Why do mormons always build opulent temples? (punishment, Eve, golden rule)
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You have a very liberal definition of "brainwashing" it seems.
brainwashing - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
1 : a forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas 2 : persuasion by propaganda or salesmanship
Really- so websters dictionary is liberal. wikipedia is liberal?
Children are FORCED to attend church by their parents. I would guess they would rather be playing outside or their video games if given the CHOICE.
Quote:
Most Christian churches consistently teach and encourage their members to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Most Christian parents consider it their responsiblity to consistently teach their children to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Call teaching and being responsible "brainwashing" if you want to, that doesn't make it so. The whole point of a parent teaching their child to follow the Savior is to help them do that for the rest of their life.
It aboslutely DOES make it so. It fits the definition. YOU just don't like that the shoe FITS. I could give a rats arse what adults willingly do. They choose to seek fullfillment through religion and that is fine.
BUt don't say you aren't brainwashing your children when you send them to Church and have all the rules apply at the home as well.
Most OTHER Christian Churches do not have their church as far up their butt as the LDS seems to go.
Let's subsitute for a moment:
Most terrorist consider it their duty to teach their children that America is Evil and Jihad is the only way to go.
It IS a slippery slope, isn't it? I would guess nearly all parents have struggled with this in one way or another along the way. We ask ourselves if we are teaching our children, or indoctrinating them. Enlightening or brainwashing? It can be religion, politics, even our allegiances to sports teams.
I hope I'm teaching my kids how to think more than what to think.
1 : a forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas 2 : persuasion by propaganda or salesmanship. Really- so websters dictionary is liberal. wikipedia is liberal?
Children are FORCED to attend church by their parents. I would guess they would rather be playing outside or their video games if given the CHOICE.
It aboslutely DOES make it so. It fits the definition. YOU just don't like that the shoe FITS. I could give a rats arse what adults willingly do. They choose to seek fullfillment through religion and that is fine. BUt don't say you aren't brainwashing your children when you send them to Church and have all the rules apply at the home as well.
Most OTHER Christian Churches do not have their church as far up their butt as the LDS seems to go.
Let's subsitute for a moment: Most terrorist consider it their duty to teach their children that America is Evil and Jihad is the only way to go. Do you support that as well? Not brainwashing right?
Ok, I don't know what this has to do with Mormons and it seems quite silly, but let's have a look at your "brainwashing" then.
1. "A forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas."
Do you honestly think that when parents teach their children to be good citizens, have table manners, get along with each other, do their school homework, follow the teachings of Jesus Christ (for Christian parents) etc. that they are forcibly inducing them to give up something?
2. "persuasion by propaganda or salesmanship"
I suppose you could define propaganda and salesmanship however way you want to in an attempt to support some far out personal point of view. But I don't think reasonable parents would ever think they were using "propaganda" and "salesmanship" when they were simply being responsible and caring enough to teach their children the things most loving parents teach children.
I think most Latter-day Saint children thoroughly enjoy going to church each Sunday. Mine certainly did, and so do my grandchildren. (Up to the point where rebellious teenager drives start to kick in of course...)
You have some strange views, but you've made your point that you are intensely critical of and possibly hate the Latter-day Saints. Were you taught that in the church you attend? By your parents? There's got to be a story behind it...
Most Christian churches consistently teach and encourage their members to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Most Christian parents consider it their responsiblity to consistently teach their children to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Ah... would that were true! But since so few churches seem to be able to distinguish between the teachings and significance of Jesus and the precepts and doctrines of men (especially primitive men) . . . I am not sanguine about the reality of that. If only they were truly taught of Jesus . . . and NOT all the man-made bigotry, hate, arrogance of "authority," certainty in the "spiritual" importance of maintaining ancient "carnal" cultural traditions, ascendancy of rigid belief in man-made interpretations of trivialities, exclusivity, vengeance, doom and gloom, etc. etc.. Sorry . . . but regimented authority-ridden human structures imposed on our spiritual quest is anathema to me . . . they are stumbling blocks instead of stepping stones.
I find it funny there would be a concern over Mormon temples when almost every segment of the Christian Faith builds monster churches, cathedrals, or temples in the name of one god or the other. Why is there concern if one group builds a nice building to reflect their power and match the others who build buildings to reflect the same thing?
wouldn't God like it better if you donated more funds to help people in need rather than build such opulence in very pricey areas of the cities? that is a christian value, not sure if it is a mormon one.
