Can anyone help cure me of my anger at the Mormon Church?

[Jed Dilligan]

Any good, liberal Mormons out there?

I'm not even gay and the stuff they are doing to pass an anti-gay law in my state make me really angry. They're not from here, yet they want to pass laws that affect me and my friends! They don't pay taxes, yet they wield enormous financial power and use it to influence our elections! The other day I really got vile with a couple of missionaries who banged on my door.

I don't like feeling this anger at something that I can apparently do nothing about. Yet everything I see and read about this particular church makes it worse. Help, DU!--if you can...

[Ian David]

1. No.

All the good "Mormons" get excommunicated, and become good ex-Mormons.

[SoCalNative]

2. I hear ya and wish I could help

but I'm ready deck every last one of them I come in contact with right now.

[Ian David]

Just mix-up their name tags so they forget who they are. n/t

[juno jones]

3. I know a couple of cool 'Jack' Mormons

But they aren't allowed into the temples or anything. They also drink and smoke.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Why on earth would anybody want to do that?

[succubus.blues]

5. sorry, can't help you.

I'm still recovering.

[tosh]

6. Sorry, I cannot help you with this but you are not alone.

[Elidor]

7. All you can really do

Is put the Mormon Church in a little box, and put the box on the shelf for the rest of the day.

I have shelves full of little boxes.

[EFerrari]

8. That's an excellent suggestion. Also, they are being shamed out of CA.

Jed: They are wrong and they won't win. Don't let them have you. :hug:

[Jed Dilligan]

9. I try, but they pop up all the time

Whether at my door last week, or this time in an e-mail from Courage Campaign. They have invaded California in full force. Maybe I need a "No Solicitors" sign and an internet filter that blocks the word "Mormon."

[Coyote_Bandit]

10. Me too.....

and I've really had to seal some of those boxes tightly shut lest their contents escape and pollute my nice little home.

:hug:

[AlCzervik]

11. can't help you with that and you should also be pissed at The Knights of Columbus.

if you live in Ca which i'm guessing you do.

[arbusto_baboso]

12. As a former "hormonal convert" to mormonism who resigned his membership a couple years ago...

I can tell you that there are many good, compassionate, rational people in the LDS church. Almost ALL of them eventually find their way OUt of it, as witnessed by the fact that I was able to persuade my wife to leave mormonism when I did.

I can understand your anger. Most of the time I share it.

Just be aware that the bigotry comes from the top, and filters down, and not everyone to whom it filters believes it. Those who object often feel too intimidated to say or do anything to the contrary, however. The mormon church structure is VERY repressive to its members, which is why its political activity is so alarming!

[msongs]

13. the mormon church has no ethics or morals when it wants something whether its the

systematic destruction of non-white non-christian cultures in the name of its cult or hijacking the consitution of a state other than Utah in the name of its myths, superstitions, and fairly tales.

fortunately there are a few mormons who do not buy into the whole church as dictator baloney. Unfortunately they are few in number around this part of California.

Msongs

[1776Forever]

14. Anger can eat you up - Try looking at the ideology and find out why they can't change...

I quit my so called Bible Church back in 1960 during the JFK election when they handed out "fear the Catholics" papers. I feel for the ones that stayed in this narrow minded and non-Christ like atmosphere. I don't know if you are spiritual or not but the Mormon religion has so many cult like beliefs it is something that doesn't surprise me when they are so starved in their choices.

I sent this to my son in CA today:

Top 10 Bizarre Mormon Beliefs

Published on February 4, 2008

http://listverse.com/bizarre/top-10-bizarre-mormon-beliefs/

Every religion has unique beliefs. This is a list of odd LDS beliefs.


10. Tithing

Tithing-1

While tithes are not uncommon among religion, rarely are they
mandatory. LDS theology states that in order to make it to the highest
kingdom of heaven, you must pay a full and honest tithe.


9. Pleasure in Life

Coffee

This is one of the most famous pieces of LDS doctrine. It's also the
cause of many myths about Mormons. Basically; no coffee, no drugs, no
tobacco.


8. Spirits

Ghost

This one is very unique to the LDS faith. Basically, everyone on earth
now was a spirit in the pre-existence. When we die, our spirits are
separated from our bodies and if we were good they go to "spirit
paradise." If we were bad they go to "spirit prison." The spirit world
exists as a place for spirits to go while awaiting the second coming.

