Irish Columnist on Baptisms for the Dead

[SeattleUte]

I kind of like the idea I am regarded as a religous nut. I intend to spend my dotage pushing a shopping cart up and down Market Street to add to my street cred in the lunatic department.

BTW, I've heard the Church is also instituting an excommunication-by-proxy program, whereby deceased Church members, who are determined to have been dreadfully offensive during their mortal lives, can be x'ed after-the-fact. I've started doing thie work for a couple of uncles who were total assholes.

Don't think your failure to go through a disciplinary council means you're covered in the highly unlikely event--in your view--there's something to this restoration thing. You'd better hope you outlive me, as you're on my post-retirement to do list, my friend. Snake eyes.

You have me figured wrong, my friend. I'm truly indifferent. I haven't taken steps to formally split the sheets for the exact same reason I think undbelievers should say BFD about BFTD.

[Commando]

Nice misinterpretation of the scriptures, though...

"Let’s look at the facts as understood by the early followers of Christ. For more than 300 years after the Crucifixion, baptism of the dead was widely accepted, its biblical basis located in 1 Corinthians 15, 29: “Otherwise, what shall they do who are baptised for the dead if the dead rise not again at all? Why are they then baptised for them.” In other words, a deceased person could be baptised by proxy: otherwise, how could such a person be included in the Resurrection? A good question."

[SeattleUte]

Nice misinterpretation of the scriptures, though...

"Let’s look at the facts as understood by the early followers of Christ. For more than 300 years after the Crucifixion, baptism of the dead was widely accepted, its biblical basis located in 1 Corinthians 15, 29: “Otherwise, what shall they do who are baptised for the dead if the dead rise not again at all? Why are they then baptised for them.” In other words, a deceased person could be baptised by proxy: otherwise, how could such a person be included in the Resurrection? A good question."

Great. One more nut to contend with around here.

[Commando]

You have no idea.

[TripletDaddy]

Actually, this is a legit case where the Church can put its money where its mouth is.

Do you folks remember back in 2001, the Vatican announced that Mormons must be re-baptized if they want to become Catholics? The Methodist Church also issued a similar edict. All of a sudden, nobody was recognizing Mormon baptism in the case of an ex-mo wanting to convert to a new faith.

One of my all-time favorite Church quotes resulted from this alleged hullaballoo....

When the Church was asked about its response to this perceived snub by fellow Christians, the Church responded simply....."We rebaptize Catholics, we rebaptize Protestants, we rebaptize everyone else....we are neither concerned nor offended."

http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=14811&sec=16&cont=5

[PaloAltoCougar]

You have me figured wrong, my friend. I'm truly indifferent. I haven't taken steps to formally split the sheets for the exact same reason I think undbelievers should say BFD about BFTD.

Well, flip, I was thinking you would be extremely upset by my post. Foiled again.

[SeattleUte]

Well, flip, I was thinking you would be extremely upset by my post. Foiled again.

LDS always think everyone secretly agrees with them. LDS are wrong.

[il Padrino Ute]

LDS always think everyone secretly agrees with them. LDS are wrong.

Not unlike SU thinking he's always right.

[LA 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.

The vicarious ordinances are supposed to be done for lineal ancestors, unless I'm mistaken. I think if LDS people were careful about that there would be fewer objections. The big problems have arisen when people get carried away and start doing the work for Holocaust victims, famous people, etc.

[myboynoah]

The vicarious ordinances are supposed to be done for lineal ancestors, unless I'm mistaken. I think if LDS people were careful about that there would be fewer objections. The big problems have arisen when people get carried away and start doing the work for Holocaust victims, famous people, etc.

But doesn't The Church also go out and copy whole records and use them for temple work. My unlce served a mission in Nashville doing just that. The Church came in to these municipal records departments, most with very limited budgets and records that were deteriorating, and agreed to microfilm the whole lot for free. The only thing we ask is for our own copies.

SU will call that devious. I call that a win-win.

[LA Ute]

But doesn't The Church also go out and copy whole records and use them for temple work. My unlce served a mission in Nashville doing just that. The Church came in to these municipal records departments, most with very limited budgets and records that were deteriorating, and agreed to microfilm the whole lot for free. The only thing we ask is for our own copies.

It's one thing to preserve records, and another to perform the ordinances. We do the former to preserve the ability to of lineal descendants to do the latter.

At least, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[myboynoah]

It's one thing to preserve records, and another to perform the ordinances. We do the former to preserve the ability to of lineal descendants to do the latter.

At least, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Interesting. I didn't know that. I just assumed that if we had the records, we went ahead and did the work.

[LA Ute]

Interesting. I didn't know that. I just assumed that if we had the records, we went ahead and did the work.

As I understand it, the database is a huge part of the effort, so that descendants can find their ancestors and do their work.

What a curious thing all that activity must be to outside observers.

[Jeff Lebowski]

It's one thing to preserve records, and another to perform the ordinances. We do the former to preserve the ability to of lineal descendants to do the latter.

At least, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I don't think so. In the case of deceased Jews, we only do the work if the person is an ancestor of a member. All other groups are fair game.

I am not positive, but I think that is the protocol.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Well, flip, I was thinking you would be extremely upset by my post. Foiled again.

Either way, that was a hilarious post, PAC. Well done.