Thought for the day....

If you BELIEVE in something, you shouldn't be afraid to stand up and say it.

A couple days ago a good friend of mine posted a joke that not only was a bit offensive but went against religious fundamentals I believe (my friend is of the same church). I gently stated that I found the idea of it distasteful because of my principles and morals. I was then attacked verbally for my beliefs by another individual. I don't have any problem hearing other views as long as there are truthful and rational explanations that support their views, it is never as simple as just saying this is what I think, there is always a WHY, if there is not a why, it really has no value. I try to look and things and circumstances from many perspectives before developing my own conclusions. I find it very disturbing when a person says they believe in something, that it means so much to them, but then they will speak out against the fundamentals of what they say they believe in. Relative to the situation mentioned above, I believe that we have leaders, (political, religious, community and family) for a reason, and that country, church, community and family require a level of support from citizens and members in order for them to function. I may not always agree with everything the leader says or does, but I support them and pray for their guidance. I believe that failure to do so would contribute to the degradation and decay and ultimately the demise of the said organization. I believe these institutions were designed for a divine purpose and are vital and neccessary for an eternal plan of salvation. I believe the laws and commandments of my Heavenly Father are the same are still the same from the time of creation and have not changed to comply with man's idea of what is right and acceptable. I strongly believe that genocide, no matter the circumstances is ethically and morally wrong. A persons ethnicity and beliefs are owned unto himself, and while they might be different than mine they are not justification for ritual execution because I don't agree with them. I believe that in the end, God will hold man accountable for what he knows and how he acted on that knowledge in deed and in thought. I believe that every man has amazing potential for good as well as ill, we also have an incredible capacity to discover for ourselves the path we would like to take and are not blindly lead by any other choice than our own. I encourage you to KNOW and OWN what you believe and think long on ideas before you take them to heart.