Mitt campaign microcosm of Morg assimilation? ...

[_Rollo Tomasi]

Below is a link to an article in today's Trib about Mitt's efforts to appear 'less Mormon' and 'more Christian,' and how this is representative of the Church's effort overall effort to mainstream -- i.e. assimilate.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_5437839

[_Yoda]

Interesting article!

I do take issue with this statement:

Candidate Romney can be seen as pursuing this assimilationist program. Since setting his sights on the presidency, he has talked the evangelical talk - reminding evangelical leaders that, just as they do, he regards Jesus Christ as his ''Lord and Savior,'' for example, and by opposing embryonic stem cell research (which the LDS Church has no objection to).

To say that the LDS Chuch "has no objection" to embryonic stem cell research is misleading. The Church has not stated any official position on embryonic stem cell research because, as a rule, the Church doesn't come out with play by play statements regarding political issues. The Church is, however, against abortion, and embryonic stem cell research falls under the abortion political "umbrella".

[_The Dude]

The Church is, however, against abortion, and embryonic stem cell research falls under the abortion political "umbrella".

Good that you said "political" since that is the only sense in which abortion and embryonic stem cell research are connected.

[_The Dude]

I like this part:

''While Mormons share some beliefs with Christians, they are not Christians,'' evangelical pooh-bah Chuck Colson told his radio listeners a couple of years ago. ''I respect Mormons and work with them, but we can't gloss over our fundamental differences.''

I think "pooh-bah" is a fantastic title for any religious official. It stands in nicely for "Pope", "President", "Apostle" and whatever else you like.

"Introducing our speaker for this evening, Pooh-bah Boyd K. Packer, Pooh-bah of the Quorum of the Twelve Pooh-Bahs."

The struggle over the name ''Christian'' suggests that what bothers evangelicals most about Mormons is that they seem to be pretending to be something they're not - and by de-emphasizing what makes Mormonism different, the LDS Church only intensifies the antagonism. If I were advising Mitt Romney, I'd say the Kennedyesque move would be to drop the masquerade.

Huh, I wonder if that's true. Do you guys think evangelicals are most bothered by the mainstreaming masquerade, or is the stuff under the mask just as awful to them?

[_wenglund]

Below is a link to an article in today's Trib about Mitt's efforts to appear 'less Mormon' and 'more Christian,' and how this is representative of the Church's effort overall effort to mainstream -- i.e. assimilate.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_5437839

Hi Rollo,

Your subject heading mentions the "Morg". Could you please explain what that term is in reference to and why you chose to use it?

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[_Mister Scratch]

Below is a link to an article in today's Trib about Mitt's efforts to appear 'less Mormon' and 'more Christian,' and how this is representative of the Church's effort overall effort to mainstream -- i.e. assimilate.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_5437839

Hi Rollo,

Your subject heading mentions the "Morg". Could you please explain what that term is in reference to and why you chose to use it?

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

"Morg" is a slang term used primarily by critics of the Church to describe the conformist tendencies in Mormonism (e.g., standardized dress, bloc voting, insistence on obedience, etc.) "Morg" is a play on the word "Borg," and if you are a Sci-Fi fan, you will know that the Borg were a hostile alien race from the series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg were a frightening cyborg race that flew around space in a giant cube, "assimilating" other races into "the Borg collective."

[_why me]

"Morg" is a slang term used primarily by critics of the Church to describe the conformist tendencies in Mormonism (e.g., standardized dress, bloc voting, insistence on obedience, etc.) "Morg" is a play on the word "Borg," and if you are a Sci-Fi fan, you will know that the Borg were a hostile alien race from the series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg were a frightening cyborg race that flew around space in a giant cube, "assimilating" other races into "the Borg collective."

Yep, I am certainly in the Morg. My Marxist, humanist LDS slant on life difinitely places me among Morgbots. And the fact, I never wear a white shirt to church only the more so, places me within a morg type setting. And the fact that I often bring into play my Marxist, humanist slant on the world and the gospel in church settings does also give me a morg feeling.

Aren't generalizations wonderful!

In fact, it was on a postmorg site that my marxist, humanist slant on life got me a warning not to post such slants again. But on Morg sites, no one gives a hoot.

[_Runtu]

"Morg" is a slang term used primarily by critics of the Church to describe the conformist tendencies in Mormonism (e.g., standardized dress, bloc voting, insistence on obedience, etc.) "Morg" is a play on the word "Borg," and if you are a Sci-Fi fan, you will know that the Borg were a hostile alien race from the series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg were a frightening cyborg race that flew around space in a giant cube, "assimilating" other races into "the Borg collective."

Yep, I am certainly in the Morg. My Marxist, humanist LDS slant on life difinitely places me among Morgbots. And the fact, I never wear a white shirt to church only the more so, places me within a morg type setting. And the fact that I often bring into play my Marxist, humanist slant on the world and the gospel does also give me a morg feeling.

Aren't generalizations wonderful!

In fact, it was on a postmorg site that my marxist, humanist slant on life got me a warning not to post such slants again. But on Morg sites, no one gives a hoot.

Can you be in the morg but not of the morg? ;-)

Seriously, I don't consider inactive members to be Mormon conformists. And for the record, I don't like the term "morg"; it's insulting.

[_Mister Scratch]

"Morg" is a slang term used primarily by critics of the Church to describe the conformist tendencies in Mormonism (e.g., standardized dress, bloc voting, insistence on obedience, etc.) "Morg" is a play on the word "Borg," and if you are a Sci-Fi fan, you will know that the Borg were a hostile alien race from the series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg were a frightening cyborg race that flew around space in a giant cube, "assimilating" other races into "the Borg collective."

Yep, I am certainly in the Morg. My Marxist, humanist LDS slant on life difinitely places me among Morgbots. And the fact, I never wear a white shirt to church only the more so, places me within a morg type setting. And the fact that I often bring into play my Marxist, humanist slant on the world and the gospel in church settings does also give me a morg feeling.

Aren't generalizations wonderful!

In fact, it was on a postmorg site that my marxist, humanist slant on life got me a warning not to post such slants again. But on Morg sites, no one gives a hoot.

Lol... Yes, you are exactly right. The way some critics use "Morg" is quite similar to the way juliann uses "apostate."

[_Rollo Tomasi]

Your subject heading mentions the "Morg". Could you please explain what that term is in reference to and why you chose to use it?

Mr. Scratch explains the meaning of "Morg" very well above. I used it in this particular thread because of the article's use of the word "assimilation," which was a favorite word (along with the phrase "resistance is futile") of the Borg in the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series. The fact the author of the article refers to the apparent desire of the LDS Church (and Mitt) to "assimilate" (i.e., mainstream) in traditional Christianity, struck me as funny since the Church is often (in jest, in my case) referred as "the Morg."