My interests reside in the area of history. I tip my hat to all of you for the collegial nature in which most editing takes place, particularly in the area of religion.
History fascinates me; in particular religious history. It is amazing how great our collective ancestors were; their willingness to surmount obstacles, and their intelligence. To read history from their own hand or the hand of others is a blessing that should be enjoyed by far more people today.
I have read many of the world's holy books and have found inspiration in each of them. I am convinced that there is only one source of truth and it is not surprising that similarities are found among all religions. Religious diversity is not a sign of the absence of God, but rather a sign of the willingness of God to provide the degree of truth to which we individually can absorb.
When we look at secular history we strive to reveal facts. Reconstructionists would have us view history through today's lens. I believe this is an erroneous position for "historians". We may comment on the actions of our forefathers, but we cannot judge them based upon society's present norms. It is difficult to walk in their moccasins while wearing combat boots.
"Science aims to give us theories which are empirically adequate; and acceptance of a theory involves as belief only that it is empirically adequate." -Bas van Fraassen
In the matter of religion, people eagerly fasten their eyes on the difference between their own creed and yours; whilst the charm of the study is in finding the agreements and identities in all the religions of humanity. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Righteousness is not about rules. It is not about wearing a hair shirt, or praying long and hard. It is not about knowing or quoting the Bible. It is about how we treat each other.
“He deigns to consecrate the mouths and tongues of men to his service, making his own voice to be heard in them. Whenever God is pleased to bless their labor, he makes their doctrine efficacious by the power of his Spirit; and the voice, which is in itself mortal, is made an instrument to communicate eternal life” John Calvin
"All theologians bring certain doctrinal presuppositions and biases to Scripture as they seek to construct from Scripture their theologies. The true Wesleyan admits this and does not make correct doctrine a condition for salvation. We understand that if our sins are forgiven at the time of our death, we will be taken to heaven, even if our theology is off base a thousand miles. We are Christians if God, for Christ's sake, forgives our sins. He is able to do this only because of the death and resurrection of the virgin-born God-man, Jesus Christ. But we do not need to believe in any given theory of the Incarnation or the Atonement in order to be forgiven through Christ." - J. Kenneth Grider
"It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were common in the Church for more than two or three centuries. We seldom hear of them after that fatal period when the Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian; . . . From this time they almost totally ceased, very few instances of the kind being found. The cause of this was not, as has been supposed, because there was no more occasion for them, because all the world was become Christians. This is a miserable mistake; not a twentieth part of it was then nominally Christian. The real cause of it was that the love of many, almost all Christians, so called, was waxed cold. The Christians had no more of the spirit of Christ than the other heathens. . . . This was the real reason the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian church because the Christians were turned heathens again, and only had a dead form left." - John Wesley's Works, Vol. VII, 89; 26-27.
"The saints and the blessed did not doggedly seek their own happiness, but simply wanted to give themselves, because the light of Christ had shone upon them. They show us the way to attain happiness, they show us how to be truly human. Through all the ups and downs of history, they were the true reformers who constantly rescued it from plunging into the valley of darkness; it was they who constantly shed upon it the light that was needed to make sense - even in the midst of suffering - of God's words spoken at the end of the work of creation: "It is very good." ... Only from the saints, only from God does true revolution come, the definitive way to change the world. ... It is not ideologies that save the world, but only a return to the living God, our Creator, the guarantor of our freedom, the guarantor of what is really good and true. True revolution consists in simply turning to God who is the measure of what is right and who at the same time is everlasting love. And what could ever save us apart from love?" - Pope Benedict XVI
“I believe in Christ as I believe in the noon-day sun; not because I see it, but by it I can see everything else.” - C. S. Lewis
“When we face seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the fulfillment of righteous responsibilities, we should remember that when we are involved in the work of the Lord, the obstacles before us are never as great as the power behind us. We should reach out and climb. Handholds will only be found by hands that are outstretched. Footholds are only for feet that are on the move.” - Dallin H. Oaks
“When from Thy stern tutoring, I would quickly flee, turn me from my Tarshish to where is best for me. Help me in my Nineveh to serve with love and truth; not on a hillside posted, mid shade of gourd or booth. When my modest suffering seems so vexing, wrong, and sore, may I recall what freely flowed from each and every pore. Dear Lord of the Abba Cry, Help me in my duress to endure it well enough and to say, . . . 'Nevertheless.'” - Neal A. Maxwell
“The Lord does allow darkness and struggle and pain. He often uses it to call us to Him. Using my own children as examples, I've come to know that the one who is playing happily is so preoccupied with pleasant experiences that he sometimes may not respond when I call and may even run farther away. But the child who has been hurt, or is in pain, seeks me out, comes to me readily, knocks at my door (if you will), and is anxious for me to help and be healed.” - Jeffrey R. Holland
"the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself." - St. Irenaeus in Against Heresies, bk. 5, Preface
"There are two modes of acquiring knowledge, namely by reasoning and experience. Reasoning draws a conclusion and makes us grant the conclusion, but does not make the conclusion certain, nor does it remove doubt so that the mind may rest on the intuition or truth, unless the mind discovers it by the path or experience." - Roger Bacon
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country ... corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign ... until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." - Abraham Lincoln like all your quotes but this is incorrectly attributed to Lincoln.
