The Mooormons

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2002-09-21 05:46pm

anybody got anything to say about these people?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2002-09-21 05:49pm

You mean the Mormons or the Moomins?

I hate them all to be perfectly honest, those damn religious fanatics and those bloody Smurf wannabes!

Alferd Packer · Post by **Alferd Packer** » 2002-09-21 06:10pm

Eh, they're no worse and no better than any other Christian group. I've met Mormons who are cool, and Mormons who are dicks.

Tosho · Post by **Tosho** » 2002-09-21 06:42pm

The W.U.D. has an excellent page on their religion's dubious origins

http://www.deism.com/thinksam23.htm

RayCav of ASVS · Post by **RayCav of ASVS** » 2002-09-21 07:19pm

Alferd Packer wrote:Eh, they're no worse and no better than any other Christian group. I've met Mormons who are cool, and Mormons who are dicks.

Same here

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » 2002-09-24 07:06pm

Nice people for the most part, and tend to be more open minded and tolerant than a lot of the more mainsteam groups.

And considering that I'm presently living literally right across the street from BYU, I think I've got more experiece with them a as a group than most every other non-mormon on the board

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-09-24 07:13pm

I don’t think there any worse then other Christen groups, which is not saying much.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2002-09-25 12:26pm

Mayhem wrote:Nice people for the most part, and tend to be more open minded and tolerant than a lot of the more mainsteam groups.

And considering that I'm presently living literally right across the street from BYU, I think I've got more experiece with them a as a group than most every other non-mormon on the board

Being as I was born and raised here, here's my take. As an individual person, mormons are like everyone else, some are asses and some are not. As a group, they tend to be elitist and snobby to any one who is not of the "church", as if its the only one. The constant battle in Utah over the LDS church and the normal folk rages back and forth over alot of issues. Most bussiness close on Sunday, and buying a freakin drink around here involves jumping through hoops. They, the church, just bought the one good newspaper in town through a company they own so now we have two church newspapers. They bought a large chunk of Main street in downtown Salt Lake City and turned it into a park, its a nice park but it sits in the middle of Main Street! Plus that its now church property so if you stroll down the street and cross into the park while your swearing you can be evicted from the park that sits in the middle of the freakin street.
Stories of non LDS people getting snotty letters from the neighbors is not uncommon, and I've personaly been shunned on more than one occasion. The only real fun I get is the constant invasions of missionaries that come to my door, I like to confuse and comfound them with questions about their faith they should know but don't.
To sum it up, people are people and some suck while others don't. But the general attitude of the LDS church is one on elitism on a higher scale than other with maybe the exception of southern babtist. Although I have met people of this faith that did not live in Ut, and they have said they were shunned for not living in zion. So maybe the problem is just living in the geographical heart of this particual cult.

SPOOFE · Post by **SPOOFE** » 2002-09-25 07:16pm

Eh. I was a Mormon for nigh on 18 years. Then I ditched it. Why? Because everyone kept telling me that if I was a good lil' boy (I even gave up masturbation for a whole year when I was 14... THAT'S how dedicated I was!), I'd "feel the spirit".

Well... I never felt the spirit, so I said "Adios."

But that's all right... I read the Bible (three different versions of it), the BOM, the D&C, and the POG, along with numerous other religious texts (like the Torah, and even parts of Dianetics... man, that last book's a larf), all in the effort of tryin' to find some semblance of faith. But I didn't find it, so I just put it on hold, figuring, "Well, if I can't find it, maybe it'll find me."

No animosity, really. I let 'em believe what they want. Assholic Mormons that harass non-Mormons would still be assholes even if they were atheists. If you really get shit from them, just look them in the eye and say, "Is that what Jesus would want you to do?" It's really simple for me, I guess, since I know the religion better than most die-hard members.

Oh, and "baptism for the dead" isn't as creepy as it initially sounds. Just another bizarre religious ceremony.

Post by **Kuja** » 2002-09-25 07:19pm

Most religious ceremonies are bizarre, when you think about them.

Dori-Ma · Post by **Dori-Ma** » 2002-09-26 12:58pm

Being a member of teh church myself, I'd have to agree with the fact that some members are HUGE idgets and the rest are pretty normal people. But when it comes to us ostracising those not of our faith I can honestly say that I've never seen it happen (though I've seen inactive members hounded by those few idgets I mentioned before), though I do hear about it alot from non-members living to the south. But of course I do live in Cache Valley and we are quite isolated from the outside world.

As for the church buying up the Tribune that ain't helping to improve others views of us, neither is the whole Main Street/Park deal, but it is the churches property and its their right to decide if people can smoke or drink (alcohol) on their property or not (Landlords have the same rights). So if your lookin' for someone to blame on that issue go to the city council and Rocky Anderson (who has got to be one of the stupidest politicians this state has ever seen, right behide Merrill Cook.

p.s. If you do a little research you'll likely find out that articles like the one link in the first post are written, ninety percent of the time, by ex-members. Eight percent of the time by families of people who converted to our church and two percent of the time by people who just want to disprove all other beliefs. That's my opinion.

Post by **Kuja** » 2002-09-26 01:22pm

that's your opinion? You just puuled those %s out of nowhere?

