...not having the real priesthood authority and all. But how smug? Do they shake their heads at all the scandal in the Catholic church and feel that it is "proof" that they aren't the "real" church?
...is that in the LDS church it's just a tiny number of depraved individuals, not the whole church, whereas the same problem in the Catholic church means that entire religion is guilty.
What good is being a Mormon if you can't have a double standard?
Very smug just not publicly. I have had TBMs tell me that they feel the spirit leave them by simply walking by a Catholic church. I'd get sooooo upset at the other missionaries I was with because the judges our Catholic investigators so harshly.
but a Mormon bragging that he isn't a Catholic is like a termite saying that he won't scuttle under the refrigerator when the kitchen light comes on. We know what a pest is, it's just a matter of size.
The mormon arrogance is offensive in and of itself. They minimize or trivialize the good works of other groups, and in the next breath they glorify their own beyond reason.
A few years ago, I invited my TBM ex-wife to Easter Sunday services at my Episcopal church with our DD. The whole time she had that smug look, like she was tolerating something smelly, and kept saying, "oh how nice" every few minutes. I'm willing to bet my parish does more charity work in a month than her ward does in a year.
Outcast Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The mormon arrogance is offensive in and of > itself. They minimize or trivialize the good > works of other groups, and in the next breath they > glorify their own beyond reason. > > A few years ago, I invited my TBM ex-wife to > Easter Sunday services at my Episcopal church with > our DD. The whole time she had that smug look, > like she was tolerating something smelly, and kept > saying, "oh how nice" every few minutes. I'm > willing to bet my parish does more charity work in > a month than her ward does in a year.
I knew this guy in high school, when he got back from his mission he told us this story about how he and his companion went to a catholic church one time, during services, and started a debat with the priest, while he was trying to do coduct his service. The guy thought the story was just so funny, it never even occured to him how disrespectful that was.
Last year, our ward YW had a missionary night and I was asked to speak on my mission to Spain. I declined, since I don't feel good about encouraging girls to go on missions, so they asked if I could bring a dessert. For some reason, I agreed. One of the speakers (there were 4) went on his mission to Texas, Spanish speaking and started bashing the Catholics he'd taught, saying they worshiped the Virgin Mary instead of the Savior and believed in a dead God, rather than a living God, among other things. I was so pissed - I would have said something - but my 12 year old was sitting next to me and they get embarrassed soooo easy at that age. Even though I regret not standing up for Catholics and allowing him to lie like that, my daughter HEARD him lying and knew from attending mass with me a number of times, that what he was saying was a lie. This really put her off YW and taught her you can't believe what they teach you. However, she and I both know that the Savior's teachings are heard far more often in a Mass than in a Sacrament meeting. It really made me mad that they would allow that kind of thing in a Mormon meeting - mad, but not surprised because Mormons tend to believe what they hear, without any investigation.
I was still a believing Mormon but having lots of doubts though.
It was a RS Spiritual Living lesson and one of the "Sister's" was talking about how Heavenly Father answers the prayers of the righteous. She then went on to tell the story of her friend's mother who was Catholic and was dying and the Mom was praying that her daughter would get there before she died. The RS "Sister" missed the whole point; cuz she went on about how wonderful it would have been if the family had been Mormon but the Mother was lucky and was able to see her daughter one more time.
I piped up and said, "Isn't it nice that God answers everyone's prayers, not just Mormons?"
Dead silence then followed by a few, very quiet, "Um, yes."
While still a TBM but questioning, I started paying attention to what the Pope said and following his advice. He said not to see The Divinci Code because it "damages faith". So, i went around telling my Mo friends that I wasn't going to see it and why. No One liked that--"wait because the Pope said not to?" "Yes." "He doesn't know anything." "I don't know, he is a religious leader of quite a few people, he might."
I had started to entertain the notion that GBH didn't really talk to god anymore than i did and that his prayers were answered about like mine. I figured the Pope knew as much as anyone about giving advice.
The Pope had some other decree that I can't remember now that I also started following and telling people why. For some reason, I've always admired Catholics. They were impossible to convert and seemed to speak with authority on things mormons waffled on. Respect isn't the same thing as following though--they have as many problems as any church--maybe more.
The mormon smugness about the catholic priest abuses is ironic--TSCC, will be facing their day in the sun as soon as one of the plaintiffs refuses to be bought off. Then all hell will boil over as JS would say. If you don't think a cover-up, closed society like Mormons, Inc has a plethora of skeletons in the closet, both financial and sexual, you don't understand human nature.
BTW, I've seen the DiVinci Code a couple of times now. I don't think any organized religion knows much about "god" whoever/whatever that might be. I think the study of science is way more about finding "god" than any church will ever be.
