Eve Out of The Garden

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Mormons, Baptisms, and the Dead - a Voice of Reason

Mormons are in the news again -- Elie Weisel (bless his heart), demanded that Mitt Romney get his church to stop baptizing the dead. Romney's campaign referred all calls to Church Headquarters. It's as illogical as demanding that Rick Santorum get his Catholic church -- the Pope -- to stop infant baptism.

Granted, baptisms for those who are deceased sounds kind of deranged -- like a zombie apocalypse -- but it's based on 1st-century Christian practice. The apostle Paul wrote, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29)

Baptism is a big deal in most churches. It's always been a big concern; if you weren't baptized before you died, you were in big trouble, consigned to purgatory or some awful fate, like hell.

“Historically, Christians have been exclusive,” says Terryl Givens, an expert on Mormonism at the University of Richmond.“'Catholics have taught that only Catholics are saved, and evangelicals say only if you confess according to their tradition. Mormons say,... salvation is open to all people.’

'In that sense Mormonism is the most nonexclusive religion in the Christian world,' Givens says." (CNN)

Agency is a primary principle in Mormon doctrine. The purpose of this life is to provide space and time to make choices. Therefore, it's against our theology to force anyone to do anything, especially join the Church. All participation is voluntary -- baptism, church attendance, temple marriage, tithing. You're invited to come to the party (or not); it's your choice, in this life and the next. But we don't want to leave anyone out that may want to come.

“'This is about putting names on the guest list,' says Terryl Givens. 'They might not go to the party, but they are given the chance.’"

Yesterday, hubby and I went to the temple. We added his great uncle, Harry Savage, to the guest list. Yep, that's right, Uncle Harry Savage. Sorry, there Harry, I can't help but chuckle over that name.
We also included his wife, Florence. They can accept it or not.

Mormons believe that after death you go to a spirit world before the final judgement. A world that is much like this one, where our ancestors are interacting, studying, learning, and possibly accepting greater light and knowledge. (1 Peter 4:6) If they do accept the gospel, that saving ordinance is performed -- through proxy baptisms.

"It presents the gospel of Christ in probably a more enlarged scale than some have imagined it." (Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling)

Since 1995, Baptism of Holocaust victims is strictly forbidden. ( statement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

12th Century Christian baptismal font (Temple Study)

And a little humor, because as I've said it is good and Godly to have humor: I love this --

Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Get your Big Government Nose Out of My Lunch

In a North Carolina public school, Mr. Big Nose, Government Inspector snooped in the lunch bag of a 4-year old, Pre-K student. Finding a home-made turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips and apple juice not up-to-snuff with the Department of Health and Human Services standards and the USDA, he ordered the mandated federal cafeteria "school lunch" for the bewildered little girl. What did she do? She ate three chicken nuggets and took her own lunch home, untouched. The milk and veggie that was on the tray got dumped in the trash. According to our government, meals must include one serving each of meat, milk and grain and two servings of fruit or vegetables.

I don't know which is worse -- government agents telling a child that her mommy is wrong -- "your mother's lunch is not healthy, and you must eat the school lunch," causing undue stress for a young 4-year old, or government agents not recognizing a healthy lunch. Truly, this must be a science fiction novel, on par with Orwell's 1984 or Huxley's Brave New World. But truth be told, this story is real-life, 2012 -- big government pushing it's way into family life, and telling parents how it is. Welcome to Obama's new direction for America.

There is a new federal law backing this up, too. It's not free either, you get charged for the lunch. Here's a note the school sent home to parents: letter

One of my favorite scenes from The Ghostbusters -- Mr. Government Inspector shuts down the containment unit:

Monday, February 13, 2012

Vintage Valentines --What Are You Saying?

I think I may have figured out why Valentine's Day can be stressful. I was looking through vintage valentines and discovered that Valentines have mixed messages. This could be the root of the problem -- and it goes back many generations. Take a look at some of these messed-up missives from days gone by:

I like you so much I won't sneeze on you?

I'm a perfect egg?

Who likes to be called Toots?

Hmmm... no foursome--

Sorry I broke your heart, now let me mend it?

I love kickin' your heart around?

Chocolate Covered Strawberries -- Recipe

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
These are simple to make, you only need two ingredients and you can feel justified in eating most of them yourself. Perfect for Valentines Day and my birthday. Here's what you need:

1. Fresh Strawberries
2. Milk Chocolate chips or Dark Chocolate Chips (choose a quality chocolate -- Guittard is the same chocolate used by Sees and is available at many grocery stores)

Directions:
1. Wash and dry the strawberries. Make sure they are dry before dipping. Give them time to dry on a paper towel.

2. Melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave or in a double boiler over the stove. Stir until all chips have melted. If using microwave, set it on 2 minutes first, and then check and stir. Do not over heat. The chips should still hold their shape, but be melted enough to stir to a smooth consistency. And do not add any water or anything else -- just melt the chocolate.

3. Dip each strawberry and set them on parchment paper to set. Place them in the refrigerator to chill and set up further.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Mormons and Catholics -- Uncle Sam's Troublesome Bedfellows

It was the 1870's and political cartoonist Thomas Nast, an implacable foe of both Mormons and Irish Catholics penned the question in Harper's Weekly -- "Religious Liberty is Guaranteed--But Can We Allow Foreign Reptiles To Crawl All Over US?" He branded both religions as "foreign" threats to liberty -- The Roman Church depicted as a crocodile and The Mormon Church as a turtle crawling over the Capitol.

Uncle Sam was bothered by several minority groups. Mormons were one of them. In 1879, the San Francisco Wasp published a cartoon showing 5-minorities troubling Uncle Sam.

