A Curious Instrument

Consider an alternate interpretation of the Fifth Commandment: Exodus 20:12 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. I often add a word to answer those who take the common step toward hating their parents:  Bring honor to your father and mother.  I was concerned that common interpretation of this commandment puts the child over their parent in being the judge of the honorable-ness of parents. Our behavior reflects on how we are raised - if we don't honor our parents, have we not been taught to not render them honor?  It is far more important to have the Lord praise you than to worry much about the praise of our parents, though they can often be complementary. My various family members have been religiously critical of me over time and if I spent a lot of time trying to "honor" their wishes, I would likely have walked away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the concepts of a physica...

For the last few years, I have been given the lofty title of "professor" at Eastern New Mexico University and led a college-level course in Information Technology Management. You might find my choice of wording strange, but it more accurately reflects how I tend to approach the learning process and what it is meant to accomplish. Some guiding principles in teaching and learning that I find universally applicable: Being Productive rather than Consumptive When you see a need (market opportunity), your tendency should be to create a new solution to address that need, rather than only complaining and waiting for someone else to address it for you.  This applies to curriculum creation, learning opportunities, entrepreneurship, parenting - basically any facet of life. I encourage those taking my courses to produce work that is worthy of publication in a professional journal or blog.  There is little sense in spending time writing a paper that only one person will ever read...

Here is another "judgment" situation, essentially testing what we will do with the stewardship that God gives us in life. We are certainly tasked with caring for the poor and using the resources that we are blessed with to improve their lot.  Isaiah 3:14-15 14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts. Perhaps this is about conspicuous opulence, taking the richness of the land and leaving nothing for others to glean. The things meant for the poor are found in the houses (and bank accounts) of the rich. Although I am not a fan of persecuting billionaires for not enriching their employees like so many do, I can say that those who "have" will be blessed for helping those who "have not".

I see massive utility in exploring what different groups have to say about certain scriptures. I am reading the "Rational Bible" commentary written by Dennis Prager, a very public Jew.   Dennis Prager's  The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy I find my understanding of the Ten Commandments expanded far beyond the kiddie church treatment given it by much of Christendom. The version that I provide here is from the accusation of the prophet Abinadi before the wicked priests of King Noah: Mosiah 13 :15 15 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. When I was a child and was taught about the Ten Commandments, "take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" was translated into swearing and shouting "Jesus Christ" if you hit your hand with a hammer. It was among my first lessons in self-control, sometimes seemingly barely learned. I don't ever remember being taught about that last ...

Have you been noticing more interesting people standing for public office? Isaiah saw it and made some predictions.  Isaiah 3:4-5 4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient , and the base against the honourable. I think we have seen a lot of oppression generated by "do-gooders", which I studied in college and my first several jobs employed me to doing. I had female colleagues and bosses, often of the "social justice" variety. Very nice people until you cross them, which I was smart enough to avoid doing as a younger man.   Isaiah 3:12 12 ¶ As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. I have seen more and more people (mostly men) be totally destroyed in the n...

There are a growing group of people who flaunt their perverse sins. Isaiah 3:9 9 ¶ The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.  In doing this, they "reward evil unto themselves".  Perverse actions sound magnified when they are celebrated openly. What is notable beyond the actions that God forbids ("sin as Sodom") is the trumpeting of their sins ("declaring", "they hide it not"), which is described as reward[ing] evil unto themselves. God doesn't need to immediately punish this behavior, the person doing it convicts themselves, like pleading "guilty as charged" to a judge. Repentance is available to these people as with anyone else, though change for the better is still required alongside a denunciation of their flaunted perversions. There is a way back to righteousness! 

This is more of Isaiah letting everyone know that they will ultimately (and not so ultimately) get returned to you what you do. Isaiah 3:9-11 9 ¶ The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom , they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. 10 Say ye to the righteous , that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe unto the wicked ! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.  Sometimes, we concentrate on the bad side of our doings, but Isaiah is good to say that as we are righteous, we will have good things come to us. Rewards and justice are indeed two-edged!