Utah Valley - Can we be allowed to share our experiences? (military, friendly)

[carlymac]

I would agree with Cinnabon. The lawn statues are probably more a regional thing. Also, I knew precious little about any other religion until I moved to MN. I realized I better educate myself. I bought a book about the basics of many different religions for my kids and we read through it together. I still get all the different churches confused when it comes to the details of what they believe and how they practice, but I have really learned a lot the past 10 years. Part of that education has come from simply being exposed more often to other religions. My daughter went to a Bat Mitvah of one of her friends which was interesting (she said it was pretty boring cause she didn't understand all the Hebrew stuff but interesting to watch). All four of my teens have attended activities and socials at their friends' churches. And some of their friends have attended activities at ours. It's been a great thing for my kids. They are still all very strong in their own faith and beliefs. Being exposed to other religions has done nothing to shake theirs but helps them understand their friends better.

We have gone to a few Catholic services here in MN-a funeral of our next door neighbor here in MN and a wedding of my husband's co-worker. He has attended a couple other funerals of work friends at Lutheran churches. We also attended a Jewish wedding and also a fall celebration (the name has escaped me) where they build an outdoor structure of branches and leaves and are supposed to sleep out there for a week. Fascinating! I was really flattered to be invited to these celebrations. In Utah I think I only stepped foot in a different church besides my own three times in 40 years. I went to a wedding at the Cathedral of the Madeline in Salt Lake and sang at other churches a couple times in high school .

Anyway, I think it's too bad that kids who are raised and submerged completely in one culture/religion are simply not exposed to any others. It's possible that they develop unrealistic fears (that could be misinterpreted as intolerance or discrimination by outsiders) of anything different. As we attended all these events at other churches here, I have to admit to feeling something akin to "creeped out" at times. I don't know why. It just felt odd- that's all. Nothing more than that. But I can't remember even one time-ever growing up in the LDS church that I was taught to look down on any other religion. In fact just the opposite. We are taught to be respectful of other churches and traditions. Maybe that's why I'm so sensitive about hearing others blasting us.

And just for the record, the reason we don't have crosses in the LDS church is because we prefer to focus on the resurrection of Christ rather than the instrument of his death. We certainly learn about his death, read about it in the Bible, sing about it in our hymns and deeply appreciate his suffering. But we like to focus on the atonement rather than the gruesome details of his death.

There are other symbols that are sacred to us. But we don't advertise them very much. One of those happens to be the undergarments we wear. It can get offensive when people who don't understand make fun of them. It isn't politically correct to make fun of the burka worn by Muslim women. Joking about Mormon garments shouldn't be PC either. But we who wear them realize that since most people don't know what the garments are or what they represent, they can't be completely blamed for making light of them. So we tolerate the comments with white knuckles sometimes.

All this to say, Mormons in Utah can be pretty uneducated about other religions simply because of lack of experience. And sometimes that equates to fear and suspicion which is really stupid. We should all be more open with each other and try to learn about each others' beliefs, traditions and treasured symbols so that we can remove all the distrust that turns neighbors against each other.

[Lmejh]

Originally Posted by Hobo2

Here we go again, and again, and again, and again, when will people wake up and smell the coffee? YES, there are Mormons here, imagine that. Just as there are Catholics in Rome, wow shocking, imagine that.

People like you who move into an area, then have the gall to have strong negative feelings towards the established culture of the people who live there, really annoy me. You are upset that they don’t act they way you are accustom too, and then have even more gall to call them weird because they don’t see why your so negative towards them. While all the while you are moving here with a misguided chip on your shoulders about Mormons, GIVE ME A BREAK! Let me make a broad statement like yours sounds, and see how you react. All military people just love to kill and are not friendly towards anyone who doesn't agree with that way of life. This broad assumption is way off the mark I relies this, but do you?

Well I’m just going to say it, GO HOME!!! I am not so stupid as to move to an island and expect to convert people into not fishing or boating. I would not move to a coastal area and hate the ocean. If I did these things and blamed the inhabitants for looking at me as a fish out of water, I would not blame them, I would try to adapt and understand them, not call them weird or unfriendly.

YOU, are the problem with YOU! If you can’t see that, there is something wrong with YOU, not with Utahns! WE are just fine, and doing what we like, what a shock this information must be for you.

