Update

So, due to the high volume of life's consistent amount of drama, paying bills, and attempting to find work, I have been unable to write articles and make videos. However, I have the ability to get back on the article writing and video making paths. Expect more videos than articles but, nonethelss, there will be activity again with Confessions of a Scattered Mind.

See you soon.

~Brandon James Scott Scholl

What is Confessions of a Scattered Mind?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFw8437pIYE

New Videos

New YouTube channel set up. I'll be doing more videos on topics than writing for a while because it's easier to watch than to read necessarily. Leave comments and tell me what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/user/COSM5000

Mormons and Hot Liquids

By: Brandon James Scott Scholl

The other day I had my local Mormon missionaries over for dinner and a discussion.

I finally asked what the whole deal was about not having coffee. So, they directed me to Doctrines and Covenants 89. What is interesting to me is the only thing that has anything to do with Hot drink is verse 9.

"And again, hot drinks are not for the body or the belly"

D&C 89:9

Now, the context of this verse is saying that alcohol and tobacco are not to be used because it's not healthy for the body. The verse that mentions hot drinks is just thrown in there as a side not in a way. When I asked about the history of this verse, they gave me an interesting back story.

At the time, all the men were chewing and spitting tobacco and it was disgusting. So, Smith's wife asked him to ask God about it. So, Joseph Smith got the revelation for this chapter. Now, that's all fine such, but I don't believe in the purity of Joseph Smith in any way, shape or form.

One of the missionaries that was talking to me about this has chronic migraines like I do, and he also takes caffeine as well as I do. So, things like coffee aren't bad because of the caffeine in it at all. However, with the caffeine, what is coffee? Black water?

There's another story I've heard, and although I can't prove it, I like to think of it as quite a plausible theory. It says that Smith's wife asked him to have a revelation to get rid of the tobacco, so he had a revelation. Well, as retaliation, the women in the area stopped inviting Mrs. Smith to their tea parties. So, again, Mrs. Smith asked her husband to have a revelation getting rid of hot liquids.

Something to think about.

The Bible is Reality

By: Brandon James Scott Scholl

Something to think about. If you think about the Bible as truth, you must accept it as a reality. It's not something with a plot you can pick apart. It's a very literal history book. Something that is hard to even put into perspective with that though is Creation. It talks about nothing being around and God hovering. Then, as it goes on explaining creation, these amazing things happen. I mean, we read about land and water coming out of nothingness. Then, we have animals come out of nowhere.

Take it one step further. Between the four Gospels we get an in-depth explanation of the Crucifixion and the ressurection. The simple thought of someone resurrecting and ascending into the air is simply inconceivable. But, when you realize that the Bible is a historical document, even the parts of faith are truth.

Here's the best part, some of it hasn't happened yet. Revelations and the Book of Isaiah talks about the future and the 7 year tribulation with the Anti-Christ. Something along those lines would only be seen in an apocalyptic movie. But, those movies only scrath the surface of what the tribulation and end-times will be like.

So, here's the question that you really want to mull over: Do you really believe what you believe to be real?

Homosexuality, Bi-Sexuality, Trans-Gender Vs. The Bible, Christianity

~Brandon James Scott Scholl

This is going to be quite a touchy subject because homosexuality, bi-sexuality, and trans-gender are becoming more and more abundant in today's society. One of the places in particular that now scares me is within areas of the Christian church or other religious organizations that once claimed to be against such things. So, let's look at it.

Homosexuality, also known as Sodomy in the Bible (Genesis 19), is being attracted to or being sexual with a member of the same gender. Now, Bi-Sexuality is along the same lines. However, a Bi-Sexual is attracted to both their gender as well as the opposite gender. Basically, a Homosexual as well.

So, let's see what the Bible says about it.

"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."

~Leviticus 18:22 NASB

"Or do you now know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be decieved; neither fornicators, nor idolitars, nor adulterers, nor effeminates, nor homosexuals."

~ 1 Corinthians 6:9 NASB

So, both the Old Testament and the New Testament explain that it's not only an abomination, but also keeps you from inheriting the Kingdom of God. In fact, Leviticus 20:13 says that if someone is caught in homosexuality, they were to be punished by death.

