It is so easy to talk to non members about the church now

[_Jason Bourne]

When I was a Mormon and coworkers would ask if I was a member.

Once I said yes, I would cringe because they would ask all of the questions about racism, polygamy, baptism for the dead, funny undies, etc..

I would cringe because I know I'd be under the gun to attempt to explain away the issues..

I never cringed when letting people know I am LDS or with any questions I get. This may have been part of what led to your exit.

Now I just tell them the damn truth.

No, you give them factoids slanted and distorted to your slanted view.

Death on the spot" for interracial marriage is always a shocker..

Of course you do not bother to discuss the historical and social culture of the man who made the statement and note that it was a common view of much af the citizens of the USA at the time.

When I tell them about baptism for the dead, they usually freak. "So, you would stand there as this guy would baptize you 50 times really fast?" and people in heaven are supposedly watching? They believe that?
YEP!

Most people who have this doctrine explianed in a proper way view it as a beautiful teaching.

The handshakes gets them laughing. Several people will still jokingly give me the index against the wrist in passing and ask me "WHAT IS THAT?"... I reply with "HAS IT A NAME?" Occasionally folks I have shown the secret handshakes will ask, "Wait, wait, how do I do that again? What do I say?" After I give them a quick refresher, they laugh and say something like "morons!"

Even though you have left the church is reflect badly on you that you mock and scorn something you promised to keep to yourself. Someone with integrity would not do this even if they had left the church.

[_Dr. Shades]

While BY made some pretty strong remarks that were racist (even more so by todays standards) he was not unique for his time and was very much a product of his culture. . . Of course you do not bother to discuss the historical and social culture of the man who made the statement and note that it was a common view of much af the citizens of the USA at the time.

That's a very basic tenet of Internet Mormonism. As I explained on my website on the topic, "Chapel Mormons believe that a prophet is a foreordained man of the highest moral caliber. Internet Mormons believe that a prophet is not necessarily any better than his societal average."

As for your comments above, I truly wonder: Wouldn't direct communication with diety tend to have a hallowing influence on the recipient? Wouldn't communication with the Prince of Peace tend to elevate someone beyond the mundane?

[_Some Schmo]

While BY made some pretty strong remarks that were racist (even more so by todays standards) he was not unique for his time and was very much a product of his culture. . . Of course you do not bother to discuss the historical and social culture of the man who made the statement and note that it was a common view of much af the citizens of the USA at the time.

That's a very basic tenet of Internet Mormonism. As I explained on my website on the topic, "Chapel Mormons believe that a prophet is a foreordained man of the highest moral caliber. Internet Mormons believe that a prophet is not necessarily any better than his societal average."

As for your comments above, I truly wonder: Wouldn't direct communication with diety tend to have a hallowing influence on the recipient? Wouldn't communication with the Prince of Peace tend to elevate someone beyond the mundane?

Hey, I was going to say that! (Well, something like that, but I can't do any better than you just did, Shades).

[_Yoda]

Wouldn't communication with the Prince of Peace tend to elevate someone beyond the mundane?

Did Brigham Young ever actually document that he spoke with Christ, other than through prayer?

[_Some Schmo]

Why the hostility? I see Mormons as, in large part, good family folk, dedicated to their Mormon community, and spiritual in their own way. What is wrong with that?

You could probably say the exact same thing about the KKK:

Why the hostility? I see KKK as, in large part, good family folk, dedicated to their KKK community, and spiritual in their own way. What is wrong with that?

[_harmony]

Oh, Jason. I like you, but you know this one is just not right:

"I just don't understand how that racist Brigham Young got a school named after him, why did the members allow that?", he asked.

I said, "They believed that he spoke for god."

While BY made some pretty strong remarks that were racist (even more so by todays standards) he was not unique for his time and was very much a product of his culture. Taking his remarks in that light is important at looking at truth. That you seem incapable of doing so demosrates that you do not tell the truth.

You know as well as I do that Brigham spoke as the Mouthpiece of God. God was not a member of Brigham's culture. God was not constrained by Brigham's culture. If Brigham was really God's Mouthpiece and told Brigham to say what he said about the Negroid race, then God is racist.

The only way around that is to realize that Brigham wasn't God's mouthpiece and he didn't speak for or with God. He was a man, trying his human best, but not in communication with diety and certainly not speaking for diety.

[_Doctor Steuss]

"I just don't understand how that racist Andrew Jackson got his picture on the twenty dollar bill. Why did Americans allow that?" he asked.

I said, "They believed he was an important figure in American history, and he represented what America was founded on."

He continued, "So essentially all of America were racists too then?"

"YEP!"

Needless to say, that is one person who will NEVER become an American now!

[_Doctor Steuss]

[...]The only way around that is to realize that Brigham wasn't God's mouthpiece and he didn't speak for or with God. He was a man, trying his human best, but not in communication with diety and certainly not speaking for diety.

Or... the only way around it is to realize that G-d occasionally removes His hand from the anus of His ventriloquist puppets.

[_Bond...James Bond]

He said: "I just don't understand how that mass enslaver/tyrant Julius Caesar got a salad named after him"

I said: "We I guess he liked salads".

He said: "So if I eat a Caesar Salad am I somehow supporting what he did to the Roman Republic and the Gauls and all those other groups"

I said: "Uh....maybe"

Needless to say....he's one person who'll never eat a Caesar Salad.

[_Yoda]

Why the hostility? I see Mormons as, in large part, good family folk, dedicated to their Mormon community, and spiritual in their own way. What is wrong with that?

You could probably say the exact same thing about the KKK:

Why the hostility? I see KKK as, in large part, good family folk, dedicated to their KKK community, and spiritual in their own way. What is wrong with that?

Oh, come on, Some Schmo. You know I love you, but this is a VERY over the top comparison.

The main focus of the KKK is to exterminate all non-white races. They are an extremely violent group which has been reigned in by US law.

Although it's true that the Mormons have had a shady past in certain instances, the focus of the Mormon Church is not blatantly violent. It is a religion....a way to worship Christ. Does it have crazy tenets? Yes, but so do most churches. And, I'm not speaking about cults here...I'm speaking about established mainstream Christian churches such as Catholics, Baptists, etc. If Mormonism is a cult, then all of the other mainstream churches are cults, too.