Are we like Latter-Day Jews, looking beyond the mark?

What do I mean by that--"looking beyond the mark"?  And, how could Latter-Day Saints be guilty of something that the Savior condemned the Jews for doing?

Well, if we can imagine a path or a destination and we imagine somebody looking along the path, then looking "beyond the mark" might be anyone looking beyond the here&now or not focusing on the importance of the trail right in front of you.  Looking beyond the mark might be trying to focus on parts of the plan of salvation or the doctrine of the LDS church that is nothing that we can work on or contribute to right now.  LDS members might be guilty of this if we are:

• reading about things that are scriptural and something that we, as the church, will do in the future, but not right now (having spirit children, creating worlds, etc.);
• worried about the Second Coming of Christ and the minutia surrounding it that we, as the church, can't know;
• focusing on the Law of Consecration, Plural Marriage, the United Order, etc., and trying to implement them now, without any direction from the First Presidency of the church;
• looking at certain words or phrases in the scriptures and attributing to them certain meanings or interpretations that lead to other conclusions;
• taking a certain principle or idea and either focusing on one aspect of it, until the principle loses significance, or blowing the idea up until it envelopes other doctrine that it shouldn't;
• concluding that because a general authority has said, at some point, it means or supports some idea or doctrine that is strictly personal; or
• focused on "space doctrine" (what some may call "doctrine" but that doesn't concern us now in this life and is nothing that you hear from over the pulpit in General Conference--although maybe someone said something that hinted of it not in this lifetime or one may have blown the Savior's words out of context...).

If the answer is "yes" to any of these possible scenarios, then "YES," we are looking beyond the mark.

Can you think of any more ways to be "looking beyond the mark" that you want added to this list?

JPS

The problem with talking about religion at a state owned and run facility

Separation of church and state.  It's a delineated separation established in our constitution, but is it good or not?  I mean, what is the problem with talking about religion with co-workers?

Well, the problem is, as I see it, is not just that you could be fired, but more fundamental than that:

If there was not a separation between the state and churches, then the government would be able to dictate to churches and religions exactly what they can and cannot do.  If there was not a separation between church and state, then religion's beliefs, practices, ordinances, scriptures, and sacred rites would be at the mercy of the state and the federal government.  Or worse yet, they would be at the mercy of the voting population and the politicians that are elected!

However, if there was the trouble with the most populous churches lobbying for more power from the government, then it would ultimately come down to one church, or a state church.

What about the other side of the stated problem:

If there was not a separation between church and state, then the churches would...  well, the problem would be that the religions would...  nothing!

But, we might run into the same troubles as before about there might be with the churches vying for power and audience and following.

When it comes down to the final analysis, the framers of the declaration were inspired men following the promptings of the Holy Spirit who built, wrote, promoted, and established an inspired document that will stand until wicked men decide that freedom, equality, and God have no part in this land of liberty.

How soon will that be is not for me to know, but what is for me to do is to not discuss matters of religion at work (especially when I work for a state-run facility!).

JPS