People either really like Mormonism where I live, or else they really hate it... there are a lot of skewed facts out there, but still... I just want to get some points of veiw from people NOT in Spokane....
Lets keep it nice though, people.... my intent with this is NOT to piss anyone off or offend anyone... Thankies!
~LOA
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The greatest single cause of athiesm in the world today are christians who acknowledge things with their lips and then walk out the door and deny them by their lifestyle.
THAT is what and unbelieving world simply finds Unbelievable.
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The Molybdenum Home Page
Speaking structly from a Christian perspective, Mormanism follows several practices and beliefs which can't be reconciled with Christian beliefs.
One which readily comes to mind is the belief that there are some sins so heinous that God will not forgive them unless the perpetrator is dispatched in such a way that his blood can spill out and hit the ground. That's why in Utah, you may opt for the firing squad if you so choose, if you happen to reside on death row.
They also believe that God literally had sex with Mary so she could conceive Jesus, and that Satan is Jesus' older brother (or something like that).
If there are real Mormons here, they can tell you the true facts except for the ones they are either not privy to (their church has secrets the rabble must not be told) or the ones we are not privy to (they keep secrets from non-believers, too).
I almost converted to Mormonism once, but upon reading the Book of Mormon, I discovered that horses thrived in the New World during Biblical times. This contradicted what I knew of paleontology, that Horses died out around 10,000 years ago on the American continents, and were not restored until the Conquistadores arrived in search of fabulous wealth.
--Baloo
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Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk?
www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/8641/
[This message has been edited by Baloo (edited August 12, 1999).]
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"S`io credessi che mia rispota fosse
A persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
Questa fiamma staria senza piu' scosse.
Ma perciocche` giammai di questo fondo
Non torno` vivo alcun, s`i`odo il vero,
Senza tema d`infamia ti rispondo."
- Dante`
Remember how long and hard the Church tried to keep anyone from translating the Bible into English?
Ever read the Gospel of Thomas? Or of Mary?
Do you know where Jimmy Swaggart's money goes?
Didn't think so.
My second cousin's family are Mormons. They're no better or worse than any other people I know, except that my second cousin has become a literal creationist, and when he expressed this to me I called him on it, and we ended up arguing until he exploded at me, so we don't talk much now. Doesn't matter, I was always two letter grades above him in school anyway.
From what I've gleaned of it. Mormonism isn't any sillier or more self-contradictory than most other major religions, except for that bit about the gold plates.
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"When we turn our back on our principles, we stop being human." -- Janeway, "Equinox"
[This message has been edited by First of Two (edited August 13, 1999).]
However, I don't agree with the beliefs that they hold... that's okay though, because I don't believe with the beliefs that a LOT of people hold! *L*
However... living in a community where Mormonism is prevalent, you begin to see a lot of things... what brought this thread on is that one of my dear friends (also my ex BF) is converting to Mormonism because he met a girl and as he himself put it "She's worth going to hell for!"
Now I'm not saying that he's going to go to hell... see, that's not my choice.. it's between him and the big guy... but it DOES distrub me to see him drop ALL of his previously held beliefs almost overnight to embrace these beliefs that are so much different from the beliefs that we held together before...
I've done a lot of reading, and I've asked a lot of questions of a lot of people, and still something just doesn't seem right... his sudden change disturbs me, just as it'd disturb me if he was converting to anything else almost overnight like this...
Anyway, I just wanted to start this thread to see what views are in other places and with other people... my views are undefined... I don't KNOW what they are... all I can say right now is this: It's different than the religious element that I'm exposed to at church. Hmm....
~LOA
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The greatest single cause of athiesm in the world today are christians who acknowledge things with their lips and then walk out the door and deny them by their lifestyle.
THAT is what and unbelieving world simply finds Unbelievable.
Anyway, Amy has this warm personality that draws people out and the missionaries took such a shine to her that they told her one of their greatest secrets: God is married. They said He keeps Mrs. God in the background because it would hurt Him if people took Mrs. God's name in vain.
I personally think the missionaries were feeling sort of giddy and having their little joke - I'm sure Mormon humor has its own nuances.
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"It's all around us!" - Blair Witch Project
But that's not the topic.
I dislike the Mormon religion, but I suppose it's a family trait. After all, the church did make our lives a living hell for seven years... But that's a totally different story.
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Avon: "You really do believe in taking risks, don't you?"
Tarrant: "Calculated risks."
