Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?
- Moksha
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Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?
Do Mormons believe empathy is a sin? Do they feel it distracts from strict obedience to the Church line of authority?
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- bill4long
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Re: Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?
I dunno, but I'm more interested in the question if they believe oral sex is a sin.
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Re: Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?
If I remember correctly, the answer is yes, but bishops are not supposed to ask about this.
I heard a bit more about empathy from a podcast. It is a natural human and animal trait that forms the basis of morality without the intervention of some God-driven command. Even so, I cannot fully understand why religionists would be opposed to that trait, although extreme individuals such as Trump and Musk do seem to lack it.
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- Everybody Wang Chung
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Re: Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?

"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."
Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
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Re: Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?

"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."
Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
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Re: Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?
As with everything related to the way the Church operates, it's conditional. Empathy is fine, unless or until it becomes expedient to replace it with shunning. Empathising with someone who has discovered the Church isn't what it claims to be? No, that's a dangerous road. Best not to talk with them about it, keep your distance. Doubt is an infectious disease as far as the Church is concerned. I remember an article in which Oaks says that it can become necessary to shun family members. And another where they told a story about an (I want to say Amish) couple whose family were finding it difficult to understand them converting to Mormonism, bottom line was that shunning their family was seen as the right thing to do.
It's interesting to observe the lip service the Church pays to things like "empathy".
Premise 1. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable.
Premise 2. The best evidence for the Book of Mormon is eyewitness testimony.
Conclusion. Therefore, the best evidence for the Book of Mormon is notoriously unreliable.
Premise 2. The best evidence for the Book of Mormon is eyewitness testimony.
Conclusion. Therefore, the best evidence for the Book of Mormon is notoriously unreliable.
- bill4long
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Re: Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?
To be a faithful Mormon there are only two requirements...
1. Obey the "Brethren"
2. Pay a full tithing
3. See #1
It really is that simple
Identifying as African-American Lesbian who is identifying as a Gay Man and a Gay Journalist
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Re: Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?
"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."
Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
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Re: Do Mormons Believe Empathy is a Sin?
Not sure how empathy conflicts with church teachings. Even animals have empathy.