My Soapbox

I have never been able to muster the indignation that so many people have about the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mainly because it is simply nothing more than a socialist indoctrination tool. There is absolutely nothing patriotic about it. It was written by a socialist in 1892 and did not even have those words in it. They did not appear until the 1950's and was officially put in in 1954. Here is the pledge in its different variations. 1892 “I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” 1892 - 1923 "I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." 1923-1924   "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." 1924-1954 "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the...

I have a friend that is a teacher. He just got his contract and it was, to say the least, horrifyingly useless. He then said something about the legislature of his state and their attitude toward education. He said he felt that they see education as some kind of socialist agenda. I thought about making a post but did not want to create such a debate in that particular forum. Perhaps I should have. Let me address the issue here and share my thoughts. Education is NOT on the socialist agenda. That would defeat their purpose. The public school system on the other hand IS on the socialist agenda. Public schools are nothing more than training centers for future workers. Their service shall be to the state and the elite running it. Therefore, it is in their best interest that children receive the most minimum amount of education possible. Through so called laws they have managed to do just that. Making it impossible for teachers to teach and children to learn. Nonsense, some will say. Un...

In a previous post not too long ago I said I would be starting a new blog. This I have done. It is ZionQuest for all of those seeking to know of Zion. I had a friend suggest I start a newsletter and I felt it would be good to start with a blog and go from there. I could turn into a community with forums and all. I am hoping on this blog to share what I know and in turn be able to have others share what they know. In this way we can all increase our knowledge and understanding of the principles and subject which is Zion. http://zionquest.blogspot.com

Sex is one of my favorite subjects. I find the attitude towards sex and sexual activity in general fascinating. I have a couple of books on sexual ethics in the Bible which provide an interesting historical and religious context. To me sex is a wonderful thing. A gift to us as children of God. I think it is beautiful and when engaged in by two individuals can even be a spiritual thing. When there are feelings of love and commitment between the parties involved it takes on a greater purpose than procreation or pleasure but the bonding of those involved making the two individuals one. However, I find the general attitude about sex is that it is dirty, nasty, immoral. Indeed it can be due to the mind and hand of man which has found ways to pervert and corrupt such a beautiful act. Often when the subject of immorality comes up everyone starts thinking along the lines of sexual immorality. I feel that such a thing runs amiss of the point. Though sexual immorality may be rampant there are ...

Many people choose to avoid the subjects of politics and religion. Others try to keep them separate. The problem with that is that they often go hand in hand and sometimes are one and the same. Religion is a set of professed beliefs that are ones lifestyle. The tenets of the religion govern the lives of those involved in it. Politics does the same thing. Government should be preserving the individual rights, liberties, and freedoms of people to live their religion.  Religion should also be preserving the rights, freedoms, and liberties of the people that they may be the best they can be, so they may continue to learn and grow as individuals and still be able to contribute to a community, if they so desire. Amazingly, whether we profess one or not, everybody has a religion. Even politics can become a religion to some. To try and keep them separate in our lives is nigh unto impossible. They both do the same things in our lives. It is best they be in agreement.

I started this blog so I would have someplace I could write about the things that concern me. Share a point of view. Possibly get feedback whether negative or positive about what I post. Maybe even start a dialogue. I haven't been as good at it as I had hoped or planned. That is why I called it jeremy's-soapbox. It was to be a place I could post an opinion. This morning the thought occurred to me I should have called it Principles To Live By. However, that would have narrowed the scope of what I could or would talk about. So what am I going to do. Start another blog. It will be about principles to live by, the principles of Zion. These principles are principles I desire to explore and learn more about. I am hoping those interested in this subject will come and read and respond to what is said and together we may come to a more perfect understanding of what Zion is and more importantly how to establish it, in our hearts, in our homes and in our society. When I get it going I wil...

One of the most important and greatest gifts given to the family of man is the gift of agency. Agency is the ability to choose for ourselves how best to live our lives. This means we can pretty much do what we want, how we want, why we want, when we want. The exceptions are simple. We must avoid doing anything that is harmful to another or takes a away their agency. Those things are also few and simple to understand. When anyone or anything does or promotes acts that infringe on individual agency error has occurred and must be corrected. Without agency we are nothing more than mere automatons, mere slaves to another will. When we respect the agency of others we all can live in peace, prosper and grow as individuals and communities. It is such a simple thing yet so hard for many to understand.

