Too conservative for the free-spirited, too free-spirited for the conservative?
I have been thinking recently that this may be one of the church's biggest problems when trying to concert new members.
Essentially,the church is conservative in nature,conservative in dress,conservative politically( prop 8) and conservative when it comes to lifestyle( no drinking etc.).
However it has some very 'unique' doctrine which many conservative people,especially conservative Christians would undoubtedly find hard to accept. Kolob.special garments and Joseph's 'visions' and golden plates all spring to mind.
On the other hand more open minded people who might be willing to give Mormonism a try are probably put off by the more restrictive aspects of Mormonism like the pressure to conform,dress modestly and not drink.
I don't see LDS as too free-spirited for conservative people because of its crazy doctrine. It's just too far out and falsified to have any credibility whatsoever, based on a false and heretical prophet and doctrine. As for being too conservative a church for free spirited types, maybe. It is very conservative, but that is in every aspect of one's life - dress and lifestyle are just reflective of the total control in every other area as well.
It's the thought control and rigidity in what to think and speak that constitutes a takeover of the human spirit so much so that even conservative types would find that untenable. One type of person who does seem drawn to the rigidity of thought control are those who like being told what to do, and need a high degree of order in their lives without doing much thinking on their own.
For conservative types who need someone to order their every step, it's the perfect combination. I can't see any open minded people in this day and age drawn to it by its teachings. Because the doctrinal teachings are based on a false gospel doctrine and folklore, and hence do not really seek out highly questioning minds. If anything the doctrine is what's driving intellectuals away in droves, not attracting them especially since the advent of the Internet.
I know what you're saying. You have to be open-minded enough to accept a wildly different lifestyle and set of beliefs in order to convert...then once you convert, you're supposed to be crazy socially/politically conservative, but still open-minded theologically. No wonder most conversions don't stick.
Well, sure...but then there's the little problem that the church's "truth" claims are demonstrably bullshit...
"Cultural" weirdness may account for some lack of/loss of conversion. I wouldn't go so far as to say that accounts for MORE than uncovering facts does. I could be wrong, of course...
I think all converts are looking for something or someone to solve their problems, fix them in some way, or make them whole when they are broken or searching for answers. All cults prey upon the vulnerable.
It is far more comfortable to have a pastor, church, or "eternal plan" to think for us, because thinking for ourselves is just too painful.
This isn't ringing true for me, mainly because it's based on the premise that everything in the universe is divided into two fundamental categories, "liberal" and "conservative". Why this notion is so popular and gets applied to all areas of life and extended to all cultures and areas of the globe, despite being a totally inadequate way to categorise the many permutations of human belief and behaviour, I will never understand. People clamour to put themselves in one or the other binary category, regardless of how little sense it makes. What's the attraction? Is it like football teams? I never liked football.
Rant over.
Mormonism is unpopular because its doctrines are obscure and not properly explained, its foundational claims are easily falsified (increasingly easily, given the Internet), it's expensive, and it's unpleasantly controlling. Plus, I gather, increasingly devoid of fun and sociability. Whatever football team you belong to, there's something there that'll put you off.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2015 02:07PM by finnan haddie.