According to the story depicted in Episode 1: the Phantom Menace, Anakin Skywalker was born as an immaculate conception. In short he is set up to be a sort of Jedi "Savior" supposedly conceived by the "Force" itself. I acknowledge that this perspective is entirely possible but I propose an alternative theory. Perhaps Anakin's birth was not as random a convergence but a purposed pregnancy by an estranged father who used the Force to conceive the child in Shmi Skywalker.
It is said by Yoda that the Force runs strong in the Skywalker family; Luke had it, Leia had it and their father Anakin had it. But we do not see any sign that Shmi (Anakin's mother) had the Force whatsoever. If Anakin's birth really was the result of a random convergence then why would the Force collect around a woman with little to no Force sensitivity? I believe it is far more practical that the Force was directed to her by a specific person, or at the very least a man, strong in the Force, caused Shmi to forget a one time sexual encounter.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
Mormons, Pharisees and Zoramites
I POSTED THIS AS A COMMENT IN A FACEBOOK DISCUSSION:
"I've recently begun to realize that the current behavior of the Church and many of it's members is very comparable to the Zoramites of the Book of Mormon and the Pharisee's at the time of Christ.
Christ condemned the Pharisees for putting overly strict obedience before the well-being of humankind. Also for multiplying laws and commands to govern every aspect of life.
The Zoramites put intense stock in their own purity and spiritual superiority over all other religions and beliefs. They claimed that they were set apart to be special above all others. How often in testimony meetings do we hear similar statements about the "One True Church" and being set apart as the only people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
"I've recently begun to realize that the current behavior of the Church and many of it's members is very comparable to the Zoramites of the Book of Mormon and the Pharisee's at the time of Christ.
Christ condemned the Pharisees for putting overly strict obedience before the well-being of humankind. Also for multiplying laws and commands to govern every aspect of life.
The Zoramites put intense stock in their own purity and spiritual superiority over all other religions and beliefs. They claimed that they were set apart to be special above all others. How often in testimony meetings do we hear similar statements about the "One True Church" and being set apart as the only people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Merry Christmas
Today is Christmas Eve! Today has been the mark of many important and inspirational events throughout history and the subject of many beautiful stories and poems by a wide variety of authors. But at this moment I want to remember the beauty of Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Men:
Christmas Eve WW1 started out as a dreary and depressing day. Soldiers were away from home stuck in the dangerous and saddening conditions of trench warfare and many families across the world were left without homes and without living family members, victims of one of the most horrific wars in recorded history. Yet in spite of this despair and heartache we find one of the most powerful stories of Peace and Goodwill in modern times. German and Allied soldiers began to sing in their trenches, lift their heads above ground (where they could be shot and killed) and took courage. Soldiers who had been fighting and killing one another for days, weeks, or even months (possibly longer) stepped out of their national pride and demonizing hatred of the enemy for Jesus' sake. Meeting in the clearing between trenches these brave and heroic soldiers exchanged gifts, shook hands, hugged, played soccer (futball) and sang Christmas carols. They forgot that they were enemies for that night and celebrated Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Men.
Most sad, however, is the fact that shortly thereafter the battle resumed and these soldiers who had so recently been giving gifts and making friends were forced to try hard to kill each other once again. But these heroes are living testaments to the power of the Spirit of Christmas and what is possible if we abandon the wars we fight every day and turn our hearts and minds to Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards our Enemies.
If you love God and Christ, or if you love any other human soul, let us put aside our animosity and our anger and causes for two days and give gifts to each other in loving kindness. Tomorrow we may pick up our causes yet again but today is a day of Peace and Joy.
Friday, December 4, 2015
The Human Construct of Homosexual Sin
It's common knowledge in Christianity and various other religions that homosexuality, or in some cases homosexual behavior, is a sin against God. Normally I've heard people claim that the Bible says it is a sin or in my case as a Mormon I often hear that both the scriptures and the Prophets have said it is a sin. I want to examine those claims more closely in order to show that homosexuality is not a sin and that a legitimate homosexual relationship is also not sinful. Furthermore I intend to show that all claims to the contrary are human constructs or as we say in the Church: the wisdom of man. I do not believe that God is the author of the perceptions against LGBT persons world wide. The God I worship will not condemn a soul for being born gay, or transgender etc. because to do so would make God a "respecter of persons" which He is not.
Everything in this article comes from a Mormon perspective, so I can understand how people from other faiths may easily dismiss certain arguments that I will make here. There are certain teachings among Mormons in regards to homosexuality that are unique to our religion. To anyone else from any other faith who might read this I would ask that you look at the methods I use to break down the verses of the Bible that I quote and ask yourself if these same methods can be applied to better understand your own religious teachings, whatever they may be. If a Biblical verse appears to imply a condemnation against homosexuality but when dissected and examined in detail that verse no longer carries that meaning then we can assume that the verse had been misread or misinterpreted in the past. I tend to quantify the individual phrases, words and questions in all verses that I read, I take down definitions, wordings from alternative languages, and cross reference similar wordings between verses across the Bible or other scriptures. I invite anyone to do the same with their own religious records and quantify the particular and powerful meanings of what you believe. You might be surprised to find many things different than you were told or than you had previously assumed. God is just and righteous in all His forms.
Everything in this article comes from a Mormon perspective, so I can understand how people from other faiths may easily dismiss certain arguments that I will make here. There are certain teachings among Mormons in regards to homosexuality that are unique to our religion. To anyone else from any other faith who might read this I would ask that you look at the methods I use to break down the verses of the Bible that I quote and ask yourself if these same methods can be applied to better understand your own religious teachings, whatever they may be. If a Biblical verse appears to imply a condemnation against homosexuality but when dissected and examined in detail that verse no longer carries that meaning then we can assume that the verse had been misread or misinterpreted in the past. I tend to quantify the individual phrases, words and questions in all verses that I read, I take down definitions, wordings from alternative languages, and cross reference similar wordings between verses across the Bible or other scriptures. I invite anyone to do the same with their own religious records and quantify the particular and powerful meanings of what you believe. You might be surprised to find many things different than you were told or than you had previously assumed. God is just and righteous in all His forms.
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