Let us agree to disagree. Someone said this to me recently. Unfortunately, it has a fatal flaw. It is this, there is truth which is absolute and there is what is right. When we agree to disagree we do not come together as we should reasoning with one another to discover the truth that is right. It keeps schisms and discontent from being resolved. It separates instead of being reparative bringing the parties together in a state of unity and accord one with another. To my mind the person saying such a thing simply does not want to know if they have truth and right on their side. Why would one not want to know the truth? Why would one not want to be in a state of unity with another? Are we that afraid of being wrong?

In the world today what do we work for? We work for money. We work for power, gain and control. We work to keep up with the neighbors, to get something better, to get more of whatever our heart is on. What should we work for? How about working to better the individual being by seeking greater attainments in education and developing the talents we are blessed with that they may benefit ourselves and other. Will we work without getting something for it? The worldly way of work teaches us we should get paid for our work. And most people will not work unless they are getting something for it. What we fail to realize is that working because we enjoy it without any thought of reward brings rewards. Work brings its own reward. Imagine a society where the work was the improvement of the mind, the increasing of intelligence, the application of wisdom. Where one could develop the talents they have and then develop some more. As we work in this manner all that we need to live and sustain da...

As with good literature good art will evoke an  emotional response. I have a large piece of paper with scribbles on it that I just love. I know it is odd but it is so. My wife hates it. The word she used for it was hideous. It must be good art because it evokes an emotional response. Many years ago I read Lois Lowry's, "The Giver." I was riveted by the story and hated it. I read the whole thing through and have not been able to read any of the sequel stories to it. There are others I know that love that story. The point is it evoked an emotional response. Just because I did not like it did not make it bad literature. It is actually very good literature. Because my wife does not like the artwork does not mean it is bad. We all have different tastes but if there is an emotional response of some kind I am sure it is better than above average. If it captivates, enthralls, entrances it must be good. If it repulses, horrifies or aggravates it must be good. What makes art or lit...

I suffer from severe obstructive sleep apnea. (An apnea is what it is called when you momentarily stop breathing.) This was discovered this past September when I went in for a sleep study. The result was that I quit breathing 128 times an hour. It explained why I was feeling so awful all the time. When I sleep I quit breathing and my brain wakes me up just enough to restart the breathing process. As a result I am not getting enough oxygen because I quit breathing so much and I am not getting restful sleep because technically I am never fully asleep. What does this do? You try going for eight hours without air and no sleep every night and let me know how you feel. Sleep apnea causes uncontrollable weight gain, high blood pressure and depression. All of which I suffered from. It also complicates diabetes though it is not linked to it in any other way. Fortunately that was the only thing sleep apnea does that I was not experiencing the effects of.  I had suffered from this for many ye...

In reference to my previous post where I speak about my concern that pagan ritual has been wrapped up in Christian belief to make it acceptable to many more people. I was recently reading a paper that pointed out that Adam being the first man was given the word of God and he taught it to his posterity and when they began to go astray and formed their own religions they took aspects of what they had been taught and incorporated them. Though they had perverted the word and did atrocious things in the name of their religion the basic core beliefs came from a much earlier time in history. Thus an explanation of why so many  cultures and religions have similar stories, they all came from one original source. Perhaps the observances that people get in a dither over because they come from a pagan source need to be looked at more closely. Where did the pagans get them from?

I love the Lord Jesus Christ. All that I have learned and know of his life and teachings fills me with indescribable joy and inspiration. Through the ministering of the Holy Spirit I have felt his infinite love for me. Always at this time of year I am grateful for all he has done through his life, sacrifice and eternal atonement. However, I am also saddened because I increasingly find more and more information showing that a great deal of Christianity today is paganism wrapped in a Christian shroud. I want to know pure Christianity. I want to know what he taught when he was here. I want to know his word without it being altered by the hand of man for their own purposes. Fortunately, I know I can find it. Through revelation, the truth is open to us all. God the Father and the Savior want us to come to them. We can seek and we will find. So I move forward with unwavering faith in Christ because I know He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. At this time I wish you to know, that I know, ...

The reading I have been doing recently has brought me to the understanding that the pure in heart are those that seek not after worldly things. They seek for the things of God with full purpose of heart and mind. The pure in heart work not for gain or power but instead work for further light and knowledge. They work at things they enjoy, building up the world around them without any thought of reward or compensation. Indeed, their work is a joy to them and they take no thought for what to eat or what to wear knowing that God will provide for all of their needs. This is truly a worthy goal to aim for. I believe that is why God commanded us to do this very thing. The more I learn about living the law of the Celestial Kingdom the more I realize how simple it makes life and yet, also, more fulfilling. Regardless of what others may say, I believe it can be done in this life. It should be done in this life. It must be done in this life.