Posted by:
paintinginthewin
(
)
Date: November 30, 2012 09:38PM
as a literal, concrete absolute fact - as concrete and literal as the table your computer is sitting on can be touched picked up-
if you take the book of Job literally- then yes God seems very mean, very capricous, very unfair, very unjust-
and that God seems to be breaking mormon commandments (he gambles)
if you take the book of Job literally- and that God seems to be breaking Christian taboos (he visits and and communicates with Satan isn't this supposed to be avoided fastidiously) and (entertains him as a guest aren't you supposed to throw him out yell: "get thee hence Satan"
however, if you take it figuratively- not as a literally-
look at it in a figurative way not a literal way-
then it supports the rain falling on the wicked and righteous concept, and the not needing to literally merit every blessing every favorable experience. that could be used to suppose a sense of Grace (either in the big christian sense of unearned salvation in eternity no matter who you kill if you're saved which still seems relatively rude to me like someone was making up a rule to incorporate his corrupt brother - making commitments/ or doctrine in a tribal way, or even to excuse or enable the writer or committee member to justify their own conduct/ orders to their servants)(if I could I'd type that with italics
or grace (note the small letter) referring to relatively small unearned unmerited benefits of life...for instance, simply not happening to live next to the lake that outgassed toxic fumes killing all the villagers. its not evil. its not fair.
since mormons are killing themselves or needing to procure antidepressant RX in above average numbers, living in a literal state of earning every simple grade, every simple blessing, and believing- being taught in this cultural context to "know" or 'justifying' every bad things which occurs not through your own fault- must be deserved or earned through a lack of virtue/ insufficient righteousness, hidden sin. For instance if someone doesn't like someones' skin color, and places it on the bottom of their social hierarchy- the ultimate mormon solution is to literally blame them for needing to be on the bottom of the social hieracrchy and carefully leaving them there or punching them back down socially - because- if was something earned, merited, from the 'pre existance.'
so if something unjust happens- say being a down winder and everyone getting a tumor- or inhaling and working in fields dusted with organophosphates as a child, or reading books dusted in chlordane, and later getting tumors- going to virtuously care for all family members with tumors by simultaneously to going to the doctor, simultaneiously to the visiting teachers bringing dinner to the family when someone is hospitalized if requested, and virtuously working to maintain medical insurance to pay for said tumors- in the ward there are rumors, direct statements, inuendos- what did you do, where did you go wrong- to deserve this. in a faith where life experiences are blessings which are earned, merited, and can only be improved with greater righteousness (oh wait they have a careful specific list, i t includes things like write in your journal, pray, be 'nice' go to meetings, don't gossip, wear their underware, don't let the underware fall on the floor it goes on and on)
is the mormon literal meriting of life thing - an act of fear and scapegoating those living out fearful parts of life?
by blaming them and holding oneself up more virtuous than them suffering difficulties- does one attempt to stave off the fear that oneself and ones' own family may eventually or ultimately experience lifes difficulties as well?
thats the issue with taking the bible Literally not figuratively to me, from a mormon perspective with a post mormon spin.