Sunday, December 04, 2011

I am not exactly sure if the musical "Book of Mormon" helps, or hurts, Mitt Romney's chances at the Republican nomination.

If they listen to the words carefully, some of the things mentioned are going to drive Christian voters out of their minds with frustration at the blasphemy of it all.

On the other hand, it really IS a catchy tune.

So what do you think? Does having Mormonism currently so entrenched in our pop culture help to make it seem less foreign, and more acceptable?  Or does hearing a song about Mormons getting their own planet when they die, and ancient Jews coming to America and becoming Indians, only make the whole religion sound crazier than even Scientology?

23 comments:

  1. Any religion can be made to look crazy. Mainline churches "drink blood and eat flesh" in their services. Romney's religion may hurt him with the Evangelicals but he has bigger problems such as he is not likeable.

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  2. Anonymous3:09 AM

    Christianity: The miracle was that anyone believed Mary was a virgin.

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  3. angela3:33 AM

    For those truly scary fundy christians you could actually quote facts about their own religion and they would be appalled.

    For some--more information does not necessarily mean more acceptance.

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  4. sally in MI4:02 AM

    If the far right evangels even realize this exists, it will hurt. But they have become so insular that they may not even be aware of the musical. However, since in the minds of people like O'Reilly there is only ONE religion that should be acknowledged, it wouldn't matter if Mitt were a Quaker...anyone not in the rah rah religion (and who hasn't had numerous affairs and/pr wives) simply isn't qualified to even run. Seriously, think of Obama's lifestyle and Palin's or Gingrich's or Cain's. Which one represents core Christian values? And who do they denigrate at every opportunity? Being faithful to one's spouse actually has little to do with a religion, and lots to do with being a moral person. The GOP has no interest in electing a moral person. The immoral one is much easier to manipulate.

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  5. Anonymous4:15 AM

    To really understand this misogynist religion one should read Leaving the Saints by Martha Beck. She's a columnist in the O Magazine. This is truly a non fiction thriller.

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  6. The Mormons have been mainstreaming their religion for a while. No talking about underwear, don't bring up the golden plates because people want to know what happened to them, don't mention too loudly that Native Americans are descended from "wicked" Jews, don't mention the stuff about men being demi-gods, don't mention that men who beat their wives and kids are told to behave better and sent back home. The LDS leadership wants Mormonism to look bland and non-threatening. And it's working. Their mission outreach in third world countries is massive. Need those souls to populate their planet or something. The only ones really paying attention to the Mormon whitewash are the fundamentalist nutball christians. Because both of these groups have a lot of nutty views based on "literal" interpretations of their bibles, there is direct conflict between them. Even mainstream evangelicals despise the Mormons. Personally, I could ignore all of these nuts on both sides if they would stay out of politics and policy-making. I don't care what nutball religion they come from, it is my constitutional right as an American citizen to have my laws free of religious agendas.

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  7. Anonymous4:51 AM

    In his book, Roughing It, Mark Twain describes the Mormon Bible as "...chloroform in print." I can personally attest to the accuracy of that statement, having kept a copy by my bedside for years and never making it past the second page before falling asleep.

    Which, I suspect, is why gentiles (that's us non-Mormons) tend to lump them in with other Christian religions and let it go at that; it's too hard to stay awake long enough to get to the significant differences.

    Of which there are many.

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  8. Anonymous5:23 AM

    I'll let you know! We have tickets for early next year to see it in NYC.
    I think SouthPark has already made Mormonism look as crazy as scientology. I think all religions are goofy myself.

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  9. I've lived in Mormon country. Just like a lot of the "salt of the earth" Christians out there, the majority of Mormons are nice people. They are community-minded, charitable, and kind. They devote their lives to raising families, putting in a good day's work, and helping their communities. I have no problem with this large group of people from various religions. It's the ruling class of the religious fundamentalists, plus the mindless zealots who would be crazy with or without religion who are the dangerous ones.

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  10. Anonymous6:33 AM

    "The miracle was that anyone believed Mary was a virgin;"

    This reminds me of the opening scene in the movie, Snatch, where the fake Orthodox Jews are going in to rob the diamond wholesaler and are discussing the mistranslation of the Hebrew word virgin for young woman. Switch it around to what it is "supposed" to be according to the movie, and the whole mess comes tumbling down. Could that be what the Vatican has hidden in the basement?

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  11. Anonymous6:37 AM

    Two books to read:
    No Man Knows My History
    and
    One Nation Under Gods.
    They'll tell you the history and the future of the LDS church.

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  12. Anonymous6:49 AM

    The problem with studying Mormonism is that Christianity seems just as bogus and made up, even if it's been around longer.

    For me, it's disappointing that Jesus chose to flee precisely after his resurrection. What better time to linger around and even do some preaching?

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  13. Anonymous6:58 AM

    As an atheist, LDS sounds no crazier than any other religion. They are all cults.

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  14. Remember, when pronouncing the name of the Utah Cult, the second "m" is silent.

    Wanna make any of them apoplectic? Just mention Mountain Meadows.

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  15. Anonymous8:45 AM

    Bill said: "Any religion can be made to look crazy."

    Actually, looked at with a sound mind, all religions Are crazy.

    Most of us were brainwashed as children to "believe", so we never question it.

    It took me 58 years, but I've finally questioned it, and find religion sorely lacking in reality.

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  16. Anonymous9:27 AM

    Bill said: "Any religion can be made to look crazy."

