Mortality and Morality- Part 2

Since I didn't get around to concluding this entry last night, I will try to finish it today.

I already touched on my thoughts concerning mortality, and the eternal nature of marriage. When I was much younger, half of my life ago actually, I had some very good friends who were members of the LDS church and spent some time attending services with them and investigating their faith. Although in the end, I decided that it was not for me, one tenament of their faith that I totally agreed with and hang on to even today: Marriage is Eternal and Families are Forever.

Isn't it awesome to think that family God has given us here on earth will be exactly the same in Heaven? That brings me such incredible comfort! It is because of this that I believe with all of my heart that when it is time for me to go, I will be joined by so many of my dearly loved family members on the other side.

Now there remains the question of morality, or what many refer to as "religion." This is a question I am asked about many times, as Rich and I are not regular church goers. Do we believe in God? Of course we do! We just don't agree with so many 'religious' doctrines and the hypocrisy that goes along with them. We do not agree with the masses of people who call themselves "Christians" and use that label to justify their behavior. Not to mention those who seem to believe that you can take scripture and twist it to mean whatever you want it to mean, another means of justification. Where is the personal and/or moral responsibility? It is yet another symptom of the sick world that we live in today.

I am raising my children with a very strong moral code. They know right from wrong, and they know God. They all accept Jesus as their personal savior, and they didn't have to go to church every week to achieve this. How is that possible? Simply, it is because we are raising our children with a solid belief system and showing them, through our actions each and every day that their Dad and I firmly believe in this moral code. Secondly, we confess to our children our past misdeeds when they ask. I tell them that they should save themselves until marriage, for example, because that is what God wants us to do and because it is what is right. Yet, the kids know that their Dad and I did not do that. Instead of it being "Do as I say, not as I do" in this household, it is "Learn from my mistakes." It is about taking responsibility for your actions, something that is seriously lacking in 21st century America.

This is turning into a rant, so I will wrap it up for today. I only got on this subject because I am so often asked about my faith.

A closing thought.... "Christian" means "Christ Like". Do you think that you live your life in a manner that He would approve of? WWJD? Do you strive to be more Christ Like each and every day? Or do you use your personal faith as a crutch, a tool to justify your behavior?
Something to ponder.