You've nailed my opinion exactly. Seems to me if we really revere "god" and what he stands for (at least my own understanding) we'd realize that he doesn't really care about big fancy buildings....but rather cares about his creation....as in people. I'm sure he'd much rather have you communicating with him all day long as you desired whether you were in the woods by a favorite tree, standing on the streetcorner waiting for the light, or sitting at home on the sofa.
A big fancy church is sort of the same situation as a funeral service. A funeral service sure isn't for the benefit of the deceased....but rather for the benefit of the living.
A big fancy church sure isn't for gods benefit....it's for mans. If you need a big fancy church to feel good about communicating with god, by all means build it if you can afford it. If you can feel good about communicating with god in other places you just happen to be and don't need a building....so much the better in my opinion.
Oh....just give that "building fund" money to a worthwhile charity and you'll be doing gods work as I see it.
You have a very liberal definition of "brainwashing" it seems.
Most Christian churches consistently teach and encourage their members to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Most Christian parents consider it their responsiblity to consistently teach their children to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Call teaching and being responsible "brainwashing" if you want to, that doesn't make it so. The whole point of a parent teaching their child to follow the Savior is to help them do that for the rest of their life.
Nothing evil there, just the opposite.
I really do understand your point here....but just let me add one thing that may be of interest.
Teaching your children religious values can be good....but my personal experience with religion growing up was that I was taught that if I didn't follow the faith I was taught......I was going to spend eternity in hell.
Sooooooo.....that really is kind of brainwashing in my opinion. It's like you really don't have an option, you either follow the "leader" or it's hell for you.
Sounds a little less benevolent when put that way doesn't it
It took me many years of adult life to shake that programming and finally be at peace with my beliefs. Some of beliefs I was taught never made any sense to me, but as a child you don't know what else to believe. Finally as an adult I started reading near-death experiences, which lead me to some folks who really helped me "de-program" myself to something that made more sense to me.
Anything "sold" by using fear is suspect....watch your wallet. Follow the golden rule, do under others what you'd have them do unto you. If you follow that rule there is absolutely no reason to fear god, regardless of whether you're a member of a church or participate in any organized religious activity.
Last edited by jasper1372; 02-03-2009 at 04:54 PM..
Many blessings come to those who serve others selflessly. Though it's true that there are a lot of demands on his time, I have yet to hear anyone in a serving bishop's family complain that he's a bishop.
Interesting, I've know of a few that actually leave the church after being called to be a bishop.
Ah... would that were true! But since so few churches seem to be able to distinguish between the teachings and significance of Jesus and the precepts and doctrines of men (especially primitive men) . . . I am not sanguine about the reality of that. If only they were truly taught of Jesus . . . and NOT all the man-made bigotry, hate, arrogance of "authority," certainty in the "spiritual" importance of maintaining ancient "carnal" cultural traditions, ascendancy of rigid belief in man-made interpretations of trivialities, exclusivity, vengeance, doom and gloom, etc. etc.. Sorry . . . but regimented authority-ridden human structures imposed on our spiritual quest is anathema to me . . . they are stumbling blocks instead of stepping stones.
You may be right Mystic. If parents would use the Beatitudes as their how to guide rather than the tv channel guide it would be much better for the coming generations I think.
You've nailed my opinion exactly. Seems to me if we really revere "god" and what he stands for (at least my own understanding) we'd realize that he doesn't really care about big fancy buildings....but rather cares about his creation....as in people. I'm sure he'd much rather have you communicating with him all day long as you desired whether you were in the woods by a favorite tree, standing on the streetcorner waiting for the light, or sitting at home on the sofa.
A big fancy church is sort of the same situation as a funeral service. A funeral service sure isn't for the benefit of the deceased....but rather for the benefit of the living.
A big fancy church sure isn't for gods benefit....it's for mans. If you need a big fancy church to feel good about communicating with god, by all means build it if you can afford it. If you can feel good about communicating with god in other places you just happen to be and don't need a building....so much the better in my opinion.
Oh....just give that "building fund" money to a worthwhile charity and you'll be doing gods work as I see it.
God has almost always throughout the scriptures had a temple or a tabernacle devoted exclusively to Him. LDS temples are not ordinary places of prayer and worship, we call those "meetinghouses." Temples are functional buildings dedicated for the administration of ordinances that can only be conducted within such edifices.
The Saints were always commanded to build a temple everywhere they were driven even though they knew they wouldn't be there long because of their ever present enemies.
It is our belief that temples will dot the earth during the Millennium which is a time specifically scheduled for all of God's children to receive those special ordinances, then be free to choose to accept or to reject them. There are now about 120 operating temples on the earth.
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