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Cat Herder


Understander of unimportant things

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RE: The Homosexual Thread
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rayb wrote:

I don't see why my point should be that difficult to understand.


Am I just smoking dope here, thinking that these challenges are uniquely difficult in the current culture of the church?

Well, if you are smoking dope... you should probably go see your Bishop... he'll probably want your temple recommend, and as an added bonus you probably won't have to worry about HT'ing stats anymore... wink.gif

Anyway, your post was an interesting commentary.  This is not directed at you in any way, but it is also a good example of people getting twisted around to the idea of "the world needs to revolve around MY viewpoint / perception... if only they understood, then things could really get better."

The best way to describe the dynamic is that classic line Alan Rickman delivers in Galaxy Quest "Right!  It's all about you, isn't it?"

Since we all agree that Christ and His gospel is the answer to anything that is a thorn in our side, how would Christ's teachings beyond a better understanding of the Atonement and Plan of Happiness apply here?

Matthew 10:39 "He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

Living the gospel is not about being a black hole sucking everything in to sustain one's self.  It is about being a bright star giving of itself for the benefit of others.  When one is a black hole, they don't see the stars around them because it is all about their needs.



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rayb


Hot Air Balloon

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Are you defending the culture of the church as perfect!?

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Roper


Senior Bucketkeeper

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Cat Herder wrote:
Living the gospel is not about being a black hole sucking everything in to sustain one's self. It is about being a bright star giving of itself for the benefit of others. When one is a black hole, they don't see the stars around them because it is all about their needs.

 

Excellent, Cat.  Simply excellent.  May I plaigarize that quote for my next lesson/talk/astute comment at church?  I know I can find a way to work it in.

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The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
rayb


Hot Air Balloon

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Cat, I care about the swirling balls of gas and matter that are not black holes but are not yet ignited to form stars...

We can help others ignite, or we can discard them as "Destined to be black holes, cuz they have a gravitational pull"...

--Ray

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I'm not slow; I'm special.
(Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
Cat Herder


Understander of unimportant things

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No, I'm not defending a "culture of everyone is an island within the church and if you're island isn't like mine, you ain't worth the token effort" which is what I perceive you are referring to.

But, there also comes a time when a star fails to operate properly and starts shedding it's outer layers much to the detriment of itself and everything around it. When someone who is in those stages of implosion starts doing this, he or she has to face reality that maybe the decisions they are making are not the fault of others just not understanding their struggles. In order to do so, they have to get out of their shell. Only then will they see that maybe some of what the stars around them are sharing with them isn't so bad.

When one is in those implosive modes, they tend to forget that those around them are not perfect, but expect them to be so. It is much easier to put blame on them that way. And, it makes it so much easier to ignore the fact that one's own token effort is far less than the perceived token effort of those the imploder is being critical about.

Christ's gospel is about getting out of the shell. It is given to imperfect people. It is given to people who are fighting every imaginable form of the natural man. It is a gospel with the invitation of denying one's self (Matthew 16:24-26) for that which is better, where one has to make the effort to open the door when knocked upon (Rev. 3:20)

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bokbadok


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There is a stigma about homosexual behavior that extends to SSA. I think Roper's right, many people view it as a worse temptation than plain old heterosexual lust, when the reality is that acting upon either temptation has the same results - separation from God.

There's a similar phenomenon with depression. The stigma of that illness seems to be lessening somewhat, at least it seems that way over my short life. Why is that? Because it's now okay to talk about it. Get things out of the dark, and they're not so scary. Maybe that's a part of what the Church was trying to do with this statement, in addition to encouragement for those with SSA.

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rayb


Hot Air Balloon

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I agree, Bok. I also think that these are the spiritual challenges that we face in our generation. It used to be mobs, the new front line seems to be on a psychological level. As families disintegrate, while the majority of society enjoys prosperity the likes of which no other branch of the human family has ever been priviliged to enjoy, the strain is affecting everyone differently.  

I believe it was Pres. Faust who stated last conference that Satan's attacks would become both more overt and subtle. At the time I thought that was a bit vague and confusing... but in many ways I am beginning to see what he meant. 

--Ray

-- Edited by rayb at 23:32, 2007-07-31

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I'm not slow; I'm special.
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Cocobeem


Keeper of the Holy Grail

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So glad your good with Faust again, ray. thumbsup.gif

I, too, think the new front line is on a psychological level... that's what I was wondering when I started a thread a while back on what do you think our unique challenges are these days... We are bombarded with so much information now... we have more information to sift through in a short period of time than most people just a couple generations ago had in their entire lifetime... We must be constantly sifting... My BIL things this overload of info has a direct impact on our psychological wellness. (He's a top physical therapist in Sweden.)

Whereas the pioneers had intense physical trials, ours may be more mental...? This prosperity frees up our brains and time to think ourselves to hell...

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rayb


Hot Air Balloon

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...think ourselves to hell... heh... too true... :)

--Ray

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I'm not slow; I'm special.
(Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
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