In religious discourse. It seems to be used too often to simply say "you are irrationally rejecting things you should be accepting, and I was smart enough not to do that."

Maybe it's just me, but I have had too many Mormons, friends, and apologists use this in a judgemental fashion that denies the amount of introspection I put into my choices.

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If someone does this to me, I think I'll make them define just what the "baby" is. A living prophet? --> see mark hoffman. Jesus' teachings? --> see: christianity. a good place to raise children? --> see: everyone else who is managing to raise normal kids somehow. the one and only true church on the planet? --> see: the bathwater...

None of the good things about mormonism are unique to it.

I've always understood it to mean (when used by Christians) that you have rejected Mormonism (the bathwater) and also rejecting Jesus (the baby). Meaning that you haven't given Jesus a chance.

I see why that is offensive to many, yes. Therefore, I avoid using that phrase. I also don't like cliches so try not to use them but especially if they don't apply to the situation.

I read a comment here once, something like: "what baby? there is no baby!"

It made me laugh a lot for a long time. So full of frustration. So concise a phrase for such a big idea. I think it was "kolobian" who said it but I can't be sure. It sounds like him though. :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2013 07:01PM by Nightingale.

I'm going to use that next time. Thanks for passing it on :)

Hey, I think I was getting there too with, "Where's the freakin' baby? What baby are they talking about?"

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,969870,969991#msg-969991

Didn't get an answer though.

LOL, you guys. I'm remembering quite far back when [kolobian?] made this comment, like a year or two ago. But any variation is likely to be welcomed by those who feel the same way as you about it. ("Where's the freaking baby?" for one).

Carry on. :)

It bespeaks inadequacy with the language.

I like this response best...

Examine that baby. At least I can tell a turd in the water from a baby.

:-D

I did a little Google search and found some very interesting history (that I didn't know) about the idiom/proverb , which is from a German saying, and used as early as 1512. It is also found in writings by such people as: Martin Luther, Goethe, Thomas Mann, and others.

It goes both ways and is one of those idioms that people use when discussing important matters - going back many centuries.


It has been a long standing way to discuss many subjects.
Some say: throw out the water and not the baby to illustrate their point.

When leaving the LDS Church some may say: why are you throwing the baby out with the bath water, assuming you have kept nothing of value from what you were taught and lived.

I find that a bit absurd to use it in that fashion.

So if the church is the baby and the the bathwater is:

Joseph having nearly as many versions of the first vision as he had wives and teen conquests.

Joseph claiming a common papyrus was the word of Abraham.

Brigham Young and the blood atonement, all the while having his own beer distillery.

The church sucking money out of those barely scraping by and spending tithing on a mall while asking the fools(saints) to clean the churches.

BKK, Spencer W., and Marky Mark Petersen et al. spouting their hate and bigotry and causing the sweet gay kids to kill themselves.

Families being ripped to shreds while claiming to be a family oriented church. Women treated like servant/broodmare. Kids ignored while inane callings are filled.

And all the rest....you name it.


If that's what it all is, why the hell WOULDN'T you throw the baby out with the bathwater? You can bet I did. Best decision ever.

Which then makes me worried for the poor baby which has probably drowned anyway.

(Sorry, I have an odd mind.)

I'd never heard the phrase in relation to religious issues, so I don't find it offensive. What would you think about it if it were applied to other debates or situations?

I wonder if it's the actual words used that bother you, or just the technique of invalidating your opinion that bothers you. If it's the latter, then it's not the phrase that bothers you, it's the person using it.

Here in the South, the saying pertains to the historical practice of (actual, literal) bathing.

Apparently, the weekly/monthly bath was an opportunistic hierarchy. The male/father went first and then so on with all of the children (same bath, water wasn't as available then remember). The last to be bathed was the baby and the water was so dirty, the phrase, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water" was deemed.

Really gross, but that's what I always think when I hear that. Probably didn't help with infant mortality rates!

Anything can be made to be "religious", why so serious? lol