Is Mormonism's Poor Image Due to Public Misunderstanding?

[_DrW]

There are a lot of things people have never seen or heard of before. Sorry, but I see what you are saying and it's irrational and intellectually dishonest. Yellow Journalism.

bcspace,

You must understand by now that anyone who believes in the foundational truth claims of Mormonism and the Mormon Church is in no position to accuse others of being irrational or intellectually dishonest (especially with regard to things that have never been seen or heard), unless of course, the faithful Mormon can prove that:

- Kolob cosmology, including the claim that the sun gets its light from Kolob, is supported by the relevant science,

- the Garden of Eden was in Daviss County, MO.,

- humankind has been on Earth for less than 10,000 years,

- a con-man and glass looker was actually commanded by an angel with a flaming sword to engage in adultery, polygamy, and polyandry with more than 30 women, some of whom were married to other men, so that this individual might establish the one true Church on the face of the Earth,

- small groups of ancient Semites made transoceanic migrations (some in unpowered wooden semi-submersibles) from the Middle East to the New World, where they established civilization that numbered in the millions and then disappeared without leaving a any archeological, linguistic, or genetic trace whatsoever of their ever having been here,

- common Egyptian funerary texts written two millennia after Abraham was claimed to have existed were, in fact, written by the hand of Abraham upon papyrus and were magically translated to yield the Book of Abraham (the LDS scripture in which we find the Kolob cosmology).

These are but a few of the irrational beliefs required of the faithful Mormon with regard to LDS truth claims and scripture. The intellectual dishonesty or willful ignorance required for even a minimally educated individual to maintain these beliefs is staggering.

If you, as a faithful Mormon, maintain even one of these Mormon beliefs, let alone the entire set of them, then you have absolutely no standing whatsoever to claim irrationality or intellectual dishonesty on the part of anyone, not even EV Fundamentalists or Scientologists, let alone secularists or agnostic scientists.

[_jon]

In answer to the OP...

No, Mormonism's poor image is due to Public understanding.

[_Some Schmo]

In answer to the OP...

No, Mormonism's poor image is due to Public understanding.

LOL... no doubt.

[_DrW]

In answer to the OP...

No, Mormonism's poor image is due to Public understanding.

LOL... no doubt.

Right now the incoming data do not look good for the LDS Church. (Even Church polls show that five times as many people have a negative view of Mormons as have a positive view) .

My guess is that the dissemination of information about Mormonism associated with the presidential election will speed up the process. In the long run the Church will be forced to moderate its version of the "everlasting gospel" or continue to hemorrhage members.

[_Jason Bourne]

- Or is the deteriorating public image of Mormonism due to an increase in public understanding of its foundational beliefs?

It appears that the light shone on Mormonism in the course of this Presidential election campaign may have the opposite effect to that hoped for by the faithful and their PR-oriented leadership.

I could not help but notice the immediate response of the audience on the Daily Show on Monday evening when Samantha Bee started an accurate recounting of Mormonism' foundational narrative.

The video clip at the link below shows that the audience started laughing as soon as the accurate narrative began. When you think about it, this laugh-inducing narrative was not unlike some that have been delivered in General Conference by General Authorities in all seriousness and solemnity in years past.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-17-2011/indecision-2012--hardcore-sects-edition---mormonism

My question for believers on the board is this: what do you make of the fact that an absolutely factual presentation of the foundation narrative of Mormonism is itself considered high comedy when delivered by a non-member in a public venue not controlled by the LDS Church?

Does this not give you pause to consider the way in which your core beliefs are viewed by the wider world?

Can you imagine yourself as a young missionary required to deliver this message to a public that is now beginning to really understand the Mormon narrative because of the Presidential campaign?

Can this really be good for the LDS Church?

People love to mock others. How many of those people that laughed hold fast to other religious traditions? Do they consider their own views as ridiculous?

Look I am a much more NOMinal Mormon or believer in anything. I have my doubts but hold to a life of faith for many reasons that I have mentioned on this board many times. Personally I do not think the LDS Church has any more silliness to it than any other faith. It is just younger and has a better record. Perhaps a full blown atheist such as yourself has a right to be scornful. But It seems to me that even if you look back to the beginning of life on this earth and the low probability of spontaneous generation happening all on its own, well that takes a bit of ridiculous faith as well.