Avon: "Calculated on what? Your fingers?"
-- Blake's Seven, Ultraworld
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Outside of a dog, a book is a mans best friend. Inside of a dog, it's to dark to read. Groucho Marx
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HMS White Star (your local friendly agent of Chaos:-) )
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Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")
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Josh: I think they're getting to know each other a bit too well, if you catch my drift.
Me: Oh, I agree. I think they're spending too much time together, that is of course, if you catch my drift.
Asher: I think he's *ucking her, and he's cheating on his wife, and he's risking his marriage, and if his wife finds out about it she'll leave him and take their son, and his life will be ruined. If you catch my drift...
The Mormon religion is like any other religion out there in the world. Sure it has some customs which seem strange to others, but it's part of their ritual. Now, about being a cult, aren't all religions cults in some way???
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"Its origin and purpose, still a total mystery."
-Dedication Plaque quote from the U.S.S. Odyssey
[This message has been edited by Michael_T (edited August 14, 1999).]
Once upon a time, when Dani and her best friend T-A were living in Langley, they had a very nice (but unfortunately mostly senile) land lady who was a Morman. This lady and her recently deceased husband used to make pewter plates of all of the Morman temples and sell them...but let's not discuss this now.
Anyways, this quote-unquote nice land lady always seemed to have these two extremely good looking young men over at her house for lunch. All the time. Coincidentally, she would invite us for lunch on these same days. Now these young men (whom she called "elders", go figure) were not only very good looking, and very close to Dani and T-A's age, they were also rather single. Hmmmmm...
Needless to say, Dani and T-A were not the sort to have the wool pulled over their eyes so easily. They politely made their apologies and announced that they would be unavailable for lunch, despite the extreme good looks of their guests. So tempting, but not when they knew that they were only there to try to convert them.
~~~
It was soooooooooo unfair trying to tempt us into their religion with these handsome guys. We were seriously drooling looking out the window one day as they walked up...especially as neither of us could resist a guy in a suit!
Same thing happened to a friend of a friend. She knew someone who was a Morman and they knew a guy, promptly introduced them and she ended up converting and marrying him. I've also heard of other people doing this...is this their idea of missions? *LOL* Converting poor brainless girls who obviously don't know any better so that they can marry into this religion and spend the rest of their lives being a relative nobody and living in their husband's shadow? Did you know that not a single woman sits on the Morman council? Sorry, but this REALLY does not appeal to me. (Please excuse my tainted, somewhat bitter view of things. )
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"You're just about as useful as .JPGs to Helen Keller."
- Weird Al (It's All About The Pentiums)
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"Hey Mr. Boo, fly away home. Your house is so lovely, your children so nice."
--
Hello (The Band)
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"I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I'll let you know."
--Picard to Data, "In Theory"
Ah yes, the Elders... I shall also refrain from comment on them.
What struck me hard and got my mind reeling though is that several weeks ago I was in one of the local Christian Stores, and I realized that ALL the books on Mormonism were in the cult section... now this struck me because I thought Mormons considered themselves t obe Christian..... so then I researched, and I realized it's that was in ALL of the Christian Stores in the area... and a lot of the material at the book stores and the library is like that, too... that's what struck me, because I agree that all religion is cult-like in it's own way... I also agree that marching band is a cult *L* But still.... seeing mormonism in the Cult section along with TRUE cults just kinda hit me and made me think... even now, several weeks later, I don't KNOW what I think about that... it just seems pretty harsh... ah, well....
~LOA
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The greatest single cause of athiesm in the world today are christians who acknowledge things with their lips and then walk out the door and deny them by their lifestyle.
THAT is what and unbelieving world simply finds Unbelievable.
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"When we turn our back on our principles, we stop being human." -- Janeway, "Equinox"
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Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")
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"Elevator to hell, going up." - What Dreams May Come
And though today their numbers are so great that they kinda squeeze out of the cult section on the virtue of size alone, the Mormon church's recruitment drives are so damn intense it's rather hard to not link them to cultish behaviour. Additionally... the entire tithe thing really underlines how damn devout... almost insanely devout Mormons are.
So cult or no? I'd be inclined to make them a cult if it wasn't for the rather heavy negativity that the term cult conjures up.
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"Well, I guess we're an Ovaltine family."
"MORE OVALTINE PLEASE!"
-American Radio Ads... *gag*... one more reason I'm glad to be above the 49th.