7. Modern Revelation

Monson

Almost everyone who knows anything about the Mormon religion knows
they have a prophet. What many don't know, is anything that the
prophet says in official capacity is considered official canon.


6. Jesus visited the Americas

Mormonmap

The Book of Mormon is a book of LDS scripture that takes place during
the same time as the Bible and takes place on the American continent.
It follows the stories of two tribes who descended from the family of
Lehi. After Jesus' resurrection LDS people believe he visited the
peoples of the Americas.

5. The Nature of God

God

While most religions believe in God, the LDS religion believes in God,
Jesus and the Holy Spirit as separate beings. They also believe that
God, Jesus and resurrected beings have bodies of "flesh and bone."


4. Priesthood

Priesthood

In the LDS religion any worthy male can be given the priesthood and is
given specific duties. Black people were not allowed to have the
priesthood until 1978. Females are not allowed to have the priesthood.


Official Declaration – 2, 1978
Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the
Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God's eternal plan,
all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and
witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been
withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our
faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the Temple
supplicating the Lord for divine guidance.

3. Multiple Heavens

Heavens-1

In LDS doctrine there are three heavens: the Celestial Kingdom,
Terrestrial Kingdom, and Telestial Kingdom. The Celestial is the
highest, where God and the ones who followed his law reside. The
Terrestrial is the middle, where people who followed the Law of Moses
reside. The Telestial is the lowest, where the ones who followed
carnal law reside.


2. Forgiveness

Forgiveness

In LDS theology you can be forgiven for any sin, save two. First,
denying the Holy Spirit, and second, murder. Also, God is infinitely
forgiving, until the second coming. After that, you end up where you
end up, no matter what. There are no second chances. Period.


1. Multiple Worlds and Multiple Gods

Planets

This deserves some explanation. Mormons believe that God created
multiple worlds and each world has people living on it. They also
believe that multiple Gods exist but each has their own universe. We
are only subject to our God and if we obtain the highest level of
heaven we can become gods ourselves.

[Jed Dilligan]

17. All of this makes it worse for me

Why are they accorded the status of a religion in this country? They are much more like Scientology than any Christian church I'm familiar with.

[1776Forever]

21. Here you go - Time Magazine Article - it says it all.......

KINGDOM COME
SALT LAKE CITY WAS JUST FOR STARTERS
The Mormons' True Great Trek Has Been To Social Acceptance
And A $30 Billion Church Empire

http://www.lds-mormon.com/time.shtml

(snip)

The Mormon Church is by far the most numerically successful creed born on American soil and one of the fastest growing anywhere. Its U.S. membership of 4.8 million is the seventh largest in the country, while its hefty 4.7% annual American growth rate is nearly doubled abroad, where there are already 4.9 million adherents. Gordon B. Hinckley, the church's President--and its current Prophet--is engaged in massive foreign construction, spending billions to erect 350 church-size meetinghouses a year and adding 15 cathedral-size temples to the existing 50. University of Washington sociologist Rodney Stark projects that in about 83 years, worldwide Mormon membership should reach 260 million.

The church's material triumphs rival even its evangelical advances. With unusual cooperation from the Latter-day Saints hierarchy (which provided some financial figures and a rare look at church businesses), TIME has been able to quantify the church's extraordinary financial vibrancy. Its current assets total a minimum of $30 billion. If it were a corporation, its estimated $5.9 billion in annual gross income would place it midway through the FORTUNE 500, a little below Union Carbide and the Paine Webber Group but bigger than Nike and the Gap. And as long as corporate rankings are being bandied about, the church would make any list of the most admired: for straight dealing, company spirit, contributions to charity (even the non-Mormon kind) and a fiscal probity among its powerful leaders that would satisfy any shareholder group, if there were one.

[Jamastiene]

37. Freaky

...and coming from me, THAT is saying something. :puke:

[DemoTex]

15. Your anger might be well founded. Have you read Krakauer's book on the LDS?

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer

[SoCalNative]

16. You know if they were really smart

they would be AGAINST Prop 8. Wouldn't the discrimination issue addressed by the CA Supreme Court decision also allow them to argue for plural marriages to be allowed?

[Jed Dilligan]

18. Well, officially they gave all that up a while back...

I suspect that they resent the right of gays to marry since they were forced to change their doctrine on marriage in order to be part of the union.

[Ian David]

19. Let me explain why The Mormons are going nuts over Proposition 8.

The Mormons (as an organization) are boot-licking bullies.

