Maklelan - A romantic incentive

[Aristotle Smith]

Some time ago Mak was asked if he was involved with an lds woman while investigating the church. I don't believe he responded.

My purpose for bringing up this item is not tabloid curiosity. As others speculated, a young intelligent educated man, certainly does not hitch himself to the Mormon faith from looking into the lds belief system. That may have occurred many decades ago before an open market of information about the church was readily available, and those individuals during earlier times get a free pass in my book.

An inlaw of mine, 35 years ago, attended a church dance as a nonmember. He laughs about it now, but does say that was his point of conversion - the dance.

Mak, take this as a left handed compliment :)

[_Chomsky]

...As others speculated, a young intelligent educated man, certainly does not hitch himself to the Mormon faith from looking into the lds belief system...

Many, of course, join because of love for a woman or man. I know one of my brother-in-laws was raised Catholic in a large family of Catholics and was the first to leave the Catholic Church and became a born-again evangelical. His conversion was the impetus for his other siblings (including my wife) doing the same. Five or six years later, however, he meets a Catholic girl whose Catholic faith is very important to her. Naturally they get married and now he is a Catholic (a real Catholic, none of that nominal Catholic crap that my parents were).

Nevertheless, a lot of young and intelligent men or women will join the LDS Church (or any other "obviously" bogus religious faith) knowing full well about its difficulties. I could especially see this for something like the Mormon Church where emphasis is placed upon personal revelation. In other words, I think it is more likely that poster maklelan joined the church based on a personal testimony that he perceives as originating from a deity.

[_Maxrep]

I think it is more likely that poster maklelan joined the church based on a personal testimony that he perceives as originating from a deity.

I can't say I agree with this last statement. Don't you think it is more likely that he talked himself into/justified believing in the church because a love interest was at stake?

[_Jaybear]

I can't say I agree with this last statement. Don't you think it is more likely that he talked himself into/justified believing in the church because a love interest was at stake?

To put it more charitably, in the absence of a romantic interest in a female member, its highly unlikely that, as an educated single adult male, he would have joined the LDS Church.

[_Bazooka]

This thread poses an underlying question.
Is church membership an overiding deal breaker in marriage, in that, were maklelan or any other male to leave the church, is their spouse justified in seeking divorce simply for that act of leaving the faith?

[_Quasimodo]

This thread poses an underlying question.
Is church membership an overiding deal breaker in marriage, in that, were maklelan or any other male to leave the church, is their spouse justified in seeking divorce simply for that act of leaving the faith?

I don't know about your side of the pond (big pond), but here, irreconcilable differences are legal grounds for divorce.

Maybe that's how it should be. If the wife is a devoted Mormon and the husband has serious doubts, the marriage will always be a battlefield.

[_Maxrep]

This thread poses an underlying question.
Is church membership an overiding deal breaker in marriage, in that, were maklelan or any other male to leave the church, is their spouse justified in seeking divorce simply for that act of leaving the faith?

Also, how charged is the rhetoric within the church about young women marrying RM's only? About marrying someone of the same faith so "he" can take you to the temple? Bringing spirits into an LDS home?

[_Chomsky]

I think it is more likely that poster maklelan joined the church based on a personal testimony that he perceives as originating from a deity.

I can't say I agree with this last statement. Don't you think it is more likely that he talked himself into/justified believing in the church because a love interest was at stake?

Honestly, I (obviously) have no idea concerning his motive for joining the church.

I don't think one should necessarily discount the possibility that it was because of a perceived divine revelation that the Church is true. Being smart and educated doesn't necessarily mean that one wouldn't join a religion unless there was a romantic interest involved (even if that religion has a lot of difficulties in its origins).

But who knows.

[_harmony]

This thread poses an underlying question.
Is church membership an overiding deal breaker in marriage, in that, were maklelan or any other male to leave the church, is their spouse justified in seeking divorce simply for that act of leaving the faith?

I don't know about your side of the pond (big pond), but here, irreconcilable differences are legal grounds for divorce.

Maybe that's how it should be. If the wife is a devoted Mormon and the husband has serious doubts, the marriage will always be a battlefield.

that is not necessarily correct.

[_Quasimodo]

I don't know about your side of the pond (big pond), but here, irreconcilable differences are legal grounds for divorce.

Maybe that's how it should be. If the wife is a devoted Mormon and the husband has serious doubts, the marriage will always be a battlefield.

that is not necessarily correct.

It is where I live, but I am not a lawyer (thank god). Educate me.