Reality check here, just so you can understand, now read very carefully, this is not a secret!!! Mormons live in Utah, they were here long before you. If you don’t like them, or think they are so mean, MOVE AWAY!!! We would love to have less Utah bashing people here anyway. If you can adapt and accept the culture, great, welcome, but quit trying to change and whine about the established culture.

My next thread… Is there any place left in Utah that is not surrounded by out of state Utah bashing, naive and ignorant people like this? For crying out loud, get a grip people!!!

I'm adding Sanpete County on my list, right below Utah County

[stycotl]

Originally Posted by Lmejh

I'm adding Sanpete County on my list, right below Utah County

just remember, the government can't make people take their meds unless they've been baker acted. maybe it's not his fault...

[carlymac]

"I would agree with Cinnabon. The lawn statues are probably more a regional thing."

Oops that was Lola- sorry.

A few days of perspective and this whole scenario is becoming more clear- to me anyway.

[Cycle]

Thanks for all the information about religious icons and statues, but the only reason I put that on there was in response to all the comments about there could be no way all those people driving by could possibly know you are of a different religion. Just wanted you to know that it is possible!!!

Also I was curious why it is that when anyone on here posts comments to the extreme against Utah they get attacked, yet someone on here posted a very extreme rude and negative post telling me to go home and no body has anything to say to him?

[cinnabon]

Originally Posted by Cycle

Also I was curious why it is that when anyone on here posts comments to the extreme against Utah they get attacked, yet someone on here posted a very extreme rude and negative post telling me to go home and no body has anything to say to him?

Just a guess here, but I'm thinking that some of your comments have antagonized a lot of people, so maybe no one is in a hurry to rush to your defense.

[Cycle]

oops, for heavens sake, I did not mean to come on here and antagonize a lot of people...I just wanted to post what my experience has been like moving to Utah Valley and not being of the predominant religion. The honesty with which I speak has not been tolerated well on this thread...didn't realize that being honest was antagonizing.

[stycotl]

Originally Posted by Cycle

Thanks for all the information about religious icons and statues, but the only reason I put that on there was in response to all the comments about there could be no way all those people driving by could possibly know you are of a different religion. Just wanted you to know that it is possible!!!

Also I was curious why it is that when anyone on here posts comments to the extreme against Utah they get attacked, yet someone on here posted a very extreme rude and negative post telling me to go home and no body has anything to say to him?

mostly because sarcasm at his expense and a friendly flag to the moderators seems to work fine. although, his post was never modified, so i don't know that any mods got it...

we've already told you that there are idiots in utah; he was merely trying to prove my point.

happy thursday! aaron out.

[lolagranola]

Originally Posted by Cycle

Thanks for all the information about religious icons and statues, but the only reason I put that on there was in response to all the comments about there could be no way all those people driving by could possibly know you are of a different religion. Just wanted you to know that it is possible!!!

Also I was curious why it is that when anyone on here posts comments to the extreme against Utah they get attacked, yet someone on here posted a very extreme rude and negative post telling me to go home and no body has anything to say to him?

People are 1, defending that YOUR experience is not THEIR experience, 2, trying to figure out WHY.

Hey, I posted many a time on the SC board that I was treated like total crap there due to region-specific biases, and every time they tell me that I must have been asking for it....or they ignore me alltogether.
ex: http://www.city-data.com/forum/charl...-accepted.html

[cinnabon]

Originally Posted by Cycle

oops, for heavens sake, I did not mean to come on here and antagonize a lot of people...I just wanted to post what my experience has been like moving to Utah Valley and not being of the predominant religion. The honesty with which I speak has not been tolerated well on this thread...didn't realize that being honest was antagonizing.

Expressing your opinion wasn't the problem - the problem was your reaction when other people offered different perspectives and you seemed to think they were attacking you.

Several people responded in a supportive and respectful way to your original post, and this is what you said:

Originally Posted by Cycle

To all who have responded to this post,

This is exactly what I was talking about in my original post, I was asking for the respect to allow me and others to post about our experiences without being picked apart, told that it is something I did that makes people react to me, told that it has nothing to do with the predominant religion, or told that I'm sorry it happend to you but it didn't happen to me...That's not what this post was about, it isn't about giving you the chance to tell me I am wrong or confused.