"Let not mercy and truth forsake thee..."

Below is a blog that a friend of mine posted on myspace.com. Following it is my response.

Saturday, March 10, 2007
7:47 AM - They say our feet were made for dirt, I disagree
I have a confession to make: I don't know the difference between a democrat or a republican.And honestly, I don't care to find out. I don't understand why our government has decided to eliminate our choices, and narrow it down to 2. I know there's the green party, and there's a few other candidates, but they never get enough votes, nor the financial support.Anyway, my point is that I decided I really don't like generalizations such as that. I know, I tell my friends all the time that someone is "emo" or whatever, but that's not what I'm talking about. Sort of.I don't understand why we should be categorized into shit like that. I don't care that Democrats only think this way, and Republicans think that way. I don't agree with what some democrats say, and what some republicans say, so I'm not going to be thrust into either category.But this isn't just a political view. I also feel the same way about religion. If you do not already know, at the moment, I attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aka, I'm Mormon. However, I don't agree with all of their teachings. For example. about November last year I think, I wrote a blog about how I think that Murder is the worse thing you could possibly do. However, the LDS religion believes that completely denying God (not just saying "Oh, I don't believe in God" but actually protesting against him, is the worse thing you could do. I just don't understand how that could be worse. Also, if you don't already know this, I am completely and utterly against any type of murder. No human has the right to take the life of another human.From now on, I no longer consider myself Mormon. However, I do not denounce that what the church teaches is false. There are parts of their doctrine that I do believe, but I don't agree with all of it.I consider myself a human being, who believes in whatever I feel to be justifiably right.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To [name]:

Concerning Labeling:

We, as humans, have a tendency to label the nouns (people, places, things, and ideas). This tendency assists our brains with the process of taking in information. With the quick attachment of a name, we can filter information-- wrong or right-- hence, we categorize, stereotype or what have you. Even saying that humans label, categorize, and stereotype is a form of labeling!

From infancy, we learned to communicate with other humans. We practiced vocalization by zealously saying "mommy" or "doggy" when a woman or animal came into view. We learned the names of colors, body parts, objects, and etc. so that we would be able to describe the world around us. These labels are only descriptions. They are not the whole of whatever is being described but they do play as factors, however minuscule.

When trying to tell your friend about someone you just met, you might end up using words having to do with skin color, body shape, skills, accessories, or religion. Depending on where a person is from and what he or she has learned to categorize as the norm, descriptions may vary. For example: if the person you are describing happens to have dark skin and you live in Idaho (where most of the population is considered "white"), you will probably clarify that he or she is different than the norm by being "black." This is not a racist comment or negative labeling. It is just a description of physical appearance.

The neurological process of labeling has played a role in lives of men, from the beginning. The multiple chapters of history are filled with carnage, hatred, jealously, segregation, and social injustices because this process was used in extremes. Negative connotations made their way into society and when combined with the fear of all things foreign, labeling became more than a means of keeping one's brain from exploding (because of too much info). It transformed into a self-esteem booster (for those wanting to be the better people), a way to scapegoat (for those wanting someone to blame), a form of justification (for those wanting to dehumanize others who are simply different than themselves), and the list goes on.

We all label. These are my labels for you, right now (for further emphasis): you are a human being, a white American, an 18-year-old male, a [his last name], a Boise citizen, a friend, and a W.O.W player (to name a few...).


Concerning Beliefs and Religious Doctrine:

"And honestly, I don't care to find out"~ [his last name].

My man, there's your problem. When you don't understand something, you don't take the time to learn about it. Then you "label" it as crap. Did I say label? I think I did. :) So... about the government and religion, research and pray about them. You don't have to stand for a group, but you should stand for principles. There are eternal truths whether you want to believe it or not. Take, for instance, the law of gravity: (thanks to Newton and a bruise's worth of discovery/ experimentation) we know that what goes up must come down. It is a truth.

You mentioned murder and the denying of God. From my understanding, a person who denies God (on the level of sin worse than murder) is a son of perdition. This person has seen God, Jesus Christ, or both. He or she knows, for a fact, that they exist; therefore, there is no longer faith needed and yet there is denial. This is why (in this sense) denying the existence of God is so terrible, a worse sin than murder. In 2 Thess 2:3-4, it says: "... the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." Saying that you are above God is worse than murder because when a person commits murder, he or she is only attempting to be above another human by taking away that individual's physical existence. Also, a murderer hasn't taken away everything. There is still life, progression, and agency after death. Both sins are bad, but there are levels of evil acts and levels of consequences to go along with them. According to LDS doctrine, murderers still are allowed in the Telestial kingdom, with some level of glory. A son of perdition, though, is cast into outer darkness to endure eternal torment.

Concerning Attachments and Identity:

"Hence, why I do not want to associate myself with anything. I want to be me. Maybe this is just a phase of finding myself, but I don't feel like I need to be included in a religion, a political group, or any of that other bull[@#?*]. All I need is my friends" ~[last name].

Sorry to use you own words against you (again), but...

Saying that you don't want to be associated with anything is like saying you don't want to exist. You can't be [name] with out being attached to the things that have happened in [name]'s life, the things that [name] does, the things that [name] believes in, and the things that [name] loves. Don't be afraid of what people think. Eleanor Roosevelt once said: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." In essence, you are giving your consent to be labeled as a nobody when you are afraid to be associated with anything or any group that stands for something. If you aren't associated with ideals that can be potentially put down, then you have nothing. I'd rather stand for something and have strong beliefs than be a fence sitter with neutral ideas or ones that change because of the opinions of others.

All you need is your friends, eh? One day your friends will go on missions, move away (to college and such), get married, and (as morbid as it may seem) die. Basically, people and circumstances change. I have seen relationships come and go in my life and in the lives of those around me. I would be careful to tread upon such an unstable foundation. I'm not saying that friends are bad, but you have to be careful. The influence of a friend can be very powerful. There are and always will be both good and bad peer pressures.

You, my dear, need some direction in your life: ideals, values, dreams, goals, and so on.
Such things will make your life experiences so much more complete, happy, and fulfilling.
Figure out who you are, what you believe in, and what you want to be "labeled". It is important! You are hitting/have already hit a very challenging time in your life. Satan and his legions hate that you have so much potential. They don't want you to succeed! They are (and will continue to) pound you with their well developed tactics. They've been around A LONG time and are good at what they do. Don't give in, or go astray. I know you know what is right and what is wrong. So get up and do something about it. Sitting around and waiting for a life/identity to come to you is not the best plan of action. Do you want to leave butt prints in the sand of time? I think not. You can do anything that you put your mind to!!!! You are one of the most academically capable persons of my acquaintance. I'm rootin' for you to figure things out, and will love you through whatever happens, and through all of your choices (whether I agree with them or not).

That is all.