Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Religion is looked down apon in this country. Everyone covers up for Muhammad, and even taking a person's relationship they have with God into consideration when it comes to voting for someone is extremely taboo. Like it's wrong to judge somebody if they are into Voodoo supersticion. So what if he kidnaps human albinos to dismember them and put them in a potion to sell to somebody to give him good luck. That's his religion, and he shouldn't be judged. So what if he's the antichrist, why should we judge him? That is America today.
I took Mitt Romney to influence. His speech on freedom of religion was interesting. I don't agree with a lot of it today, but at the time it got me interested. I also saw him in an interview where he said that in Mormonism it is encouraged to look into all the religions, and it is because of him I decided to get more into religion. He inspired me and I thank God for him.
One of my favorite statements by an LDS prophet was this one from John Taylor. It pertains to our understanding of what exactly constitutes truth and where we can find it. Here’s what he had to say: “In regard to our religion, I will say that it embraces every principle of truth and intelligence pertaining to us as moral, intellectual, mortal and immortal beings, pertaining to this world and the world that is to come. We are open to truth of every kind, no matter whence it comes, where it originates, or who believes in it.”
Quote:
Romney =="I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God." Not true of Islam
I think the there are many good principles in Islam, provided the religion is practiced as it should be practiced. It's fanatics of any religion, including my own, that I have no use for. And granted, Islam has its fair share.
Quote:
Romney =="There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."---I think this is downright dangerous. Keeping your mouth and ears off to God? eek.
I definitely don't think that Romney was saying what you think he was saying. I think what he was trying to do was simply not claim to be a spokesman for his Church. There are many ways a person who wants to know more about Mormonism can go about doing so. Political candidates should be able to focus their energy on conveying their political beliefs, not their religious beliefs.
I am not a huge fan of Joseph Smith. But I must admit that some of the Latter Mormon "prophet's" teachings are fascinating. And I can't help connecting with it. I was always kind of confused as to what actually constitutes a Prophet, and I believe EVERYONE is capable of being a Prophet. I was always drawn to Buddhism because of the openness talk of the spirit, and I feel much safer to know that people of spiritual power don't get worshipped. I think that can be a real problem with claiming the name of "Prophet" to gain the love of the world. I can't help but think that Smith and Muhammad used the title of "Prophet" to gain confidence and love of the world, while everyone in the world can be steered and used by the Spirit of God at any moment. Not just THEM. That is where Mormonism scares me. I'd rather proclaim the title of "Buddha". That is the only title I want to view anyone who is enlightened. That's not to say that some of the Later Dayers aren't phenominal in some of their ideas. I guess I'm torn on it. I don't know what to think of Mormonism. Worshipping Prophets is a HUGE no-no, but at the same time, I would trust someone and I would cast my vote(give power to) somebody to whom I know is a close and personal friend to God, and who is fully enlightened to the spirit. So there you have it. I'm torn. I believe Buddha to be the Prophet of Prophets and I wish to take him to influence over that of Smith. That is my personal choice. Instead of teaching you should mindlessly follow a Prophet that you can never become, Buddhism teaches that EVEYONE has the potential, and it is because of that phylosophy that some spiritual gifts are gained. jmo. That phylosophy makes you listen to other people with your spiritual ears. Prophecy can slip through anyone's lips without them even knowing it. I'm afraid of people listening to a Prophet INSTEAD of God through the spirit.
Actually, Mormonism teaches that everyone is entitled to personal revelation from God, either as it pertains to them personally or to those who fall within their "stewardship." By "stewardship," I mean those whom we have a responsibilty to guide and teach. So, as a parent, I would have "stewardship" over my children as long as they were young and living under my roof. As a Sunday School teacher, I would have "stewardship" over the children I was entrusted to teach. Likewise, the LDS Prophet is believed to have "stewardship" over the Church as a whole. This prevents me, as a lay member of the Church, from claiming I have had a revelation, for instance, that the Church should start holding its worship services on Saturdays as opposed to Sundays. A revelation of this sort would come through the one individual we believe God has chosen for this purpose. If our Prophet were to receive such a revelation (my example being completely hypothetical), the twelve men who serve as Apostles under him would have to subsequently receive the same revelation from God, telling them that the Prophet was speaking for God and not just as a man voicing his personal opinion. Then, once this was announced to the general Church membership, each and every member of the Church could expect to receive the same revelation if he asked God to confirm it to him.
