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[Narr]

News article confirmation = http://www.kutv.com/content/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=aedea6c9-7797-40e8-a1e5-1e7a54050390

I'm rather sad.  I was born and raised Mormon and I suppose I still am, as much as I don't identify with it in a lot of cases anymore.  He was a great man that accomplished many great humanitarian acts throughout the world.  Regardless of what you think of Mormons, he was an amazing person and will be sorely missed.  I'm actually trying to hold back tears.  This kind of hits home for me in a way I didn't expect.

[0bsessions]

Man, I hope I don't live to ninety-seven. As it is, I plan to tranq a bear, chain it to a set of train tracks and fight it there if I live to seventy. I do not want to be old.

That said, I'd have to say I think the guy did a good job from what I've seen. Of all the major Christian religions I've dealt with in the US, the practicing mormons have been easily the friendliest, most respectful to those not sharing their beliefs (I.E. not pushy) and overall good people who actually seem to practice what they preach. One of the nicest bosses I ever had was a devout mormon. Guy never talked about it at work, but it was quite obvious it was a big part of who he was.

Then there's the Chick-Fil-A dude.

[Patrick]

For all the ribbing I give any friends of mine who happen to be Mormons, I for sure won't be making any wisecracks about this dude's passing.

That said: Tommy, I love you.

[Narr]

I wonder how many times he got married.

Once.  Like the vast majority of Mormons.  Polygamy is no longer practiced in our religion and hasn't since the United States passed laws banning it.  Polygamists that claim to be Mormon are in fact not.

[Ozymandias]

Agreed with Jon.

Mormons, while one of the more, uh, questionable faiths in terms of its mythology, is absolutely one of the best flavors of Christianity in terms of its believers.

They're like Protestants, but not assholes. And often hot. Which is why I like Whormons.

Good for this guy for living to be ancient as hell. Sucks that he's gone.

[jhocking]

They're like Protestants, but not assholes. And often hot. Which is why I like Whormons.

tangent: I've never really understood when people refer to this or that cultural group as especially attractive. Aside from England, I've never noticed any difference along this dimension.

[Jooooosh]

author=Ozymandias link=topic=18899.msg595843#msg595843 date=1201547927]


Mormons, while one of the more, uh, questionable faiths in terms of its mythology, is absolutely one of the best flavors of Christianity in terms of its believers.

[/quote]
To me, the leap of faith required for mormonism is no more strange that of catholicism, or any christian faith in general.[quote

[Johnny C]

Let's step out of this minefield right now, shall we?

[Ozymandias]

tangent: I've never really understood when people refer to this or that cultural group as especially attractive. Aside from England, I've never noticed any difference along this dimension.

I went to high school with a relatively high Mormon population. If I saw an attractive lady, there was pretty much a 75% chance she was Mormon, despite that fact that only, like 10% of the school was Mormon. It was something that just got ingrained in my opinion of Mormons.

[ledhendrix]

Yeah this is pretty dangerous territory. Discussions involving religion always end up as arguments which go no where. Especially on a large forum like this.

[Storm Rider]

A large portion of my father's extended family is Mormon, but my paternal grandfather broke off from the Church because he basically believed it was a bunch of BS, so now most of them don't talk to us anymore because they think we're all going to hell!

Except my dad actually corresponded with one of his cousins or something via email about Harry Potter until the last book came out. Weird!

[onewheelwizzard]

The thing I think is interesting about Mormons is the massive Mormon-to-transsexual/transgender turnover ratio.  A really disproportionately high number of trannies I've met used to be Mormon.  It's kinda freaky.

[Lines]

They're like Protestants, but not assholes.

Am I an asshole? But then again I don't think we should get into this, so to quote Johnny:

Let's step out of this minefield right now, shall we?

[Patrick]

Minefields are awesome, I don't know what you people are talking about. I would pay an arm and a leg. RIMSHOT!

Listen, I said I wouldn't make Mormon jokes. I can only hold back so much, guys.

[Narr]

If you guys want me to dispel an rumors you have heard about Mormons, now would probably be a good time to do so.

I figured there'd probably be a lot of Mormon bashing.  I'm used to it, honestly.  I've done it a lot myself, truth be told, and I am one.  Sort of.  Mostly.

Hinckley did a lot of really cool stuff throughout his life.  I should go see if I can't find something that explains it in detail, like a news article or something.  Basically, every major disaster that's happened in the last 20 years, he's been there personally to help out however he could.  Partly due to his leadership, the LDS Church has donated more money to large disaster relief funds (one specific one I can think of is the big tsunami that destroyed most of Asia, it seemed like at the time) than just about every other major religion in the world, combined.

