Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Be nice

A Lemon Squeezy Home blog posting for February 12, 2012 features words to live by. Christie has made four, free printables of the following quote available.

Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.

― Marvin J. Ashton

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Freedom of expression


When my husband and I watched this last Friday, we howled with laughter at the graphic and effective demonstration of the disgusting and horrific practice of posthumous baptism.

I can barely wrap my head around the fact that this clip is generating such hue and cry.

How can this religious organization unilaterally nullify everything this man believed in and then, when satirized, climb on the high horse of the right to freedom of religion/thought? Clearly, there is an inability to adhere to their own arguments.

The doctrine of eternal life based on individual, corporeal existence was conveniently bypassed when faced with the core tenets of Edward Davies' life. Based on this so-called 'truth', shouldn't unbelievers experience the same permanence based on their lifetime choices?

This religious organization crossed the line of human decency in the most cowardly way possible; exerting their will when Davies could not possibly exercise his rights and freedoms. This posthumous baptism demonstrated complete and utter megalomania. Fully aware that Edward Davies would have been repulsed by the ritual, they performed it anyway.

Freedom of religion/thought? I'm left to conclude that their strident argument applies only to those chosen ones who believe exactly the same way they do.

Update: February 18, 2012 on Wired: Can I Get on the Mormon “Do Not Baptize” List? How to avoid being baptized after you’re dead. Looks like Bill Maher might be busy with his unbaptisms.