Losing "The Sea of Faith"

"The Sea of Faith/Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore/Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled…” Montag reads to the women in his parlor. None of them like it, but Mrs. Phelps is stricken with such sorrow that she breaks down in tears. Why does she, a grown woman, cry? Bradbury does not explicitly state why, but it can be understood, given the society in which she lives. In this society, fun is the goal of everything. Anything which is unenjoyable is frowned upon and shunned. Bradbury also gives us some insight into Mrs. Phelps’ personal history. She divorced her first husband, but must pretend that divorce is a fun and easy switch to another guy. The second died, but she mustn’t grieve because where grief exists pleasure does not. She and her third husband agree not to truly love each other, and not to cry if he dies in the war. Surely it is impossible to maintain a ‘sea of faith’ amid these circumstances. Surely this woman, with her dozen abortions, has come to the conclusion that the world “hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light”, as Montag read. So this woman weeps for her husbands. She weeps for her children killed in the womb. She weeps for the death of the dreams she never really had to begin with. This poem, though constructed of mere words, was more for Mrs. Phelps; it was the awakening of a long-sleeping grief.

Neither Good Nor Evil

History and personal experience both show that although humanity as a whole is not evil, every man is to some degree corrupt. Every man is born with flaws that are an inherent part of his mortal nature. Although these flaws may change in time and in manifestation they never entirely fade away. Every man chooses what to do with the personality given him, but even making mostly good choices doesn't make him, in the most perfect sense, good. This is written into society's core.
No man has ever achieved perfection, either of sin or of virtue. This proves two things:  man is not by nature evil, but he is not either by nature good. Everybody does good things which an evil man would not do, and everybody does evil things which a good man would not do. Nothing has the tendency towards that which is its opposite in nature. Therefore, if we were by nature good or evil we would only do those things which are good or evil.
This is also illustrated by the existence of laws that men put into effect. We make rules to keep us from doing wrong, with punishments put into place to give further incentive away from breaking these rules. If men were inherently good then we wouldn't even imagine a need for these laws. Why would a good people need to be encouraged not to do bad things? Why would there be codes against theft, rape, murder, and other crimes? The making of a society tells much about the people who are a part of that society. Since every group of people has these laws, it is reasonable to assume that all people are in some way inclined to do evil, even though the making of these laws also shows that we care about doing good.
The choices people make reveal who they are. At every moment we gave the opportunity to decide what to do, and thus choose who we are. We are constantly shaped by the decisions we make rather than by our nature. It isn't the result of blind fate. Because it is impossible to deny that we are free to choose, it is impossible to say that we are inherently good or evil. Every man's nature is inclined simply towards what he chooses at any moment.
So, are men inherently good? No. Humanity is sadly flawed. However, that doesn't mean that man is doomed to villainy. What this means is that every man and every woman can always change and improve and throw off old patterns and the old nature. We choose our own fate. We choose our own doom. We choose our own destiny.

When Jokes Go Wrong

As I have grown up I have become a much more relaxed person in general (as hard as that might be for some of you to believe). But some things I still get so incredibly angry about, and among these things are jokes.
Friends, any attempt to be humorous through degrading and bringing down others is going to fail. Making fun of and grossly dehumanizing Muslims is not charming and witty, but wrong. Mocking men and trying to generalize them into one super gross and helpless group is wrong. Being sarcastic and making somebody else feel little for the sake of a laugh is, once again, wrong.
Excusing blatant arrogance, ignorance, and bigotry under the guise of joking is despicable and reveals nothing other than a small mind and weak character. Sometimes it happens, because everybody is imperfect and we are in fact all small and weak in some ways. But please, refrain from this. Because I know you're better than that. You can be funny and express your views while being kind and actually trying to think through issues like an intelligent human being instead of somebody who is so threatened by differences that you have to resort to crude attempts at jokes to make yourself feel better. Be better.

