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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Mormon Facts



Information is power. Misinformation is someone else’s power. Knowledge is information understood. Wisdom is knowledge applied for the best. Mormons believe that Heavenly Father encourages us to grow in knowledge toward wisdom shared.  As such, I detest misinformation. So, here are some facts about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

These are our Articles of Faith as written by our first prophet, Joseph Smith.

  • We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
  • We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
  • We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
  • We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are:
  • Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Repentance.
  • Baptism by immersion for the remission of sin.
  • Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
  • We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
  • We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
  • We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
  • We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
  • We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
  • We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes ; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth ; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory
  • We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
  • We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
  • We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul -- We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.



These are what Mormons are supposed to believe and exemplify, as priests and those who may one day become such. But, like the rest of the planet we are human. The faults and obsessions of the Church stem from this fact, not the Church itself. Personally, I presently do pretty poorly as a representative and try not to act as such unless it seems required.  But these are guiding principles to be striven for, and repentance with forgiveness is there for a good reason.

In typical commandment fashion, our Word of Wisdom, our well-known dietary law, began as a revelation to encourage good health through exercise and moderation, until our bad behaviour reached a point where it needed to become a commandment.

It says the following:
  1. A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirkland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion --
  2. To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days --
  3. Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.
  4. Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs who do and will in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation --
  5. That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.
  6. And, behold, this shoulder be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.
  7. And again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for washing of your bodies.
  8. And, again tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.
  9. And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.
  10. And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man --
  11. Every herb in the season of, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
  12. Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
  13. And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or cold, or famine.
  14. All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
  15. And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine or excess hunger.
  16. All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine ; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground --
  17. Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oaats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.
  18. And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandment, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
  19. And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
  20. And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
  21. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

That’s it, straight from the Doctrine and Covenants, a promise that if you live a healthy lifestyle, you’ll resist diseases and other illnesses.

Some say that we have to blindly follow what our leaders say and are unable to speak against it. This is true only in the sense that we are supposed to be official representatives of the Church and aren’t supposed to represent our own takes on things as doctrine. Doctrine can change with revelation, but it is not to be misrepresented. However, the Church is based on the idea of personal revelation and testimony. Upon receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost after baptism, we can ask through prayer about the truth or falsehood, benefit or danger, of anything to which such an answer applies. You can get a yes or no that can be clearly felt if you are in harmony with the Spirit. We trust that, not the mere words of old men. Of course, that leads to trusting the old men’s words, but that’s not blind faith.

In fact, the only person we confess to, unless we done something major like spousal abuse, is the Lord. It is to him that we offer repentance for forgiveness, and it is to any victims of our actions that we try to make amends. He forgives all who honestly seek him and we are to do the same, including forgiving ourselves. Guilt is not one of God’s tools, but a product of the enemy.

Our faith is willing to be tested through prayer, personal testimony, and an open promise. At the end of the Book of Mormon it says:

3.       Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these thing, and ponder it in your hearts.
4.       And when ye shall receive these things, I would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5.       And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”


I can only say that without much “faith in Christ”, perhaps the proverbial “mustard seed”, I tested the promise and got an answer. That’s why I eventually joined the Church.

And those are the facts.


Good News is Ignored - Scandinavian Solutions II - The Elderly


 The following is a re-posting and link to a 1 hour program on CBC Radio Sunday Edition about how the Danes have made a dignified life for elderly with dementia qa legal right that they back up with their actions. They, like the other countries of the Scandinavian-type peoples, continue to prove to the world something that every neoconservative and neoliberal, particularly in the US, refuses to admit, or even acknowledge -  that these people are doing it right. That their economies are doing quite well, thank you, despite having extremely high taxes. That, in fact, the people don't mind high taxes because they get what they pay for. That, despite exclamations that it is dead and a ridiculous idea, socialism works and is currently kicking capitalism's ass! It not only works, but it produces a more humane society and legal system. They're having problems adjusting, like the rest of Eurpoe - the places where immigrants historically came from - to the idea of a mufti-ethnic society, but so is most the world. It doesn't diminish the fact that they are definitely on to something.


