My sister is on an interfaith committee and she invited me to a gathering last weekend. I mainly show up occasionally just to see her every now and then and to support her community efforts. She's not particularly religious. There were quite a few people there, from various countries and ethnicities, some of the women in their traditional dress. Representatives of various faiths stood in a semicircle at the front and each offered a brief comment or prayer related to their group’s beliefs and inspirations.

First, a young Jewish woman shared the basic principle of the Torah. The Muslim man standing beside her gave a prayer in his tradition. Given the current strife in the world between those two groups especially, the symbolism and peaceful nature of the encounter felt emotional and thought-provoking. As the young woman’s gaze met mine it felt as if she could read my thoughts and we nodded at each other. My eyes misted up. The next woman practices Jainism. She took her shoes off before giving a short prayer.

Beside her was an LDS woman. She’s the only one in the group that my sister mentions to me as I think they’re co-chairs and sis rolls her eyes about the LDS lady who comes across as a stern busybody. I’m not just saying that because she’s a Mormon. Ordinarily I’d be preaching that we can’t dislike a person just because they’re Mormon, or whatever.

Then there was a lay member of the United Church. He briefly mentioned that the United Church in Canada started as a mix of Methodist and Presbyterian faiths that he described as “unique to Canada”. He gave a short prayer asking for peace and harmony. I can get behind that request.

Then a Hindu man said that Hinduism is not a religion but a lifestyle. Interesting.

A Baháʼí lady slipped off her shoes before saying a prayer. She said they believe that all religions have the same source and that we have a lot more in common than not. (You wouldn’t know it the way some groups carry on, of course). She said that their foundation is unity and oneness – unity, peace and security.

The phrase ‘peace and security’ rocketed me for a moment back to my JW pals whose minds were always on the advent of Armageddon and one of their leaders’ main prophecies is “when they [world reps] are saying “peace and security” that is when Armageddon will occur. Well, they’ve been saying it for a good long while now and so far …crickets.

A First Nations rep said “we are as much alive as we keep the earth alive” – that sounded more poetic when he said it – maybe I am misremembering the exact wording. But, of course, he meant we have got to take care of the earth.

A Sikh rep said “I am a stranger to no-one and no-one is a stranger to me”. Nice thought.

So now back to the LDS speaker. First, she went longer than most. I must acknowledge that perhaps I have a bit of a negative attitude when it comes to the Mormons but even so it’s accurate to say she wasn’t all that inspiring. At all. In fact, me being me, I kind of felt sorry for her even so. She read a LONG address that I vaguely recognized. She literally read it word for word and never looked up at the (small) audience or altered her cadence or gave it any expression. Although my mind wandered for a bit while she was speaking by the time she was getting to the end I heard my brain say to itself “Oh no, please…” and I realized that maybe she was reading something about the first vision. It just seemed so tone deaf when everybody else was referencing ecumenicalism and here was the Mormon reading about all the churches being wrong. You have to laugh, or something. And at the end of the reading she stated the source of the (long) passage: "Joseph Smith Jr". I nearly laughed. I guess that’s disrespectful. And I know that many readers here would think it’s all a crock so why bother measuring whose prayer or reading was the biggest pile of hooey.

It’s just that the intent of the meeting and the tenor of it was to find our commonalities and to be inspiring. The reading she selected didn’t do that, at least for me. Maybe not surprisingly.

Joseph Smith doesn’t seem to measure up, at all, in that company representing founders and adherents who try to find common connections or at least tried not to trumpet out their own superiority and uniqueness. Because we can dress differently, speak various languages, hail from various corners of the world and yet find many things we share in common.

The LDS lady never made eye contact with the audience and never smiled. Maybe she just has that gruff officious manner in a setting like that. Too bad – all it did was remind me of the dull, dry, humourless, uninspiring Mormon meetings I was so happy to turn my back on.

Maybe she was nervous speaking in public. Perhaps she thought her message was less inspiring than the others. Or maybe she’s just miserable in her life situation. It’s too bad.

And all I can say, again, is how very thrilled I am that I quit attending those dull meetings where I found it difficult to make friends and never thought I measured up to their expectations (although I was clueless as to what those were, other than it was my “duty” to get married - uh...). I didn’t find it very appealing, at all.

