Dear Abbot Letters

Mormon Bishop

Dear Smokey,

Your friends are very right in trying to get you to stop smoking. While many perceive their bodies to be their own, this is a falsehood. Our bodies are gifts to us from God. We are holy tabernacles that must be taken care of so that we are able to live long and happy lives. There was a talk given in 2001 by one of our apostles, David A. Bednar that goes into depth about how not only do our choices affect us in this life, but also in the life to come; http://lds.org/ensign/2001/09/ye-are-the-temple-of-god?lang=eng. The prophet Alma from the Book of Mormon also illustrates this point well. "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold, the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." (Alma 34:32) Now is the time to give up smoking. Now is the time to perfect ourselves so that we can be prepared to meet God. He goes on with a warning; "Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world." (Alma 34:34) If we die without a repentant spirit, we cannot continue to learn and grow and change. If we die with the disgusting habits that involve things pornography, smoking, and vulgarity, then in no way are we eligible to sit at the feet of our Father in that glorious day. I sincerely hope that you take the advice of your friends and kick this habit before it kicks you.

Sincerely
Bishop Dennis

Hey Want to be a kid,

I first would like to tell you and sympathize with you. Most Mormon family's go through this through their teenage years. Being a parent myself and being able to see the dangers of the world, they are wise in keeping you busy. Not only are they keeping you from being idle that opens the door to temptation, but they are teaching you a good work ethic which your spouse will appreciate and they are teaching you to be a good parent which your children will also appreciate. Family is an important part of this life, as well as the next. Through the blessings of temple ordinances we have the ability to be with our family through the eternities which may not be pleasant now, but one day you'll look back on these years and you'll wish you could have been nicer and more helpful. I know I certainly did. As for dating, the church has set the standards for dating to be at the age of 16. Dating seriously before that often leads to sexual transgression and even after 16, you should date in groups until you go on to college and are ready to start looking for an eternal companion. I strongly urge you to read the For Strength of Youth pamphlet that will guide you in decision making throughout the rest of your teenage years. There is a section that speaks specifically about underage dating that will reinforce what I've said here. I council you to find pleasure in the preparation your parents are giving you so that you are an able adult when you enter that world.

Sincerely,
Bishop Dennis

On a personal note here, I had expected the Catholic Religion and the LDS religion to be close on these two topics. In fact, they're not. One is close, but for different reasons. The other is completely off base. I thought that was really cool.


Catholic Priest

Dear Smokey,

This is a subject really to be left to your own personal choices. The Catholic Church doesn't have strict boundaries on this matter or matters like it. There is always the question of legality. Are you of age to be smoking? If not, this is not an acceptable practice in the church until you are of age. If you are, have you looked into the health risks and are you aware of how much of a financial burden this is to you? Are you meeting your financial obligations and are you able to take care of your family? I advise you to read through this and give it thoughtful consideration, http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=24386. Also consider how much you use it. Any substance used in excess is bad for the body and the soul. "The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2290) If you are an excessive smoker, I urge you to at the very least cut back on how much you smoke. This is a sin that must be taken care of.

With your soul in mind,
Father Dennis

Dear Want to be a Kid,

This is a very serious and grave subject you come to me with. The fourth commandment God gave to us is to honor thy mother and father that thy days may be long upon the land. While you are in their household, you must comply with the rules and duties they have set for you. There are many scriptures that condemn the act of disobedience to your parents, "He hwo defrauds father or mother and calls it no sin is a partner of the brigand." (Proverbs 28:24) "My son, take care of your father when he is old; GRIEVE HIM NOT AS LONG AS HE LIVES." (Sirach 3:12 caps added). The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2216 reads, "Filial respect is shown by true docility and obedience. "My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. . . . When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you." "A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke."" These are strict commandments of God. You must alter your line of thinking and honor and obey your parents. "Sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child." (William Shakespeare). I admonish you to read and study the bible and the scriptures that pertain to this matter and to grow a deeper love and understanding of your parents and what they are trying to do for you.

