Purpose of Religion: Being Good and Doing Good in Christ

I wanted to share with you the value and purpose of religion.  It can be hard to see the value of most religion because most religion have lost sight of their purpose.  Sadly, many religions have become more about entertainment, money, and valueless ideologies then purpose.

Rejecting religion is sort of unamerican and counter-constitutional.  Constitutional government was established dependent upon religion to do it's job. Yes, there was to be a separation of Church and State.  The State was designed to operate within its jurisdiction of enumerated rights, and the Church was to operate within the confines of it's purpose. 

"Avarice, ambition, revenge, and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.". -John Adams, 2nd POTUS

"So that, however it may be mistaken, the end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom: for in all the states of created beings capable of laws, where there is no law, there is no freedom" — John Locke,Two treatises of government, p. 234 (1689).

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."

Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

"Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith."

Alexis de Tocqueville,  Democracy in America

There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America, and there can be no greater proof of its utility and of its conformity to human nature than that its influence is powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation of the earth.

Alexis de Tocqueville,  Democracy in America

The purpose of America was to establish a nation free of aristocrats, which a division of powers, and a system of checks and balances. This is because "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."  America's leaders were not to be  based on birthright, but by election.  A moral people were meant to elect moral leaders. Instead, an immoral electorate choose immoral leaders like JFK, LBJ, Bill Clinton, and Trump.  And then we are surprised that these immoral leaders continually disappoint us, sell out, and serve corporate special interests. 

What is the purpose of religion?

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Religion is not just idealogy but supposed to be about upholding morality (do no harm to self or others), and helping the poor.  If your institution calls itself religion, but is busy doing something else, it isn't religion.  Real religion is supposed to encourage and reinforce moral living, and provide welfare for the disadvantaged.  Tragically, most religions do very little welfare, or humanitarian work, and teach even less morality. 

The Founding Fathers would roll over in their graves if they saw all the federal social programs we have today.  The Founders specifically intended that the federal government should not be engaged in welfare programs. Welfare was to be administered by the Church.  This is because, corrupt politicians use welfare to buy votes.  Also, Government is great at redistribution of wealth but can't rehabilitate the welfare recipient. Conseqently, the welfare check becomes a "handout" and not a "hand-up".  Free money "enables" the poor and keeps them down and disadvantaged. Government entitlements give out fish but doesn't teach people how to fish. 

Religion, is to provide welfare, and at the same time rehabilitate recipients.  "God takes the slum out of the person, and the person takes themselves out of the slum".  We saw this work somewhat in the Augusta ward where people were baptized and they immediately moved out of the Ward. In other cases, where people only came for the handouts, it didn't work as well. 

History witnessed the failure of Rome and Greece.  There was a lot of scientific innovations and a lot of philosophy and public discource, but these facts did not prevent their fall.  Rome and Greece lost their moral foundation.  The immorality of the Silk Road (drugs) and Pompeii (sex), pervaded Rome resulting in an explosion of idle and illegitimate poor. 

The false religion of Rome did nothing for the poor and actually sponsored and promoted the immorality. The people gave away their freedom to the Ceasars in exchange for their promise of "social justice" via "free bread and circus" (socialism). But the problem of poverty only worsened. 

Today, we are witnessing the slow errosion of freedom together with the errosion of morality. Poverty, disability, real  unemployment is at all-time highs.  Estimates are that 50% of the US population recieve some sort of government welfare. And those takers, are going to naturally elect politicians that promise to keep the handouts going. Nothing else really matters when you are dependant and not independent. 

The US is 20+ Trillion in debt with continued record deficits.  If the FED interest rate on our debt were to increase, our debt interest payment would exceed our 3 Trillion in yearly tax, and we would be bankrupt. But the US is continuing to print money (quantitative easing) and the FED is continuing to artificially hold interests rates at record low levels (2.5%). 

Missionaries are out there teaching about Jesus, purpose, relationship, and perspective.  Missionaries are teaching repentance, eternal families, word of wisdom and chastity. Missionaries are teaching individual and families to actually pray and read scripture.  Missionaries enjoyed a great upbringing and are showing gratitude by trying to show others how they can have the same great family life they had.

Now there are many Christian families that enjoy great family lives and are not LDS.  But these families still follow moral ideals. LDS have a higher responsibility just like the Levites among Israel. The other 11 tribes were not expected to do the responsibilities that the Levites were expected to do.  Simiarlily, LDS have additional responsibilities to serve in the temple and serve missions that we are accountable for, but that other Christians are not. 

Christianity is superior to all other idealogies, because 1. It's true 2. teaches golden rule 3. equality of man 4. personal responsibility 5. need for change 6. morality (do no harm) 7. universal salvation. 8. humility 9. thankfulness  

Also, Christianity almost teaches a nearly universal salvation which is unlike most idealogies. 1. where there is no law there is no sin. 2. One day every knee shall now she every tongue confess that Jesus is Christ (requirement for salvation) 3. Vicarious proxy ordinances. 4.  Many people are considered righteous or Christian even though they don't know it because of their faith. (Lamanites were baptized by fire and holy ghost and knew it not)(because Abraham believed God, it was counted until him for righteousness) 

But for those who know better. Have been taught the truth and come out in open rebellion against God and reject him.  I'm not sure in that case.