Saturday, December 19, 2009

Time To Start Weaning Ourselves

In studying the history of the people of the world, I have learned that liberalism, once it infects a society, will almost always take over until it proves the final destruction of a society.

I have been spending time on a phone bank making calls to generate money for the pro-life campaign. I have been reading about some of the bills in Congress, and how the democrats are trying to conceal their true intentions until it is too late to turn back. The liberal leadership appeals to the more depraved intellectual side of people to make their argument. Despite my efforts and the will of the people in this country, I believe that the pro-abortion crowd will eventually win the day.

The gay-marriage activists will not stop in their attempts to homo-sexualize our nation. Recent defeats in elections are a delay for them, not a defeat. Congress is poised to help them in their fight. Despite the efforts of the majority and the will of the people in this country, I believe that the gay-marriage crowd will win the day.

The liberals are trying to censor conservative speech. The 'fairness doctrine' is not dead; it has simply been put on the back burner in deference to the health reform bill and the freedom of choice (selfish-death) act. The mainstream media already censors conservative speech, refusing to broadcast conservative messages to the public, resulting in a mis-informed (more accurately 'deceived and lied-to') society. Despite truth and the will of the people, I believe that those who wish to silence their conservative opposition will win the day.

Hollywood and internet smut peddlers wish to turn our nation into a European-style wasteland where primetime pornography is acceptable in family media, and where all censorship is eliminated. Despite the family values of the majority and the will of the people, I believe those who promote perversion will win the day.

Because of these segmented victories by the corrupt in our nation, it is becoming increasingly difficult to exist IN the world and not be OF the world. It will soon become impossible. Because of this, I believe it is time that we begin 'weaning' ourselves from the mainstream society. The day may soon come where the prophet of the Lord will tell us to get rid of our televisions, and to filter our internet access to church-approved-only sites. Will we be ready for this? I believe the answer is much like the answer to the question: If you were asked to begin today living only on your food storage, could you do it? Perhaps this should be two questions: Could you, and Would you? If not, it is time to get conditioned to be able to. Perhaps the answer is that you aren't accustomed to living on wheat flour instead of white flour. Get used to it. Perhaps you don't have any chocolate or soda pop saved up. Get some or get used to doing without. Perhaps you have not obtained a food storage. Repent and get one. I believe those who have not heeded the warnings of our prophets with both be sorry for their disobedience (whether hungry, begging, or whatever) and embarrassed for their lack of faith.

We will be asked, if not required by the circumstances, to live apart from the rest of the world as much as possible. Will we be ready? That will require preparation. Will we be willing? That will require faith. We must have both. Time to take inventory of these, and start weaning ourselves from the world.

13 comments:

Jeannetta said...

Amen! Thanks for your voice.

Mach Momma said...

What you posted wasn't anything we haven't heard or thought of before. But the way you phrased it, was the way we all needed to hear it. Thank you for turning on a different light in the room.
I do not fear for myself as much as I fear for my children. They will have to tread through the sludge.
I have done my best to equip them with the tools necessary, but the adversary fights a dirty fight. doesn't he.

Unknown said...

While I applaud your enthusiasm for being prepared for the coming, I must say that not all of the bible is being taken into your heart. You speak of politics, and gays, and everything else as if you have the right to judge. It is our job to help people understand a better way, but their own task to decide. As much as it might hurt sometimes to watch our fellow man fall in to the ways of error, it is not our place to enforce correctness, or condemn them for their choices. Not unless you feel that you are more god like than you really are. The best we can do is teach others, especially our children, why morals and values are important. Especially in today's society.

Rick Carpenter said...

Kari, I appreciate your desire to maintain balance. However, please understand the difference between judging people and judging their actions. None of what I said here was derogatory toward any particular people. Using the terms "pro-abortion crown", "gay marriage activists" or "liberals" is not derogatory. These are the same terms they use to describe themselves. Nevertheless, I can, and should, identify evil or destructive actions and influences when I see them. To fail to do so is liberalism itself, and could lead to the kind of desensitization that eventually causes people to embrace such activity. It's no different that recognize drug abuse or alcoholism as bad. In no way do I intend to judge individuals. I realize that people like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are children of God and will have an opportunity to hear the Gospel and be saved. That's not my business, but identifying and fighting their destructive actions is very much my business, and everyone else's.

Maryquilter said...

As an active Latter-Day-Saint who believes in studying and praying and being lead by the Spirit in my social and political decisions- and a member of the democratic party, I resent the over generalization of your comments which would lead one to believe that all Democrats or liberals are evil and planning to ruin our country. I am as patriotic as the next person and get tired of the right wing tirades which make it seem as though one cannot be a patriotic Democrat or cannot be patriotic and disagree with some of the wars we have involved ourselves in. Our last bishop in our ward is a long-time Democrat and ran for the House of Representatives. He is an awesome spiritual leader in our community, and believes in studying the issues and then voting according to where the Spirit leads you, whether that be to support a Republican idea or a Democratic idea. Many in our area did not vote for him because they said it is impossible to vote your conscience like that. Well I have been doing that for many years. Your over-generalized spewing of conservative ideas and ideals makes me sad.

Rick Carpenter said...

