Irish Columnist on Baptisms for the Dead

[Jeff Lebowski]

Well worth the read:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/op...-13955402.html

I especially enjoyed the ending:

The key point is, surely, that all religions believe that the soul, after death, at last knows what’s what — whether Hinduism, Free Presbyterianism, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Catholicism or whatever is the true religion. What if it’s Mormonism? What if it’s an everyday occurrence on the other side that Catholics and Protestants are left standing dumbstruck at the Gates, gasping: “Mormons! Who’d have believed it?” And maybe a wife berating her husband: “There! I told you it would be the Mormons! But would you listen?! Now it’s eternal hellfire for the two of us, I hope you’re satisfied.”

In that scenario, shouldn’t all members of all other religions be literally eternally grateful to the Mormons for sharing their saving grace even unto and after death?

If, on the other hand, it isn’t the Mormons at all, those who turn out to have been right can wave a merry farewell to the crestfallen followers of Brigham Young as they trundle downwards to their eternal comeuppance.

What’s the problem?

[myboynoah]

Good find, JL.

[CardiacCoug]

That was good.

I'm with him. I don't understand why anybody would get pissed off over baptisms for the dead.

[RobinFinderson]

That was good.

I'm with him. I don't understand why anybody would get pissed off over baptisms for the dead.

The issue is about the handling of the dead in general. Baptizing someone else's loved one is not respectful, even if it is legal. Think of how you would want the body of a loved one handled after death. Would it bother you to find out that a careless mortician had accidentally let your loved one fall off the table? In some ways, how the memory of the loved one is handled could be even more significant than how the body was handled. It is a matter of respect, not for the dead, but for the living.

[CardiacCoug]

The issue is about the handling of the dead in general. Baptizing someone else's loved one is not respectful, even if it is legal. Think of how you would want the body of a loved one handled after death. Would it bother you to find out that a careless mortician had accidentally let your loved one fall off the table? In some ways, how the memory of the loved one is handled could be even more significant than how the body was handled. It is a matter of respect, not for the dead, but for the living.

If some of my Hindu or Muslim friends were gathering names of my dead ancestors and reading them in some religious ceremony it wouldn't offend me in the slightest. More power to them if they believe it would give those people a benefit in the next life.

[RobinFinderson]

If some of my Hindu or Muslim friends were gathering names of my dead ancestors and reading them in some religious ceremony it wouldn't offend me in the slightest. More power to them if they believe it would give those people a benefit in the next life.

Sure, but you come from a religious tradition where this is accepted. Plenty of people don't mind, but many do. I'm not sure what the guiding rule should be, but I think it is respectful of the church to honor the requests of different ethnic groups (Jews. Who else?) who request that it abstain from performing the ordinances on their deceased.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Sure, but you come from a religious tradition where this is accepted. Plenty of people don't mind, but many do. I'm not sure what the guiding rule should be, but I think it is respectful of the church to honor the requests of different ethnic groups (Jews. Who else?) who request that it abstain from performing the ordinances on their deceased.

I suppose we should stop proselyting as well, since some people find that offensive.

[myboynoah]

I suppose we should stop proselyting as well, since some people find that offensive.

Or not going water skiing on Sunday. I bet there's someone out there that finds our abstinence very offensive.

[RobinFinderson]

I suppose we should stop proselyting as well, since some people find that offensive.

My understanding is that the church doesn't actively proselytize Muslims for this very reason, so maybe.

[Goatnapper'96]

My understanding is that the church doesn't actively proselytize Muslims for this very reason, so maybe.

I think it is because Muslims who convert, and or their famalies, occassionally suffer a small setback where their heads are occassionally seperated from the rest of their bodies. Trully if we had faith and understood the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood we would know that the head to neck connection is refreshed in the Resurrection, but alas we back off.

[Goatnapper'96]

The issue is about the handling of the dead in general. Baptizing someone else's loved one is not respectful, even if it is legal. Think of how you would want the body of a loved one handled after death. Would it bother you to find out that a careless mortician had accidentally let your loved one fall off the table? In some ways, how the memory of the loved one is handled could be even more significant than how the body was handled. It is a matter of respect, not for the dead, but for the living.

What strand of feminism are you pulling out here? Sometimes you try to hard to be a contrarian lemming and you just come across like a pussie.

[myboynoah]

My understanding is that the church doesn't actively proselytize Muslims for this very reason, so maybe.

I don't know about that, but the reason we don't proselytize in many Muslim countries is because it is against the law. 12th article of faith, we go in the front door, not the back door.

[Goatnapper'96]

we go in the front door, not the back door.

On occassion my experiences with SeattleUte and Robin leave me wondering........

[il Padrino Ute]

Sure, but you come from a religious tradition where this is accepted. Plenty of people don't mind, but many do. I'm not sure what the guiding rule should be, but I think it is respectful of the church to honor the requests of different ethnic groups (Jews. Who else?) who request that it abstain from performing the ordinances on their deceased.

I had no idea that Jews are an ethnic group. I always thought they were a religious group.

[il Padrino Ute]

Think of how you would want the body of a loved one handled after death. Would it bother you to find out that a careless mortician had accidentally let your loved one fall off the table?

This is easy to avoid. Don't go to any mortuary that isn't family owned.