People of the Book, Why Do You Fight? (satire)

A close look at the Quran would reveal that it is based mainly on the Jewish Talmud, as is the Bible.

Both books - even the Bible - affirm that all Christians, Jews and Muslims are sons and daughters of God - hence the term "people of the Book.".

Yet the Bible does not state that Jesus is the Only-Begotten. Rather, this doctrine was rooted in the pagan religions of the Gentile converts and assimilated as the Trinity. To believe that the Christ Jesus was solely a prophet and a son of God as all believers are sons and daughters of God is heresy to Christendom today.

Indeed, it is the evangelical Christians that aggressively proselyte the blasphemy — to Jews and Muslims alike — that Jesus is the Christ and God's Only Begotten. Were it not for insisting that Jesus is the Son of God, neither Jew not Muslim would persecute a Christian.

Yet the new Crusaders, those Evangelical fanatics, came to Iraq and Afghanistan with the invading US troops to offend the Muslims.

This is because of that aggressive evangelism by Christendom that the Crusades happened in response to the failure of the eastern Roman empire of Byzantium to appease the Muslims since the 7th Century CE.

When bribes only led the Muslim army to demand more tributes, the Emperor of Byzantium asked the western Roman Empire for help, which lead bastard sons of European kings to massacre innocent Syriac Christians, sack Constantinople, and build kingdoms in the Holy Land, much to the chagrin of the Muslims.

None of this was for the glory of God, but so that both Christians and Muslims could amass war booty. For both the Muslims and the Christians worship God, but their true motives are based on human glory. Their faith in God has never justified war. Rather, their willingness to go to war shows their lack of faith.

Today it is no different: Islamic State has obtained booty, be it ransom for captives or brides forced into sexual slavery. In contrast the West maintains it is fighting the IS for humanitarian reasons.

In fact, the West is in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan to recapture oil wells as dictated by multinational corporations.

Thus the Christians and their Zionist allies are there to help affirm the propaganda that Muslims are terrorists and they are fighting for peace. The Evangelical zealots are there to fan the flames of enmity even higher, showing once again that Crusaders wish only an Armageddon rather than peace just like their Islamic State counterparts.

It is these militants be they Zionist and Muslim that want Armageddon, but shall not get it. This is because mankind's actions will not usher in the Millenarian end of days, no matter what American televangelists and their Muslim counterparts say.

For these militants ignore the truth: only God knows when the End of Days is near. No amount of war will usher it in. It never happened during the Crusades circa 1000 CE, and neither shall it happen now.

So, why do Christian militants and their Zionist backers fight against their Muslim counterparts? Only to affirm the propaganda that Arabs are only Muslims, and these Muslims are terrorists, despite the fact that the Zionists are in control of the propagandists in mainstream media.

Yet not all Arabs are Muslims. Some of them are Christians while other Arabs are Jews. Few of them are terrorists, and those of them that are terrorist have bought the propaganda that the biggest evil in the world is the West especially America.

For recent history tends to prove their fears that Islam is threatened by the Zionists through the islamophobia propaganda, which is based on the lies about Arabs and Muslims.

However, the root of the problem is the bigotry of the West.

It is not Islam that is the problem; it is the lies that Zionist controlled media continues to manufacture which has led American domestic terrorists - most of whom are white supremists - to murder innocent people, most of whom are not Muslims.

It is the bigotry of French nationalists that lead Muslim youth of France to riot and turn to crime.

And that bigotry may lead to a civil war in the West between Muslim youth and Western youth, both of them radicalized by right wing ideology that says "my tribe is better than yours."

Thus are we at the pinnacle where we could let the governments of the West be consumed by the tyranny of fascism or remember the words of a famous prophet who said, "Love one another" and "love your enemies". He also warned mankind that living by the sword implies dying by the sword to discourage his disciples from ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven by force because it would only lead to death.

This prophet was Jesus.

Indeed, Jesus also tempered his love with a limited militancy by healing the ear of a soldier accidentally cut by the sword of one of his disciples. Yet the wielder of the second sword has never been known, probably to prevent the founding of a Christian militant sect that would have died by the sword.

In any case, militancy is anathema to Christianity, no matter what the militants say. If you live by the sword, be you Christian, Jew or Muslim, then you die by the sword. If this be for God, then he mourns the loss as much he does of the martyrs.

On this note, I leave you with this quote, which summarizes the folly of trying to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven by force:

'We often hear Jesus words quoted, “… for all who take the sword will perish by the sword (Matt. 26:52).” Some say He was condemning all military action throughout time. If this was the case, Jesus words simply were not true. Everyone who has taken the sword in conflict has not died violently. I believe Jesus’ words were most likely a warning to His own people. He was saying if you try to bring the kingdom of God by violence, you will all die. He was right. Those who rebelled against Rome died often in a very cruel manner.

'The instrument that would overcome Rome was not the sword but the cross. It was not an act of violence but an act of love. It was not vengeance but forgiveness that eventually conquered the Roman empire.' - http://www.thorncrownjournal.com/timeofchrist/zealots.html
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Update: December 14, 2015

Yet the violent persecution by Muslims against Christians of the Middle East is being hidden from the unsuspecting citizens of Western nations. Like their Jewish brothers and sisters, Muslims find the Christians' glorification of the Christ Jesus as Son of God blasphemy.

There is much evidence to support the Muslim persecution of Ahmadiyyans, Christians, Jews, and Yazidis.

In Pakistan, Ahmadiyyans are banned from calling themselves Muslim and can be imprisoned for 10 years under Pakistan's anti-terrorist legislation.

In Syria, Christian boys and men were murdered by Islamic State terrorists, simply for being Christians. Their wives, sisters and daughters were forced to become sex slaves for the militants.

In northern Iraq, Yazidi women captured by Islamic State militants were forced to work in a brothel. Subject to brutal rape, some of them have committed suicide rather than be horribly abused by their captors.

Yet both America and Canada are letting in Syrian refugees, most of whom are Muslim. There is no quota for Christians because the Western nations are leaving that up to Christian refugee organizations to handle — that is, if the Syrian Christians make it safely out of Syria.

IMHO the people of the book — the Ahmadiyyans, the Baha'i, the Christians, the Jews, the Muslims and the Yazidi — are left take care of their own.

But a few questions still remain:

• Will the Ahmadiyyans, Baha'i, and Yazidi be free to choose to follow their own traditions without Christian evangelicals soft selling their way of worship?
  
• Will the same friction between Christians and Muslims that occurred in Syria continue in Canada and in the US?
  
• Will the Christians stand up to protect the people they sponsor without discrimination?

Only time with tell. All in all, the Christian charity groups had better plan their refugee program well and ensure that all people of the book are protected under the law.

---

References:

Strange End-Times Beliefs Of Some 'Evangelical' Christians:
http://www.rense.com/general72/ssome.htm

Middle East attacks on Christians cause for concern - Russian ombudsman: https://www.rt.com/politics/320065-russian-ombudsman-voices-concern-over/

Desperate plight of Yazidi woman sold into sex slavery by ISIS
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2801353/i-ve-raped-30-times-s-not-lunchtime-desperate-plight-yazidi-woman-begged-west-bomb-brothel-isis-militants-sold-sex-slavery.html

Faithkeepers is an upcoming documentary film about the violent persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East: http://faithkeepers.clarionproject.org/

It's Been Awhile (satire)

To all my fans/followers:

My excuse for not regularly posting articles on my blog is this: I have been obsessed with work, mainly because my new boots allow for walking for 5.5 and 6 hours.

It is possible that I've almost walked a thousand miles. Hence my need for prescription medications such as gabapentin (relieves neuropathic pain), flexeril (relaxes the muscles in my shoulder, and recently bupropion (Zyban is said to cure cigarette smoking).

Even the Zyban had the wonderful side effect of causing me to not indulge in bad habits — mainly paying more attention to my technology than to my surroundings.

Within 15 minutes playing attention to my technology, I feel the the signs of a relapse but alcohol or drugs is not my vice. Instead, I madly type on my keyboard and create articles like this one.

Look, I have cut out coffee and tea, alcohol, masturbation, and smoking. Instead of sinning quietly, I catch myself reading the Gospel Library app. Though a few people are not clued in that when I pulled out my smart-phone or tablet, I am not about to surf to porn websites. Instead, I am searching for a quote by Joseph Smith, but came up with this quote from the New Testament:

Little children, let no man deceive you.
He who does rigorousness is righteous,
even as he is righteous. — 1 John 3:7

To masturbate or watch porn or indulge in adultery and prostitution, or commit homosexual acts, is condemned by John when he wrote:

He who commits sin is of the devil,
for the devil sinned from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil. — 1 John 3:8

By praying to the Lord and beseeching Jesus Christ instead of indulging in booze, cigarettes, wine, soft and hard drugs, adultery, masturbation, prostitution, coffee and tea, and homosexual acts, I shall eventually be rid of the evil that these things do to me that even comes to affect my family and friends.

Oh dear! I have become no fun anymore to the all sorts of decadent hedonists, those salt of the earth who party and stay up late at night.

All it takes is confessing your sin to someone trustworthy like a bishop, a priest, a reverend, a rabbi, a shaman or even a trusted friend, and earnestly repent. The worst that could happen to you is not taking sacrament next Sunday. In due time, by following the doctrines of your faith, you will discover that worldliness is only fun for the worldly.

Once we are baptized, the best way to renew our covenant with God is to faithfully attend sacrament meetings on Sunday, the Lord's Day. For the baptized are born of God after being dipped in the baptism fount.

Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

For it is better to be a child of God, born of God, than to be a child of the devil. When you practice righteousness, you are of God, and so too are they who love their brothers and sisters.

For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. — I John 3:9-11

Yet the habits that you used to love, you come to detest them, not being satisfied with what you do to get relief. That love is a false love because the more you indulge yourself with a bad habit, the more you are socially isolated from the world.

For desire when indulged leaves a bitter-sweet taste in your mouth; but your love is false because desire is more likely to lead to sin when indulged. As for love, it is best to remove all conditions associated with it so that we may love unconditionally.

So, I have been praying about and meditating upon my life, only to see that Joseph Smith's words are true: each of us are free agents who can choose to do good or to do evil.

Indeed, in the heat of passion, I once blamed others for my trespasses, but no more.

Instead I enjoy giving sacrament to members who, because of illness, cannot attend church. It is also why I enjoy participating in discussions during the Elders Quorum meeting most of all.

Now that I have confessed my sin of avoiding responsibility for my actions, I shall repent and try to be the quiet silence in the aftermath of a storm.


Thanks for reading this blog entry. Please take care of yourselves lest you entertain the devil unaware. ;)

The Etymology of the Christ (self study)

This blog entry is limited to my understanding of the etymology of the term "Christ". I only take responsibility for that understanding.

In the Christian sects, "Jesus Christ" predominates as his Latin name. More correctly, Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew name, Yeshua. Thus, his first name could also be read as Joshua.

Christ means "the anointed one". The term "Christ" means "Messiah" and can be used interchangeably with respect to Revelation.

Returning to the name of the Lord, "Jesus Christ" is an abbreviation for "Jesus the Messiah." Another acceptable term for Jesus the Messiah is "the Christ Jesus."

To ensure that each Christian sect know that we all are talking about the same Jesus, he is called Jesus Christ.

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References:

Yeshua: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeshua_%28name%29
Christ: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ
Messiah: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah

The Many Faces of God (satire)

"God is like three-in-one oil." — Eldridge Cleaver

Unlike trinitarianism, modalism is a complex way of saying that the Godhead has three faces (guises?): God, the Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Consider God to be an actor.

As a deity, He is. As the Christ, he is Messiah and all that implies. Yet as the Holy Spirit, we get into the supernatural since he is also known as the Holy Ghost.

After much thought on this topic, I asked myself: "What is God when he's not acting as a deity or as the Christ or as the Holy Spirit, remote from humanity?" To me the answer is obviously: God is the Absolute.

It serves no purpose for God to exist as a physical being in the physical world when the supernatural world is his domain.

Yet God is on the minds of his believers since it is through belief of his existence that he exists. Outside of that context, and for most people who don't believe in him, he does not exist.

As for his pre-existence, that is a wholly monotheistic supposition and may lead to endless debate on his existence.

If God exists as a belief, then the Buddha exists as fact. For the Buddha's existence is verifiable while God's existence is based on faith in the Bible alone. In contrast, the Buddha's existence is not only based on the sutras but also on historical records.

Though, no one can compare a man known as the Buddha, formerly the prince Siddhartha Gotama, to God, a monotheistic deity, since the Buddha is not a deity.

Yet Amida Buddha is almost a deity, though he exists as a metaphor for the boundless life of compassion and the boundless light of wisdom. In this context "boundless" means "transcending human limitations" and especially, "beyond mere sentience."

Because of the limitations that monotheism places on such philosophy, the discussion of God becomes moot in light of Buddhism. In some ways it is like comparing apples to oranges. For the Buddha is not another face of God. Rather, Buddhism is outside the realm of monotheism.

Even so, there are elements of modalism in the many Buddhas and bodhisattvas in Buddhism. In the example of Amida Buddha, it is said there was a prince named Dharmakara who meditated for a long time and envisioned the Pure Land. After making a series of 48 vows, he fulfilled them all and was reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss as Amida Buddha.

In the case of Amida, the Absolute is the refined essence of Buddha Nature. Indeed, the Pure Land is a reflection of the Absolute. As well, Dharmakara might be considered the incarnate form of the Absolute as a human of high standing (a bodhisattva) who was reborn as Amida Buddha.

Such an interpretation regarding Amida Buddha stretches the truth that Buddhism cannot be seen through the filter of Christian philosophy because the divine is viewed differently within Buddhist philosophy. For the deities of the God Realm are limited beings who live long lives but eventually die.

Indeed, the God Realm is one of the Six Realms of Desire. Thus the gods of Buddhism suffer.

Hence the birth of Siddhartha was the birth of the future Buddha who even the Hindu gods and goddesses would adore because he transcended the cycle of rebirth and became the Buddha.

My interpretation of the Christ story is that the Absolute relieves the sufferings of a Hellenized Jewish people subject to the laws of Judaism by having the deity known as God reborn as a mortal named Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph. This is revealed to her in a vision in which an angel named Gabriel tells her she shall conceive the Messiah through action of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus is born, he exposes Jewish ritualism as a fraud, makes enemies among the Jewish leaders, and is betrayed by one of the twelve of his beloved disciples. Then he is crucified, only to "die" and awaken as the Christ. Later he show himself to his disciples, and ascends to Heaven.

Thus, the story of the Christ is of God begetting the Christ in human form who is born to an unmarried woman named Mary as Jesus with his mortal father Joseph marrying her to legitimize his birth as "Son of Man". After his Crucifixion he arises as the Christ and eventually rises to Heaven. Thus he fulfills prophecy about himself.

In contrast, the Buddha's story begins with the dream by his mother of an elephant entering her womb. She dies shortly after childbirth, and Siddhartha is raised by his aunt. He is born into royalty. His father the King consults soothsayers, one of whom predicts that Siddhartha will either be a great king or a great wise man. Although his father tries to raise him as a prince, he learns all about suffering, abandons his royal status, and becomes the Buddha.

After his Enlightenment, he teaches not only his fellow seekers about the Four Noble Truths of Suffering, but also forms a religious order that challenges the ritualism of early Hinduism. He helps change Indian life in the process, and lives a long life, only to die due to an unspecified illness. After his death, the blooming of flowers on a tree out of season in the midst of the winter monsoons leads to other stories of miracles. However, the evolution of the Buddhist society that follows helps transform Indian society in a positive way.

Thus the story of the Buddha only vaguely echoes the Christ story. The ritual of law in Hebrew society of Jesus' time contrasts with the ritualism in Hindu society where the priestly caste has become intercessor between the people and the Indian gods.

Additionally the Hindu gods and goddesses may be seen as a complex form of modalism. In the case of Hinduism, each and every god and goddess represents the different faces of God but are aspects of the Godhead so complex making a single deity the only god to worship seem restrictive and thus oppressive to freedom of worship. Thus, the gods and goddesses of Hinduism might be considered as a gem with many facets, each one representing the bright and shining qualities of their worshipers in their perfect form.

In this way are the many faces of God revealed as aspects of human qualities of good called virtues. When I compare this to the qualities often ascribed to God, it becomes apparent to me that it is the good of humanity that is reflected in God. Though, it could also be said that it is the good qualities of a patriarchal society is emphasized by God. This is also true of the Hinduism but Buddhism critiques this truth while acknowledging that for that period of time, speculation about God was moot.

Indeed, the legacy of monotheism is a history of warfare by his chosen ones. Great suffering came at the cost of plagues and other miseries, as depicted in the Bible. in contrast, the story of Hinduism is not all peace and love for one's fellow man either.

It is not until the Indian king Ashoka that we see Hinduism being given sway to Buddhism. Ashoka wins a great battle but sees the truth about suffering revealed to him after being advised by a Buddhist monk about his responsibility regarding the war in which he lost friends. In response, he becomes a Buddhist king who spreads the message of Buddhism far and wide.  As a Buddhist, he spread peace throughout India.

It isn't until the modern era that organized religion caused Buddhism to affect Sri Lanka and Burma, although in different ways. This is due to organized religion not Buddhism and it is not restricted to Buddhism either. It is because of organized religion that warfare has been the legacy of monotheism, be it Christian, Judaism or Islam.

Perhaps few people are patient enough to reflect on the deep spiritual meaning of their faith due to their belief in a higher power than themselves. Such humility has lost the respect of many people in the face of the distractions of every day life in the postmodern world. So many people have no time to consider the many faces of God for many reasons, be it a matter of convenience or an overall disbelief in God.

I as a Buddhist know that the belief in God and the associated faith in his existence should be tempered by knowledge. However, the limited knowledge of Christians is focused on the Bible. Thus the faces of God are limited to God, the Son and the Holy Ghost.  In a way, each part of the Trinity are merely the many faces of God, limited and simplified by Christian dogma.

It's simpler to consider three aspects of God than a handful of gods and goddesses of Hinduism, even though the Godhead of both Christianity and Hinduism are roughly the same.

Though the Christian will dispute this, the Hindu might agree.

As a Buddhist, I lean towards a nondual concept of God as the Absolute, the closest of which is the Pure Land of Bliss. In my eyes, Heaven and the Pure Land are similar in that they are ideals of their respective faiths. However, I prefer Buddhism over Christianity mainly because I prefer not to stay ignorant about other faiths.

For knowledge is only dangerous when the little that you know leads you to ignore the consequences of your ignorance.

YMMV

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Originally posted on February 28, 2014 at 02:02 AM

References:

Modalism - Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modalism

The Absolute - Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_(philosophy)

Meditation of a Buddhist Mormon (satire)

This morning I thought about anjin and shinjin, two terms from Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.

Anjin is a Japanese Buddhist term that means peace of mind due to shinjin, a mind truly assured of rebirth in the Pure Land of Bliss.

This is not unlike the peace of mind of a righteous person who truly believes that he will go to a greater glory in the afterlife.

For Amida promised rebirth to those whose peace of mind (anjin) is due to shinjin, the true mind arising from trusting in his promise of rebirth in his Pure Land.

Even though Buddhism and Christianity have sometimes opposing views on life, I truly believe that faith in the Christ is similar yet different from faith in the promise of Amida Buddha. It certainly helps to suspend disbelief when reconciling Buddhism and Christianity in my mind.

Rather than solely relying on his own power, a Buddhist puts his faith in the Buddha, the Christian puts his faith in God.

Additionally, Jesus promised eternal life in the New Heaven and Earth after a Millennium spend under His reign. For the peace of mind gained from belief that the promise of eternal life is true arises from being truly assured of rebirth in the Kingdom of God.

Even though our present life is limited in length, the Christian promise of eternal life appears at odds with the Buddhist concept of no-self, which claims life is impermanent (limited). This is because Buddhism accepts the truth that life is full of suffering, short as it is.

Indeed, Buddhism accepts life has it is.

In contrast, Christianity has the Christ promise eternal life for us in the afterlife. While Buddhism helps me to accept life as it is, I have also allowed for the Christian concept of the afterlife.

From my point of view, there is no conflict between the Buddhist concept of no-self (life is impermanent) and the Christ's promise of eternal life in Afterlife. For this present existence is impermanent, yet the Afterlife is no less impermanent.

Even so, the Buddhist concept of the consciousness stream allows for impermanence to be transcended.

Thus that which eternal in the Afterlife is viewed as existing for an exceedingly long time, and that which is impermanent in this life is viewed as existing for a limited time.

Therefore both Buddhism and Christianity are in some ways compatible because they meet my spiritual needs in this life and they also help settle my mind about the Afterlife. This helps to redefine my concept of eternity and immortality to reconcile the transient nature of life with the apparent permanence of the Afterlife.

Yet life is a place where anything can happen.

Though this life is truly precious, I have faith that the Afterlife will be glorious. Indeed, I treasure my life because of its limitations. When it ends one day, the Afterlife awaits.

For my mind is at peace, and I am truly willing to live each day to the fullest.

---

Reference:

Anjin and shinjin: http://www.trueshinbuddhism.com/content/view/36/61/
Anjin: http://diamondlikeshinjin.blogspot.ca/2010/10/anjin.html
Impermanence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impermanence
Afterlife: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterlife

posted from Bloggeroid

Unconditional Love

Unconditional love is the unborn love awaiting a person's existence to manifest itself.

To love is to care for, to die for, and to live for other people regardless of being strangers.

To love unconditionally is to love without conditions attached to that Love.

Rather than saying "I love you", I say "I love the world." Instead of saying "I do it for myself," I say "I do it for everyone, including myself."

Thus is the ideal of unconditional love manifested. Anyone can care for their mother and father. Yet he who knows of God knows of His unconditional love for us all.

Such a Love as this was manifested when Jesus Christ died on the cross for all our sins.

It continues today with the rise of secularism as a challenge to God-fearing people to turn the other cheek when the spiritually ignorant atheists cherry pick quotes from the Bible that challenge the Christian worldview of a loving God.

Indeed, what right do the ignorant masses have to misrepresent Christianity? Free speech allows each of us to question the doctrines of both the Protestant and Catholic churches. They do not give each of us the right to harass believers in a vain attempt to prove religion is for weaklings.

For religion is not for the weak willed, because they shall soon find themselves choosing between mannah and God. Rather, religion is for the strong stomach, because there shall be challenges to one's faith in life.

At the root of these challenges is a lack of faith of the atheists. It makes me wonder what they truly have faith in.

What good is a life in which lack of faith is one's guide? Without faith, are they truly free?

However, even the atheists have their beliefs. I know not what they believe in, but have faith that they do believe, for they are human too.

As for faith, just as I have faith that God is merciful, I hope that the unbelievers have faith in whatever they worship, be it Pikachu or Captain Kirk or even science.

Throughout all of this, I also hope that unconditional love, in its myriad forms, is known to both the believer and the unbeliever. Though I do not know how such a Love would manifest among the unbelievers, I know that Love manifests in the form of the Christ for all Christendom.

For I have faith that unconditional love exists, and that it empowers me to act within the limits of my faith in God.

A Jack Mormon Confession (satire)

Since June I personally have refrained from hot drinks, alcohol, illegal drugs and tobacco. As well, I am celibate.

Between myself and God, I am repenting my past sins in private. On Friday, August 29, I am to be baptized as a Mormon.

So all that talk of remaining a Jack Mormon is pure satire. My epiphany came when I read the anti-Mormon views on the interviews preceding baptism: they gave me the wrong impression.

Nobody in the hierarchy asks you to confess your darkest sins to them, for that isn't supposed to be shared with another mortal soul.

While I am still going to be liberal and still write about Buddhism, politics and other topics that I am interested in, I am also going to write about Mormonism as objectively as I am able. Though the anti-Mormon propaganda will no longer be of interest to me, except perhaps to provide inspiration for commentary.

For now, this post will provide me with the opportunity to explain simply why I decided to be baptized as a Mormon.

With eyes open and an open heart, I attended all the instruction hours since the end of May until now and will continue to do so.

While I am convinced that Joseph Smith Jr was inspired by God to write the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, the Testimony of the Three Witnesses only convinces me of his inspiration. However, I will go along with the cover story that the angel Moroni took those brass plates back to wherever he went.

My own statement above is not a confession of doubt but is made because I have never been shown the original literature by the angel Moroni.

As well, the Egyptian hieroglyphics which inspired Joe Smith to write the Book of Abraham do not translate as that book. Even so, I would consider Mr Smith as inspired by God to write all the scriptures specific to Mormonism and consider him a Mormon prophet.

Nothing I have written so far will fully explain why I became a Mormon. I am sure that it's because I am a people pleaser.

Also, the fact that this local Mormon community is the least judgmental of all Christian denominations has also convinced me that my choice is the best one to make out of all the choices that I faced.

For I could have rejected Mormonism and dealt with being a Buddhist whose spirituality accepted that there is a God and even allowed for the Christ. On closely examining my sarcastic statement that "my Christ is the Buddha", I realize that the statement is considered a religious one by Christians of other denomination.

So my explanation for becoming a Mormon is actually summed up by the concept of the Buddha as my Christ, due to the religious pluralism that I have been quietly practising since 1990. This has been confirmed for me by the Mormon cosmology regarding the souls of pre-mortal times to today's current incarnation on Earth and to the Afterlife. Even Spirit World and Spirit Prison fit into my Buddhist worldview, though the Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial Kingdoms would become similar to Buddhist heavens.

