Let's compare Joseph Smith, Jr. and L. Ron Hubbard

#77
#77
azVolFan said:
I, like nbakerld, was raised Mormon but I did not go on a mission, nor did I participate in seminary so I'm probably much less knowledgeable than nbakerld. I have not gone to church in a number of years but I still do not engage in discourse disparaging to the church.

That being said - how are Mormons any more crazy relative to bible-only Christians than are Christians to Jews? Mormons are generally well-regarded and honest people.

Everyone has the right hate on who you want but IMO there are groups that are much more deserving. Hate can only be spread so thin and you may as well save your hate for the more deserving groups.
Click to expand...

If it were just a social club that promoted family values, high moral character, hard work, and a healthy lifestyle I would be a member in a second. In that sense, I respect Mormons very much. IMO, that is what appeals to most.

What turns me off is the corporate nature of the church heirarchy that most don't realize, the suppression of evidence to anything contrary to stated doctrine, and a white washing of the real history of the church. The social pressure to state Joseph Smith was a prophet once a month in front of the congregation. The whole thing is very cultish. I have no ill will towards the members, the leadership is what I have issue with. At that point, most of them know the basics of how it all went down in the beginning is total BS.

Anybody with an open mind and a middling of intelligence can research enough in a single day to come to the crashing realization many of the fundamental beliefs of JS, the BoM, and general history of polygamy is absurd to the point of being almost laughable. Most just don't want to.
 
#78
#78
The LDS played a massive part in passing Prop 8. Zero respect for that silly church after that.
 
#80
#80
rjd970 said:
If it were just a social club that promoted family values, high moral character, hard work, and a healthy lifestyle I would be a member in a second. In that sense, I respect Mormons very much. IMO, that is what appeals to most.

What turns me off is the corporate nature of the church heirarchy that most don't realize, the suppression of evidence to anything contrary to stated doctrine, and a white washing of the real history of the church. The social pressure to state Joseph Smith was a prophet once a month in front of the congregation. The whole thing is very cultish. I have no ill will towards the members, the leadership is what I have issue with. At that point, most of them know the basics of how it all went down in the beginning is total BS.
Click to expand...

You're off. I never once felt pressure to bear testimony. I'd go years without doing it. My Mom is one of the most stout Mormons you'll ever meet and she probably only bears testimony to the congregation 3-4 times a year.

Also suppression of anything that isn't unstated doctrine...a lot of information that anti-people use to make the church appear "weird" can be found in the 7 volumes of church history. Very obscure stuff that a lot of sheltered members don't know about, and it's in there.
 
Last edited:
#81
#81
VOLatile said:
The LDS played a massive part in passing Prop 8. Zero respect for that silly church after that.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have a hard time with that as well, though most Christian denominations in CA opposed it. The others just don't have the organization the LDS church does so they didn't get the same amount of attention.
 
#83
#83
IPorange said:
One of my good buddies in high school was Mormon. We used to tease the hell out of him about the whole "masturbation leads to homosexuality" thing they believe.
Click to expand...

What? Where do you get that? I've heard some Mormons opine that it's a homosexual act because it's a man pleasing a man (himself), but I've never heard that taught by any leader. But it's damn funny.
 
#85
#85
nbakerld said:
What? Where do you get that? I've heard some Mormons opine that it's a homosexual act because it's a man pleasing a man (himself), but I've never heard that taught by any leader. But it's damn funny.
Click to expand...

Maybe I am corrupting and misremembering exactly what I was told. It may be that it was just considered a homosexual act. But I do remember some sort of "gateway" conversation we had where it was at least implied.
 
#88
#88
rjd970 said:
If it were just a social club that promoted family values, high moral character, hard work, and a healthy lifestyle I would be a member in a second. In that sense, I respect Mormons very much. IMO, that is what appeals to most.

What turns me off is the corporate nature of the church heirarchy that most don't realize, the suppression of evidence to anything contrary to stated doctrine, and a white washing of the real history of the church. The social pressure to state Joseph Smith was a prophet once a month in front of the congregation. The whole thing is very cultish. I have no ill will towards the members, the leadership is what I have issue with. At that point, most of them know the basics of how it all went down in the beginning is total BS.

Anybody with an open mind and a middling of intelligence can research enough in a single day to come to the crashing realization many of the fundamental beliefs of JS, the BoM, and general history of polygamy is absurd to the point of being almost laughable. Most just don't want to.
Click to expand...

I've never once done it and no one is keeping track. That being said, Joseph Smith being a prophet IS the keystone of the church.
 
#91
#91
IPorange said:
One of my good buddies in high school was Mormon. We used to tease the hell out of him about the whole "masturbation leads to homosexuality" thing they believe.
Click to expand...

Well I'm done for. Where in the hell am I supposed to get high-heels in a 13?
 
#94
#94
azVolFan said:
I've never once done it and no one is keeping track. That being said, Joseph Smith being a prophet IS the keystone of the church.
Click to expand...

That is precisely why I think the entire thing is a fraud. Any honest reading of history shows he was nothing more than a womanizing conman that was great at swaying people to his view and public speaking. A lifetime of indoctrination would view such a statement as blasphemous and I'm sure church elders would tell you it is just negative propaganda that the Church is constantly targeted for, but it is the brutal truth.
 
#95
#95
MG1968 said:
"Battlefield Earth" sucked, so I'll vote for Smith, besides, the kids that come around on their bicycles are far less creepy than Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
Click to expand...

Those boys are always creepy nice. I'll side with the aliens.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top