LDS Church not Right Wing

[_KevinSim]

Critics of the LDS Church like to paint it as extreme right wing, and point to its patriarchal structure, lumping the LDS Church in with organizations like the Roman Catholic Church and some evangelical organizations that think the Bible forbids letting women have leadership positions over men. The big question is why can't women hold the LDS priesthood.

LDS youth can go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. Temple activities that you have to be an adult for were once called, endowment sessions, initiatory work, and temple sealings. Some years back initiatory work was called washings and annointings. It may have been changed back to intiatory work now; I'm not sure.

But I've recently found out that for women doing washings and annointings it wasn't men who performed the washings and annointings; it was other women! So in the temple, women do hold the priesthood, in a way. At least you don't see anything like that in Roman Catholicism, or in the mentioned evangelical churches.

So I guess I object to the right wing label. Joseph Smith was in many ways quite radical, liberally, and some of that has survived to this day in the temple ceremonies.

[_Shulem]

But I've recently found out that for women doing washings and annointings it wasn't men who performed the washings and annointings; it was other women! So in the temple, women do hold the priesthood, in a way. At least you don't see anything like that in Roman Catholicism, or in the mentioned evangelical churches.

You just found that out! Where the hell have you been all these years? There are various explanations the church gives for this authority given to women. It just depends on who you talk to. Nothing in the church is official when it comes to talking about the temple. It's always in flux, ever changing, constantly being revised, shifts, morphs, etc.

Some will tell you that the men aren't holy enough to touch women inbetween the slotted shields that they used to use. Imagine old greasy men with minted breath reaching their hands into veiled slots to give the blessings!

So, they let the women do it. Not because they wanted to but because of neccessity. The women in the temple are simply representing the men who commissioned them to go in there and pronounce the blessings for and behalf of the priesthood men who preside in the temple. The female temple workers are nothing but proxies for the brethren. They hold no priesthood. The only priesthood for women in Mormonism comes in the hereafter when they finally get to become priestesses.

Paul O

[_MCB]

lumping the LDS Church in with organizations like the Roman Catholic Church and some evangelical organizations that think the Bible forbids letting women have leadership positions over men.

You need to study the link in my sig before you make a generalization like that.

The Catholic Church doesn't teach that women need to either be married or live longing for marriage in order to make it to heaven.

I don't believe that all Mormons are extreme right wing. Howeve, Mormonism is a product of its history. There is a large contingent of the LDS population that is extremely right wing, a product of thier cultural heritage.

[_why me]

The Catholic Church doesn't teach that women need to either be married or live longing for marriage in order to make it to heaven.

Neither does the Mormon church.

[_why me]

Howeve, Mormonism is a product of its history. There is a large contingent of the LDS population that is extremely right wing, a product of thier cultural heritage.

Not true at all. The LDS church is a world wide church. Many Mormons are voting for the french socialist party or other social democratic parties in europe. Mormons also vote for the greens.

However, in the USA, Mormons do tend to go republican but this is mainly do to social issues and the idea of self reliance. And perhaps we can see it as part of the american cultural heritage. Catholics tend to vote democratic in america because they were basically working class back in the day. And that is part of their cultural heritage.

But in europe, catholics had been known to be francoists in spain or christian democrats in italy: in both cases, extreme right or far right.

[_zeezrom]

I think the Mormon right wing comes from the Intermountain region of Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and parts of California. Mormons in those areas are pretty right-wing.

When I put an Obama sign in my front yard in Utah, I started getting Obama fear mongering emails from my EQ presidency. People were sincerely concerned about my welfare. This was, of course, before my public defection from the church. People would bring books to Church written by that guy... Haha, I forgot his name! I've been out of Utah too long! That blonde guy who runs a talk show and married a Mormon woman before he was Mormon "just to have sex with her". What is his name? I'm being lazy...

[_Wilma Fingerdoo]

I think the Mormon right wing comes from the Intermountain region of Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and parts of California. Mormons in those areas are pretty right-wing.

When I put an Obama sign in my front yard in Utah, I started getting Obama fear mongering emails from my EQ presidency. People were sincerely concerned about my welfare..

I used to get so sick of Elders Quorum being used as a republican sounding board that I took the ultra liberal stance just to piss them off. In fact one brother challenged me to a fight during the quorum because I thought abortion should be legal. I got one good shot at him before the fight was broken up. That was the last time I attended Elders Quorum at my home ward.

In fact when the stake president came with a member of the 70's to encourage me to come back to church and the temple I informed them that I would happily do so when I didn't feel the hatred of the members towards my political affiliation.

The church is so republican that I can't see how a democrat can stomach worshipping with those nutty rock suckers

[_angsty]

I'm not sure I follow your reasoning. You are pointing to an instance in which some women have been given what might be seen as "religious authority" over some other women. It doesn't show that the church isn't "right wing" (if by that you mean accepting of social hierarchy).

It also is not unique, or rare in the faiths you are comparing Mormonism with. For example, some Catholic nuns are given religious authority over others ("mother superior", etc.).

[_3sheets2thewind]

Kevinsim, you have not met bcspace you can't be a good Mormon and be anything but a fear mongering rightwinger.

[Guest]

The church is so republican that I can't see how a democrat can stomach worshipping with those nutty rock suckers

Go Mitt.