god first Political Cults and the worship of the philosophies of man

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

Is anyone else sick of the new religion of politics? Why do we always have to be inundated with political crap? I am frankly sick of it and I am going on a current events diet. If we don't fill our heads with this mush, I feel we can be a lot more at peace and relaxed. I plan to focus on the most important relationships I have, my wife, my children and God. I have had enough human worship. Inanna/Ishtar is not welcome in my home any longer. 

Say No to Inanna, say Yes to Jehovah!

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by Emmanuel Goldstein

[Grunt]

I'm torn.  On the one hand, I absolutely agree with you.  On the other hand, as someone who holds community office, I'm amazed at the things that go unchallenged in our schools and communities because people aren't involved enough to know what is going on.   

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

55 minutes ago, Grunt said:

I'm torn.  On the one hand, I absolutely agree with you.  On the other hand, as someone who holds community office, I'm amazed at the things that go unchallenged in our schools and communities because people aren't involved enough to know what is going on.   

I agree with you on involvement. What I am saying is that we, as a people spend an inordinate amount of time on every little detail of political blather. I am going to remain aware of what is going on, but I will spend way less time worrying about every bumbling word that comes from political mouths.

[Vort]

59 minutes ago, Grunt said:

I'm torn.  On the one hand, I absolutely agree with you.  On the other hand, as someone who holds community office, I'm amazed at the things that go unchallenged in our schools and communities because people aren't involved enough to know what is going on.   

That's my concern. In the past generation or two, religious folk didn't get involved in politics, while those promoting their own nefarious agendas did. And look where we are. So I don't know the answer. Because politics suck.

[Carborendum]

9 minutes ago, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

I agree with you on involvement. What I am saying is that we, as a people spend an inordinate amount of time on every little detail of political blather. I am going to remain aware of what is going on, but I will spend way less time worrying about every bumbling word that comes from political mouths.

 A lot of the time, it is shoved in our face.  We don't really have a choice.

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

58 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

 A lot of the time, it is shoved in our face.  We don't really have a choice.

We can listen to the screaming voices or simply turn the other cheek and walk away. God is our Father and we should seek his counsel in all things.

[LDSGator]

1 hour ago, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

I agree with you on involvement. What I am saying is that we, as a people spend an inordinate amount of time on every little detail of political blather. I am going to remain aware of what is going on, but I will spend way less time worrying about every bumbling word that comes from political mouths.

What about those who simply enjoy politics and news? Can I enjoy that or am I doing something wrong?

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

Just now, LDSGator said:

What about those who simply enjoy politics and news? Can I enjoy that or am I doing something wrong?

If you can do it without getting swept away, then enjoy. I get angry and it brings me down, so I am done with it, to an extent. 

[LDSGator]

Just now, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

If you can do it without getting swept away, then enjoy. I get angry and it brings me down, so I am done with it, to an extent. 

Fair enough. 

[LDSGator]

Oh, and one more thing. 

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

53 minutes ago, LDSGator said:

Oh, and one more thing. 

Oh great, here come the Greeks again.  

[LDSGator]

5 minutes ago, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

Oh great, here come the Greeks again.  

Lol!

I had someone tell me once here that if I ignored news/politics I would “feel more at peace and with the spirit.” She meant well, but was dead wrong. 

I tried it for two days, hated it, and quickly went back to my news junkie ways. Oddly, knowing what is going on in the world-good and bad-provides me with more peace than ignoring the outside world.

[NeuroTypical]

The great national conversation is a consequence of our free speech protections.  It's far better than having suppressed or illegal (or compelled) speech.

But yeah, there's absolutely nothing wrong with managing your own health and not-partaking in the loud madness.  

I've managed it all this time by taking it only in carefully measured doses, always with several grains of salt.  

[laronius]

At times I've tried to treat modern politics like I'm reading about the Gadianton Robbers in the Book of Mormon: learning but not emotionally investing myself. It is very difficult to do though on a regular basis, especially when I see the absolute lunacy that is becoming mainstream. Completely boggles the mind.

[mikbone]

I can't handle watching the political news anymore.  The drama, lies, corruption, never ends. 

And since I live in CA, my vote dosent count, the state is so liberal and democratic leaning.

If I really cared, I guess I would move to Ohio where votes seem to count.  