Boot-licking bullies abuse those less powerful than themselves, while licking the boots of those who are more powerful than themselves.

The Mormon Church's reputation is tarnished by that whole "polygamy" thing, and they feel that in order to gain legitimacy, they must lick the boots of the powerful by abusing gay people to prove that they are NOW in favor of "Traditional Marriage."

They're screaming, "We're not polygamists! We don't WANT a slippery slope to polygamy! We're AGAINST Gay Marriage! Let us lick your boots! We'll gay-bash for you to prove it!"

Boot-licking bullies.

I'm not a physically violent person, but the next Mormon that approaches me is going to need to go get their hearing checked, after he or she changes their underpants.

[screembloodymurder]

20. Gays ... what about Blacks?

Mormons consider them inferior.

[VPStoltz]

22. I work with a very cool Mormon woman.

I work where being gay is not discuss - for various stupid reasons.
Most of my co-workers figured the "friend" I brought to occasional party, etc. was my partner.
But she was the first to ask about him and what he does, etc.
She has actually been a blessing to me in a field of negativity.

[Orsino]

23. Well, since you seem to be able to separate the people from their church...

...it may help to consider that a church that so many wonderful people call home can't be all bad. They're not all True Believers who accept 100% of the dogma.

But it's okay, I think, to hold on to some anger for some of the church's most stupid and evil official actions.

[liberal texan]

24. Rocky Anderson

Mayor of Salt Lake City
He is a strong advocate of the removal of the troops from Iraq and staged a protest against Bush when he came to Utah

[fishwax]

28. he's not a mormon, though

Also no longer mayor--but definitely a great advocate of liberal causes :)

[PassingFair]

25. FFRF

Donate money here:

http://www.ffrf.org/

They help me to understand that there are others
that despise church/state co-mingling.

A great organization with a lovely newsletter.

[neebob]

30. Why aren't they all over what LDS Inc. is doing in California?

I went to their website, found no mention of it. At the bottom of the "Our Purposes" page, acting on "the ongoing campaign against civil rights for women, gays and lesbians led by churches" is counted among FFRF accomplishments.

[northernsoul]

26. You have every right to be angry with the institution

My opinion is the Mormon Church, as an institution, is an active force of oppression (based on dogma that is beyond absurd). I will despise the institution with every fiber of my being and I hope for its speedy demise. However, his does not mean I need to be personally angry with every human being that identifies as a member of that institution. Rather, my hope is that they will come to embrace reason and tolerance let the corrupt, abusive institution that wrongfully holds their loyalty wither into nothingness.

[TKolmsi]

27. The problem is

your anger doesn't do anything to them and it hurts you. I hope you work through it quickly.

[neebob]

29. It's perfectly reasonable to feel anger at the Mormon church

in my opinion. Why do you need to be cured of it?

If more people were angry at the Mormon church, they wouldn't dare do the kind of thing they're doing in California. Maybe the backlash from Prop 8 will do the job.

[frogmarch]

31. Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson

is a fiery Democrat. Oh, wait. He's a lapsed Mormon.

Sorry, can't help you. :shrug:

[Warpy]

32. "Jack Mormons" are the liberals in that church

and tend to wave off the real idiocy even while they remain part of the church community.

Personally, I think any church that wants to codify its beliefs about sin into law should be taxed.

The Mormons are second on my personal list of who needs to be taxed.

[northernsoul]

36. Who is #1?

My vote: Scientologists.

[neebob]

33. Here's something that might help

www.mormonsstoleourrights.com (petition at the bottom)

[Rabrrrrrr]

34. No, the Mormon "Church" deserves all the anger it gets; however, unless you turn anger into rage

into energy for positive action, it will eat you up.

Let the anger drive you to both defeat whatever bullshit they're up to now, AND, hopefully, to destroy that apostate mess of shit.

[TechBear_Seattle]

35. Why would anyone want to "cure" a will to survive?

Your anger is a survival instinct, trying to protect you from those who would gladly eliminate your existence. You want to pursue it, not "cure" it.

[ZombieHorde]

38. Anger cures:

1) Preform a ceremony which involves the blood sacrifice of a chicken while evoking the ancient words; "Fuck you, chicken!"

2) Drink and drive every chance you get for a duration no less than one week. It is best if you take a few days off from work so that you may devote more time to this activity.

3) Write a story in which the Mormons and others eventually come to realize the error of their ways.

4) Cut off one of your toes and eat the small amount of flesh surrounding the bone.