Mormons celebrate 200 years (page 3)

gumby

"The positives are those which see Mormonism as an increasingly legitimate religious tradition, entitled to a certain amount of admiration and appreciation for its unique teachings and lifestyle," he said

So because they have a heretical unique teaching and lifestyle......they are to be admired? If that's true then the witnesses and moonies should also be admired.

Wasanelder Once,

I disagree with you that the witnesses are so full of guilt they do not act superior to their fellowman. They wholeheartedly believe all of their fellow man will be dead soon and they alone ( the witnesses ) will be alive to watch them all go down. Did you not feel "superior" or "above" every householder you talked to?

Gumby

Wasanelder Once

Old Flame:

Any religious nut is a jerk either way.

Hey all you fellow lovers of the Lord, I guess we are all just a bunch of jerks according to wasanelder once. I'll remember that one there pal..............

First Old Flame,

A religious nut to me is someone so out of balance with reality that they force thier psychotic religious view on others without allowance for personal choice. This has been my experience in the Mormon "Missionary training" town I live in. So to me any religious nut is a jerk. Its a matter of terms. I'm sure you'd agree that those who inflict thier view on others are jerks. Sharing is fine when appropriate, but to treat others as if they were a part of your religious community when they are not, or to treat them as if your condemnation by your theology is legitimate and not waiting for God to execute it, is at best annoying. So, its your choice and mine if we want our faith to make us a jerk.

Wasanelder Once ,

I disagree with you that the witnesses are so full of guilt they do not act superior to their fellowman. They wholeheartedly believe all of their fellow man will be dead soon and they alone ( the witnesses ) will be alive to watch them all go down. Did you not feel "superior" or "above" every householder you talked to?

Gumby,

Blanket statements never fare well do they? Sorry for being so general about the guilt thing. I do believe that those witnesses I dealt with had great guilt and were'nt looking forward to the destruction of thier neighbor. They busted their ass to help others. Sure it was partly an ego thing to be of help to others on some level, but that's life isn't it?

I did not feel superior to the householders that I spoke to. In fact I bought the whole Apostle Paul thingy about being a debtor to all men. My whole approach was from the standpoint of helping others, not because I was superior, but because I perceived thier being in danger. I had to warn them of the danger from this "System of things" (insert gagging sound) and the "fear inspiring day of Jehovah". (gulp at my own gullibility). I did not look forward to the death of anyone I spoke to. Hey, I was really doing this according to the heart that's why I was sucked in for so long. And yes, Oldflame, the same reason I was a religious nut to some degree. I didn't judge them. Sadly, I converted at least 10 people to Dubdum. I was an over acheiver due mostly to my sincerity and genuine concern for people. This was my life. Now I have come to have a real life where I don't go to people's houses to tell them to shape up or get shipped out! I help my friends on a one on one basis.

Peace brothers. To each his own, really, no condemnation.

W.Once

Seeker4

The Mormon leaders were here in Vermont all this past week, because this is where Joseph Smith is from and where it all began. Historically, it seems, he was a notorious con man who finally found a con that has worked for a long, long time!

For the last year I've worked with a 21 year old Mormon girl, who, like myself, was divorced this year and also left her religion. We had many a talk about the similarities in our religious backgrounds and the two churches. Her last day on the job was Friday. Going back to college.

Good girl! I wrote in the card we gave her - "from a divorced ex-JW to a divorced ex-LSD."

S4

fairchild

I have an idea. Why don't a bunch of us get together.. we can make up a story about how we were walking in the woods and one of God's prohets appeared to us. He gave us the knowledge to write down the real truth (here we make up our own bible which will suit two purposes.. we will write according to OUR needs and we will tell people exactly what they want to hear. Then we get the book published and start our religion. We;ll get the show on the road within a year. Given the right kind of promotion and the right connections, we can be rich in about 10 years. To bypass the feelings of guilt which could develop in our minds, we make sure that the members of our church live the lives of good people, and we can include in the rules that they have to perform one good deed towards a stranger each month.

Qcmbr

Of course Firchild you'd need to be willing to die for it as well.

fairchild

Ouch, no, I wouldn't die for it, I'd just keep making things up and stay alive. I have an incredible imagination. Are you in?

Qcmbr

I'm totally happy with the mad religion I'm in at the moment but if I ever get disenchanted I'll give you a buzz - but only if I get a cut of the profits;)

fairchild

As soon as I get rich I will give you a cut of the profits, I don't mind sharing at all.

I just came up with an idea for my next book.. someone starts a religion with the sole idea of getting rich. Development of false doctrines and mind control.. then he/she gets rich indeed and starts to feel guilty.. wants to eliminate the religion, admits it was all made up.. *mental note* must find good ending.

hooberus

I handed out christain literature to LDS people this summer at Nauvoo Illinois during their pageant celebration of the 200th year since the birth of Joseph Smith. I also attended a LDS reading of the King Follett Discourse by the actor playing Jeseph Smith in the pageant. I followed along with the copy of the discourse in the LDS Church's Joseph Smith History book. While the whole sermon was condensed somewhat the controversial parts of the sermon (ie: Smith's teaching that God the Father was not always God- but instead that He was once a man, etc.) were virtually all omitted. For the complete sermon see:

http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/sermons_talks_interviews/kingfolletsermon.htm

RevFrank

it's my opinion, but joe smith needed to have a reason to have sex with plenty of women, including married women, so he came up with this Mormon thing.

Back in the 60s, "Hippy era," I was looking to incorporate sexual play into a religion. Then someone came around and told me that Joe Smith..LDS (Mormons) already did that. That was a bad scene and bummer for a whole year. I went on a bad trip for awhile.....you know..way out and it wasn't grovy........

Mormons celebrate 200 years

Share this