It seems rather dated; but maybe not. Our current President is giving Catholics the boot by insisting they cover abortions in their healthcare plans. Mormons and other conservatives are getting the boot for wanting to maintain the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

The 2012 political cartoon by Ramirez, shows the government (Obama) has taken the position of "Church":

Mormons were a persecuted group and forced to leave any town they called home. It was hoped the Mormons would find their own homeland -- "The Lord intends that WHITE FOLKS, and not the Mormons, shall possess this goodly land." (Missouri). (Bennett, History of the Saints, p.193)

Harper's Weekly expressed a similar feeling:

"A new programme for the Mormons is indicated. It is now proposed that they shall emigrate to one of the East India islands, and reliable information is said to have been received that they will do so." (Harper's Weekly, 21 July 1860, p. 454)

The Wasp was a San Francisco weekly publication named after the insect -- implying the satirical magazine had a mighty sting. It could as easily been named after White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestants of the time. Those who did not fall into the WASP category were grouped together for ridicule and persecution.

"The Three Troublesome Children" Drawn by Frederick Keller for The Wasp, December 16, 1881.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Mormons, Abortion and Mitt Romney

Mormons are different from Catholics and Evangelical Christians and maybe other Christians. We believe that a woman may be justified in seeking abortion, if she has been raped, or if her life is in jeopardy, or the child is so severely deformed, he/she will not survive birth.

Rick Santorum and Newt are asserting--very aggressively--that Romney supported abortion when he was Governor of Massachusetts. However, Santorum and Gingrich are wrong.

Here's what really happened:

Romney--elected Governor in Massachusetts--acted like a Conservative Republican. He vetoed a bill that required hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims--because its not the state's responsibility. But the state legislature overruled his veto.

The state legislature, not Romney, forced Catholic hospitals to provide contraception to rape victims.

Regarding Romney's personal view on the subject, he declared, "My personal view, in my heart of hearts, is that people who are subject to rape should have the option of having emergency contraception..." (Romney, 2005)

Santorum is distorting the truth by ignoring the Romney veto. Nevertheless, Mitt's personal view is well in line with Mormon doctrine.

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently opposed elective abortion for personal or social convenience. Members must not submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for an abortion." (LDS.org)

The Mormon Church recognizes that there are rare cases when abortion may be justified:

1. A Pregnancy that resulted from rape or incest.
2. A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy.
3. A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive.

These "are not automatic reasons for abortion. Even in these cases, the couple should consider abortion only after consulting with each other, and their bishop, and receiving divine confirmation through prayer. The practice of elective abortion is fundamentally contrary to the Lord’s injunction, ‘Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it.’" (LDS.org)

I don't know when the spirit enters the physical body, nor does the Mormon church claim to know. We believe that we existed before birth--that we are not "created" for the first time at conception. We each lived as a spirit, with a body of spiritual matter, similar in shape and form to our physical body.

I know of a woman diagnosed with breast cancer while she was pregnant. After much prayer and counsel with her doctor, it was determined that she had to start chemo-therapy immediately, and therefore had to abort. This was an exception and all her Mormon neighbors rallied around to provide comfort. She recovered, became pregnant again, delivered a healthy son, who is today serving a mission in the Philippines. Maybe that aborted pregnancy, resulted in this spirit still being born to her at a later time. God is in charge of these things. We existed before birth. She had righteous desires.

Catholic churches and hospitals should not be forced to do anything against the dictates of their faith. There are other hospitals with other options. Romney supports this freedom. "On his first day in office, Mitt Romney will eliminate the Obama administration rule that compels religious institutions to violate the tenets of their own faith."

Meanwhile, most of the 1.2 million abortions performed yearly in the United States would not be exempted by any of the exceptions identified above.

Image: Oakland Temple, Oakland California

Monday, February 6, 2012

Kickin' Mormonism

The Mormon issue is in the news everyday. The media and Christians can't leave it alone since Mitt Romney announced his run for President. You read all kinds of things, some positive and some negative. You find Christians who can't vote for a Mormon and you hear people who claim they know all about the Mormon religion and how truly "whacked" we are. Some even hate us. There are anti-Mormons just as there are anti-Semites.

But some have come to our defense -- like Dennis Prager and Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt and others.

When there was a great public outcry for Romney to release his tax returns, the only thought that went through my mind, was, well I hope he paid his tithing (and of course his taxes.) Turns out he paid his tithing and generously donated to charity.

It Reminds me of a Brigham Young quote,

"Every time you kick Mormonism you kick it upstairs..."

The story goes like this-- A gentleman said to Brigham Young,

"You 'Mormons' scare us. You are here in the mountains, and this expedition would not have been sent against you, but you frighten us by taking such big strides. 'Mormonism' is but a few years old, and it has circumscribed the globe...

To which Brigham replied, "If the people will let us alone, we will preach the Gospel in peace, civilly, kindly, mildly;... But will they let us alone? No. And you think we take large strides."

He rose from his chair, saying, "You take ten or twelve strides at once...Every time you kick 'Mormonism,' you kick it up stairs: you never kick it down stairs...let me tell you that what our Christian friends are now doing for us, makes more for the kingdom of heaven than the Elders could in many years preaching." (JD 7:145)

Brigham Young had quite a sense of humor, he claimed the Mormons would settle back and be less committed if left alone,

"Let us alone, and we will send Elders to the uttermost parts of the earth, and gather out Israel, wherever they are; and if you persecute us, we will do it the quicker, because we are naturally dull when let alone, and are disposed to take a little sleep, a little slumber, and a little rest. If you let us alone, we will do it a little more leisurely; but if you persecute us, we will sit up nights and preach the Gospel." (JD 2:320.)

Brigham Young: