Whenever I point out that Captain Moroni’s example doesn’t justify modern Saints going to war because he lived the Law of Moses and we live the Law of Christ and that modern revelation commands us to renounce war completely the response is inevitable. I always get some version of, “What about Mormon and his son, Moroni? They were baptized Christians who fought in wars. If they can do it, why can’t we?” By looking at what the scriptures, I answer this question and show why Mormon and Moroni do not justify us joining modern day wars.
Tag: hatred
Nonviolence in Early Christianity, Part 2
This is the second part in a series tracing the teaching of what we today call nonviolence in ancient Christianity after the end of the biblical era. I pick up where I left off in Part 1, in the mid-Second Century AD/CE and go all the way through the Third Century AD/CE. In the process I cover such topics as tribalism, nationalism, abortion, violence, the role of government, a Christian’s place in government, whether a Christian can hold political office or not, the military – both from the perspective of a soldier who converts to Christianity and a Christian who is thinking about joining the military, justice, political idolatry, the Second Amendment, gun ownership, natural rights, the universal nature of the Church and Christianity, and the hypocrisy of the world’s ideologies. The teaching of these ancient Christians carrying forth the ideals of Christ confront, counter, and dismantle the cunning craftiness of the world’s doctrines through the application of the truths of the Gospel.
A Christian’s Duty to Society
The fallen society we find ourselves living in is rife with corruption, violence, brutality, and evil. As followers of Jesus Christ, what exactly is our role in trying to change this, how do we do it, and just how dedicated should we be to that cause? Here I address these questions about the greatest source of violence, brutality, and corruption in the world today.
The Death Cult of the State
In Part 1 of the series I delved into the idolatrous nature of modern political systems and delved into the ways they’re based on violence, oppression, and human sacrifice before ultimately concluding that the State/the government was one large idolatrous cult. Here in Part 2, I will dig into this idea of the State/the government as cult by using the 15 characteristics of cults as developed by Dr. Janja Lalich, a leading expert on the study of cults. By going through all 15 characteristics and demonstrating that the political systems of modern nations align very closely to Dr. Lalich’s outline and that they are therefore cults. Finally, I will explore how these idolatrous cults are in fact death cults by looking at how they use violence, warmongering, and veneration of the dead to gain legitimacy and subservience from the masses in order to secure and continue the power and position of the presiding political order.
If You’re A “Progressive Mormon” or A “Conservative Mormon” Then You’re The Wrong Kind of Mormon
It is common for people to complain about the political positions of other members of the church and to describe themselves as “Conservative Mormons,” “Progressive Mormons,” “Libertarian Mormons,” “Gay Mormons,” etc. The problem with this is that these types of identity politics are incredibly dangerous for all those involved- the person in question and the Church as a whole, not to mention society in general. It divides, marginalizes, and diminishes what should be one whole- the Body of Christ. The reliance on political ideology to create a better world through government violence has failed and will always do so. The more we allow political identities to define and divide us the less able we will be to do the real work necessary to create the better world we all hope our children will inherit. The Book of Mormon provides clear warnings about allowing political ideology to direct our lives while providing us with the blueprint to create a truly equal, just, free, and prosperous society for all.