Last week, I said that I wanted to research and better build my own beliefs in a variety of topics this summer. I mentioned a discussion we had in my English class last term about truth and moral relativity, and I realized that, even with moral relativity, my views tended to waffle. So, I figure that the first week should be about that very subject: truth.
I hadn't originally planned to talk about truth this week. I considered it, but it wasn't definite until I was reading in Alma 37 the other day. In this chapter, Alma speaks of the power of truth - God's truth. Verse 9 speaks of the power of this truth, as the truth spoken in the words of the prophets had the power to bring thousands of Lamanites to repentance. Only God could create a book so full of truth that no man can dispute rightly, a book for the convincing of all mankind of Christ, written by ancient prophets with only a basic idea of its destiny. It has become a singular pillar of truth in a world where much truth has become lost.
Many these days would have you believe that there are no moral absolutes, the only true absolutes being in science, unchangeable natural laws. But are not the laws of God unchangeable natural laws as well? For millenia, there was no question that murder is wrong, that fidelity is right, and that debt should be avoided unless completely necessary. Yet somewhere along the way, we began to decided that many of those things should be left to the individual to decide. Yes, everyone should have their own beliefs, but there are truths that are unchangeable, no matter what you believe.
The other day, I had an interesting conversation with a friend about where the morals of America have come to. He mentioned that it was ironic that the generally held belief is that polygamy, the legal marriage between one man and multiple woman, is wrong, whereas marital infidelity, while not necessarily desired, is ok, understandable, and sometimes, encouraged. What makes it better to cheat and go behind a spouse's back than to have multiple spouses that know about and approve of each other? This is not to say that either I or my friend approve of polygamy - I think that sleeping with any number of people beyond one is wrong. This is just an example of where we've gone a bit off the path. You can't have both be right. It's illogical.
We in America are generally a compassionate people. We try to make everyone happy, or at least as many as possible. We want to help...it's a large part of the foundation of the social side of liberalism. It's what makes the idea of moral relativism so appealing - everyone's happy. The thing is, we can't all be happy all the time. Nobody's life is perfect. And there are truths that we simply cannot change.
The best thing anyone can do for happiness is to learn to accept those truths as absolutes, and realize that we make our own happiness. If someone is unhappy about this, that, or the other thing, it's really their problem. We can serve them and love them, living within the truths of God, and not make everyone happy with our actions, but we cannot change someone's happiness - only they can.
I guess, in the end, I'd rather argue and learn truths with everyone than be a member of the ever changing, do what you want, moral relativist crowd. Some things are right, some things are wrong.
Blue skies.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Summer Plans
I just got on Facebook...zero interest there. I saw one of my friends posted an interesting article, but I pretty much scrolled down then deactivated my account again within 2 minutes. It's just a waste of time (for me).
I finished school for the term today, so tomorrow is the first day of my summer "vacation;" i.e. working from 5:30 am until 1:30 pm without homework to come home to. I have two months to do whatever I want...before 9. What shall I do with this ample free time so that I don't waste it reading like I really want to do?
Well, a few weeks ago in my Persuasive Writing class we talked about this fireside by Elder Dallin H. Oaks and the increasing trend towards moral relativity. During that discussion, I realized that I either didn't know where I stood on a lot of issues, or else I didn't feel that I had a strong enough foundation to support my views. When I read things online, I just take it all in, accepting what sounds good, and immediately rejecting that which I disagree with. I live in my own little Mormon bubble, where I have occasionally disagreed but have generally held to the traditionalist beliefs I was raised on without question.
I don't like that.
It's not that I want to change my beliefs...obviously I think it's all true, and it isn't really my religious beliefs I'm evaluating here. I want to learn enough about the world to be able to form those arguments I learned about in my class without having to completely find out where I stand. I want to learn about myself.
And so, every week, I hope to spend some time researching and learning about various topics then writing about that experience on here. I want to develop my own ideas, similar to back when I used to write about things like education or the internet. I don't really know what topics to choose right now though...I suppose that will be part of the process each week. Any suggestions though?
Blue skies.
I finished school for the term today, so tomorrow is the first day of my summer "vacation;" i.e. working from 5:30 am until 1:30 pm without homework to come home to. I have two months to do whatever I want...before 9. What shall I do with this ample free time so that I don't waste it reading like I really want to do?