“My plea is that we stop seeking the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we accentuate the positive. I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort."Gordon B. Hinckley
""If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a 'Mormon,' I am bold to declare before heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves." Joseph Smith, Jr.
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." Benjamin Franklin
""There is, in fact, today, among most people, a certain average ideology whose drift is as follows. Everyone has to achieve a certain standard of living, everyone has to be able to realize himself by satisfying his desires and wishes, and when all is said and done in all of this, God is an unknown quantity that does not really count..."" Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, on why people were turning away from faith.
"The Saints can testify whether I am willing to lay down my life for my brethren. If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a ‘Mormon,’ I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves." Joseph Smith
"The inquiry is frequently made of me. 'Wherein do you differ from others in your religious views?' In reality an essence we do not differ so far in our religious views, but that we could all drink into one principle of love. One of the grand fundamental principles of 'Mormonism' is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may." Joseph Smith
From the Zohar---
"Who is wise? The one who learns from all people…
“Who is mighty? The one who subdues the evil inclination…
"Who is rich? The who who rejoices in his portion….
"Who is honored? The one who honors other human beings….”
A Personal Creed -
I would be a friend to the friendless and find joy in ministering to the needs of the poor.
I would visit the sick and afflicted and inspire in them a desire for faith to be healed.
I would teach the truth to the understanding and blessing of mankind.
I would seek out the erring one and try to win him back to a righteous and happy life.
I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals, but rather love them into doing the thing that is right.
I would live with the masses and help to solve their problems that their earth life may be happy.
I would avoid the publicity of high position and discourage the flattery of thoughtless friends.
I would not knowingly wound the feelings of any, not even one who may have wronged me, but would seek to do good and make him my friend.
I would overcome the tendency to selfishness and jealousy and rejoice in the success of all the children of our Heavenly Father.
I would not be an enemy to any living soul.
Knowing that the Redeemer of mankind has offered to the world the only plan that will fully develop us and make us really happy here and hereafter, I feel it not only a duty but a blessed privilege to disseminate this truth.
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." ---2007 winning entry from an annual contest at Texas A&M University
I award this Barnstar to Storm Rider for remaining civil despite blatant provocation on the Christianity talk page. Sophia 19:01, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
The Barnstar of High Culture
For your constant work on keeping the article on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as organized and free of POV as possible along with other associated articles, over an extended period of time. Tuvas 21:01, 22 May 2007 (UTC)
The RickK Anti-Vandalism Barnstar
Awarded for your valiant efforts at fighting large-scale vandalism on Vancouver, Washington and other pages. Keep up the good work! VanTuckyTalk 21:22, 22 October 2007 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Diligence
I award the Barnstar of Diligence to Storm Rider, who if not a saint, should be. You are an inspiration to all of us. I have witnessed on more articles than I care to list here, that you never rise to provocation, never allow vandalism to stand, and apparently have the stuff to endure to the end. Good job! DavidBailey (talk) 18:24, 27 November 2008 (UTC)!
The Socratic Barnstar
For eloquently and articulately contributing to a discussion, working to ensure the ultimate success of Wikipedia as a whole. Cheers! Eustress (talk) 19:33, 4 February 2009 (UTC)