To a Mormon missionary, the sins of the Catholic church hundreds of years ago is a witness to its fallicy. To a Catholic, those sins and the fact that the church survives and thrives is a testament to its truthfulness. Interesting how two people see the same thing and yet see something totally different.
How can a Mormon claim that the Mormon church does not bash the Catholic church when its very leaders speak of the great apostacy, the whore of the earth, the great and abomidble, etc., etc. and yet claim that they do not disparage??
Having been raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools for 12 years, with daily religion classes and regular church attendance required, I can honestly say we never heard *anything* negative or critical about any other faith, Mormon or otherwise. In fact, my very Catholic mom was always praising the Mormon women she worked with: "Oh, they are such nice people! They really care about their faith, etc."
By the time I was at a Catholic high school we were required to take a course on major world religions and had to learn (respectfully) about Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, etc.
I told a TBM friend once that I had never heard anything critical of Mormons or Mormonism in a Catholic church or school and she was dubious, to say the least. Now I know why. I guess many Mormons assume that if they are bashing Catholics and those of other faiths frequently that Catholics must be doing the same.
The ladies over on BBC are ALWAYS talking about how other churches bash them so much, and how some of them teach classes filled with lies about LDS, etc. It always makes me laugh. I suppose when my youth group would do a series on missions/how to talk to your friends about the gospel we'd spend a few minutes on what other faiths believe, but other than that I never knew boo about Mormonism until I read a parody about Twilight that talked about TSCC in depth.
Just last week an old lady was giving a talk and started talking about how the lds church is great unlike other churches, how our way of worshipping is simple and the buidings are simple unlike Catholic Cathedrals that are all very big buildings about decorations, how in the lds church service is provided out of love unlike those outside the church, etc. I was like 'are you for real?' She doesn't even notice that all she said about the 'others' is so well applied to the lds church.
She grew up catholic, btw, and converted with her husband when they were fairly young.
deconverted2010 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > unlike Catholic Cathedrals that are all very big > buildings about decorations,
Ask that lady, "Then why does the Church use pictures of Cathedrals and Stain Glass windows on the jacket covers of the Tabernacle Choir CDs?"
Oh, and another question for her, "How come the Church has stuck white steeples on top of the chapels?"
Growing up I always wanted to be Catholic. I thought they had a better deal. You never had to go to church except easter and christmas. You got new outfits on those occasions. You were still considered full blown catholic even though you were seldom there. And I loved kneeling to light a candle.
And the weddings......those beautiful fairytale brides coming out of those beautiful fairytale buildings...
I have spent time around several religions. No other religion spends as much time taking cheap shots and kicking other religions as the mormons. From time to time I attend functions with friends at other churches. Never was asked if I "served",,was I a member of "THE CHURCH?",,,or called ,,BROTHER. They were just glad I was there. Friendly,,open and respectiful. Never heard a word about other churches.
in a really short period of time. I remember a TBM BIL making the remark that he thought it was 'funny'. He made this remark in front of me knowing that I was catholic at the time. This BIL was an uber-TBM idiot. He was very judgemental when DH announced that he (TBM RM) and I (catholic nevermo) were to be married; he said some awful things right in front of me..what a jerk he was. I spent the next several years (foolishly) feeling really inadequate around this jerk. Whenever I was around him he would stare at me and it would make me feel so uncomfortable. In some twisted way I felt that I deserved it because I had never actually joined the Mormon church.
Fast forward to years later after DH found out the truth about the Morg and left; turns out this BIL had been molesting his daughters. In conversations with his wife she asked me if I had ever noticed her husband staring at me. Apparently staring was his way of fantasizing sexual scenarios...this had come out in his therapy.
He spent time in jail and now he's back into uber-TBM mode.
phoned me up to express her condolences over the passing of one of the popes. I was completely like, 'what the hec?' She said she knew how she would feel if it was one of her 'leaders'. Funny that I had never thought of the pope as my 'leader' and I honestly was not emotionally troubled in the least over his death.
The missionaries were over at my house one day. A pope had passed away (maybe John Paul) and the cardinals were selecting a new one. Of course everyone is waiting to see the smoke and there had been a couple of tries and no new pope. These young missionaries were making fun of how the Catholics got it so wrong, they had to 'elect' their leader while in the one and only true church the prophet was called of God. I reminded them that the president of the church is by succession and also mentioned that somehow a new apostle has to be chosen, probably by votes. They said that the apostles met in the upper room in SLC and prayed and God revealed to them the name of the new president of the church. They also said that it could be anyone the Lord calls, even from any corner of the world. I reminded them it was usually the president of the Q12. They sustained that God himself calls the prophet through the Q14 and could be anyone. We were on the subjects for severa minutes.
At the end, I just told them that every church had their way of choosing their leader and who is to say those cardinals are not inspired by God as well, just at the SLC suits are. They dropped the subject, well we all did.