The Age of Reason is supposed to be about recognizing what the real actual facts of the world are and living with them. The fact is countries like Denmark and Iceland, Sweden, and Norway are leading the way and no one is following. Science doesn't use what is most commonly believed, it uses what works in fact and tries to explain that. We should use what works best to promote the benefit of the most people possible on the planet, not what is continually failing and helps only the fortunate few who manage to exploit it.  I find it incredible that everyone isn't trying to copy them.

Perhaps this is why neoconservatives and most neoliberals are so against science. Nothing they promote works. The economic and political facts say so.


Redefining Dementia in Denmark (Hr. 1)







In Denmark, people with dementia aren't confined to nursing homes, they go on biking trips. (CBC / Karin Wells)


Denmark looks after its old people.

Lotte, the most famous nursing home in the country, has become an international shrine for anyone seeking another way ... a happier way ... to make a life for people with dementia.

Lotte is a big old brick house on the west side of Copenhagen, where 23 men and women live like a family. Seventy per cent of the family has dementia.

They take Caribbean vacations together. The 98-year-old man on the second floor has fallen in love with the 101-year-old woman. The cat sits curled up next to the dining room table.

Lotte's first leader, Thyra Frank, is the rock star of elder care in Denmark.

Denmark - like every other country in Europe - is in an economic squeeze. Yet Lotte is fully funded and fostered by the Danish government.

The underlying philosophy of elder care is well rooted.  Every man or woman, no matter how ill, or how old, has the right to choose how they want to live.

We all know the numbers - dementia of some sort is catching up with more and more of us. It is a frightening prospect.

No one wants to see mum or dad  - or to imagine themselves - strapped down to a bed in a locked dementia ward - chemically warehoused. But in North America, the choices are limited.

Which is why the world looks to Denmark -- where it is illegal to imprison people with dementia in locked wards; where nursing homes regularly take their people on holiday, and where people with dementia are asked what they want to do today.

Karin Wells's documentary is called It's Their Life


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Politician Compensation



I keep hearing that we need high salaries and benefits to attract quality candidates. This assumes that what we are getting are quality candidates and not pigs bellying up to the public trough. Political office is a temporary position and should be treated as such. Few temporary jobs grant benefits. If you are making over $100,000 a year, you don’t need benefits and certainly don’t deserve a pension beyond what you contribute to yourself. Are we electing people who want to work to make our lives better or CEOs wanting to be treated like royalty.  I have worked plenty of temporary jobs and have little sympathy with the idea that poor politicians have to reapply every four years. I don’t get a pension or any benefits when my job ends, and certainly not if I am fired, as those who are not re-elected are.  If politicians were treated as the civil servants they are supposed to be, they might have more sympathy for the average worker. Raised above it they only serve those who live like they do, the rich and corporations who fund them.  It’s a tough job, but no one forces them into it.  A high salary should be more than enough.  I certainly wouldn’t be looking for benefits and a publicly paid pension if I was making that much. They should get the same public pensions that we all get and not a penny more. That they have to give up jobs to run and may have to look for a new one after they get voted out is not my problem. After being in such a public position and networking with the most powerful people in the country, if they can’t find meaningful employment once they are back in the workforce, they don’t deserve it.  As it is, public office is mostly a way to secure corporate jobs once they are out of government. It shouldn’t be, but even the PM is just engaged in a four-year job application for the corporations he favours. Their salaries should be based on the performance of the government and the success of the province, not their own whims. No raises should be given unless it is put on the ballot for the citizens to approve. If the conservative types are so fond of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” and rabid individualism, they shouldn’t be sucking off the public teat. If I get fired by my employers or leave a temporary job, I don't even get to collect the unemployment insurance that I paid into. If they are voted out after their temporary term, they should perhaps be able to collect EI, but definitely no pension other than whatever RRSPs they contributed to themselves.



Sunday, November 4, 2012

Harper's "Public Service Shuffle" Con

 So Harper is reducing public spending and the size of government. Or at least that's what he claims. Instead he is quietly privatizing the public sector and skirting federal hiring regulations as well as unions. This takes the cost of one set of books and hides it quietly away at the back,  making it look like less is being spent. Instead, Harper the Hypocrite is spending over a billion on unneeded renovations of Parliament hill and filling a larger public service with temporary workers, as this section of the piece that follows says.