This same basic thought goes for Bi-Sexuals as well. They may be attracted to the opposite gender, but claiming to be Bi-Sexual also means that you're attracted to the same gender. To put it basic, that's homosexuality as well.

Now, what about Trans-Genders? Is it wrong to have your gender changed? Maybe you believe that you were even born in the wrong body. So, the real question you have to ask then is whether or not God makes mistakes. The only way you were born in the wrong body is simply by God screwing up creating you. Let's see if that works or not.

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned."

~Romans 5:12

Now, I only posted one scripture here because I believe that Trans-Gender people fall under the same category as Homosexuals. See, when Sin came into the world through Adam, it cut us off. Being confused about whether or not we're the correct gender is the equivalent of slapping God in the face. Like a mug telling the potter that they screwed them up and don't know what they're doing.

Another thing to consider is that when people generally change their gender, they believe it's okay to take on that role. Men who believe they're supposed to be woman will wear wigs, makeup, and clothing to look female. I believe that's called Cross-Dressing last time I checked.

"A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man up on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God."

Deuteronomy 22:5 NASB

The problem we run into now is that culture and society has bombarded and attacked the Christian community simply because we want to hold onto what we believe in. So, we're retaliated on. The truly sad part of all that is when the Christian churches and groups decide to conform to the view that Homosexuality, Bi-Sexuality, and Trans-gender is okay.

BUT, are we supposed to persecute them? Are we supposed to be evil or mean to them? Absolutely not. We're supposed to love them and witness to them regardless. But, we shouldn't agree with them or tell them it's okay that they are the way they are. Real love is firm as well as comforting.

Bottom line, it's wrong and unbiblical, but we should still love them like Christ loves them, firmly and passionately. This isn't just simply MY view and opinion, but the Bible's view.

Do we have Free Will?

~Brandon James Scott Scholl

So, I've thought over this idea time and time again. Do humans have free will?

Now, I'm not going to right out say yes and no. Mainly because if I do, then people are going to go nuts OR they'll even perhaps stop doing things like witnessing and such as the Great Commission commands us.

Now, before I get into my explanation, let's look at some scripture real quick.

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

~Joshua 24:15 NASB

"Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Acts 2:38 NASB

Now, let's break it down for a second.

The first scripture even specifically says "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve." So, we have the ability to decide our salvation, right? The second verse, as with many other verses, say that if we just simply repent, then we'll be saved. So, if we do XYZ, then ABC will happen. We have the ability to choose then, right?

Now, let's look at two scriptures from the other side of the fence.

"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love."

~Ephesians 1:4 NASB

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."

~Ephesians 8:29-31 NASB

So, the first scripture is saying that before the Earth was created, God had chosen the ones that would be seen as perfect. The second explains that those He chose were justified, sanctified, and so on.

So, we've got two sides. One says that we are the ones who claim we make our own decisions also including our salvation. The other claims that we don't have a choice and God is the one who decides who will follow Him and who will turn away from Him.

Now, here's the way I see it. The Bible can't contradict itself. So, one of these sides must explain both of them.

First, if we're the ones that repent and choose to become saved, then why did Christ die on the cross? He was the one that unlocked the ability for us to be saved because Christ was the atoning work. If we didn't need to have something to cover our sins, then Christ was an action that was unnecessary.

Secondly, we can't see past every decision we make. We don't know if tomorrow we'll get in our cars and we'll have a serious accident, save someone's life, or nothing happen at all. From our perspective, we have the ability to choose whatever we want. We may have an idea of the long term either by having goals for ourselves or other various reasons, but that doesn't mean we're mindless robots.

One last thing I wanted to point out. The defense I've heard from everything being predestined is "We'd be mindless robots because we wouldn't have the ability to choose to love God. So, we wouldn't really love him in the first place." My response is simple. When I met my girlfriend, Heather, she already had strong feelings for me. When I told her I loved her for the first time, she knew I was serious about it and honest. However, I also do things and get things for her as another way to express how much I love her. Not because I have to, but because I want to. Through my actions, words, and lifestyle, I show her how much I love her and she falls in love with me more and more. So, am I "making" her love me? Yes. Does that make her a mindless robot with no choice? Nope.

What do you think?