A Musing on 'Dogmatic Belief'

(If you read this I am not asking for any point-outs for grammar errors you find. I know I repeat myself. I go back in forth between tenses without consistency. I have ideas and thoughts and I ponder so much - more than I can contain. So, I have begun to make this place a more familiar outlet...read if you wish...comment if you wish...I ask of nothing, but I am open to anything...even if you want introduce a civilized argument...)


I believe before one writes and posts their work, and expects to receive helpful reviews, the writer owes it to the reviewer to first state his objective.

A simple list works: (i.e.) :

"I was very angry when I wrote this, so please omit any grammar errors - I just want to know how you felt when you read it - and if I clearly expressed the message to you."

OR even...

"This is an essay I wrote for History class. This is my draft [or final or whatever, just specify] and I need you to pick out the grammar errors." - If it is an essay for class and you really do want advice or comments because you desire an 'A' than specify the teacher's assignment (i.e. "a 3 page essay proving that Macbeth is a coward...etc" this way the reviewer has relevant tools to adequately address the very help you want.

OR...

"Any comment is welcome, what comes to mind when you read it?"

et cetera, et cetera...

...Why must I make a fuss about this? - Often times I comment people on their work. Rarely do I come across a writer that actually states, initially, what he was trying to do with it. If there is a goal, state it. If you write a rant while you are in a very agitated state and then post it for people to review, and DON'T want comments like: "you have run-ons here, here, and all throughout here - I'd recommend something like... You change tense too much it is very distracting...or even you spelled 'anger' wrong" etc, etc,

For writer's and the review's own benefit writers that want relevant input need to make it clear. This saves time for the writer and the reviews he receives should be more important and helpful. The reviewer doesn't waste time commenting what YOU take as an insult and he believes is helpful.

The majority my reviews were not liked, I've been told that "spelling doesn't matter because it was a rant" or "it's not suppose to make sense - DUH - I was half asleep when I wrote it!" ...etc "I rate your review of my story a ZERO, HA HA!"

How is a reviewer suppose to know that when you don't bother to state it? I review others how'd I like others to review me. Appreciate the reviewers time, appreciate the fact that you don't HAVE to receive such blasphemous reviews every time your creative-artistic, self-image is threatened; all you need to do is say so!
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-This is a slow rant, not anger, but more of a musing...Any or No Comment Welcome. I just slap ideas on here without too much care for impeccable grammar...It's just nice to know I write it all out and keep it somewhere for me and for anyone whose curious to read it...My tenses are shifty when I don't read it over...


What is God? I was raised Methodist, but only because my parents forced me. Supposedly God is good and Satan is bad. I was told there is a Hell were bad people go after they die. They are punished for eternity, or something like that, for being sinners. I learned God is forever forgiving, or was I told that.

My father grew up Mormon. It's 'evil' to do a lot of things. No caffeine, for one. Questioning the text, or doubting, the words of this book called "Holy Bible" is evil. "The Bible Tells Me So!" Many religious leaders think this way. Many believe entirely in this system of good and bad. And I am not criticizing their beliefs or your's.

What I question is, why questioning the lord, the bible, or anything the 'holy scriptures' and preachers, or sermons tells us, EVIL? OR maybe not even evil, WHY believe it WITHOUT questioning it?

Why MUST you believe it if YOUR minister tells you?

God did not write the Bible - People wrote the Bible... over two thousand years ago... Did you know it was the Roman Catholic Church that put the books together? Did you also know that a fair portion of books were written in addition to the ones in your 'bible' that they omitted because it would gave given the people too much power? They manipulated many stories to ensure none of what this 'holy bible' will threaten their power. It worked well.

It was also translated into thousands of different languages passed on from different christian regions and passed down, and as more translations were made it was manipulated more...unfortunately most christian churches throughout history, and sadly, still today because of the fear they instill and those that conform...what an excellent way to get money? What an excellent way to control people? You sure don't want to go to hell...I'm feel horrible for you Mormons, I feel your pain, but unfortunately you are most likely too brain-washed and conditioned to think for yourself...because you've been told it's GOD's work (your mission). And if you question why...? It's Satan tempting you. You must go convert MORE people...to SAVE them, so those poor brothers and sisters don't go to HELL...

God gave you free will and a brain. WHY then must you listen to a MAN tell you what God is? Do you ever question HIS word? HOW do you know HE is doing God's work? Because he knows the Bible? Because he sit on a stand and tell you what to believe BUT IF YOU DON'T...

...I do not proclaim that all Mormons or Christian churches work in this fashion by any means... I think we have been given free will to find out on our own, not free will to "obey" what mere human-beings tells us is god and what he wants, and not many seem to stop and question the validity of this holy book called the bible that was written by man, where evil presides, not god.

If I were to tell you that Judas did NOT betray Jesus and that they are/were in fact very good friends, for your very religious Christians, WATCH the reaction you feel and ask yourself WHY? "Because the Bible tells me"? Ask yourself who wrote it. God sure did not...How do you REALLY know? Does it NOT say in the Bible to beware of FALSE prophets? Does it NOT say there will be many? Is that not mentioned in Revelations?

Now think about this: if Satan, anti-Christ, evil, whatever you want to call it is behind the workings of false prophets and with HOW many different religions on this Earth? And some actually have the NERVE and the IGNORANCE to claim that His/Her religion is the RIGHT one? What does not sound evil about any of this?

Humans by nature cling to groups to gain a sense of security. This is a primitive fact and well burrowed deep within the human psyche just like the "fight or flight" phenomena - this too has survival benefits, or did at least, if you were not accepted among the group you were likely to die soon without help to gather food and share shelter. Naturally the ego/mind incorporated this into a habit, a survival instinct over time, and guess what, after thousands of years this very instinct has remained wired into our own psyche to this day.

What are churches real good at? Make you feel guilty for not coming. How? Because you're conditioned to tell yourself, "Because if I don't I am more likely going to hell."

It has the nice opposite benefit too though. Because since this need to cling to a group is so strong you are ACCEPTED when you attend, or give money, or SPREAD the word! What's going on here? Who exactly is proud of you? God?? OR, those that tell me that God is pleased?...who cares! You are accepted among a group! (But you are told it is GOD accepting you, GOD is proud, GOD sure loves your money!)

Again - I am not proclaiming that churches are all 'bad' or anyone who believes in god is a moron or that my exaggerated portrayals of Christians is in fact true. I actually believe that churches do hold a lot of goodness to them.

My point, however, is that if you believe in any Dogma or God ask yourself why you believe it? God gave you the ability to make choices - he gave you free will. If it is a sin among your church to question the validity of God or what the Bible says, than this "God" they tell you about must not be very understanding or forgiving...but just because one can hold a bible, speak to a church, and say the word "god" does not mean you HAVE accept this MAN's word. You become a slave to their ability, many times, to cleverly stick in whatever words like "god", "satan", "hell","jesus", however subtle (and many times the teachers are not even conscious of it - they are only acting on what THEY were TOLD to teach...trace it back to the roots and you still end up with human beings with the same human brain we have today.