The testimony: An Emotional Lie

Post by **_Mercury** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:02 am

I am taking a breather from insulting poor Nephi while I try to wrap my brain around what it is to have a Mormon Testimony. Specifically if two differing testimonies come to opposite conclusion, what Heuristic can be used to determine succes of one or the other? Given that the two are totally opposite, the winner takes all.

Above all else I subscribe to a healthy portion of gray area logic. But above all else I take in the literal and tangible over the highly speculative. The testimony is a Lie that we tell others so that we may believe it ourselves. The telling is a reaffirmation of the lie, a continuation of the insurance policy you can't get out of yet still is sucking you dry.

Good news is there is a way out. Don't lie abut your bad dream interpretation from gramma where great granpappy came back and told gramma that he joined the church in the spirit world. Yadayada its a destructive meme promoting nightmare. Testimony meeting especially is constructive for those who are more flexible with their testimony, doing the open source thing and borrowing from others with their own interpretation. The testimony is the spore that spreads destructive ways of thinking. They are tools of a social disease (like hippies) just as overconfidence and pride are tools of con men.

Post by **_Polygamy Porter** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:22 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM9hCNVIrCs

Post by **_Scottie** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:36 am

What about patriotism? Those of us that live in the USA, are we just telling ourselves lies that America is the greatest country in the world in order to further believe our own lie? Or do you really believe it? Because I can show you millions, if not billions, of people that call America the Great Satan. Is it just merely a point of view then? If so, then why is it any different for religion? Why are Mormons deluded idiots that can't see the truth right in front of their faces, yet you are so smart that you KNOW against the billions of others on the planet that curse the US? Obviously you can't objectively look at the evidence that they have and come to the same conclusion, so you're an idiot as well, right?

Post by **_Polygamy Porter** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:49 am

Scottie wrote:What about patriotism? Those of us that live in the USA, are we just telling ourselves lies that America is the greatest country in the world in order to further believe our own lie? Or do you really believe it? Because I can show you millions, if not billions, of people that call America the Great Satan. Is it just merely a point of view then? If so, then why is it any different for religion? Why are Mormons deluded idiots that can't see the truth right in front of their faces, yet you are so smart that you KNOW against the billions of others on the planet that curse the US? Obviously you can't objectively look at the evidence that they have and come to the same conclusion, so you're an idiot as well, right?

Scottie,
If you do not enjoy being an American, then please, by all means go live somewhere else.

Post by **_Scottie** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:03 am

Polygamy Porter wrote:If you do not enjoy being an American, then please, by all means go live somewhere else.

Thank you for completely and totally ignoring the entire point of my post there. Well done.

Let me ask you, PP, do you believe America is the greatest country? If so, then how do you reconcile with all the others that don't? Sounds like you have a little cog dis going on here, right?

By the way, I do love America, and I love living here. Do I think it's the greatest country? Not really. As a people, we are wasteful beyond measure, unhappy, discontented, lazy, war-mongering brutes that try and force democracy down everybody's throat.

Post by **_Polygamy Porter** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:09 am

Scottie wrote:
Polygamy Porter wrote:If you do not enjoy being an American, then please, by all means go live somewhere else.

Thank you for completely and totally ignoring the entire point of my post there. Well done.

Let me ask you, PP, do you believe America is the greatest country? If so, then how do you reconcile with all the others that don't? Sounds like you have a little cog dis going on here, right?

By the way, I do love America, and I love living here. Do I think it's the greatest country? Not really. As a people, we are wasteful beyond measure, unhappy, discontented, lazy, war-mongering brutes that try and force democracy down everybody's throat.

HellYEAH I think this is the greatest damn country on this crusty ball of dirt. Guess what? It's our turn to be the fat cats on the block. Sure it will change, that is inevitable, so just enjoy the ride.

Dennis Leary has a song for you.
A! SS! HO! LE! Nuclear F'ing Weapons!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKw9RHd9YAo

Post by **_The Dude** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:12 am

Scottie has point. Being a true believer in your country isn't much different from being a TBM or TB-anything. We could ask "how do you know somebody is a true believer?" and answer "if they are willing to die for it." That fits Joseph Smith and many of the saints as much as an idealistic nationalist.

Post by **_Polygamy Porter** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:20 am

Horse crap Dude.

I would die for this country. I served in the Army.

You know why I'd die for this great country? Cuz I live in it and it has given me much happiness and joy. Tangible things that I use in my life as I am free to pursue my path to happiness.

Religion and specifically Mormonism(since this is mo'dis.com) promises you NOTHING for this life. ZIP, zilch, nada. So if you want to die for NOTHING go right ahead!

Post by **_Scottie** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:50 am

Polygamy Porter wrote:Religion and specifically Mormonism(since this is mo'dis.com) promises you NOTHING for this life. ZIP, zilch, nada. So if you want to die for NOTHING go right ahead!

Now THAT is horse crap.

Mormonism promises a better way of life, strong moral and ethical codes, a strong community, welfare, a sense of purpose, I could go on and on.

I know that you think that absolutely nothing good could possibly come from Mormonism or anyone that claims to belong to it, but that is unequivocally false. If you have to outright lie to prove your argument, your argument must not be very good. Or horse crap, in this particular case.

Post by **_The Nehor** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:51 am

Polygamy Porter wrote:
Scottie wrote:What about patriotism? Those of us that live in the USA, are we just telling ourselves lies that America is the greatest country in the world in order to further believe our own lie? Or do you really believe it? Because I can show you millions, if not billions, of people that call America the Great Satan. Is it just merely a point of view then? If so, then why is it any different for religion? Why are Mormons deluded idiots that can't see the truth right in front of their faces, yet you are so smart that you KNOW against the billions of others on the planet that curse the US? Obviously you can't objectively look at the evidence that they have and come to the same conclusion, so you're an idiot as well, right?
Scottie,
If you do not enjoy being an American, then please, by all means go live somewhere else.

If you do not enjoy the LDS Church feel free to leave it and move on with your life....yet you're still here.