I am a member of the hospital Medical Executive Committee.  And I cause a ruckus there.  They voted me in and I didn't even know I was on the ballott.  Anyway, I don't argue.  I vote.  I am very free with saying motion / second.  And sometimes I just say oppose.  They correct me and say you cant oppose until a motion has been seconded.  I just get up and go to the bathroom and say "well whenever you get through with the debate mark me as opposed."  The time wasted in obvious matters and listening to the proud actors state their opinions is aggravating and mind numbing.

[Carborendum]

4 hours ago, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

We can listen to the screaming voices or simply turn the other cheek and walk away. God is our Father and we should seek his counsel in all things.

Yeah, that's the way the Lord would want it.  Go become a hermit and just become completely uninvolved.  That's a great idea.

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

16 hours ago, Carborendum said:

Yeah, that's the way the Lord would want it.  Go become a hermit and just become completely uninvolved.  That's a great idea.

Did I say, become a hermit? I can observe the circus without participating in it. I just feel that the nonsense of political vitriol is a waste of my time. I would rather spend the time on pursuits that I enjoy without becoming embroiled in online controversies that are designed to distract me from living my actual life.

[LDSGator]

3 hours ago, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

Did I say, become a hermit? I can observe the circus without participating in it. I just feel that the nonsense of political vitriol is a waste of my time. I would rather spend the time on pursuits that I enjoy without becoming embroiled in online controversies that are designed to distract me from living my actual life.

I hope you find the peace you are looking for bro. 

[Traveler]

While in the army I was assigned to an army intelligence unit.  I was introduced to training for interrogations of enemy combatants.  I learned about behavior modification through brain washing techniques (propaganda).  The father of brain washing techniques and propaganda was Joseph Goebbels.  His methods are without question very dark but also amazingly effective.  There are two possible desired outcomes for propaganda.  The first is obvious – to alter the opinions of listeners.   The second is subtle and perhaps even more effective.  In essence or to quote the Borg in Star Trek, “To convince the recipient that resistance is futile.”  That they cannot affect the outcome.

Strange as it may seem once one is convinced that they cannot resist they become more controllable than someone with an opinion – even sympathetic opinions.  I believe that the reason is because someone with opinions has limits.

I am of the opinion that discussions like this thread are critical.  Not because of the desire of some to withdraw and quit but for the character of those that stand solidly against what they know is wrong – especially those with deep knowledge and conviction from experience.  I believe that there needs to be strong logical articulate voices willing to address each and every effort of those that wish to divert from truth.

One news commentator that I personally enjoyed was Rush Limbaugh.  Not because he carefully researched and was spot on with every commentary but because he had strong consistent convictions and was happy with his bias.  I often found myself disagreeing with him but listened carefully, so I knew where he was coming from.  If we cannot listen to our opposition, we are easy targets for the subtle purpose of propaganda.  

I believe the second method of dealing with propaganda or discissions we may not agree with is to have control of our emotions – especially anger.  It is my opinion that to blame others for our anger is the very definition and expression of gaslighting.  Losing control is losing the argument in the worse possible way.  When I was in High School, I was on the debate team.  I learned two things about anger.  Never to express anger and the second is to never feed into someone else’s anger by attempting to belittling them with accusations that have no relevance to data and ideas we wish to be convincing.  I have always felt that when someone accuses others of being close minded or not listening is because they are sensing their arguments are weak and they sense they are losing and thus are becoming desperate.   

More than being able to dispute the nonsense of current media – we need to clearly, logically and with divine charity – stand by and speak out the truth both with our actions and behavior as well as our words.

 

The Traveler

[askandanswer]

On 5/19/2023 at 6:48 AM, Carborendum said:

Yeah, that's the way the Lord would want it.  Go become a hermit and just become completely uninvolved.  That's a great idea.

I think God may have expressed this desire to Joseph Smith when he told him to take the saints to the Rocky Mountains and when he commanded Lehi to leave Jerusalem. But times have changed since then. 

[Carborendum]

On 5/20/2023 at 4:40 PM, askandanswer said:

I think God may have expressed this desire to Joseph Smith when he told him to take the saints to the Rocky Mountains and when he commanded Lehi to leave Jerusalem. But times have changed since then. 

No, actually, you have a good point.  But I think you're missing a very important aspect here.

He was commanding a group of people to physically migrate out of a zone of destruction to an isolated location where He would preserve them in a promised land.  The problem we have here is that there is no place to go anymore.  We're IN the promised land.  And we're supposed to defend it -- by being in the world, but not of it.

Big difference.

Edited May 22, 2023 by Carborendum