"The Dark Road to Apostasy"

[_ludwigm]

LDS are more educated than any other religious group.

What do you base this on?
...

I don't know the LDS environment in US or in Utah.
In Hungary, the "first generation" members (usually adults and near-adults) are less educated than the national average. They are more vulnerable, more available for proselytizing.
The 2nd, 3rd gen. members are as average. No correlation with education level, because they don't choose, they are coerced.

No, this is not a scientific experiment. This is only my humble opinion after 6 years investigation. As a teacher for >40 years I can estimate the abilities of a talking partner.

More:
LDS leaders are less educated even in their own religion as in Roman Catholic, Reformed( =Calvinist), Evangelical (=the name of the church).
I don't handle any other religious groups, only this three of them, which are the three biggest in Hungary, we call them "traditional churches".

The leaders of the above mentioned churches have studied
- theology (the "own" one and others)
- biblical languages (hebrew, greek, latin, aramaic)
- oratory, pedagogy, philosophy and many other, because their theology schools are of university or high school levels (our high school is the equivalent of US college).

The LDS leaders have studied in sunday school, without examinations, rates and without competent teachers.

Fifth: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
From the
"Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet, by EZRA TAFT BENSON "
http://speeches.BYU.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6751

The leaders of the other churches are required to have many particular earthly training ...

[_Yoda]

A little advice sweetheart:

Knock off the sexual harrassment.

Calling someone "sweetheart" is sexual harassment? I've been living in the South too long. LOL

Frankly, I take more issue with Merc calling you a low-life. That was an uncalled-for insult.

(Just to clarify, I'm speaking as a poster, here, not a Mod. By the rules of the board, both comments are allowed.)

[_charity]

LDS are more educated than any other religious group.

What do you base this on?
...

I don't know the LDS environment in US or in Utah.
In Hungary, the "first generation" members (usually adults and near-adults) are less educated than the national average. They are more vulnerable, more available for proselytizing.
The 2nd, 3rd gen. members are as average. No correlation with education level, because they don't choose, they are coerced.

There was a study, which I can't find now, which I think was only US. Adn I am sure that the second,third generations would improve on their parents education level since the Church stresses education so much. Even to the extent of having schools in areas where there were no schools. My brother-in-law taught in a church school in Samoa. And now we have what is called the Perpetual Education Fund. We teach the Glory of God is intelliegence, and to learn out of the best books.

D&C 109: 7, 14 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best abooks words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith;

LDS leaders are less educated even in their own religion as in Roman Catholic, Reformed( =Calvinist), Evangelical (=the name of the church).
I don't handle any other religious groups, only this three of them, which are the three biggest in Hungary, we call them "traditional churches".

The leaders of the above mentioned churches have studied
- theology (the "own" one and others)
- biblical languages (hebrew, greek, latin, aramaic)
- oratory, pedagogy, philosophy and many other, because their theology schools are of university or high school levels (our high school is the equivalent of US college).

The LDS leaders have studied in sunday school, without examinations, rates and without competent teachers.

Fifth: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
From the
"Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet, by EZRA TAFT BENSON "
http://speeches.BYU.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6751

The leaders of the other churches are required to have many particular earthly training ...

If you only count education in religion, you may be right. We do not require divinity school degreees in any of our leaders. But our leaders are very educated in reputable fields, much more so than mere divinity school degrees. For instance our Twelve apostles, currently have degrees in law, in medicine, in education. Real educations for the real world.

[_charity]

A little advice sweetheart:

Knock off the sexual harrassment.

Calling someone "sweetheart" is sexual harassment? I've been living in the South too long. LOL

Frankly, I take more issue with Merc calling you a low-life. That was an uncalled-for insult.

(Just to clarify, I'm speaking as a poster, here, not a Mod. By the rules of the board, both comments are allowed.)

I didn't expect a mod to step in. I only expressed my displeasure at the overwhelmingly arrogant and condescending attitude of men who want to demean women so they don't have to deal with them. This usually happens when the male is inadequate and has to resort to insulting and putting down the enemy he can't beat in a fair fight.

If this board had an ignore feature I would use it.

[_moksha]

The Mormon mantra that apostates are lazy, prideful, sinful, rebellious or otherwise faulty is growing tiresome.

KA

Hey, I had those qualities both when I was an apostate and now. What does that signify?

[_Doctor Steuss]

The Mormon mantra that apostates are lazy, prideful, sinful, rebellious or otherwise faulty is growing tiresome.

KA

It seems logical to me that they must assume all the things you mentioned to keep them in their denial that there might be logical reasons we leave. To admit the possibility leaves their "testimony" vulnerable...a risky place to be!

Which is unfortunate, as admitting there are logical reasons people leave is no more dangerous than admitting there are logical reasons why some of us stay.

There will always be those unwilling to admit both the former just as much as the latter. Vilifying those on the other side of the fence is easier than admitting that perhaps the clover in the other pasture is just as palatable.

[_LCD2YOU]

I didn't expect a mod to step in. I only expressed my displeasure at the overwhelmingly arrogant and condescending attitude of men who want to demean women so they don't have to deal with them. This usually happens when the male is inadequate and has to resort to insulting and putting down the enemy he can't beat in a fair fight.

If this board had an ignore feature I would use it.

Or we could be you. You call people who face tough choices but make the difficult call and leave peer and family pressures "chicken". You allow some guy(?) threaten others by beating their ass while you take the moral high road.

Does your good friend know just how nasty of a person you are?

[_Doctor Steuss]

And contrary to what is found in other religions, the more educated the LDSs are the higher their participation in the Church.

What do you base this on?

I recall seeing a brief study/survey regarding education and attendance. Attendance did indeed increase as education did. Interestingly though (If I recall correctly), there is a drop with women and attendance once they go to graduate school.

I’ll try to find it. It may have been one that FAIR did, so take that for what it’s worth.

[_Doctor Steuss]

I’ll try to find it. It may have been one that FAIR did, so take that for what it’s worth.

It was indeed FAIR.



http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Education_Scholarship_and_Mormonism.html

[_quaker]

I once heard that the the activity levels are higher among educated LDS members than among educated members of other denominations. Someone said it was published in some BYU magazine. That makes sense as why would another denomination want to publish that the less educated are the more religious? But I think it was done by researchers who are LDS, so maybe the factors studied were more favourable towards LDS. I haven't read the paper, but I assume this is it.


http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/ab ... 01-1-00165

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0034-673X(198409)26:1%3C43:SHEAR%3E2.0.CO;2-H


One of them seems to compare LDS education levels to education levels in other denominations.

http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Education_S ... onism.html

This one has a little bar graph comparing LDS education levels to average US levels.