Maybe I should say what I like about Mormonism and what I dislike, since I'm asking everybody else to. As a Mormon, what I like is that even though my religion does claim to be a re-establishment of the Church Jesus Christ established during His ministry, we do not believe that most of the people who have ever lived are going to end up spending eternity in Hell. We believe that with the exception of a very, very few, all we ultimately be welcomed into Heaven by a God who knows them each personally and loves them all deeply. I love how my religion seems to have answers for the questions so many Christians describe as "a mystery we're not expected to understand." I love how it guides my life, how it provides comfort in times of need and hope for something better to come. I love how it teaches us that we are connected to the divine -- not separated from it. I am immensely proud of my Church's worldwide humanitarian efforts, and how we give from the heart when people need help, without any strings attached. Finally, I love the self-confidence it gives me so that I never feel the need to trash anybody else's faith or lack of faith.
What I don't like about Mormonism has nothing to do with the doctrines. I'm pretty liberal -- at least by Mormon standards. I'm not going to go into detail on that, but I do often feel that I don't fit in well with other Mormons. I have some serious disagreements with respect to certain Church policies. By nature, I'm pretty outspoken, and my tongue is perpetually sore from having to bite it all the time. Mormons can be self-righteous. Not all of them are, but enough of them are that it gives the rest of us a bad name.
Okay, you're probably right. At any rate, I would agree that the Church should stay out of politics, and I don't oppose same-sex marriage myself.
That's good.
Quote:
I am a Mormon.
I am sorry.
Quote:
People of color were considered "smited" (?) by God by most Protestant religions for hundreds of years. Today, African-Americans Latter-day Saints have every right and privilege Caucasian Latter-day Saints have, and there has never been a time when we had segregated congregations.
So mormonism is as racist as most other religions, okay.
Quote:
True and unfortunate. However, this was not a civil rights issue. It was a religious rights issue.
So now you get why I think Mormons are racist.
Quote:
Polygamy isn't "fine" for anyone and hasn't been for well over 100 years. Any Mormon man who is found to have more than one wife is promptly excommunicated.
What's the name of that major university most of you guys go to? BYU? How many wives did Brigham Young have?
Hell, how many did Joseph Smith have??
Mormons renouncing polygamy is like America renouncing money. It's the very reason your religion exists.
Quote:
Nor are they in the Catholic Church, which is roughly 100 times the size of the Mormon Church. That's not misogyny. That's a religious doctrine that has nothing to do with hatred of women.
It very much has to do with disdain toward women, and yes, I reserve this same attitude for catholicism, too.
Quote:
I don't even know how to respond to such an idiotic statement. But again, it sounds like you are pretty much just anti-religion. If this thread had been about Catholicism or Protestantism, I suspect your answers would have been much the same.
You don't know how to respond because Mormonism is indefensible in this regard.
And yes, my answers would be virtually identical with regard to all other religions.
Don't be. I'm very happy with my choice. And if you knew me, you might actually think it has made me a better person than I would otherwise be.
Quote:
So mormonism is as racist as most other religions, okay.
It used to be, yes. Today I think we pretty much bend over backwards not to be.
Quote:
So now you get why I think Mormons are racist.
Yes, I see why, but I think you've come to the wrong conclusion.
Quote:
What's the name of that major university most of you guys go to?BYU?
"Most of us guys" don't actually go to BYU. There are 14 million members of the Church worldwide today. They go to a whole bunch of different schools. I'll bet you didn't know that Mormons in Utah are actually encouraged to attend school elsewhere. I didn't have any desire whatsoever to go to BYU, even though I live here in Utah. It's a good school, though.
Quote:
How many wives did Brigham Young have?
Quite a few.
Quote:
Hell, how many did Joseph Smith have??
Quite a few.
Quote:
Mormons renouncing polygamy is like America renouncing money. It's the very reason your religion exists.
It's probably a pretty big reason why it didn't die out completely back in the mid- to late-1800s. It didn't hurt anybody, and nobody was forced into it. Today, it's a non-issue, as close to two-thirds of the members of the Church are first-generation converts.
Quote:
It very much has to do with disdain toward women, and yes, I reserve this same attitude for catholicism, too.
Personally, I don't know any LDS women who feel that they are held in disdain and I'm sure I know several thousand.
Quote:
You don't know how to respond because Mormonism is indefensible in this regard.
No, I don't know how to respond because it was a stupid comment. Believe me, if you knew me, you would probably see me as one of the most headstrong women you'd ever encountered. I would not put up with being considered "little more than chattel" for one minute.
Quote:
And yes, my answers would be virtually identical with regard to all other religions.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I didn't even know you were a girl.
