As my son's literal birthday is flying by, I've had some time to reflect. I want to give this little boy every opportunity and advantage in life. I want him to learn and grow. I want him to think for himself. We named him Maverick which means an unorthodox and independently minded person. I want my son to be a shepherd rather than a sheep!
A subject that has been on my mind recently is the difference between religious doctrines and principles. My reflections on these terms have caused me some religious discomfort. I've come to some conclusions that seem to be contrary to my traditional Mormon upbringing and it has me feeling.... conflicted. I can trace most of what I'm grateful for in one way or another back to my upbringing. Even so, I'm having trouble reconciling what I profess to know about these terms and what I really do know! Most Mormons might call me unorthodox, independent, or even a maverick for my conclusions. Oh well....
What I know to be true: I've led an amazing life and found incredible inner peace by following the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible and Book of Mormon.
What I don't know to be true, but believe: That Jesus is truly my savior and that through saving ordinances such as baptism, I will be saved from spiritual and physical death to live again in the presence of God and family.
So based on what I know, I should heed the "fruit and tree" logic presented in the 7th chapter of Matthew and claim to KNOW that the doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are true as well .....right? Some may do this, but I can't. I feel we can have a knowledge of principles but can only ever believe in doctrines. Here is my understanding of the two terms:
Principle: A guiding rule of action or conduct.
- Examples of Principles taught masterfully by Jesus Christ;
- Charity towards others
- Forgiveness
- Not to be judgmental
- Obedience
- Trust
- Basically the entire sermon on the mount or more specifically the "Be Attitudes"
- Examples of Doctrines taught by the Gospel of Jesus Christ
- John 14:6 "I am the way the truth and the light, no man cometh unto the father, but by me"
- The trinity
- Sin or Transgressions
- The Fall of Adam
- Life after death living in the presence of God
Principles provide guidance and direction in this life that help us to become decent people, raise a loving family, and build productive and peaceful societies. Doctrines provide hope for the things we can't explain. Where did we all come from? Why are we here on earth? What happens after we die? Some turn to science to answer these timeless questions. What science professes to know is continually changing. Science can only explain HOW we got here. I want to know WHY we are here! Religion is the only thing that can answer WHY we are here. Religion gives me purpose. The gospel of Jesus Christ gives me hope. This hope and understanding is a positive thing that I'm grateful to have in my life.
Believing in Christian doctrine helps me practice principles that make my life better. I really believe its the practice of righteous principles that make me a better person rather than believing in doctrines. There are other ways to learn principles than believing in doctrines. You don't need to be religious to be learn to be charitable, forgiving, and chaste.
Christian doctrine teaches us that while creating this earth "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work" Genesis 2:3. I show my belief in this doctrine by refraining from unnecessary activity and work on Sunday. The practice of keeping the Sabbath day holy by exercising my spirituality on Sunday is a righteous principle that governs my life. On Sunday's I slow down and focus on the things that matter most in life. The underlying principle that this doctrine teaches is to be reflective and thoughtful. You can learn to be reflective and thoughtful without keeping the Sabbath day holy. I've allowed Christian doctrine to bring this righteous principles into my life which is something I'm grateful for. I feel that honoring the 7th day of creation once a week isn't as important as being thoughtful and reflective. The principle is more important than the doctrine.
Conclusion #2: People fight over doctrines not principles.
In John 14:6 it says "I am the way the truth and the light, no man cometh unto the father, but by me". Christ didn't say that he is a good way or an efficient way, HE SAID HE IS THE WAY! Christianity and other major religions claim to have an absoluteness of truth in their doctrine. The one true way back to God. In Ephesians 4:5 it says "One hope, one faith, one baptism". I have been reflecting on the claim of absolute truth for quite some time now and I have some issues with it. I agree that there must be a true definition of what the afterlife will be like and the true character of God. I just don't see the necessity of knowing it in this life. For me, believing in God and life after death is enough. The main benefit religious doctrine gives believers is purpose in this life and hope for the next. If we knew exactly what was to come in the next life, then I wonder if we would want to get there quicker? I don't need to have an absolute understanding of things to come in order to believe in God or have hope. Wars have been fought over different doctrinal beliefs claiming they have absolute truth. To my knowledge, wars have never been fought because people were allowing their lives to be guided by righteous principles.
Human nature can be competitive and competition and religion should never be in the same sentence. If your belief in religious doctrine brings you hope and purpose then it is doing its job! We should never try to discredit or undermine someone else's beliefs. If all the energy that people put into doctrinal disputes was put into practicing righteous principles, the world would be a better place. Organized religion provides great structure and support while learning doctrine and implementing righteous principles. It also provides a sense of community that is incredibly beneficial. I think its only natural to want to feel like we belong somewhere and that we are a part of something. The danger of organized religion is that its common for parishioners to become more attached to the religious community then the religious doctrine. This tendency creates religious "Teams". Teams exist to compete with one another and with themselves. Its not uncommon for parishioners to compete to see who can be the most righteous, to become the star player. This competitive nature in organized religion can cause those who struggle believing in doctrine or practicing righteous principles to be looked down upon. When parishioners loose sight of the purpose and hope religion is intended to bring us and use it as way to earn status, then religion becomes dangerous. We need to purge competition, status, and self promotion out of religion. Doctrines breed more segregation then principles. Righteous principles tend to be more universally accepted. Just like with anything in life, when used improperly, doctrinal convictions can be more damaging to ones spirituality then uplifting.
You want absolute truth? Here it is: No one knows everything and has absolute truth, believers and unbelievers alike have to live by faith.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Growing up in an LDS home has provided me with a foundation for which I will be eternally grateful. I recognize that some of my LDS friends and family might take issue with me saying I don't KNOW that Jesus is truly my savior and that through saving ordinances such as baptism, I will be saved from spiritual and physical death to live again in the presence of God and family. I choose to believe that doctrine but I don't know it. I hope those same family and friends can accept that I also don't feel that Mormonism has sole claim on absolute truth. Christianity, or more specifically Mormonism, makes sense to me because it's what I have studied the most and know the best. It provides me with hope and purpose therefore it's doing its job. My family and extended family are overwhelmingly LDS so I choose to practice Mormonism. I practice in my own way. That might be unpopular but I will not alter my religious convictions to make them more popular. It takes courage to stand up for what you believe and I believe in about 80% of what Mormon doctrine teaches. I want to continue to be the kind of person that goes to church on Sunday. I want to raise my children to believe in something and have hope. I choose Christianity to provide structure and support to my wife and I while raising our children. I will not hide my religious convictions regardless of their popularity. I would rather be authentic, genuine, and unpopular in my beliefs then pretend to know and believe more than I really do. I feel principles are more important then doctrines. In elementary school the person who had ultimate power and authority was the Principle. I think there is something we can learn from that. Jesus Christ admonished us to be as little children. Like children, we should allow principles to have ultimate power and authority over lives. Let's learn righteous principles and then govern ourselves.
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