tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post65947203159239748..comments2023-11-02T07:25:45.884-05:00Comments on Mormanity - a blog for those interested in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: A Uniquely Powerful Predictor of Marital Trouble: ContemptJeff Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08776493593387402607noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-76172480599538043932007-10-09T11:08:00.000-05:002007-10-09T11:08:00.000-05:00Great sentiments, Jeff. I think it's hard for any...Great sentiments, Jeff. I think it's hard for anybody to do this with their primary myths, be they Christian, Muslim, Hindu or atheist. Even tolerant people have little tolerance for the intolerant. I think Mormonism (along with many, but not all, other sects) makes this harder for its members by encouraging proselyting (and therfor active comparison). But obviously many Mormons realize that the statement "true church" means about as much as the statement "true chair." They just face some cultural hurdles when it comes to showing that ecumenical understanding. Even two or three GC talks emphasized comparisons between Mormons (or our beliefs) and other religions, usually in a disparaging sense (from memory: "we should be the best homemakers in the world," or "how can anyone understand that theology" kind of stuff). It makes me sad.Ujlapanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13040772399261340723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-10952151241435807662007-10-07T13:26:00.000-05:002007-10-07T13:26:00.000-05:00The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a...The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and for the most part its faithful members, behave in a manner that is consistent with their declaration of truth, that it is the only true and living church on the face of the earth. There is no intentional arrogance or contempt in that simple statement. Most of us who belong are humbled that we should be so blessed, and are sometimes discouraged and disappointed that others accuse us of arrogance and contempt as we strive to share that most important message with our friends and neighbors.<BR/><BR/>All churches contain some amount of truth, some more than others. However, but one is authorized by God and led by living prophets who receive direction and authority from Him to act in His name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-7986767190731166452007-10-06T10:02:00.000-05:002007-10-06T10:02:00.000-05:00I read somewhere that the LDS church officially do...<I>I read somewhere that the LDS church officially donated something like $25,000 to the construction of a Hindu temple in or near Salt Lake City.</I><BR/><BR/>To be precise, the LDS Foundation provided assistance with the Hare Krishna temple near American Fork. You can read about it <A HREF="http://www.philocrites.com/sermons/neighbors.html" REL="nofollow">here</A> in what I think is a great sermon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-25061514474251419932007-10-06T09:54:00.000-05:002007-10-06T09:54:00.000-05:00Anonymous @ 6:20 AM:Indulge me in a hypothetical -...Anonymous @ 6:20 AM:<BR/><BR/>Indulge me in a hypothetical -- what if there really is an "only true church" [not necessarily the LDS church], with ministers who communicate with the real and living God, who have been charged by that same God to proclaim a message to the world, and with real saving authority from God himself? How would you expect the members to behave toward others? Would you expect them to proclaim their church to be the only true church, or to somehow mute the message, or suppress it altogether?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-68615281894626076592007-10-05T22:34:00.000-05:002007-10-05T22:34:00.000-05:00There is a Hindu temple around the corner from our...There is a Hindu temple around the corner from our LDS chapel. Our Gospel Doctrine teacher's husband is from India and is a practicing Hindu. <BR/><BR/>I went to the Hindu temple for lunch one day (it's open to the public) and overheard someone say that his wife was Mormon. It was him.<BR/><BR/>I think I'll join the Hindu temple. You don't have to profess any belief in Hinduism to be a member of the Hindu Temple, therefore it shouldn't be in violation of anything LDS. It appears you can be just a social member.<BR/><BR/>I read somewhere that the LDS church officially donated something like $25,000 to the construction of a Hindu temple in or near Salt Lake City.<BR/><BR/>So if the church can give them $25,000 towards a Hindu temple, I think I should be allowed to contribute $50.<BR/><BR/>I like Indian food, so I'll probably go there once or twice a month.<BR/><BR/>The Gospel Doctrine teacher's husband introduced me around to some people at the temple, including a part-time lay Hindu priest. That particular priest, and many of the other devout Hindus are or have been high-ranking scientists at a very well-respected local-based pharmaceutical company.<BR/><BR/>These are some very intelligent, and very successfull men who are movers and shakers in science and industry.<BR/><BR/>When I read some of the derogatory things that people have said about Jeff, and "how can someone so smart believe in the supernatural doctrines of Christianity?" it makes me think of the people who are (very likely) even <I>smarter</I> than Jeff who are devout Hindus and even lay Hindu priests. (Kind of like how Jeff was/is a lay minister/bishop.)<BR/><BR/>When the one anonymous emailer called Jeff "not smart" for believing in Christianity (as opposed to being atheist), such an accusation belittles the many intelligent (even <I>genius</I> level) men and women who are devout Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, etc, etc.<BR/><BR/>The original post above shows that Jeff still has much "The Bishop" in him: wise, level-headed, and having a calming effect on others. The original post causes me to think that I've been perhaps more than a little harsh in some of my comments too.Bookslingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15077778974473538408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-66365220996167876572007-10-05T13:39:00.000-05:002007-10-05T13:39:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.The Sinister Porpoisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06598370622023551565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-37903503908484171852007-10-05T09:47:00.000-05:002007-10-05T09:47:00.000-05:00Having the truth about the Gospel is something li...Having the truth about the Gospel is something like knowing that you need to buckle up to drive safely and legally. We should teach others to buckle up - it's nice to share that kind of knowledge, even zealously - but those who choose not to buckle up can still be our friends, and we don't need to look down on them, just because we feel that they are missing something in the way they drive. Some people don't know the law and don't understand what might seem obvious to us. Don't despise the non-bucklers!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-82065784453370045202007-10-05T09:28:00.000-05:002007-10-05T09:28:00.000-05:00Anon, Christianity itself boldly proclaims that it...Anon, Christianity itself boldly proclaims that it is the one true way - that Jesus alone is the path to eternal life. But this message does not require contempt of those outside Christianity. It's possible to have contempt, certainly - but Christ calls us to proclaim this bold message of divine truth with humility, love, and respect for others.Jeff Lindsayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08776493593387402607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-82138033538262406492007-10-05T08:59:00.000-05:002007-10-05T08:59:00.000-05:00Anonymous,There exists the possibility of arroganc...Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>There exists the possibility of arrogance among members of the Church because of the fact that we claim to be the "one true Church," but that isn't always the case nor should it be. We can make that claim and still recognize that people of other faiths are good, perhaps even more so than some of us, and that their beliefs consist of many truths. I have at times felt a bit of an arrogant spirit because I felt my beliefs were superior, but have been humbled when I've seen others from another faith living their religion perhaps better than I. It is also humbling when speaking with people about the differences in our beliefs, only to learn that our beliefs really aren't that different in a lot of very important ways. <BR/><BR/>But I think anyone who takes the position of telling another person that their beliefs are wrong, runs the risk of being arrogant, even if they don't claim that their Church is the "one true Church." They are in essence saying that their beliefs are superior to another's. I've had discussions with people who may not claim to belong to the "one true Church," but they are very clearly arrogant in their approach that their beliefs are right and mine are definitely wrong, and their words are full of nothing but contempt.tatabughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01465431241615511545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-14226533660812221942007-10-05T08:26:00.000-05:002007-10-05T08:26:00.000-05:00well, good luck with that, but it ain't gonna happ...well, good luck with that, but it ain't gonna happen. Institutional arrogance comes with boldly proclaiming that the LDS church is the ONE TRUE CHURCH. By definition other churches must be false.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com