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returned missonarys of other Christian sects
Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 6:01 am
by _karl61
is there any other religion where those who served for so long in the faith can feel so much disgust. Any southern baptist who go on missions as a couple or Methodist come back and start attacking the history of Christianity. If you see them they usually are in the tropics in Hawaiian shirts or T-shirts in the field but it seems they come back and don't have a problem with their history.
Re: returned missonarys of other Christian sects
Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 2:12 pm
by _Yoda
karl61 wrote:is there any other religion where those who served for so long in the faith can feel so much disgust. Any southern baptist who go on missions as a couple or Methodist come back and start attacking the history of Christianity. If you see them they usually are in the tropics in Hawaiian shirts or T-shirts in the field but it seems they come back and don't have a problem with their history.
Since there is such pressure within the LDS community for every capable 19 year old young man to serve a mission, I think there is more room for resentment to occur.
It's really more or less a numbers game. The LDS Church has a larger organized missionary force than most other churches out there.
The other churches you specifically mentioned have missionaries serve on a completely volunteer basis. It isn't a pressured part of their culture to go. The missionaries who do participate are celebrated, but there isn't the same type of pressure.
In the LDS Church, young men are strongly urged to serve missions at 19. Young women are strongly urged to marry returned missionaries, and are taught that men who have served missions are better "catches" than those who do not.
Re: returned missonarys of other Christian sects
Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 3:31 pm
by _karl61
Liz, thanks for your thoughts - I agree!