It’s not a good feeling.

Meanwhile, I also don’t plan on pursuing relationships with any of the people I met on Saturday. It was interesting but I am done with joining. The best part of the event was that nobody was expecting anybody to jump ship and join another crowd. It was all about being just fine with who you are and what you are doing and so is everybody else. We can have commonalities but be different. And that’s OK. In fact, desirable.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2024 06:15PM by Nightingale.

Interesting the Hindu man saying Hinduism wasn't a religion but a lifestyle. Many Eastern religions are more that--a philosophy. Taoism, etc. Also made me think that most religions are a life style. Mormons live Mormonism. Evangelicals live evangelism. The religion right? Tell me that isn't a lifestyle!

The main difference between East and West as I see it is their lifestyle is about progression and understanding and connection, while the Western Religions are about judgement, competition, and getting the big prize. Some want peace and brotherhood and others want mansions in the sky, and, want to be the only ones who get them. That is what matters most.

You gave the LDS Mormon lady way too many ways off the hook. Even if she was nervous or insecure, seems she was a fish out of water in many ways as she had been robbed of the skill of connecting with the outside world. Common in Mormonism, that.

Done & Done Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You gave the LDS Mormon lady way too many ways off
> the hook. Even if she was nervous or insecure,
> seems she was a fish out of water in many ways as
> she had been robbed of the skill of connecting
> with the outside world. Common in Mormonism,
> that.

She doesn't strike me as nervous or insecure. I'm biased to start with in that regard I guess because my sis knows her from other activities that bring them together and isn't fond of her at all so I hear the background scoop often. Also biased in that I had negative experiences within Mormonism so not fond of those who strongly promote it.

The Mormon lady was not warm and cuddly, for sure. She read a fairly long passage without apparent enthusiasm or joy and never looked up at the audience to engage at all. I'm sure most of you would have recognized her blurb from the get-go as being JS' prayer or major whatever - I'm a bad (ex) "convert" in that I didn't familiarize myself with JS much at all. I only recognized the last couple of sentences she recited as my brain poked me hard enough for me to finally realize what was coming - her deadpan reading at the end that her excerpt was a Joseph Smith pronouncement or prayer or founding utterance or whatever.

I'm sure I'm terribly biased but, as you say, it seemed so fish out of water-ish compared to the others. I kind of laugh in retrospect, although I feel sorry for her to be consumed by such a stultifying system as Mormonism. Although, I'm aware, to be sure, of the fact that many would put all of the beliefs and sayings and prayers and rituals and those who observe them in the same boat as Mormons.

I just wanted to say that whatever one thinks of religion, even in the midst of reps of other better known faiths, the Mormon rep sticks out as being outside the mainstream. For sure.

And joyless.

I could just meet the gaze of some of the presenters and feel warmth between us. With her, not at all.

Perhaps it's just her personality and Mormonism is a side issue, although for sure it wouldn't improve her vibe of cold officiousness. No softness. No emotion.

I ducked out early so didn't mingle at all. Maybe if I'd met her my impression may have softened. Doubtful though, from what I've heard from my sister who interacts with her often due to them both being involved in some mutual community activities.

I guess to try and be fair and objective and accurate we could say at least these Mormons are attempting to interact in the community. Maybe to be one of the crowd, maybe to proselytize - although that's not the purpose of the group and likely not welcome and certainly would not be successful. Can you imagine a Muslim or a Jain, for instance, converting to Mormonism?

I guess we should be happy they are all trying to share and aren't killing each other!

I can't figure out if that process is some kind of "my religion is better than yours" contest or an attempt to convert people or what.

The poor Mormon lady, bless her heart, was only doing what she knows how to do and what she sees at church. I'm surprised she didn't go into full spiral eyed testimony mode.

It was nice of you to support your sister.

dagny Wrote:
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> I can't figure out if that process is some kind of
> "my religion is better than yours" contest or an
> attempt to convert people or what.