Dori-Ma · Post by **Dori-Ma** » 2002-09-26 01:52pm

Yes. That's my opinion based on experience. Also, seeing as how society LOVES to try and quantify everything in easy to understand numbers, I was trying to give you an idea of what I'd observed. Would you have preferred me to say: "The vast majority of people who author such papers on the church are ex-members. While two small minorities, families of people who converted and groups that wish to disprove (through truth or lies) all other faiths and/or beliefs but their own, make up for the rest of the articles. With the latter being the least to contribute."? I'll say it again; I was just trying to simplify it a little.

p.s. The determined researher, whether a professional or amateur, can make or bend the numbers into ones that suit their own desires and purpose.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2002-09-26 03:39pm

Yes it is now private property, but should have never been sold to become private property. Its MAIN STREET. And if any other private interest had come to the city goverment and asked to buy a piece of main street in the down town area, they would have been laughed out of the city building.
To help others who do not live or have visited here, the street in question runs between the SLC temple and the LDS office buildings. They bough the actual street, and turned it into a park between the two buildings. IMO it obstruct the traffic flow in downtown, and they are thumbing their nose at govermental fairness.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-09-26 06:02pm

Mormons go door to door. Mormons have an elite council of twelve old white men who are supposedly close to God (why does God prefer old white men?) The Mormon church refused entry to blacks until the government threatened to take away its tax-exempt status. The Church of Mormon is so wealthy that it would be a Fortune 500 company if it were classified as a corporation rather than a church.

Sorry, but if you're a Mormon and you can't figure out why others think your group sucks, you're not being honest with yourself.

Post by **Steve** » 2002-09-26 07:31pm

Could be worse, Mike; they could be Jehovahs' Witnesses.....

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-09-26 07:39pm

They go door to door, like JW's. They aggressively proselytize, like JW's. They try to "sneak under the radar" by talking about general social issues before they hit you with that "The Answer is in Christ!!!" bullshit, just like JW's.

The only difference is that they have more money. The Mormons are nothing more than wealthy JW's (and their founder was a white-supremacist child-molester).

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-09-26 07:40pm

Darth Wong wrote: The only difference is that they have more money. The Mormons are nothing more than wealthy JW's (and their founder was a white-supremacist child-molester).

That's not nearly the only thing early Mormons did wrong. Not by a long shot.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2002-09-26 07:45pm

Aaaahhh

But they're only an american phenomenon.. They don't bother me

JW are like weed that is spread all over the world. EErrrghh

Last week I actually opened the door. I looked into the peephole and saw a nice girl. It was already dark, and I mistook her for a friend of mine and didn't bother to ask who it was. Surprise.. right next to her was an old man and they were.. JW! It took me a while and a certain amount of veiled insulting to finally dispatch them. Not that I would mind to talk with the girl alone, though.

Dori-Ma · Post by **Dori-Ma** » 2002-09-26 07:59pm

Knife, I'd have to disagree about any other private orginization not being able to purchase a chunck of Main Street. Look at the time frame. It was right before the Winter Olympics and the city council was on that hole beautification and more business for downtown binge. So I say anyone with the money and a plan to "improve" (though the park looks nice taking away a block worth of street, in a city that has really bad traffic flow, wasn't the best idea) downtown would have had a pretty good chance.

As for your statements my Lord Wong: yes the LDS church has access to a butt-load of money but most of that goes to building and maintaining Temples and Church buildings. As for not allowing blacks into the church thats a lie. From the beginning anyone could join. But blacks were not allowed to hold the Priesthood until 1978. That's just twenty-five years ago. Quite sometime after the major civil rights movement. And as for the government taking away our tax-exempt status that would be against the law since any church can admit or block anyone from their congregation that they so choose. Though we have never blocked anyone who was worthy (this sentence ain't gonna go over well).

Side note: We are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saints, LDS, Mormon, or Crazed Cult Fanatics. Not the Church of Mormon or the Church of Christ. The latter is a completely different church, something one of my Drill Instructors could never quite understand.

Dori-Ma · Post by **Dori-Ma** » 2002-09-26 08:13pm

Unlike the Jehovahs Witnesses we actually identify who we are when you answer the door (well the missionaries are supposed to do that, some are absolute pricks and the only reason that they're out there is to Bible bash [argue about scriptual references]) I have some advice to give and a favor to ask. If LDS missionaries come to your door or approach you on the street please be courteous to them. If you don't want to talk to them just tell them that and if they persist beyond reason ask them for the name and number of their Mission President. That ought to get them off of your case. But again be please be nice (no more chasing them down the street with a gun or a knife).

Post by **Steve** » 2002-09-26 08:37pm

Dori-Ma wrote: (no more chasing them down the street with a gun or a knife).

You are no fun!

Post by **Steve** » 2002-09-26 10:14pm

Actually, Mike, I don't believe the Mormons go quite as far as the JWs do, as the JWs actively try to hide criminal activity on the part of their members, "disfellowship" any who dare break this and try to get justice for molested children and the like (Thus depriving these people of contact with their families), and believe that the entire world is a great evil conspiracy to keep them out of power.

Sorry, the Mormons might be richer, but I think the JWs are worse.

SpacedTeddyBear · Post by **SpacedTeddyBear** » 2002-09-27 03:16am

I'm gonna have to agree with some of the people on this board in believing that Mormons are just like any other person. Some are nice, some are total wack-jobs. Fortunately most of my experiences with mormons are good ones. The nicest person I've ever met was a Mormon. ( It was a girl of course

) But most important of all, she doesn't believe that I'm going to hell because i'm an atheist.

Post by **Steve** » 2002-09-27 09:18am

Not to degrade your memory of your friend, but IIRC, Mormons don't believe in Hell at all. They believe that the afterlife for hardcore sinners isn't as nice as those of the faithful, but they don't believe it's the eternal torture that is the regularly-accepted Judeo-Christian ideal of Hell.

Again, IIRC, the best of the faithful go to the best afterlife, a middle afterlife for those who weren't always good but not always bad, and a lower afterlife for the baddies.