wenglund wrote:If Kimberlyann needs to label the LDS Church as a "cult" in order to feel better about her current Christian faith, then I suppose there is little harm in that.
Thanks, -Wade Englund-
Huh?
I'm still trying to figure out where I am religiously, or if I'm even religious at all. I don't know what you're talking about.
KA
Will it help your undersanding if I phrased it this way: "If Kimberlyann needs to label the LDS Church as a 'cult' in order to feel better about her confused religious state of mind, then I suppose there is little harm in that"?
Thanks, -Wade Englund-
First of all, welcome back, Wade! ;)
That is very kind of you to say.
The problem I have with your comment is that I don't think that KA has a confused state of mind regarding her religion. She seems very sure of her own beliefs.
I simply took her at her word when she said: "I'm still trying to figure out where I am religiously, or if I'm even religious at all." That strikes me as religiously confused.
But, this is all beside the primary point of my initial comment to Kimberlyann. I see her efforts to label the Church a "cult" (like much of her railings against the Church) as ultimately driven by her need to feel better about herself. And, while I seriously doubt that she will come to feel much better about herself by calling the Church names (at least not in any meaningful and lasting way--that would actually require that she become a better person in her own eyes), I see little harm coming to the Church in her relatively obscure name-calling.
wenglund wrote:I simply took her at her word when she said: "I'm still trying to figure out where I am religiously, or if I'm even religious at all." That strikes me as religiously confused.
Hello, there, Wade!
But, this is all beside the primary point of my initial comment to Kimberlyann. I see her efforts to label the Church a "cult" (like much of her railings against the Church) as ultimately driven by her need to feel better about herself.
Does this mean that your various attacks on Church critics, and your need to play "Dr. Phil" are "driven by [your] need to feel better about [yourself]"?
And, while I seriously doubt that she will come to feel much better about herself by calling the Church names (at least not in any meaningful and lasting way--that would actually require that she become a better person in her own eyes), I see little harm coming to the Church in her relatively obscure name-calling.
Thanks, -Wade Englund-
If no harm is going to come to the Church, then why bother piping up at all?
wenglund wrote:If Kimberlyann needs to label the LDS Church as a "cult" in order to feel better about her current Christian faith, then I suppose there is little harm in that.
Thanks, -Wade Englund-
Huh?
I'm still trying to figure out where I am religiously, or if I'm even religious at all. I don't know what you're talking about.
KA
Will it help your undersanding if I phrased it this way: "If Kimberlyann needs to label the LDS Church as a 'cult' in order to feel better about her confused religious state of mind, then I suppose there is little harm in that"?
Thanks, -Wade Englund-
Why must you phrase everything in a depricating Mctherapist frame of reference?
Your a tool wade,
GO BACK TO THE SHADOW!!
;) Welcome back to the serious game wade. Did you have fun in the sandbox?
And crawling on the planet's face Some insects called the human race Lost in time And lost in space...and meaning
The reason I ask is that I think there are a lot of parallels between the Jewish faith in the LDS faith when it comes to the religion being a culture.
The Jewish faith is far more restrictive and controlling in many ways. Hard-line Jewish folks still routinely participate in the practice of arranged marriages.
The reason I ask is that I think there are a lot of parallels between the Jewish faith in the LDS faith when it comes to the religion being a culture.
The Jewish faith is far more restrictive and controlling in many ways. Hard-line Jewish folks still routinely participate in the practice of arranged marriages.
Actually, yes, I would consider Orthodox Judaism a cult, though they appear to have less devotion to a charismatic leader than the LDS.
mentalgymnast wrote:Kimberly Ann: I'm more certain Mormonism isn't true than I ever believed it was true, and I was a very devout believer.
MG: When you were a very devout believer did you think the LDS church was a cult? Why?
Regards, MG
I knew we were a peculiar people, and I grew up with hard-line, multi-generational Mormons who insisted that we were not Christian, we were Mormon. So, I never identified myself as a Christian and I did consider myself "set apart" from the world. That being said, I didn't consider I was in a cult. I imagine very few people realize they're in a cult when they're born and raised in one and know nothing different. Do you think Scientologist children realize they're in a cult? Most of them probably do not.
Tarski wrote:I once asked Michael Shermer his opinion on this. He said the mainstream LDS church is not a cult but that it was when it started.
I hope Steve Benson and his ilk don't get wind of this. They'd be disappointed to learn that the skeptic of skeptics doesn't think contemporary Mormonism is a cult. But, Steve, whatever floats your boat, and gets your goat.
I'm willing to bet the only reason Shermer said that was to avoid alienating a Mormon audience. I get the feeling he's really interested in getting people to wake up to reality and so he approaches what he does in a more gentle manner than, say, Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins.
Anyone who really knows anything about the Mormon culture cannot deny it's cult-like social environment. It's disingenuous to claim otherwise.
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
I once asked Sandra Tanner if she thought that Mormonism was a cult. She said no, but with two exceptions: The temple experience and the missionary experience.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