Well, a few weeks ago in my Persuasive Writing class we talked about this fireside by Elder Dallin H. Oaks and the increasing trend towards moral relativity. During that discussion, I realized that I either didn't know where I stood on a lot of issues, or else I didn't feel that I had a strong enough foundation to support my views. When I read things online, I just take it all in, accepting what sounds good, and immediately rejecting that which I disagree with. I live in my own little Mormon bubble, where I have occasionally disagreed but have generally held to the traditionalist beliefs I was raised on without question.
I don't like that.
It's not that I want to change my beliefs...obviously I think it's all true, and it isn't really my religious beliefs I'm evaluating here. I want to learn enough about the world to be able to form those arguments I learned about in my class without having to completely find out where I stand. I want to learn about myself.
And so, every week, I hope to spend some time researching and learning about various topics then writing about that experience on here. I want to develop my own ideas, similar to back when I used to write about things like education or the internet. I don't really know what topics to choose right now though...I suppose that will be part of the process each week. Any suggestions though?
Blue skies.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
These Days
It's been a few weeks now.
Well, yesterday I started the first day of working at 5:30 am every day...when I went to bed last night, the light was the same as when I woke up this morning: just enough light to change the black of night to a deep, rich starless blue. I guess I never see night that way? I love the stars too much for that to last forever. Working from 5:30 to 1:30 makes for long days, but it's not actually that bad. I just keep busy, keep going, not thinking about how long I've been there. At least I get two free meals! We get to eat the leftovers after the efy kids leave, so I got both breakfast and lunch today - which was especially good because I was so exhausted from working and studying and paper writing that cooking any more was out of the question, so I ate ice cream for dinner. Dairy, right?
I'm currently "studying" for my Music 101 final...i.e., vaguely listening to music in the background while trying to remember this particular violin concerto is Brahms. We'll see how successful that is, but hey, I'm waking up in less than eight hours for another day of work, plus two finals and various other errands.
My life is pretty uneventful right now, since I pretty much just work, sleep, and read. I do occasionally hang out with people and decide that sleep just isn't worth the time it takes...then I remember how tired I am. Thus, most of my socialization happens at work, with the various people that come in for their varying shifts while I am varying degrees of exhausted.
So Winter semester my freshman year I worked for BYU Catering, making food for events at the Skyroom restaurant in the Wilk, as well as contributing to the various stores in the Cougareat. I worked 8-12 every day, and for whatever reason I had the hardest time getting up for that (I can't even imagine why now). I would spend my shift making calzones or grilling chicken or whatever, and my boss would make fun at me because I apparently always looked depressed. I probably was depressed at that point. This week I've apparently adopted that same face again, as my supervisor has mentioned it a couple times to make fun of me. Must be something about the lack of sleep...it tends to leave a frown on my face. But life is good, it's time for sleeping. The sky is almost that shade of blue again.
Blue skies!
Well, yesterday I started the first day of working at 5:30 am every day...when I went to bed last night, the light was the same as when I woke up this morning: just enough light to change the black of night to a deep, rich starless blue. I guess I never see night that way? I love the stars too much for that to last forever. Working from 5:30 to 1:30 makes for long days, but it's not actually that bad. I just keep busy, keep going, not thinking about how long I've been there. At least I get two free meals! We get to eat the leftovers after the efy kids leave, so I got both breakfast and lunch today - which was especially good because I was so exhausted from working and studying and paper writing that cooking any more was out of the question, so I ate ice cream for dinner. Dairy, right?
I'm currently "studying" for my Music 101 final...i.e., vaguely listening to music in the background while trying to remember this particular violin concerto is Brahms. We'll see how successful that is, but hey, I'm waking up in less than eight hours for another day of work, plus two finals and various other errands.
My life is pretty uneventful right now, since I pretty much just work, sleep, and read. I do occasionally hang out with people and decide that sleep just isn't worth the time it takes...then I remember how tired I am. Thus, most of my socialization happens at work, with the various people that come in for their varying shifts while I am varying degrees of exhausted.
So Winter semester my freshman year I worked for BYU Catering, making food for events at the Skyroom restaurant in the Wilk, as well as contributing to the various stores in the Cougareat. I worked 8-12 every day, and for whatever reason I had the hardest time getting up for that (I can't even imagine why now). I would spend my shift making calzones or grilling chicken or whatever, and my boss would make fun at me because I apparently always looked depressed. I probably was depressed at that point. This week I've apparently adopted that same face again, as my supervisor has mentioned it a couple times to make fun of me. Must be something about the lack of sleep...it tends to leave a frown on my face. But life is good, it's time for sleeping. The sky is almost that shade of blue again.
Blue skies!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)