Desnews constantly identifies someone who is an athlete/entertainer/business types as LDS.

I do not know any other religion that does this. I am sure their are lots of prominent Catholics, Baptists, Hindus, Atheists, Muslims, out there but they do not seem to go around advertising themselves by constantly wearing their religion on their sleeve.

My LDS friends constantly bring up famous LDS and to me it is goofy but then again, I do not tell them but just let them talk and talk

IMO, it's their way of saying, "neener, neener, neener".

Yeah, it makes them feel important. Validated. See? Someone really cool is one of us, so we're cool too. Just like the "I Am a Mormon" ads.

Kind of like gays, almost.

Scientology church also does that.

Mormons, JWs, atheists, people who are left-handed, etc.

I remember when the only "prominent" LDS actor for a while was the dwarf Billy Barty. Whoo! I'm sure that made people want to be Mormon.

How about Amy Adams? She's a prominent actress who was raised LDS. Oh, wait. She quit the church. Damn. Can't use that.

She was raised a Mormon.

But changed her name to Belladonna.

First saw mention of her here on RFM.

Do NOT Google her at work, though.

Whoa! Thanks matt! I almost did google her, and I'm at work. You saved me.

It's part of their "I'm a mormon and I'm not weird" ad campaign.

I think it's part of their "get Romney elected" ruse.

that identify the perp as LDS.

Oh wait, they complain endlessly about that when it happens. It's only OK to identify the religion of a person who is successful in life.

"It's only OK to identify the religion of a person who is successful in life."

That is the kind of rule that you're not supposed to tell about.
Negative-sounding rules are only meant to be used against enemies of the cult, for instance the priceless mirror upon the wall: 'They can leave the Church, but they cannot leave it alone!'

I think it's the same type thing as when they're criticized, they come up with other groups who do the same thing. Like with prop 8 they say this church or that group also supported it. Or Catholics think masturbation is a sin too. (Like that makes it okay. If all your friends jumped off a bridge would you jump too?)

They don't have enough confidence in their own doctrine to let it stand on its own. They have to have outsiders back up their positions.

Same with mormon celebrities. If a celebrity believes, or anyone else who is looked up to for something other than being mormon, then it can't be too weird, right? So yeah, I think it is insecurity.

Identifying mormons who have successful careers in entertainment or in business, etc. is a way of saying, "See, it is possible to succeed in this mortal realm in spite of all the demands the LDS Church makes on you. So quit complaining already."

Alternatively: "The Lord blesses mormons."

Because mormons pronounce their religion so much it's always felt like everybody famous is mormon. But really i only no which ones are mormon and don't know what religion most other celebrities are.

Because Mormons are completely fucking insane!

because "if it was weird, I wouldn't belong to it" only goes so far. :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2011 09:47PM by munchybotaz.

I definitely think it is about PR, "see, we're not so weird. (famous person) is Mormon, so it must be cool."

I don't think it's entirely unique, though. When the Denver Broncos acquired Tim Tebow, he came with a huge following of evangelical Christians.

in fact, insecurity permeates Mormonism. There are many reasons for this but it is the overriding issue in Mormonism. I see it playing out in so many dimensions (Intellectual, Theological, Cultural and so forth).

"I do not know any other religion that does this."

Did you know that Mel Gibson is a Catholic? Did you know that George Lucas is a Methodist? Did you know that Tal Bachman is an exmo?

All religions do this. Even more than that, all people tend to do that.

Did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger is Austrian?

The mere fact that you have heard of any of these means that people love to talk about it.

Edit: However, you are absolutely right. Mormons are very insecure. Just look at their persecution complexes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2011 10:37PM by snb.