Of course, at first glance, the Mormon cosmology is in my eyes more like a rough draft of the more complex Buddhist cosmology. Though it is more likely that I am not going to revert to Buddhism because of this revelation.

Another reason why I became Mormon because I like the fact that the Mormon literature has had articles on Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism written without critique of each religion.

It is that religious pluralism which confirms my belief that Mormonism is going to be the most wonderful part of my spiritual journey.

Even so, everyone who thinks I have gotten sucked into a cult have no idea at all because they might keep forgetting that I have become Mormon with my eyes open and my heart open to the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints. That does not mean I am going to forget my roots as a Buddhist. Instead, Mormonism will take what I have learned about Buddhism to a new level.

Because this blog is semi-private, I will only refer to the Elders and the wonderful brothers and sisters of my local Mormon ward without specifically identifying anyone.

Thank you too to the brothers and sisters, and especially Elder M and Sister M who all served as hosts for dinner - three wonderful dinners that led from uncertainty to confusion and finally to understanding.

However, my thanks goes out to Elder L who invited me to church, Elder M who patiently instructed me, Elder F who knows his wushu very well, and Elder T, whose words impress me the most. Also thanks to Brother C for his sponsorship.

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A poem on My Baptism (which I plan to read after baptism): http://gandhara.blogspot.com/2014/08/my-baptism-poem.html

Reflection on a Simple Message From God (satire)

Sometimes it's amazing when God will inspire a family to place a quote from the Bible on the rear of their SUV, just so I can happen on it.

This afternoon I was on my way to dinner with my second Mormon family along with my two Elders when I spotted this quote as described. The first line implies that I should not rely solely on my own understanding of the spiritual life but trust in the Lord with all my heart.

No matter what I do, I am to acknowledge Him i.e. keep him constantly on my mind so that He will direct my path towards salvation.

Although I have an unspoken understanding of this quote, I am sure that by prayer and meditation, it may soon come clear to me what this quote means to me.

It comes from Proverbs 3:5-6.

"In all your ways acknowledge Him" means "Always submit to God's will" and implies a God-centred life, rather than a worldly one. Certainly it is beneficial to me to submit myself to a higher power. For self will might lead me astray, being human and imperfect

For then he will be my guide, the Shepherd finding His sheep, for I am one of his sheep.

Further Thoughts on Good and Evil

For the record, I refuse to believe the devil or satan or whoever you call this dark angel, created by God represents evil. In my eyes, even the devil's original nature is good.

For God is actually the creator of good and evil. Check the Old Testament.

As well, neither the devil nor satan actually are mentioned to in the New Testament except as statement made by Jesus and others e.g. "Satan get behind me" which implies an internal moral struggle to control egoistic impulses with respect to power and control that Satan promised if Jesus were to exercise his divine powers to control others and become "King of the Jews".

Ergo, this duality of God as representative of Good and the devil as representative of Evil is neo-Platonian and thus was influenced Christian doctrine to the point of becoming dogma. The sames goes for the concept of an immortal soul, which has almost become a doctrine which is non-Biblical.

As well, Good and Evil never existed before human existence. Rather, good and evil are concepts thought up by men, and this includes the thought of good and evil existing before man's existence. Thus, I am sympathetic to the Jewish God.

Perhaps the real reason for Jesus was God's way of making up for all the violence he either meted on humanity or got his followers to mete on other people. However, I refuse to be a martyr for Christ.

As a Buddhist, I object to the violence done in the name of Jesus. This includes child abuse done in the name of Jesus, which is not Christian.

For any fundamentalist Christian parents who subject their children to violence in the name of their God, but call it discipline do not know what discipline actually means. Indeed, discipline done in anger too is violence.

Hopefully from this little rant of mine you can understand that a parent who disciplines their child in anger is not doing God a favor.

What has this to do with good and evil? Well, I tend to believe that a person is capable of great evil yet also of great good.

Even so, I also believe that if a person who is good shall become a good person, so too may a bad man, once he turns over to the cause of good, be it as a Christian, Jew, or Muslim, as well as a Buddhist, a Hindu, a pagan, a Wiccan, or even a La Vey Satanist.

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Originally posted December 20, 2012 at 0310H