Subject:
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Mormon bashing again
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 1 Mar 2000 18:59:46 GMT
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Reply-To:
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jsproat@io{ihatespam}.com
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Viewed:
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518 times
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Arg. I gotta vent.
Slashdot is carrying an article (1) on how the Utah legislature is trying to
enfore internet filtering in public libraries. Somehow, this topic has become
a Mormon-bashing extravaganza. I was going to post there, but I suspect that
I'll find more level-headed people on LUGNET. I still might post there, I
dunno.
I'm a Mormon. I suspect that there are other members of my church on LUGNET.
I try to pay tithing and try to live a good life. I donate when I can to
humanitarian causes. I strive to make my life a better one.
Also at the root of my nature is the American Dream. The big Melting Pot, the
Land of Opportunity. I don't enforce my morals onto others. I recognize
peoples' rights, their obligations to diversity and free agency. I understand
desires, dreams and vices; I have my own to deal with.
A big nit I'm always picking is that people often interpret that BYU ==
Mormons == BYU. I never have, nor will I ever attend, BYU. It served a good
purpose long ago when it was founded; now it's a quaint relic, struggling to
redefine its purpose as the world matures without it.
I'm just as upset about BYU housing restrictions as the next resident; I doubt
I'll ever let any of my rental properties (yes, I own rental properties, great
retirement package) become "BYU approved". See, if you want to attend BYU,
you have to live in approved housing, which waives many of your rights as well
as many rights of your landlord. That concept is aggressively monopolistic,
borderline illegal, and the result of delusions of school administration, but
*not* of the gospel.
In fact, legislating morality goes against the concept of free agency, which
is core to our beliefs. As per the gospel, the best you can do is instruct
and give example, and let people make their own decisions; everyone will get
their reckoning eventually.
And my church is anything but monopolistic nor is it imperialistic.
Missionaries aren't given conversion quotas. We aren't instructed to
alienate non-member neighbors and friends (rather, just the opposite). Fer
crying out loud, Mormons *gave away* the land to the Catholic church for the
Catherdral of the Madeline, and helped with its construction.
My church has an honorable purpose. Many people within the church have done
some *good* things. Many people within the curch have made some *bad*
mistakes. What many people do not understand is that you will find this in
any large organization, where people often (wrongly) feel a need to prove
their church or morals or agenda or whatever to themselves.
Still, because I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints, I am marked as a zealot seeking political leverage using my church as
the crowbar. Fume. If anyone here in lugnet.off-topic.debate wants to flame
me for the religion I practice, please feel free to do so. I'd really love to
have a rational discussion about this with anyone who harbors negative (or
neutral) feelings towards Mormons.
Okay, venting over. I feel better now.
Cheers,
- jsproat
1. http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/02/29/169254&mode=thread
--
Jeremy H. Sproat <jsproat@io.com> ~~~ http://www.io.com/~jsproat/
Card-carrying member of the Star-Bellied Sneech Preservation Society
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Message has 12 Replies:
 | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| Good call on the keeping of chuch and state seperate. I wish more Americans felt the way that you do. I am from another conservative denomination, the SDA church yet I am still compleatly for individual liberties. Oh well good call. Ian (25 years ago, 1-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| WOOHOO! Greetings Jeremy. I'm a recent convert, coming up on my one-year mark (April 25th), and preparing to go on a mission. If anyone cares to "flame" Mormons here, they'll have me to deal with as well. =) Of course, this really isn't the place (...) (25 years ago, 1-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| (...) <mucho snippage> (...) Zealot. :) I don't really have any significant beefs with the LDS - at least, no more than I have with any other organized religion(1), including my own. I have beefs with some individuals, but I make a distinction (...) (25 years ago, 1-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| (...) It's funny you posted that here, because I thought about doing the same thing. I was more interested in the article as to what exactly is the government doing this time than actual mormon bashing. Seeing as how the /. "community" has been (...) (25 years ago, 2-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| I somehow feel obligated to chime on this topic. I too am a "Mormon" and am never surprised at the level of ignorance that often surfaces as evidenced on slashdot. Generally speaking, most "Mormons" have pretty thick skin when it comes to criticism (...) (25 years ago, 2-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| (...) I'm a Mormon as well, but a "bad" one, in that I don't attend church and have serious issues with some of their policies and beliefs. However, I see nothing wrong with : (1) a Legislature that accurately reflects the majority of the populace (...) (25 years ago, 2-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| (...) Do it here among friends. :-) That's what we're here for. I read your post but not all the replies. I'll try to be brief but know this, I wish more christians were like you (and Frank). (...) Would that the Christian Reformed(1) church (or (...) (25 years ago, 2-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| (...) What is this? (...) I had a couple of very charming young women come to my apartment door a couple of weeks ago and ask if I'd ever heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They were surprised when I told them that I had and (...) (25 years ago, 6-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Mormon bashing again
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| My personal summation of the matter is as follows: (not that anyone should or will care) Ultimately, this matter started over the issue of posting of the ten commandments and teaching creation. Still, it's hard to say that the simple posting of the (...) (25 years ago, 15-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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