Do God's people eschew violence?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Only as long as as the domicile of "zion" happens (by historical accident) to be within the borders of the world's currenlty reigning superpower and imperial overlord. Often, war is not a choice. You have said many intelligent things on this board. This does not strike me as one of them.

War is the result of evil. There will be no evil (or very little, one hopes) in Zion. There will be no war amongst the people of Zion.

Zion does not exist right now. I think we are no closer to Zion now than 150 years ago.

[SoonerCoug]

Originally Posted by creekster

Can you exaplin what you mean by this?

Matter can be destroyed and created (as in matter-anti-matter annihilation). Matter can be destroyed in the conventional sense, but mass/energy are conserved (e.g. hydrogen bomb--matter is converted to energy). Matter can become energy and energy can become matter.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by SoonerCoug

I think if one believes in a God who can intervene or does intervene much at all, then Seattle is right.

Fortunately, Mormonism has created the all-knowing, all-good God who is not omnipotent, since He is subject to natural laws of a universe that He did not create.

The real philosophical problem in Mormonism is lack of an explanation as to how matter was created. No one has a clue as to the origin of matter. The claim that matter can't be created or destroyed isn't accurate either.

However, the "morality of God" issues that Seattle brings up are essentially resolved by the creation of a God with limitations.

Even if your god is the Gnostic/Mormon God you must concede that war necessarily is one of God's tools like a blacksmith's forge or hammer.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

The academic world thinks it was Augustine who first articlulated the philosophy of a just war. But I know various Book of Mormon prophets and bards repeat it in their own way in various places, so perhaps they too can lay claim to having done so.

I don't read too much of what the academic world thinks. They think too much.

They should ponder more the great philosphers words who said "shit happens, deal with it."

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by SoonerCoug

Matter can be destroyed and created (as in matter-anti-matter annihilation). Matter can be destroyed in the conventional sense, but mass/energy are conserved (e.g. hydrogen bomb--matter is converted to energy). Matter can become energy and energy can become matter.

Semantics, I think. If matter becomes energy and that energy can become matter, I think it is safe to say that the original matter was not destroyed.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Even if your god is the Gnostic/Mormon God you must concede that war necessarily is one of God's tools like a blacksmith's forge or hammer.

You believe in a God who has his hand in everything. I never knew that.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Even if your god is the Gnostic/Mormon God you must concede that war necessarily is one of God's tools like a blacksmith's forge or hammer.

Free agency. Read about it. Maybe in the Topical Guide of your quad.

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by SoonerCoug

However, the "morality of God" issues that Seattle brings up are essentially resolved by the creation of a God with limitations.

That just opens up another can of worms. If God didn't create evil, how can he obliterate it?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by ChinoCoug

That just opens up another can of worms. If God didn't create evil, how can he obliterate it?

He can't. I get no indication that evil can be destroyed, from Mormon doctrine. Only that it can separated and removed.

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by SoonerCoug

Matter can be destroyed and created (as in matter-anti-matter annihilation). Matter can be destroyed in the conventional sense, but mass/energy are conserved (e.g. hydrogen bomb--matter is converted to energy). Matter can become energy and energy can become matter.

So is energy immaterial?