Oregon Standoff

[withwonderingawe]

Odd that the Book of Mormon would use the term 'church.' Church is derived from the Greek word Ecclesia. The Hebrew people didn't have churches.



That I can understand. But this kind of dualism makes me nervous. As Abdu'l-Baha said:


“Throughout past centuries each system of religious belief has boasted of its own superiority and excellence, abasing and scorning the validity of all others. Each has proclaimed its own belief as the light and all others as darkness. Religionists have considered the world of humanity as two trees: one divine and merciful, the other satanic; they themselves the branches, leaves and fruit of the divine tree and all others who differ from them in belief the product of the tree which is satanic. Therefore, sedition and warfare, bloodshed and strife have been continuous among them. The greatest cause of human alienation has been religion because each party has considered the belief of the other as anathema and deprived of the mercy of God.”

He went on to say:

"God is equally compassionate and kind to all the leaves, branches and fruit of this tree. Therefore, there is no satanic tree whatever-- Satan being a product of human minds and of instinctive human tendencies toward error. God alone is Creator, and all are creatures of His might. Therefore, we must love mankind as His creatures, realizing that all are growing upon the tree of His mercy, servants of His omnipotent will and manifestations of His good pleasure. Even though we find a defective branch or leaf upon this tree of humanity or an imperfect blossom, it, nevertheless, belongs to this tree and not to another. Therefore, it is our duty to protect and cultivate this tree until it reaches perfection. If we examine its fruit and find it imperfect, we must strive to make it perfect. There are souls in the human world who are ignorant; we must make them knowing. Some growing upon the tree are weak and ailing; we must assist them toward health and recovery. If they are as infants in development,
we must minister to them until they attain maturity. We should never detest and shun them as objectionable and unworthy. We must treat them with honor, respect and kindness; for God has created them and not Satan. They are not manifestations of the wrath of God but evidences of His divine favor. God, the Creator, has endowed them with physical, mental and spiritual qualities that they may seek to know and do His will; therefore, they are not objects of His wrath and condemnation. In brief, all humanity must be looked upon with love, kindness and respect; for what we behold in them are none other than the signs and traces of God Himself.”




c

[/QUOTE]

What other English word you have him use? Organization? There's the organization of the Lamb of God?

 

[smaneck]

My daughter and I looked at that several times over and it does appear he was reaching for a gun, if it is holstered on his left hip.

They found is a 9mm gun in his left pocket. I don't think it was holstered. However, he would not have had to have a gun in that pocket for it to be a 'good shoot.' If the FBI agent merely believed he was reaching for a gun he would have been legally justified in shooting him. Keep in mind that Lavoy had stated publicly that he would die before going to prison and that if anyone aimed at him he felt justified in shooting them.

It's a case of "He who lives by the sword dies by it."

 

[smaneck]

What other English word you have him use? Organization? There's the organization of the Lamb of God?[/QUOTE]

The word used in Hebrew usually gets translated as congregation.

 

[withwonderingawe]

What other English word you have him use? Organization? There's the organization of the Lamb of God?

The word used in Hebrew usually gets translated as congregation.[/QUOTE]

church sounds better

 

[smaneck]

It’s not that Skousen’s conservative views were wrong but that he manage to stir people’s feeling into contention. They would go beyond the mark. The Stake President sent out a guy to tell them to knock it off, this person told them if they kept going they would all end up in jail just like his brothers. The majority of the group took his words to heart and the group sort of fell apart.

You know those pocket Constitutions these guys always carry around in their pockets? Apparently that booklet doesn't just contain the Constitution but Skousen's annotations on it. That is where their bizarre interpretation that the federal government can't own any land comes from:
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/01/thi...tants-are-so-confused-about-the-constitution/

Don't know that they need to stress his Mormonism so much given the fact his ideas were picked up and influenced the likes of Glenn Beck, Ronald Reagan, etc.