What is "anti-Mormon'...?

[_Fence Sitter]

I admit that I do dislike the Mormon theological teachings and all the rules and regulations that go along with that. I do not dislike Mormons (I feel a little sorry for them).

Quaismodo,

I would distinguish between Mormon theological teachings and the rules and regulations. While I dislike the later I find the former very interesting. I also believe the Church leadership has moved away from teaching the former in favor of an emphasis on the latter.

Do you think the happiness of the members would go up or down if they started questioning why they obey? From my own perspective, having come from a large tightly knit faithful loving LDS family, I cannot imagine anyone in my family being happier if they woke up one day and realized they were wrong.

[_Ceeboo]

Hey FS,

I know you were asking Quasi, but, if it's OK, I wanted to intrude.

For the purpose of extreme clarity, I am not questioning nor debating. I am simply asking as I find your response to be interesting.

Could you elaborate on your response a little? (perhaps define happiness, and maybe offer your thoughts on happiness being rooted in the LDS Church, and if you think the majority who might have left the fold {for whatever reason} are less happy now because of it)

Thanks!

Peace,
Ceeboo

Do you think the happiness of the members would go up or down if they started questioning why they obey? From my own perspective, having come from a large tightly knit faithful loving LDS family, I cannot imagine anyone in my family being happier if they woke up one day and realized they were wrong.

[_subgenius]

....You must have missed the point that I was trying to separate the good people of the LDS Church from the bad dogma.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/condescension
That point must have been hiding behind the part where you had pity for them



I think i get your point, its like me realizing that you seem like a good guy yourself, but i feel sorry for the things you type into your posts.....correct?

[_Buffalo]

If you feel sorry for Katrina victims, does that make you Anti-New Orleans?

[_Corpsegrinder]

I'm anti-New Orleans, but it ain't got nothing to do with Katrina. :D

[Guest]

If you feel sorry for Katrina victims, does that make you Anti-New Orleans?

I feel pity abused children, people stuck at the bottom the economic ladder in 3rd world countries and people who dislike sushi...apparently, that is condescending to those groups of people. Does that mean I should stop donating to poor families in central africa? I mean, I wouldn't want to be condescending or anything....

[_schreech]

some fun synonyms for pity:

benevolence, charity, clemency, comfort, commiseration, compassion, compunction, condolement, condolence, dejection, distress, empathy, favor, forbearance, goodness, grace, humanity, kindliness, kindness, lenity, melancholy, mercy, philanthropy, quarter, rue, ruth, sadness, solace, sorrow, sympathy, tenderness, understanding, warmth

[_Fence Sitter]

Hey FS,

I know you were asking Quasi, but, if it's OK, I wanted to intrude.

For the purpose of extreme clarity, I am not questioning nor debating. I am simply asking as I find your response to be interesting.

Could you elaborate on your response a little? (perhaps define happiness, and maybe offer your thoughts on happiness being rooted in the LDS Church, and if you think the majority who might have left the fold {for whatever reason} are less happy now because of it)

Thanks!

Peace,
Ceeboo

I know you Ceeboo you are always looking for an argument! :)

Bear with me here because I am mostly thinking out loud and have never really tried to articulate my own definition of happiness.

For me a large part of happiness is being comfortable with who I am. I think this holds true for most people. I don't think happiness is rooted in the LDS Church or the Catholic Church or religion at all. I think it has a lot more to do with our self image and who we think we are and where we think we belong. My family, for example, believes they belong to the only true Church there is and they believe they are favored by God for being part of it. It is sort of like being a fan of the team that wins every game and gets to take home the trophy.

I do not know if the majority of the people who have left the fold, from the LDS church or any other church for that matter, are happier or not. I think a lot would depend on if they were able to replace the community and fellowship the church offered with another one. When I read the stories about all those members early in the church that left and came back, I get a sense that many of them came back, not because they realized their reasons for leaving were wrong, but because they realized they would be happier being part of that group.

So back to my comment about my family. I cannot imagine what it would take to replace the role the Church plays in their lives. Pretty much every aspect of their lives is focused on the Church. If that were suddenly to be taken away from them, I don't see them as being happier, I see them as totally lost. Perhaps over time they could adjust to something different but in the end I don't think they would be happier.

[_Quasimodo]

Do you think the happiness of the members would go up or down if they started questioning why they obey? From my own perspective, having come from a large tightly knit faithful loving LDS family, I cannot imagine anyone in my family being happier if they woke up one day and realized they were wrong.

This is a very good question, Fence Sitter. I'm not sure I can give a good answer to it.

Is ignorance bliss? From my point of view (gathered from good evidences here on this board and elsewhere) the Book of Mormon is untrue. Consequently, my view of Mormons is of a people that have been duped by liar and conman for many generations.

I see this as sad. Is it better for the victims to continue being duped if they are happy in the illusion? Hard to say.

Personally, I prefer the admission that I don't know the truth over pretending that I do.

[_Quasimodo]

I think i get your point, its like me realizing that you seem like a good guy yourself, but i feel sorry for the things you type into your posts.....correct?

Hey, I'll take any kind words I can get from you. I think those were your first (I suspect you didn't actually mean them to be kind).

I do feel sorry for LDS people. You take that as condensation. I meant that it's sad that so many people have been manipulated for so many generations by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.