The LDS Church: an infantilizing force?

[_Buffalo]

I'm reading through this blog right now:

My Relationship to the Church
In response to an inquiry about my situations, thoughts and feelings about the church:

For me personally, the most difficult thing about the LDS church is that I feel like it wants to have a parent-child relationship with me. (The institution is the parent and I am the child.) In essence, it's an infantilizing force. Now that I'm a 30-something, I'm ready to graduate beyond "gospel principles" and wrestle with the more problematic aspects of the church as a mature adult. As an academic, I place a high value on 1) independent thought, 2) developing empathy for people who are different from you or who may disagree with you, and 3) the ability to recognize that no issue is purely black and white, that nearly every issue is more complex than you initially thought it was before you began to examine it in more depth. I believe that thoughtful, well-researched dialogue (argumentation) is usually the best means to this end. It's a messy, uncontrollable process, but, at the end of the day, it is one which produces better people and institutions once they have gone through that crucible. Unfortunately, the correlated, authoritarian structure of the church is not conducive to producing an environment in which thoughtful dialogue can occur (or even a type of person who is capable of that kind of mindset). As such, Mormons like me and my husband are going elsewhere for our spiritual and intellectual stimulation.

I tend to agree with the blogger here. I feel like the Church really tries to keep its members in a very small box, and discourages independent thought and intellectual/emotional growth.

I have other feelings on the matter, but am having difficulty articulating them right now.

[_Drifting]

The Church conditions people to have a very infantile approach to life.
Members are encouraged, rather than be questioning, to be obedient to the grown ups.

It is also a very self absorbed religion and that is also a childish trait. Just think about the three fold mission of the Church - its all inward looking, all about the self.

1. Preach the Gospel - emphasis on preach, we are right you are wrong
2. Redeem the dead - all dead people need to be Mormon
3. Perfect the saints - 'Nuff said

Mormons are not very good listeners, like children
Mormons tend to throw hissy fits when people don't treat their religion the way they think it should be treated by outsiders, like children
Mormon wards operate like kindergartens, with people not trusted to venture into areas that the org. deems too challenging

Yes, it does infantalise.

[_Stormy Waters]

"When the prophet speaks the debate is over"

Not being able to have your own opinions is intellectually crippling. You just to accept whatever they say. Regardless of what the evidence suggests. During the HB116 debate I saw several members struggle with and then finally submit to the will of the church. It's fine to change your mind because of new evidence, but they were only doing it because the church said so.

[_Simon Belmont]

Now this post is just plain misguided:

The Church conditions people to have a very infantile approach to life.
Members are encouraged, rather than be questioning, to be obedient to the grown ups.

No. You are wrong. In fact, find me any teaching (you can enlist Darth J. who has a library of early 20th century Era magazines at his disposal) that states this.

It is also a very self absorbed religion and that is also a childish trait. Just think about the three fold mission of the Church - its all inward looking, all about the self.

1. Preach the Gospel - emphasis on preach, we are right you are wrong

LOL! "Preach," to you, means "we are right and you are wrong? I'll go with the dictionary on this one:

preach   [preech] Show IPA
verb (used with object)
1.
to proclaim or make known by sermon (the gospel, good tidings, etc.).

2. Redeem the dead - all dead people need to be Mormon

WOWZA! Do you really think that, in the after life we will be calling ourselves "Mormon?"

3. Perfect the saints - 'Nuff said

That's right, you should stop there before you embarrass yourself even more.

Mormons are not very good listeners, like children
Mormons tend to throw hissy fits when people don't treat their religion the way they think it should be treated by outsiders, like children
Mormon wards operate like kindergartens, with people not trusted to venture into areas that the org. deems too challenging

Yes, it does infantalise.

See: sweeping generalization

[_Doctor Scratch]

Drifting really pwned you on the other thread, Simon. I bet you're awfully sore about that.

[_Kishkumen]

Drifting really pwned you on the other thread, Simon. I bet you're awfully sore about that.

ROFL!!!

[_Kishkumen]

You know, I am torn about this one, as strange as it may seem. Some of the coolest people I have ever known were LDS. These were and are some amazing people. On the other hand, I have seen a good deal of immaturity among the LDS too.

Those who internalize the best teachings of Mormonism fall in the former category, while those who respond to the paternalism of the institution may find themselves locked in a state of perpetual immaturity. I can see it going either way. It is quite possible to develop into an exemplary individual by following LDS teachings, though.

[_moksha]

Hasn't the thinking already been done on this issue?

Next folks will be trying to say the military is also rife with having the soldiers wait to be told what to do next. Bet they will try saying soldiers all march to the same step and will drop down and do push ups, rather than reach for their wallet, when some tells these soldiers to give them twenty.

[_Drifting]

Now this post is just plain misguided:

The Church conditions people to have a very infantile approach to life.
Members are encouraged, rather than be questioning, to be obedient to the grown ups.

No. You are wrong. In fact, find me any teaching ... that states this.

"When the Prophet speaks the thinking has been done."

Simon?

[_Drifting]

It is also a very self absorbed religion and that is also a childish trait. Just think about the three fold mission of the Church - its all inward looking, all about the self.

1. Preach the Gospel - emphasis on preach, we are right you are wrong

LOL! "Preach," to you, means "we are right and you are wrong? I'll go with the dictionary on this one:

preach   [preech] Show IPA
verb (used with object)
1.
to proclaim or make known by sermon (the gospel, good tidings, etc.).

From LDS.org

A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior's true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel.

Simon?