[ampersandwitch]

large forum

[RedLion]

I don't engage in Mormon-bashing. I engage in whole-sale religion-bashing in general. But only when people approach me and attempt to force their notions on me or others. I went to a Catholic school for 11 years and have read the bible front-to-back 5 times. I know enough to know that earthly manifestations of organized religions are a lie, and that if there is a god, such religions would be a disgusting affront to it.

And yes, I enjoy waltzing into minefields.

[Ozymandias]

But you can't politely sod off when you try to create them.

I didn't really actually think of any offense by the Protestant comment, and probably should've focused it more towards Southern Baptist (which my family is). (It is, of course, generally kind of offensive. Sorry.) Just noting that in my experience, practicing Mormons have been more polite about religion and more polite and good people in general.

[Johnny C]

I don't engage in Mormon-bashing. I engage in whole-sale religion-bashing in general.

Ah, tolerance through vast intolerance.

[Lines]

It's ok, Ozy. I've met good people in several religions (and lack there of)  and I've met just as many assholes. (Actually, most of the people I've met in my experience that have actually been polite about religion were atheists or agnostic.)

And RedLion, if you've noticed, we don't generally like bashing religion, as it gets nasty and we like being friendly. We even have a thread on how it's good to be polite. Also, it says under I Like Fish "Read the rules before you post in here or baby Jesus will cry." So, in other words, please be nice.

[calenlass]

I always thought it was interesting to note just how passionate the self-righteous religious or a-religious assholes always are.

You are always the most insistent and indignant and outspoken about those things you yourself doubt. I think this is kind of funny, actually.

[Narr]

Very true, Calenlass.  Having read or learned by osmosis from living with my parents is that one of the things a lot of psychologists noticed about people is that you're more likely to succumb to something you dwell on.  A guy that constantly thinks about how evil a pedophiles has to be is more likely to find underage people sexually attractive, as an example.

My approach to religion has become a lot more casual as I've got older, and I respect it as a whole a lot more.  When you take things too seriously, it just leads to bad health and bad relationships.

[RedLion]

Generally speaking, I was kidding. I'm accepting of most beliefs and creeds. I think the one thing I'm generally intolerant of is intolerance, whether it manifests itself through religion, politics, racism, etc. I'm agnostic and don't find religions to have many redeeming factors, but I don't attack those who believe in them. Apologies if I did offend anyone.

[DonInKansas]

And yes, I enjoy waltzing into minefields.

I prefer the Charleston when dancing in minefieldsm, myself.

[dennis]

Very true, Calenlass.  Having read or learned by osmosis from living with my parents is that one of the things a lot of psychologists noticed about people is that you're more likely to succumb to something you dwell on.  A guy that constantly thinks about how evil a pedophiles has to be is more likely to find underage people sexually attractive, as an example.

I think it's not that one turns into something you dwell on so much as one is but in denial. Take, for example, homophobia caused by self-loathing.

[dennis]

Yeah this is pretty dangerous territory. Discussions involving religion always end up as arguments which go no where. Especially on a large forum like this.

It doesn't have to. There's no reason to be afraid of conflict.

[dennis]

To me, the leap of faith required for mormonism is no more strange that of catholicism, or any christian faith in general.

Or any faith at all.

LDS and Scientology are only strange to most because they haven't gone through the normalizing effect of hundreds of years of establishment. Once the details and contradictions and various bad turns are worn and faded by time, Mormons and Scientologists will seem as normal as Methodists.

[calenlass]

Gosh Dennis stop padding your postcount and say something worthwhile already.





(Also, according to my shrink, who has made a hobby of studying it, scientology is mostly just psychology anyway. And brainwashing.)

[Luke C]

As a Catholic I always hate it when people bash my religion even though I do it all the time, even sometimes when talking to some pretty senior people in the Church, so I can understand where Narr is coming from when he is defending his faith even if he (?) isn't claiming it is flawless. I was sad when the previous Pope died even if I disagreed with his views on a lot of things.

I have very little knowledge of Mormonism and to my knowledge have never met one, I don't think there are many in the UK, but it does seem kind of odd to me but Im pretty sure all religions seem odd from the outside.

[Patrick]

Most of the people in this thread have been here long enough to fucking know better than to start discussing religion in this forum. It's a damn touchy subject. Come on guys, even Jeph has expressed his opinions on the subject. He doesn't want people discussing it on here. Why? 'Cause it pisses him off.

That being said, don't some of you old hands remember that Jeph has a history of removing the forums when things/people get stupid? I know I can't speak for him, but my advice would be to not tempt him.

[Jimmy the Squid]

See, I knew there was a reason I am resisting from making snarky anti-religion comments so ardently. I'm sorry for the dude's family but this thread is a danger to the forums!

[beat mouse]

All around I dont think this thread has been much of a minefield at all! If anything there has been an abundance of "Mormons? Yeah they're alright!" and I respect what the guy has achieved based on what admittedly little I know, but he seems like he was a killer dude so condolences to whom it may concern.