No - not a conversion attempt (although, as I say, I can't be sure of that when it comes to the Mormons). I am woefully under-informed in this area but I don't think those other faiths, most of them anyway, seek to convert. It's presented more like this is our way, in our culture and ethnicity, of seeing the world and we're all sharing with each other to celebrate the common ground, although we all do and see things differently.


> The poor Mormon lady, bless her heart, was only
> doing what she knows how to do and what she sees
> at church. I'm surprised she didn't go into full
> spiral eyed testimony mode.

I would have freaked inside if so - it would have been so out of place. "I know this is the only truth" kind of utterances would certainly not be welcome as that idea is the antithesis of the entire reason for the interfaith group to even meet with each other.


> It was nice of you to support your sister.

Thanks, dagny. Yeah, we had enjoyed a pleasant lunch and then I went along to the meeting for 30 minutes - I could at least do that for sis. I ducked out as soon as the intros were done. For one thing I am still a bit leery of close contact with a crowd in a small room in respiratory illness season. My immune system is tired.

The purpose of interfaith groups is (generally) to find common ground, and to promote understanding and tolerance -- basically, to not see people with different spiritual ideas from oneself as "other." The groups want to help people to get along with one another.

It's all about controlling the narrative. That's why the LDS church has developed an interfaith interest within the community.

I don't remember if I previously shared this but my mom was involved with the stake choir and they have a 5 year interfaith Christmas choir. My mom really doesn't sing very well, but she has a very pretty face for an 80 year old.

Here's how it works.

The final presentation or production was/is held at the stake center. All participating faith/church members must adhere to LDS Community standards- No smoking, alcohol, drugs as well as no coffee or tea anywhere on LDS property.

They can rotate to other church buildings, but no choir practice on Sundays, Mondays or Wednesdays.

There is an interfaith choral advisory board which must approve all interfaith activities, songs, displays and refreshments. Moromons hold 3 of the 5 positions. This way the Mormons can disapprove anything that doesn't meet their stringent form of proper reverence and worship.

They now allow clapping inside the stake center chapel.

Refreshments are kool aid and cookies or hot chocolate. Surprised?

Last year, the missionaries were acting as private security guards for various manger scenes. I never knew that people would go to a church to steal nativity figurines.

messygoop Wrote:
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> It's all about controlling the narrative. That's
> why the LDS church has developed an interfaith
> interest within the community.

That's a good point. Seems likely. They may be unpleasantly surprised at how it works out - or not - for them.

> I don't remember if I previously shared this but
> my mom was involved with the stake choir and they
> have a 5 year interfaith Christmas choir. My mom
> really doesn't sing very well, but she has a very
> pretty face for an 80 year old.

That's interesting about the interfaith choir. Very sweet about your mom.


> Here's how it works.
>
> The final presentation or production was/is held
> at the stake center. All participating
> faith/church members must adhere to LDS Community
> standards- No smoking, alcohol, drugs as well as
> no coffee or tea anywhere on LDS property.
>
> They can rotate to other church buildings, but no
> choir practice on Sundays, Mondays or Wednesdays.
>
> There is an interfaith choral advisory board which
> must approve all interfaith activities, songs,
> displays and refreshments. Moromons hold 3 of the
> 5 positions. This way the Mormons can disapprove
> anything that doesn't meet their stringent form of
> proper reverence and worship.
>
> They now allow clapping inside the stake center
> chapel.
>
> Refreshments are kool aid and cookies or hot
> chocolate. Surprised?

Thanks for the inside view.


> Last year, the missionaries were acting as private
> security guards for various manger scenes. I never
> knew that people would go to a church to steal
> nativity figurines.

Really? On both counts.

Let me guess: Bahais were there. They nearly always pop up at these things even if they are thin on the ground.

Gilaman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let me guess: Bahais were there. They nearly
> always pop up at these things even if they are
> thin on the ground.

Yes, one of the presenters was Baháʼí.

It was interesting to me to see how many different faith groups are represented and active in the community.

None of the others knock on your door that I'm aware of or have ever experienced. :P

As I said, JWs would never be in such a group. They'd consider it sacrilegious or worse.

I appreciated the time spent thinking about and demonstrating how the different groups can work together for a common purpose. Basically, for peace and harmony.

What a concept eh?