Why People Dislike Mormons

[_Pollypinks]

To the saved or not saved comment, reformed or orthodox christian churches don't ask that question. It's an evangelical or fundamental question, rather illiterate if you ask me, that comes up, and is really pushed on you if you want to be part of that group. They get really high from having the power to get you saved. You can even move this conversation upwards to the charismatics, who really get physically turned on when the saved thing comes up.

[_Buffalo]

Would it be fair to say that most male converts prior to, say, 1910, only joined the church so that they could sin?

[_why me]

Your experience is irrelevant. You were never Mormon.

Don't tell that to my daughters. They may disagree with you. My experience is very relevant as someone who has seen the LDS world from my own inactivity and open mind.

[_why me]

Yes, and that's cultish behavior. Whenever I see it it makes me think I'm being too charitable in classifying the LDS Church as being a former cult.

It is not cultish behavior at all. But personality behavior. Within Mormonism there are many personalities as there are in other aspects of life. Many Mormons just go about their lives with their belief in tact. They have no time to think about what others are saying on the internet or in real life.

And Mormons seem to function just fine in the world. And if I am not mistaken, BYU has a lot of companies attempting to recruit their students. At least this was true during the boom years.

[_Buffalo]

Your experience is irrelevant. You were never Mormon.

Don't tell that to my daughters. They may disagree with you. My experience is very relevant as someone who has seen the LDS world from my own inactivity and open mind.

Do you admit your experience was tremendously atypical?

[_why me]

To the saved or not saved comment, reformed or orthodox christian churches don't ask that question. It's an evangelical or fundamental question, rather illiterate if you ask me, that comes up, and is really pushed on you if you want to be part of that group. They get really high from having the power to get you saved. You can even move this conversation upwards to the charismatics, who really get physically turned on when the saved thing comes up.

You are right. Every church has their own socialization process complete with their own vocabulary. For evangelicals it is quite common to wish someone 'blessings' when they say goodbye. However, once one understands the socialization process, the dislike goes away and tolerance can come to the forefront.

[_Buffalo]

Yes, and that's cultish behavior. Whenever I see it it makes me think I'm being too charitable in classifying the LDS Church as being a former cult.

It is not cultish behavior at all. But personality behavior. Within Mormonism there are many personalities as there are in other aspects of life. Many Mormons just go about their lives with their belief in tact. They have no time to think about what others are saying on the internet or in real life.

And Mormons seem to function just fine in the world. And if I am not mistaken, BYU has a lot of companies attempting to recruit their students. At least this was true during the boom years.

Attacking people for being kind to people from the outgroup is CLASSIC cult behavior.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the Scientologists, another famous cult, have also produced some people who have enjoyed successful careers (Battlefield Earth notwithstanding).

[_why me]

Do you admit your experience was tremendously atypical?

It depends. My experiences were not atypical for inactive Mormons or jack Mormons with active children and an active spouse. However my take on Mormonism may be atypical for this board.

[_why me]

Attacking people for being kind to people from the outgroup is CLASSIC cult behavior.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the Scientologists, another famous cult, have also produced some people who have enjoyed successful careers (Battlefield Earth notwithstanding).

Most Mormons are too busy with their own lives to care about the outgroup in an hostile way. The ones I know have a let live attitude. Just look at me. I have never been attacked by Mormons at all. They just let me be me. No problem. Now of course, when I attended a fireside recently, a leader whom I have known for quite some time introduced me to the senior missionaries as a catholic Mormon with a smile on his face. But I took it quite well. We are all human and must see one another with understanding.

[_stemelbow]

You guys whine far too much about Mormons. the actual humans that are Mormons range in personality and sincerity just like other groups. While I find the general caricatures somewhat amusing (and I admit there are some problems among Mormons said here) I also have to make note of the vitriole and hostility. Only fair, i say. of course this will probably get me a ton of whiney "stem, you just want to whine about us, and you always act like a victim after we try to attack you or whatever". Ah well. It happens. I can't get much more.