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How can mormons be so successful and happy when their beliefs are clearly misguided??
I think this kind of sets things up in all-or-nothing fashion. No one religion has everything 100% right or 100% wrong.
Just one example of Mormon beliefs that are widely accepted as scientific fact today would be the health code in the Word of Wisdom. The Word of Wisdom prohibits the use of tobacco. It also advocates eating of meat and fowl "sparingly". These things were taught in Mormonism (and other religions, too) 150 years ago...when they were much more controversial ideas.
What I liked was that it did seem to have answers to a lot of things. I still believe in the overwhelming majority of the doctrine.
But I am gay, and ultimately, that was the dealbreaker for me, so I went inactive.
--What I dislike about the religion is that it preaches the doctrine of continuing revelation but it has actually become a very tradition-bound religion, closing itself off to the possibility of new revelation. I suspect this is why there really hasn't been much new revelation in recent decades.
--I also feel it has drifted from it's original roots, as is often the case with any new religion or institution.
I think this kind of sets things up in all-or-nothing fashion. No one religion has everything 100% right or 100% wrong.
Just one example of Mormon beliefs that are widely accepted as scientific fact today would be the health code in the Word of Wisdom. The Word of Wisdom prohibits the use of tobacco. It also advocates eating of meat and fowl "sparingly". These things were taught in Mormonism (and other religions, too) 150 years ago...when they were much more controversial ideas.
Yeah, and to support what you said about "not everything 100% right", the Word of Wisdom also prohibits the use of alcohol and coffee, even though current scientific research shows the health benefits of drinking wine and coffee in moderation.
Yeah, and to support what you said about "not everything 100% right", the Word of Wisdom also prohibits the use of alcohol and coffee, even though current scientific research shows the health benefits of drinking wine and coffee in moderation.
The church also fixates on some portions of the WoW,like no coffee,tea,tobacco,or[recreational drugs which weren't mentioned] but mostly ignore the healthy diet aspects.....You can be morbidly obese,living off a diet exclusively of mcdonalds food and get a temple recommend,but if you drink a cup of tea once a month you can't,even though there is no proven health detriment to drinking moderate amounts of tea.
The church also fixates on some portions of the WoW,like no coffee,tea,tobacco,or[recreational drugs which weren't mentioned] but mostly ignore the healthy diet aspects.....You can be morbidly obese,living off a diet exclusively of mcdonalds food and get a temple recommend,but if you drink a cup of tea once a month you can't,even though there is no proven health detriment to drinking moderate amounts of tea.
I'm all for the Word of Wisdom. I think it's a good thing overall. I think it would be kind of silly for the Church to say, "You may now have coffee in moderate amounts." I mean, what's moderate? I actually (as you probably know, Bob ) allow myself three glasses of wine a year -- one on my birthday, one on Thanksgiving and one on Christmas. I also hold a temple recommend. Do I feel guilty? Sort of, but not guilty enough to stop. I know that the amount of wine I drink is not bad for me and that I really do take good care of my body. To me, that's what the Word of Wisdom is all about. I just think it should have been left as it was originally given -- not as a commandment but as a word of wisdom. In other words, I don't think obedience to it should be a requirement for a temple recommend. I probably live the Word of Wisdom as closely as I strive to attend my meetings, which is another temple recommend question I certainly don't stress out over.
I'm all for the Word of Wisdom. I think it's a good thing overall. I just think it should have been left as it was originally given -- not as a commandment but as a word of wisdom. .
Well we agree.I'm not really 'against' the Word of Wisdom,just the way it has been somewhat dissected and selectivly applied.Some parts are now a 'commandment' while others are still merely good advice.
A case in point,there is a guy in my ward who is to be baptized next friday.He has been attending the church for several years,but had trouble quitting cigarettes,he now has quit so he can be baptized.If next month he relapses we aren't going to kick him out,[nor should we!],we are just going to encourage him to quit smoking again....so what was the point of denying him getting baptized for the past 4 years? I certainly applaud the churches efforts in encouraging people to stop smoking....I don't even object to the denial of temple recommend aspect....I just think refusing to allow people to even join the church over some fairly trivial things hampers growth and makes us look sort of silly.
I think the emphasis placed on certain parts of it also encourages many to go inactive....when you use terms like 'worthiness' to describe those who follow the 'mandatory'parts well you can make those who struggle with them feel 'unworthy' of hanging out with the rest of us on sunday.I'm sure the church wants those who smoke or drink a cup of coffee in the morning to attend church.....but I think that 'guilt' over such things stops many from doing so.
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) allow myself three glasses of wine a year -- one on my birthday, one on Thanksgiving and one on Christmas. I also hold a temple recommend. Do I feel guilty? Sort of, but not guilty enough to stop. I know that the amount of wine I drink is not bad for me and that I really do take good care of my body. To me, that's what the Word of Wisdom is all about. I just think it should have been left as it was originally given -- not as a commandment but as a word of wisdom. In other words, I don't think obedience to it should be a requirement for a temple recommend. I probably live the Word of Wisdom as closely as I strive to attend my meetings, which is another temple recommend question I certainly don't stress out over.
.I'm not really 'against' the Word of Wisdom,just the way it has been somewhat dissected and selectivly applied.Some parts are now a 'commandment' while others are still merely good advice.
I'm sure the church wants those who smoke or drink a cup of coffee in the morning to attend church.....but I think that 'guilt' over such things stops many from doing so.