[_bcspace]

You must understand by now that anyone who believes in the foundational truth claims of Mormonism and the Mormon Church is in no position to accuse others of being irrational or intellectually dishonest (especially with regard to things that have never been seen or heard

Why not?

- Kolob cosmology, including the claim that the sun gets its light from Kolob, is supported by the relevant science,

God can't dwell near a particular star? Gravity (which powers the stars) isn't effective throughout the universe? A grand unifying theory isn't the holy grail of science?

- the Garden of Eden was in Daviss County, MO.,

There are no scriptures to this effect.

- humankind has been on Earth for less than 10,000 years,

Not LDS doctrine. LDS doctrine by the way, allows for the possibility of preAdamite people.

- a con-man and glass looker

The Old Testament reveals that revelation was had from the urim and thummim. Glass looker = Yellow Journalism.

was actually commanded by an angel with a flaming sword to engage in adultery, polygamy, and polyandry with more than 30 women, some of whom were married to other men, so that this individual might establish the one true Church on the face of the Earth,

Much of that was never stated or implied or practiced. Yellow Journalism.

- small groups of ancient Semites made transoceanic migrations (some in unpowered wooden semi-submersibles) from the Middle East to the New World,

What's worng with that? Are you implying that these "submersibles" did so under their own power? Yellow Journalism.

where they established civilization that numbered in the millions and then disappeared

Either they mingled with the existing population or eventually produced such "millions" on their own. Yes.

without leaving a any archeological, linguistic, or genetic trace whatsoever of their ever having been here,

How do you know? Yellow Journalism. There was physical evidence of Troy...until it was discovered.

- common Egyptian funerary texts written two millennia after Abraham was claimed to have existed were, in fact, written by the hand of Abraham upon papyrus

Meaning change, especially to benefit the current ruling class.

and were magically translated to yield the Book of Abraham (the LDS scripture in which we find the Kolob cosmology).

Yellow Journalism. Magic is not claimed.

These are but a few of the irrational beliefs required of the faithful Mormon with regard to LDS truth claims and scripture.

And it was too easy to debunk them as not LDS beliefs at all according to how you communicated them. You had to lie to even get this far.

If you, as a faithful Mormon, maintain even one of these Mormon beliefs, let alone the entire set of them, then you have absolutely no standing whatsoever to claim irrationality or intellectual dishonesty on the part of anyone, not even EV Fundamentalists or Scientologists, let alone secularists or agnostic scientists.

It is indeed difficult to counter Yellow Journalism and intellectual dishonesty in the popular press. But it is satisfying to know the true nature.

[_Jason Bourne]

Most, if not all, public misunderstanding is due to antiMormon yellow journalism. Evangelical and otherwise.

Actually much of it is due to the way Mormons poorly interact with non Mormons. The us or them, in the world but not of it, every member a missionary creating annoying behavior and friendship for the sake of conversion only and so on all create a bad image.

[_bcspace]

Most, if not all, public misunderstanding is due to antiMormon yellow journalism. Evangelical and otherwise.

Actually much of it is due to the way Mormons poorly interact with non Mormons. The us or them, in the world but not of it, every member a missionary creating annoying behavior and friendship for the sake of conversion only and so on all create a bad image.

I disagree. Most of the negative stuff one hears is straight from the antiMormon playbook. I would agree that the reason it's there is because we have not assimilated oursevles with them ecumenically. But that is the way it has to be.

[_jon]

I disagree. Most of the negative stuff one hears is straight from the antiMormon playbook. I would agree that the reason it's there is because we have not assimilated oursevles with them ecumenically. But that is the way it has to be.

What negative stuff do people hear from anti-Mormons that isn't actually true?

[_bcspace]

What negative stuff do people hear from anti-Mormons that isn't actually true?

Much of what they hear is Yellow Journalistic. Out of context or non correlating conclusions. Glass-looker or magic underwear for example. Some outright lies such as God having sex with Mary being doctrine, or that we are racist or sexist, or that we worship Joseph Smith, etc.