. Work at Philmont. Maintain a real garden.

I"m pretty sure that was his situation. It was a few of his lifelong buddies.