Sincerely,
Father Dennis


Islamic Shia

Smokey,

There has been much debate over the years as to Allah's law on smoking. Cigarettes were not around when the Qur'an was given to us by revelation in the 800's A.D. As such, not even Muhammad (peace be upon him) says one way or the other about smoking. Though, there are many references in the Qur'an that give us guidelines to use logic and intelligence as well as seek guidance from Allah about right and wrong. With the new studies conducted, Islamic Scholars have deemed tobacco to be a harm and is forbidden for use. Allah says, "...he commands them what is just, and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good, and prohibits them from what is bad." (Qur'an 7:157) The prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, 'Do not harm yourselves or others.' Being forbidden to harm yourself means that tobacco is forbidden as well as it is a proven harm to our bodies. With the affects of second hand smoke, it harms others as well. Your friends and family are very wise in their council to you to guide you towards the true path. As you continue to seek guidance, I suggest you read these Fatawa's: http://www.islamawareness.net/Smoking/fatawa_smoking.pdf and http://www.islamawareness.net/Smoking/sfatwa002.html. They talk about the studies conducted as well as the punishments inflicted for breaking this holy law. Through the words of Allah (who is mighty and knows best), Muhammad (peace be upon him) and many other Islamic leaders, stop harming yourself and others around you.

Shia Dennis

On a personal note again, I am impressed by how uniform these three religions are in honoring your parents. Their doctrine varies a bit here and there, but the principles of treating your parents well or burn in Hell are about the same.

Want to be a kid,

"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; but if they strive (to force) thee to join with Me anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not." (Qur'an 29:8) Islam builds a family that depends and thrives upon mutual respect and care and are bound together by obligations. Allah says, "...No mother should be harmed through her child, and no father through his child..." (Qur'an 2:223) The Qur'an has made it very clear that a child must treat his parents with all goodness and mercy throughout their lives. The only exception being if the parent asks the child to do something that is unholy by Allah, or in other words, if they ask you to commit sins. There is no sin in caring for your sisters. There is no sin in working at the gas station to help your family. There is no sin to spend your vacations with your grandparents and your cousins, no matter how annoying they may be. And given that they are not doing anything wrong by Allah's law, you must honor and obey them. According to Muhammad (peace be upon him), 'the parents of a certain person are his Heaven or Hell.' In other words, if we honor and obey our parents, we will obtain paradise. Otherwise, our place will be in Hell. http://www.guidedones.com/metapage/introislam/parents.htm. There are many sources for you to read and to learn from. I recommend these few to go through so that you may understand the gravity of your choices here: http://fight4allah.blogspot.com/2008/06/obedience-to-parents-in-islam.html and http://muxlim.com/blogs/fredu89/love-your-parents/.

Shia Dennis

Evangelical Covenant Church

I decided to do an online church service. It's filmed in an auditorium and then posted online so that others are able to watch without having to actually be there. This is something I watched alone.

The meetings are lead by Pastor Graig Groeschel and belong to the Evangelical Covenant Church. They didn't sing, at least not in the sermon I watched. The people weren't really shown, but there was a man and a woman sitting together in some of the seats shown in one of the corners that the camera panned to. All the people were sitting facing the Pastor.

There are several who are at the head of the organization, they all have different roles that are good for a well oiled organization. There's an innovation leader who works on finding other ways to spread this word all over the world. There's a team development leader who is responsible for the cultural development of the church. There's an operations leader who is over logistics, finances, construction, and missions. There is one who is over campus operations and he directs the leadership of campuses and their staff.

Participation is definitely encouraged. There were several times throughout the meeting where the Pastor asked the audience to say things with him. They weren't always good at saying what he wanted them to say or even saying anything at all.

The service is more of a lecture, or a bible study so to speak where the service is about a section in the bible.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Some of the bigger differences between their services and mine is that mine are three hours long, broken into Sunday School, a meeting where talks or sermons are given, and a third hour is for Priesthood and women meet separately. Our talks are given by members, occasionally those who preside over the meeting speak, but more often than not the members speak. Participation from those who are listening is not encouraged. We sing hymns at least two to three times during each set of meetings.

This organization does adhere to the world view of the church. The doctrine taught in the meeting was from the bible. What I do find interesting about the lecture is that they aren't calling the congregation to the church, they are calling the congregation to God. Which is true of most Christian faiths; however, most also call you to their flock so to speak. Come to God through us, but that wasn't a point made in this particular sermon.