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Grace62 wrote:
OK, I have lots of neighbors who are Mormons. Prior to moving to the West coast I knew approximately zero Mormons and even less about their faith. So it's been an experience. Morning meetings without caffeine involved aren't fun to me, so volunteering with Mormons requires some open-mindedness.
These are very nice people...well educated, health-conscious, highly civic-minded, ambitious, etc.
However....
I find the secrecy and exclusivity around their faith practices to be off-putting. I think requiring every young person to spend a year of their college-age time trying to recruit more Mormons is rotten. (and the kids I know have all ended up "recruiting" in some pretty nice places - like Paris or Miami Beach. Not exactly community service. )
Interesting. The Mormon missionaries I've experienced are stationed in a working class, gang-dominated neighborhood that most forum members wouldn't be caught dead in. They speak only Spanish with each-other . . . live in not-so-great accommodations within the community, and have a very meager budget from which they're expected to take care of all of their material needs (that's part of the experience.)
Grace62 wrote:
My son had a little crush on a Mormon girl back in 4th grade and the mom called me to say there'd be none of that. I didn't even know what the heck she was talking about at first, but I'd hate to be growing up knowing my family would disapprove of any person I liked outside their faith, and that I could get "shunned" for marrying outside. (My son and this girl are still good friends - she's a student at BYU now. Her older sister graduated this spring and was promptly married to a fellow BYU student - both at age 21. )
Fair enough, but not really any different from a host of other cultures around us that aren't all about the "melting pot."
The LDS stake in our neighborhood was destroyed by an arsonist last year. The police were hush-hush but we're pretty sure that a Mormon kid did the deed. They were given three possible designs for rebuilding by the powers that be in Utah, no deviation from that allowed. Extremely top-down organization - that's a turn-off to me.
Last I checked, Apple didn't put store managers in charge of building design ;-)
The other thing that's really bugged me is their influence over scouting. Kind of long story and I won't get bogged down, but their money control of our local council causes us non-Mormon scouts some headaches and pretty major inconveniences, like never being able to have training events on Sundays.
I won't comment on the theology, I understand it only a little. I did read Jon Krakauer's book Under the Banner of Heaven - interesting stuff there.
Will check it out, thanks.
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I know little of the religion or it's precepts. I do know a fair amount of it's violent history. Religions seem to need a crucible to go through to to validate themselves. Check out Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Taoism or most other "established" religious sects.
Wife and I once visited the Los Angeles Tabernacle, a seriously impressive edifice. We were welcomed in what I can only think of as the way crowds are welcomed at Disneyland. Everything was highly structured - no wandering freely about the grounds like at a Hindu temple.
"Greeters" were unfailingly polite and single minded, the purpose of the invitation to visit was to expose, acquaint and ultimately prosthelytize the visitor. Absent the free gifts, it reminded me of a well organized effort to sell time shares. Wife and I left when the "closers" entered the room.
Scientology is noted for it's disciplined, high pressure approach to recruitment, our Mormon evening was similar, just much more low key.
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Grace62 wrote:
Apparently they did a nationwide survey about attitudes towards Mormons and the LDS church and found out that a lot of Americans are both lacking information (i.e. thinking Mormons aren't Christians) and hold negative opinions towards Mormons.
Well, whether Mormons are Christians is a matter of debate because of disagreement over the definition of 'Christian.' Mormons are not trinitarians (then again, neither are Unitarians); they do not espouse salvation through the person of Jesus Christ per se; they do not recognize God the Father as the creator of the universe and of man (and men's souls). I'm not taking a position one way or the other on this, but whether Mormons are Christians isn't merely a matter of ignorance, it's also a matter of some debate.
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Personally, I believe Mormons to be no crazier than any other believers.
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No commercials around here, but I saw this guy at a local candidates event.
From his sign I'm not sure if he is actually pro or anti Morman Mormon
(sorry - I had Photoshop open and couldn't resist)
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That photo has all the potential of the Hitler video clip. Go for it!
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It's a campaign they've been running since they rather effectively shot themselves in the foot supporting California's Prop 8.
LDS is also trying to set the record straight on polygamy.
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Prop 8 passed thanks to the muscle of the LDS, that it was later ruled unconstitutional isn't the point. They have as much sway in several western states as does the Catholic Church in the mid west and east and the Baptist Convention in the South.
Separation of church and state is a point of principal that has never been a reality in the history of this republic.
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rjmacs wrote:
[quote=Grace62]
Apparently they did a nationwide survey about attitudes towards Mormons and the LDS church and found out that a lot of Americans are both lacking information (i.e. thinking Mormons aren't Christians) and hold negative opinions towards Mormons.
Well, whether Mormons are Christians is a matter of debate because of disagreement over the definition of 'Christian.' Mormons are not trinitarians (then again, neither are Unitarians); they do not espouse salvation through the person of Jesus Christ per se; they do not recognize God the Father as the creator of the universe and of man (and men's souls). I'm not taking a position one way or the other on this, but whether Mormons are Christians isn't merely a matter of ignorance, it's also a matter of some debate.
It's not really a matter of debate if you're Mormon, and that's the point they are trying to make.
Here's what Mormons believe about Jesus:
http://mormon.org/faq/belief-in-jesus-ch...QgodKUzymQ
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It's only important if you consider yourself a Christian.
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