So last night I was suffering from insomnia. I came out at about 1 and played on my computer for a bit. My mother inlaw was staying with us and suggested to my wife that I should read the scriptures when I can't sleep because they help her fall asleep.

I quipped "because they are boring?"

DW "No because the spirit is soothing."

Me: "Well I did read some Buddhist scriptures the other night that I found to be really inspirational."

DW "YOU NEED TO BE READING YOUR OWN SCRIPTURES!!!"

Me: But Buddhism has much in it's teachings that is complementary to Christian teachings and help supplement it."

DW: You can't feel the SPIRIT reading THOSE teachings.

MY ASS!

I actually got the same or stronger feelings when reading those than when I was reading the Bible or BOM, what does that say.


Here's the mentality

Jesus said "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." GOOD

Buddha said "Don't do anything to others your would not want them to do to you." BAD

Whatever happened to following the 13th article of faith where you seek after GOOD WHEREVER IT COMES FROM!?

I GET SO SICK AND TIRED SOMETIMES OF THE DOUBLE TALK.

It literally freaks my DW out when I read stuff like the apocrapha or the Bhaga vita or the Tao, or Darwin.

If it isn't the correlated church materials, it's bad.

I am thinking of reading the Aenid sometime. Should I tell her they are the Romans scripture?

Narrow minded, cult centered, black and white thinking...AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!

Yes they take only the good from history and from the things the prophets say and dismiss the bad with euphemisms and justifications. Its sad.

Also read some various stories/points of view regarding the Trojan war. Mythology gave me a decent perspective that there was more to the ancient world than the Abrahamic world as a child. I heartily encourage devouring it. :)

Have you read the IIliad yet?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2011 06:48PM by Itzpapalotl.

by the way..i didn't find anything inspirational on the book of mormon wars...at least the bhagavad gita clearly makes all the wars look like a waste of time. the book of mormon struggles with the good and evil paradigm.

btw..i was a krishna follower too! until i realized that all religions are a sham. the krishna are just as silly as the mormons.

there's nothing like taoism, buddhism, and confucianism --the whole mix is called neo-confucianism. add that a hint of existentialism..

start with the i-ching i guess. now THAT is inspirational right there...

Wait, so did you have this conversation with your darling wife, or your mother in law? Because your mother in law suggested to read the mormon scriptures?

I, too, get really tired of the whole, "anything that isn't approved MORMON scripture is EVILLL" nonsense.

I remember going to a catholic cathedral in downtown SLC for a 9/11 (timely, huh) commemorative service. The message was one of peace and loving your fellow men, even those who have hurt you. The atmosphere in that building was as reverent and profoundly spiritual as any church meeting I've ever attended. In fact, I'd NEVER felt "the spirit" like that in any LDS service. That experience really opened my eyes and my mind to the fact that Mormonism doesn't have a monopoly on goodness, truth or spirituality.

That was 8 years ago. I haven't been to church in over 7 years.

Jesus said: Love your enemies

Buddha said: Have no enemies


One is loftier than the other, isn't it. The hard part is how to get there, because they are both talking about the same thing.

Catholicism says you get there by confessing and being forgive seventy times seven by a priest.

Christianity says you get there by confessing to Jesus and being forgiven seventy times seven by Jesus.

Buddhism says you get there by becoming a more loving person, "practicing" metta (lovingkindness) meditation. What does that mean?

You practice saying kind intentions, one week at a time:

Let me be happy; let all beings be happy
Let me be healthy; let all beings be healthy
Let me be happy in my work; let all beings be happy in their work
Let me be happy and loving in my family; let all beings...etc.

Then you do this for yourself first, then
*a benefactor
*a friend
*a neutral (like the bank teller- someone you don't really know
*a family member
*an "enemy" (someone you don't like)

You practice thinking compassionately and it changes you. I like the Buddhist method of becoming a more empathetic person because it is concrete and doesn't rely on god or the Holy Spirit to miraculously change you.

Anagrammy

It is frustrating all of the time! ;)

I feel for you. Being a NeverMo and new to Utah, I'm going crazy with the religious mentality of Mormons. Just yesterday a water softener sales guy came to our home and we ended up having a two hour conversation about his religion that centered on being gay and chastity. It was incredibly frustrating and left an even worse taste in my mouth for the programmed drones of that cult. I really need to stop trying to find the answers as to how in the hell they can buy into all the crap.