Conflating Mormon Faith with Patriotism

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_I have a question
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Conflating Mormon Faith with Patriotism

Post by _I have a question »

In an article the Deseret News promotes the view that a Mormon going off to a foreign land is something that has been ‘called’ of God.
“I hope my kids grow up and look back at this, not as a time they missed Dad or that Dad wasn’t here or Mom needed extra help," Jennie said, "but as a time they can say, ‘We tried our best. We wanted to help. We answered the call because my dad was needed. My country needed me. My God needed me.'"

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900 ... again.html

God needs you to serve in the military force of an arbitrarily designated place on a map that you just happen to have been born in? Really?

This isn’t an attack on patriotism. I get it. But when Patriotism is portrayed as a calling from God, it becomes something else. What about those people who will fight against the US Military in defence of their arbitrarily drawn piece of land? Has their God called them to defend against the God-called American?

Just imagine an Afghan Mormon treading this Deseret News article, what are they to make of the claim that God has called a fellow member of his faith to invade his country and attack him if he dares to complain about it?

What if two Mormons come face to face on the battlefield in conflict on behalf of their man-made and arbitrarily designated pieces of land? God wants them to fight each other? Really?

Articles like this one, which conflate God being on the side of their military, is tribalism (racism?) of the worst kind.

Brent, too, never imagined he would stay in the military for his career.

I really just joined to volunteer for the wars,” he said.
I’ll bet MormonAmerican God is very proud.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
_bcuzbcuz
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Re: Conflating Mormon Faith with Patriotism

Post by _bcuzbcuz »

I have a question wrote:I’ll bet MormonAmerican God is very proud.


Wha-a-a-a? Would God send a Mormon from one country to fight against a Mormon from another country? I thought there was a revelation that said that such a thing was impossible.
And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love...you make. PMcC
_Jesse Pinkman
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Re: Conflating Mormon Faith with Patriotism

Post by _Jesse Pinkman »

God and country has long been interlocked. I agree. It's a problem, and not just with the LDS religion.
So you're chasing around a fly and in your world, I'm the idiot?

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"And that is precisely why none of us apologize for holding it to the celestial standard it pretends that it possesses." Kerry, MDB
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