 “They look like government employees, but they’re not,” the economist said. They are exempt from the government’s normal hiring requirements such as bilingualism and proven ability to do the job. And they aren’t on the government payroll; their remuneration comes from a private outsourcing firm (which usually means they have no job security or benefits.)

The following is a re-posting of an article from the Toronto Star about the latest conservative con. It's more of Harper's so-called job creation giving us part-time jobs without benefits or dignity. The unemployment rate falls by the under-employed rate exploding. 

If he really wants the country to be fiscally healthy, he should start by collecting the billions that his policies have allowed to be hidden in off shore tax evasion havens, and ending the ability of the rich and their corporations to continue cheating our country out of their due share of taxes. If he did that, we wouldn't be talking about austerity, let alone trying to fake it.



Goar: Harper’s shadow public service

Published on Monday March 14, 2011

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By Carol Goar Editorial Board
 
Everyone knew it was happening, but no one knew how prevalent it was or how much it cost.

Economist David Macdonald decided to find out how many consultants, contractors and temporary workers the federal government was hiring and how much Canadians were paying for them.

It took him about a year. What he discovered was a burgeoning “shadow public service.” Last year it cost taxpayers $1.2 billion. That was 79 per cent higher than when Prime Minister Stephen Harper took power in 2006.

Despite a spending freeze in the federal bureaucracy, it is still growing by leaps and bounds.

“Without prompt corrective action, outsourcing costs will continue to soar,” said Macdonald, a research associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

He sifted through 300,000 government contracts and pored over the five years’ worth of public accounts to find out what was happening, pinpoint the big spenders and track the trends. The deeper he looked, the more troubling the pattern became.

Not only had the cost of contract workers ballooned, the nature of their work had changed. No longer were they brought in for short-term projects or hired to provide expertise the government did not have. They did exactly the same work as public servants. They sat alongside them, had government email addresses and handled confidential government information.

“They look like government employees, but they’re not,” the economist said. They are exempt from the government’s normal hiring requirements such as bilingualism and proven ability to do the job. And they aren’t on the government payroll; their remuneration comes from a private outsourcing firm (which usually means they have no job security or benefits.)

Macdonald also discovered a large discrepancy between the value of the contracts the government signed and what it actually spent. Contracts were repeatedly revised, extended and modified driving up the final price by as much 700 per cent. Once an outsourcing deal had been signed, government managers had “considerable leeway” to reach back into the public purse to buy more services.

Most of the outsourcing was concentrated in four ministries — public works, national defence, human resources and public safety. Their personnel costs ballooned by 100 per cent over the five-year period, although their payrolls increased by only 9 per cent.

What this signifies, Macdonald said, is that the government is building a parallel hiring system to replace workers who leave or retire.

He can understand why department managers would prefer to go this route. They can bring in contract workers with a minimum of paperwork. There are no transparency requirements or frustrating delays. And it is up to the outsourcing firm, not the government, to manage these workers. “But it’s a lot more expensive to pay somebody else to manage your workforce than do it yourself.”

Macdonald never did find out how many outside workers are doing government jobs. “The number is not accessible,” he said. “I don’t think anyone knows how many there are.”

He doesn’t think it would be possible — or advisable — to ban outsourcing. What he recommends is that it be used a “as a last resort rather than the go-to alternative.” To make this feasible, Macdonald says, the government would have to overhaul its cumbersome, time-consuming hiring procedures. He also proposes that limits be placed on the discretion of department managers to change or extend signed contracts.

The day after Macdonald’s study was released, an Ottawa radio station asked listeners for their stories. They poured out. The economist now suspects the practice is more widespread than his study shows.

Why should taxpayers care?

First, the government is bulking up its own workforce, while preaching austerity. Second, outsourcing is expensive. Finally, Harper is weakening one of the pillars of democracy: an impartial public service that serves all governments regardless of ideology with professionalism and integrity.

(The study is available at http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports)

Carol Goar’s column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.