It seems like every day I learn more and there is more conflict between my ideals and my reality.
I would love to believe that statesmen must always hold true and firm to their own personal moral code and stubbornly refuse to give in even one little bit to anything less than shining. But they can't. And they shouldn't.
I would like to believe that everybody can and will cheerfully overcome anything if just given a chance and some encouragement. But they won't. Because not everything is black and white and life isn't a movie where everything ends up happy and all it takes is a little song to make everything better.
I want to know that I can be friends with everyone, and that I can be a support and a help for everyone I meet. But that doesn't happen. Because sometimes people don't like me and other times I simply don't rise up to be a goddess of love and perfection and beauty who shines radiantly upon the whole earth.
I have always believed that there is one way to approach life and that that way is the one I particularly subscribe to. But I know better. There are so many ways and views towards life and I am just one lonely human being trying my best to figure it out.
Things change. I find myself saddened by how much I have changed. But it is a part of growing up and I would not wish to go back to the way I used to view things. Because I want to see things as they are, not as I would like them to be.

What Would Jesus Do

So many Christians use Jesus to justify their standards that really have nothing to do with how Jesus lived.
Read the Bible. Read the Book of Mormon. Both books focus on the life of Jesus Christ and his works. Think really carefully about how they describe him.

Can you think of any verses like this?

"Now, the Son of Man walked into the mall, and he beheld a sick tank top, and he fleeth the temptation to reveal his shoulders"

"Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, 'Verily, thou must shun all discourse on sciences, particularly theories of evolution, which thing is abominable above all else.'"

"The Holy One of Israel entered into the city, and he saw that there were many among them which were rocking out and he wept for their music, for their hearts were sinful."

No.

There are no scriptures like that.


Jesus served. He focused on the things that were important. You know, like saving mankind.

Do we want to be so absorbed in what we're wearing that we cannot focus on who we can serve? Do we want to be so afraid of introducing doubt that we refuse to learn and discuss anything? Do we want to be so busy worrying about such small things that we ultimately lose sight of God's grace and his missions for us as individuals?

No.

Please. Stop being so concerned about these things and be more concerned about the things of God.

Putting Duty First

The choice to be a statesman is the choice to put your civic duties above your own personal feelings and religious persuasions. There is an admirable element to the story of the man or woman who fights with all their might to make their nation live more virtuous lives, courageously refusing to bend on anything. Mostly, though, this is a foolish and unworthy way to serve.

In order to run smoothly a country needs its officers to be doing what they have agreed to do. Everybody is assigned a job, and is expected to do their best to fulfill it. Just as a family must have parents and children doing their jobs to run effectively, a government must have all different levels fulfilling their assigned responsibilities. Everybody pulling different directions based merely on their own definitions of morality will tear apart an organization and result in basic functions being left undone.

Compromise is key to all discussions, especially on a large, governmental scale. If every person feels justified in being rigid in their personal beliefs compromise is impossible. The great innovations that could have been realized never come into existence. When people are blinded by their need to justify their own position they are not looking for improvements that could be made in the system.

Statesmanship is (most of the time) a choice. If the duties you receive as a formal leader violate your own religious convictions, you need to resign and let somebody else take on your capacity. This year the United States federal government legalized same-sex marriage. This decision, regardless of personal opinions, needs to be upheld by officers all over the nation. However, recently Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite the official legality. She could have just resigned, but chose to utterly defy her duties and responsibilities instead. This action should be condemned.

On a personal, individual level each human on this earth should hold tightly to their beliefs. Nothing is more admirable than an ethical, courageous individual who refuses to let go of their religious convictions. But to be a statesman is to be something more. It is to be a moral person who also has the strength to sacrifice pushing his will on others for the good of the nation.

Choosing True Love

To love is not to possess. The type of love that is jealous misses the point. If one has to be afraid that their love is going to die because of some outside influence, this love is lacking.
Can any love truly be called that which is not built on trust?
If you cannot handle your friend being close with somebody else, maybe that person shouldn't be your friend. Or you can take a deep breath and release that jealousy.
If you are constantly suspecting your significant other of cheating on you, maybe you need to take some space and re-evaluate. Maybe you need to choose trust. Talk with him/her, yes. But trust. Communicate from a place of love and faith.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear..."
1 John 4:18

Choose not to fear. Choose to love so much that fear has no room in you. Fill yourself with light.