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No problem. REmember, I have commitment to certain ideas, and less, or none to others. Not sure how firmly I feel about this one. I’m with both cwald and Wayfarer. I would be direct but polite about it. I would not distribute it, and I would remind them that it’s overstepping their role and contradicts (doesn’t add upon) what the actual gospel says and what we’ve been instructed to do. It is becoming Pharisaical, and it will damage testimonies. There are real consequences for this kind of behaviour from leaders. If they wouldn’t knock it off, I’d send a copy to church leadership, highlighting offending portions – SP first, then area authorities. I think it is really, really, really important to distinguish between the Gospel (“good news”), the doctrines (teachings) of Christ (as recorded in the New Testament, understanding the “translated / transmitted correctly” caveat), the doctrines (teachings) of the early Christian leadership (which sometimes contradicted the teachings of Jesus recorded in the “Gospels”) and the doctrines of the Church. They aren’t the same thing, and I don’t even classify all of the “teachings of Christ” as eternal and completely binding – since I am not convinced Jesus of Nazareth actually taught all of them. Move forward into the Pauline epistles, the teachings of the “Christian fathers”, the teachings of the Popes, the teachings of the Protestant reformers, the teachings of the early Mormon leaders, the teachings of the subsequent Mormon leaders, the teachings of the current Mormon leaders, the teachings of my parents and co-worshipers, etc. and I see generally good people doing their best to apply the Gospel and the doctrines of Christ in a way that helps them in their own world. I’m cool with that, and I honor that – but I don’t see it as eternal or binding. I see my own need to “be them” in my own life for myself – to establish my own “doctrines of Ray” that govern my life – to be, truly, an agent unto myself, as it says in the Book of Mormon.
I’m fine with some compromise (quite a bit, actually) from what might be my own personal ideal in order to work best with my immediate family, my church family, my community, etc – but, in the end, I have to figure out what my own doctrines are and try to live by them. After all, I am told that I can receive revelation (obvious or not) and live by what I believe to be the word of God. Really, that’s all I can do – and I won’t push that responsibility onto others, even as I will default to many “doctrines of the Church” when I lack a personal alternative about which I feel strongly. If it doesn’t matter enormously to me, I generally will accept the group standard – but I still maintain my right and privilege to change my view about anything if I feel I’ve gained “further light and knowledge” about it.
By the way Cwald, as far as the positive psychology thing goes — you won’t find me looking at the church with rose colored glasses…my comment above about the accident waiting to happen was without remembering the doctrine of Christ boundary around it. Thanks for the reminder WF. The positive psych thing that resonates with me is the idea that we are genetically repdisposed, some of us, to negative thinking and depression, and that we need to learn to be productive in spite of those tendencies just as Abe Lincoln and Winston Churchill did. It’s not about changing our mental wiring, it’s about learning to press forward in spite of the black moods. Also, there is some reframing and attempts at rewiring within a certain range, but they are part of the uphill battle, not and end in itself…productivity and doing good is the objective — in spite of the challenges…just as someone with a disability decides not to let it get them down.
I just mention this so you know I will likely always see the warts on the church as I always have. I will likely feel angst toward the person who hurt me for some time. I may not forgive totally for a long time as this is hard for me. I will pray for the gift of forgiveness of others as part of the plan. But I will try to move forward without dragging others down, while still maintaining some form of activity in the church, raise my children in it, keep my wife happy and contribute in ways I find fulfilling and meaningful (I signed up for a ward-sponsored community service project last Sunday). And hope to return to full TR activity as part of the deal.
Just so you know where I stand with the positive psychology. Warts will likely always be Warts to me now that my eyes are opened….positivity is not denial in my world.
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