September 1, 2012

What's Hell Like for Mormons? (Slate)

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/explainer/2012/01/what_do_mormons_like_mitt_romney_believe_about_heaven_and_hell_.html



In his convention speech last night, Mitt Romney joked that he didn’t ask his church to invest in Bain Capital because he didn’t want to go to hell if the company failed. But did he mean the “telestial kingdom” or the “outer darkness”? Earlier this year, Forrest Wickman explored the different levels of Mormon heaven and hell, as well the theological principles behind them. His original article is printed below.

Asked for the first thing he would do as president if informed of Fidel Castro’s death, Mitt Romney said that he would "thank heavens that Fidel Castro has returned to his maker and will be sent to another land." What are Mormon heaven and hell like?

There are three heavens and one hell. The three heavens are ranked from most holy to least by their “degrees of glory." The celestial kingdom is the most desirable, and serves as the destination for all those who accept Jesus, are baptized within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (whether before or after death), and remain faithful throughout their lives. People who die before the age of 8, when Mormons are baptized, also go to the celestial kingdom. The next most desirable heaven is called the terrestrial kingdom, which holds all those who don’t fully accept Jesus on Earth, but who are basically good people and accept him after death. The telestial kingdom is for those who never truly accept Jesus, and includes murderers, as well as “liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.” These unbelievers must first suffer for their sins, but eventually end up in a blissful place “surpassing the great understanding of men.”

If you don't get into the one of the three heavens, you're consigned in death to a place called “outer darkness.” This is reserved only for those who have God revealed to them and then deny Him anyway. While the residents of the telestial kingdom are thought to be “as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore,” few are bound for outer darkness. These include Cain, Satan, and anyone who joined up with the devil before the creation of the Earth. LDS founder Joseph Smith is supposed to have compared this unpardonable sin to “say[ing] that the sun does not shine while he sees it.” more at link

August 31, 2012

TAXY TOONS redux... please help gather them all in one place

PRESENTING.....




















(Thanks and credit to the creators whose name(s) I don't know.
I've probably overlooked some, so please add to the trove
and/or make some more. They would zoom around Facebook
faster than a lightning strike.

August 28, 2012

we live in a wondrous age, that such a goon has been hailed.

dearest all mighty dog
teach us how to be like you
with your unchanging compassion
and loyalty, your patient
ability to recognize bad people
and all knowing when to bite them.

August 26, 2012

I think they are trying a Sarah Palin campaign strategy.

Sarah Version:

Obama says something about people clinging to guns and religion.

Sarah says: Damn Tootin we do!
We love our guns and our Jesus and we're proud of it!
Media & Base Go Wild.


Mitt Version:

Obama says something about the wealthy paying fair share,
not hiding money overseas.

Mitt says "Damn Tootin I'm RICH and hide my money overseas
and it's legal and that's why you can trust me!!"
Media & Base: ?

August 22, 2012

How do Paul Ryan, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and others feel about

Mitt Romney making a profit -- any profit -- from the
disposal of aborted fetuses?

Michelle Bachman? Neal Horsey? Todd Akin? Anybody?

August 15, 2012

Two Wild & Crazy Guys

August 14, 2012

WHEN IS TAXY the TAX RETURNS RETURNING?

TAX-Y! USA! TAX-Y! USA! TAX-Y! USA! TAX-Y! USA!

August 6, 2012

when booze helps a person quit worrying

and for a while they love everybody they see, and tell them so; and they want to do good; there's a beautiful radiance coming out of that drunkard's heart, and if that's not God, I don't know what is.

It's only a temporary glimpse and often has deadly consequences to the body & brain. But if only that body could understand: it's not the booze, it's the love they want, the very love inside their own hearts. It's color and joy they are looking for, a three-dimensional life, and tears, release; not really the booze.

July 21, 2012

for me personally it is about integrity.

Integrity leads to wisdom,
wisdom leads to good decisions and good counsel,
though it doesn't promise mistakes won't be made.
Integrity requires you keep your conscience clean.

Romney is a liar, period. This ability to travel the nation
spewing outright lies and distortions, which he probably
hasn't even thought up himself, is a distinct sign of a
man operating with little or no integrity. period. For me
it's as simple as that. Your associates staying home from
the vote will help keep Cheat & Deceit in power.. don't
let them do it.

I perceive Obama as a man of great integrity & conscience.
None of us knows a tenth of what he must deal with daily.
But his example, in my opinion, is going to have a lasting
effect and he deserves four more years. I'm looking forward
and extremely hopeful.

July 21, 2012

I don't have links for you but

everything you're requesting shows up here every day on DU,
or almost every day, sometimes in such abundance there's no
time to click on even a tenth of the articles.

So if you aren't spending much time here lately, it might be a
timely time to spend more. You don't have to offer caveats
for your politics I don't think -- if you're just interested in
gaining information, not here to debate -- best wishes.