    Actually, looked at with a sound mind, all religions Are crazy.

    Most of us were brainwashed as children to "believe", so we never question it.

    It took me 58 years, but I've finally questioned it, and find religion sorely lacking in reality.

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  17. Anonymous11:39 AM

    womanwithsardinecan wrote: The Mormons have been mainstreaming their religion for a while. No talking about underwear, don't bring up the golden plates because people want to know what happened to them, don't … don't … don't …

    Check out Lying for the Lord.

    Lying for the Lord refers to the practice of lying to protect the image of and belief in the Mormon religion, a practice which Mormonism itself fosters in various ways. … For the Mormon, loyalty and the welfare of the church are more important than the principle of honesty, and plausible denials and deception by omission are warranted by an opportunity to have the Mormon organization seen in the best possible light. … "Lying for the lord" is part of Mormonism's larger deceptive mainstreaming tactics, and conversion numbers would drastically lower if important Mormon beliefs were fully disclosed to investigators.

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  18. Anonymous1:37 PM

    Sadly, it looks like all of the main world religions are problems for society.

    The religions based on the old Jewish God include all brands of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam as well as Mormonism and on and on.

    The main feature they all have in common is intolerance of other Gods or religions, and a firm belief that people of other religions should convert or die, and that their own particular brand of faith is correct and that all others are not just wrong, but evil. That mindset allows, maybe even encourages all sorts of crime, including everything from simple dishonesty to murder.

    Religions do provide many valuable benefits to society, but come with a downside. They aren't too bad as long as there are many and varied strains preventing any one from becoming a political power. Any one of these groups contains zealots who are perfectly willing to use any and all means possible to eliminate the others, and feel proudly "Right With God" for it. This is, of course the opposite of a sane political view.

    Religious tolerance was written into our Constitution because Jefferson understood the Puritans would never get along with the Quakers or vice versa. That is why the US was founded as a secular nation.

    People were becoming less superstitious but not yet ready to shake off the intergenerational superstition of religion that they had been raised in.

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  19. Anonymous2:28 PM

    You ever looked closely at some of the wacko things Christians believe in?
    Particularly, a lot of dark ages and Medieval mumbo jumbo, and superstitions that came straight out of local pre Christian religious beliefs and practices?

    Ever noticed the gargoyles on European cathedrals? They are not Christian critters, they are the spirits that the local masons believed would protect the Christian building from the local non Christian spirits. And the Christian hierarchy allowed them to be be made a structural part of the churches, and they are all over the buildings, by the dozens and double dozen.

    And we still put gargoyles on Christian Cathedrals to protect them.

    Remember what Joe McGinnis said? Sarah, et al, believe in witches.

    So to an outside observer which would stack up as the nuttier Christian sect? Mormons, Catholics, Protestants....?

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  20. Anonymous2:37 PM

    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    "The miracle was that anyone believed Mary was a virgin;"
    6:33 AM

    the miracle was that some spirit with wings grew a pair, and sperm etc. got an very flesh and blood erection and raped a girl, and that they kiddo was immortal.

    SHE had to have a Y Chromosome from somebody to have a male child.

    Personally to me it is as much a miracle for God to make heavenly lemonade for a knocked up unwed young woman and her bastard son, as it is to believe in the hocus pocus that of virgin birth.

    It also sends the message that with God's help failings can become blessings and strength and that miracles can flow from that.

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  21. Anonymous6:08 PM

    All religions have their unique peculiarities that have no rational basis in reality. Isn't that what "Faith" is about? You have to check your intellect at the door and "believe" whatever brand of religion is selling.

    My few interactions with mormons were pretty normal, and I found them to be decent people. Then I met one in college who explained some of the tenants of the church, and it really blew me away. God revealed himself to some dude in utah, the magic underwear, and lying for the lord were things I couldn't wrap my brain around.
    Wearing a certain style of underwear makes you more moral, in what way? Isn't lying immoral, even if it's a white lie for the lord? What God (if there was one) would condone immoral behaviour (lieing) and justify it for getting more believers into the fold? Then there's the uber radical sects that make David Koresh look like a saint.

    But religion alone, isn't my reason for voting, I want someone who won't let their religious views interfere with the laws of my country and other people's rights to believe or not believe.

    I remember the JFK/ Catholocism brouhaha, and he somehow became a great leader who didn't let his religion change his consitutional duties as President.

    Romey's problems go way beyond his religion. I doubt the right wing fundies would vote for him, nor would middle of the road Republicans.

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  22. Anonymous8:42 PM

    While I can't help but agree with other posters that all relgions have weird and cultish aspects and beliefs, I do see a huge major difference between Christianity and Mormonism. The words and teachings of Christ. Whether divine or not, he was a highly moral person who advocated for decency and love. Joesph Smith just wanted to sleep with a lot of women. Sort of like, Buddha was a decent man who preached moderation and restraint, but Muhammend just wanted to sleep with a lot of women (and girls).

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  23. Anonymous10:01 AM

    A lot of Mormon people are decent types, that are doing the best they can.

    However, "The Book of Mormon" and much of the doctrine is totally made-up. It may have worked pretty well in 1830, but in 2011 the claims that Jewish people were riding around in chariots pulled by horses in pre-Columbus America is just nutty.

    I second the suggestion to read Martha Beck's book "Leaving the Saints". It is a frank look at the modern church, from the inside.

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