Christ-like...........

Why, if we are Christian, can't we all get along? I see a ton of anti-Mormon blogs and web sites on the internet (but it is difficult to find one about Mormons putting down another religion, isn't it? ;-) ). One can hardly pick up a newspaper today and not see an article about how some church leaders have absconded money from the congregation, or how some church leader has been having improper sex with someone in the congregation, or how two pastors from different churches are involved in a fist-fight. All of these I have recently read in local papers, by the way. But you don't see the LDS Church or Mormons using this in a negative way against any church. Why? .......because the Mormon people don't believe that would be Christ-like, and we do strive to become like Him.

Why can't we all get along, and instead of channeling all of our energies and money toward finding fault with one religion or another, use that time and money more wisely in helping the poor and sick. I believe that is what Christ would want us to do.

Every religion has their thieves. This is no different today than in the days of Christ. But let's quit bickering about which church is Christian and which is not and get about doing what Christ would have us to do.

One of my favorite quotes is " I once read about a Man who went about doing good. It is most disconcerting to me to be just going about". Let's not just be going about, but let's go about doing some good.

In Ephesians 4:31-32 we read: Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

In Philippians 2:14 we read: Do all things without murmurings and disputings;

In Matthew 22:37-40 we read: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.


And last, but not least, we read in John:14:15 : "If ye love me, keep my commandments".

So the next time I read an anti-Mormon blog I am going to do two things: 1, Feel for the person who wrote the article and be Christ-like and say, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do" and 2, remember to love my neighbor as myself.

C.S. Lewis is a favorite author of mine, (and he is NOT a Mormon), and I like this quote by him: There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours..........Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses.

Also by him: You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.

So,let's remember to love one another and not find fault with each other. Let's go about doing good and help others than are in need. Then, and only then, can we call ourselves Christians. IMHO