Well Nana Mary, you should read the post more carefully than you did before criticiziing it. I mentioned democrats ONLY ONCE, yet you say I have over-generalized them. This is clearly wrong. Further, a correct in-context reading would be clear that I referred to democratic leadership, not the citizenry such as yourself. Regarding LDS democrats, sure, there are and have been plenty of them. President James E. Faust, among others, was a staunch democrat. That's fine, I actually find myself respecting much of what they stand for as a people, but not as a congress. Further, my statements about liberals are kept separate from democrats in this post for the exact reasons why you got offended, and erroneously so. I did not connect the two. I think what has been revealed here has more to do with your own hyper-sensitivity with your affiliation than with what I wrote. I do not over-generalize radical liberals, that is impossible. They are, in fact, ruining our country, as prophecy, both in the Bible and the LDS scriptures, have prophesied. I respect your right to be democrat. I don't fault that, but be more careful before getting offended over things I did not say.

Unknown said...

I actually hate it when people bring up right and left when it comes to politics. For not too many years ago, the ideals of each group were the other way around, and they slowly changed places. There is a saying that goes something like, "Choose your enemies wisely, for they will become like you. As well as one day, you will become like them." And in no place is it truer than in with the "left" and "right" of America. The way I like to live when it comes to my country, is that there is no right and left, there is only right and wrong.

Rick Carpenter said...

Kari, I must disagree with you. While I respect and personally empathize with your dislike of partisan politics - I also dislike the partisanship - it is necessary to identify the differences between good and evil. You are right about that point - whether we call it right or left, it really does come down to good and evil, especially for people who are members of this church.
The terms 'right' and 'left' are metaphors for the House of Representatives. The Republicans sit on the right side of the room, and the Democrats sit on the left. They also traditionally have their offices in the 'left wing' or 'right wing' of the capitol building. The terms no longer represent the political parties as much as they do idealogical, political and moral philosophies. As Nana Mary implied in her post, democrats often get mis-labeled with the evils of liberalism, which I agree with.
Now for the disagreement - The parties were never reversed, to my knowledge - let's not mistake 'progressive' for progress. The democrats in history have espoused political and social views that were not progressive. Democrats were traditionally slave owners from the south. They were the ones who, in the sixties and early seventies, fought racial equality. The democrats introduced socialism into this country through social security, medicare and medicaid, and our welfare system, all of which are corrupt and abused by many legislators and users. America's elderly were fine before Social security and medicare, they were still taken care of. The poor were still fed before the welfare state we have. The difference is that they actually tried to get off welfare because the proper incentives were in place. The 'right wing' of Congress never espoused these views, and therefore never traded places. The republicans want smaller government, not a socialist state full of entitlement programs.
The other problem, and the one that this post was aimed at, are the moral issues that the left are fighting. The 'right' has never supported the erosion of moral values the way the left does. The conservative right believes in traditional values that are proven to work and to protect stability in our society. That takes discipline, which the 'left' continually tries to weaken and excuse.
Bottom line, we cannot lose sight of the good and evil that is the battle between left and right. The day we lose sight of that is the day we lose our values.

Unknown said...

I wonder if Jesus was in Congress, if he would support a bill that would provide health care for all, even the poor who can't afford it, or if he would say that those people should take care of themselves because everyone else shouldn't have to worry about them?

What does it mean to be Christian if we aren't acting like Christ would act?

Rick Carpenter said...

I think Christ would tell us to have faith in Him, not in the broken and corrupted welfare and health care systems. He can heal us and help us, where the system cannot. It's all a matter of faith.

Unknown said...

So there is no need for any hospitals in Utah then? The Saints should have faith and be healed?

Let's be realistic. The problem with the US health care system is that it is profit driven. Health insurers charge far more in premiums than they pay out to those who need health care. The difference is their profit.

Hospitals over charge because their primary goal is profit, not health care. Some "services" should not be provided by private companies whose primary goal is to reduce costs and increase profit.

Can you imagine the Good Samaritan asking the Jewish traveler lying in the gutter for some money before he gives first aid. This is what you are advocating, and it's not Christ-like at all.

Rick Carpenter said...

You apparently don't understand what I am saying. I am not advocating any such thing. I have no idea where you came up with that notion. I can take it a step further by telling you that the federal government is so intent on protecting healthcare profits that they prohibit any alternative or natural treatments to cancer that don't funnel billions of dollars into MRI research, drug remedies, and the like.

And as far as there being hospitals in Utah, I said it's time to START weaning ourselves. We're not there yet.

Unknown said...

I doubt very much that a Mormon with your attitude to health care would act like that Samaritan.

Strange considering Joseph Smith's ideology that Mormons today have the attitude of 'every man for themselves'.

Isn't the funding you are talking about research? That's essential for health care of diseases with low incidences or those diseases suffered in the third world. Drug companies tend to ignore many diseases in favor of researching conditions such as erectile dysfunction which has a more lucrative return. Government research funding aims at lesser known diseases or diseases where those suffering can't contribute to huge profits. Malaria is a case in point. The rich countries have no need of malaria vaccines, so there is little research on this disease which kills the most people.

Private health insurance is the problem in the US. If the government ran health care as a non profit operation, the amount of tax dollars needed would be less than current premiums.