Meet the Mormons

[CJF]

This is great news. When does it start streaming on Netflix so I can watch it at home?

You mean so you can choose not to watch it at home also, right?

[Donuthole]

I read the book while I was on my mission, never saw the movie. It was stupid. I agree that is good for a laugh and not much else. I also laughed at goat's post above because I recall the dust jacket...it had all these "sensationalist" factoids on it and one of them was that gates of hell thing.

You read all the anti stuff on your mission, too?

There was an old pamphlet called "The Mind Manipulating Methods of the Mormon Missionaries". Loved that one. Gave me some good pointers.

This was the anti-mo lit du jour while I was serving (en Español, of course):

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EDIT: Found it in Spanish:

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[TripletDaddy]

You read all the anti stuff on your mission, too?

There was an old pamphlet called "The Mind Manipulating Methods of the Mormon Missionaries". Loved that one. Gave me some good pointers.

Yes I did and I didn't even have to search for it. There was always a copy of something somewhere in the apartment...a Godmakers here, a Visitantes pamphlet there. I remember being scared the first time I saw a copy of The Godmakers in our apartment and I was nervous to open it and read a little. lol

[TripletDaddy]

You mean so you can choose not to watch it at home also, right?

It would at least be in my queue!

[Jeff Lebowski]

It would at least be in my queue!

OK, that was funny.

I read an article once about how people tend to put stuff in their Netflix queue that they really have no intention of watching. It just makes them feel better to have some artsy/high brow stuff in their queue.

[Northwestcoug]

OK, that was funny.

I read an article once about how people tend to put stuff in their Netflix queue that they really have no intention of watching. It just makes them feel better to have some artsy/high brow stuff in their queue.

I recommended 'The Prestige' to someone at work months ago. She quickly put it in her queue, and has not watched it since...

[Katy Lied]

I admiringly note that JL and DDD wield their ocham's razors with quite the blunt force in this thread.

[jay santos]

I admiringly note that JL and DDD wield their ocham's razors with quite the blunt force in this thread.

"Give proceeds to charity" is common speak in our society. Only stupid people actually believe it means anything. Not an issue. You only say "give proceeds to charity" when you know there will be no proceeds. If there are going to be significant proceeds, you keep it yourself. Next.

Pretty risky, unless the church is running Google. I don't think anyone knows how google search results are going to change day to day, and by making a movie of the same name, they could have just as easily brought 10X more traffic to the old documentary.

[TripletDaddy]

I admiringly note that JL and DDD wield their ocham's razors with quite the blunt force in this thread.

thanks, baby

[cowboy]

LDS growth tanking correlates really well with the information age. Tighter correlation I would guess, than with the general secularization of America, which has been going on for decades.

While secularization has been going on for decades, I think the information age has accelerated it. I think slower growth is a result of both secularization and information. If people are inclined to be Christians at all, they have to believe things that have either been disproved, seem impossible, or both. Sure, they can look at the OT as allegorical, but there's no getting around the atonement and resurrection if you are a Christian. Hence, information that reveals flawed prophets, and miracles that cannot be proven scientifically are nothing new to them. Society, however, is increasingly looking at Christianity in general with skepticism and as a superstitious relic of our historical ignorance.

I doubt that our slower growth is a result of another denomination looking better to people because they have more information about our history than people previously have. Rather, I think we are losing growth to people who would otherwise have held on to Christianity because Mormonism, with angels, gold plates, etc., served as a witness that miracles can occur and there may be a God after all. As people have found it harder to believe the claims of Joseph Smith, either through the lack of scientific evidence for the BoM or through a more complete view of a flawed man, they've left religion altogether. The vast majority of people I know who leave the church become agnostic; I know of only one or two who have left for another Christian denomination.

[Pheidippides]

While secularization has been going on for decades, I think the information age has accelerated it. I think slower growth is a result of both secularization and information. If people are inclined to be Christians at all, they have to believe things that have either been disproved, seem impossible, or both. Sure, they can look at the OT as allegorical, but there's no getting around the atonement and resurrection if you are a Christian. Hence, information that reveals flawed prophets, and miracles that cannot be proven scientifically are nothing new to them. Society, however, is increasingly looking at Christianity in general with skepticism and as a superstitious relic of our historical ignorance.

I doubt that our slower growth is a result of another denomination looking better to people because they have more information about our history than people previously have. Rather, I think we are losing growth to people who would otherwise have held on to Christianity because Mormonism, with angels, gold plates, etc., served as a witness that miracles can occur and there may be a God after all. As people have found it harder to believe the claims of Joseph Smith, either through the lack of scientific evidence for the BoM or through a more complete view of a flawed man, they've left religion altogether. The vast majority of people I know who leave the church become agnostic; I know of only one or two who have left for another Christian denomination.

I agree with this on the whole with two quibbles. First of all, it's completely possible to be a nonliteral believer in atonement and resurrection in some of the more liberal sects and indeed I know quite a few people like this (none are clergy). This highlights, to me, the Mormon problem with message - if you continually preach the all-or-nothing historical approach, you will get the all-or-nothing historical result.

The second quibble is that many exmormons do find other religions. I am aware of many, and indeed there is a large multidenominational program in the Salt Lake area that does just this. However, such exmormons are much less likely to be vocal about their exmormonism, probably because they have found the landing spot so many others seek. I do think they are a minority - 30 percent max.

[jay santos]

While secularization has been going on for decades, I think the information age has accelerated it. I think slower growth is a result of both secularization and information. If people are inclined to be Christians at all, they have to believe things that have either been disproved, seem impossible, or both. Sure, they can look at the OT as allegorical, but there's no getting around the atonement and resurrection if you are a Christian. Hence, information that reveals flawed prophets, and miracles that cannot be proven scientifically are nothing new to them. Society, however, is increasingly looking at Christianity in general with skepticism and as a superstitious relic of our historical ignorance.

I doubt that our slower growth is a result of another denomination looking better to people because they have more information about our history than people previously have. Rather, I think we are losing growth to people who would otherwise have held on to Christianity because Mormonism, with angels, gold plates, etc., served as a witness that miracles can occur and there may be a God after all. As people have found it harder to believe the claims of Joseph Smith, either through the lack of scientific evidence for the BoM or through a more complete view of a flawed man, they've left religion altogether. The vast majority of people I know who leave the church become agnostic; I know of only one or two who have left for another Christian denomination.

There are other religions growing faster than us, even with our massive effort in missionary work.

[Topper]

Has anybody seen this movie?

I wanted to see the Equalizer but my ultra conservative sister wanted to see that movie. Naturally her three brothers and sister vetoed that notion.

[byu71]

The vast majority of people I know who leave the church become agnostic; I know of only one or two who have left for another Christian denomination.

I can only speak for the people I know and I include in the definition of those leaving the church, those who are totally inactive. Won't go to any meetings and won't watch even general conference.

Most of them I don't think are agnostic, but they certainly seem to feel they can get along without organized religion. I think a lot of them would never joing another church because of the cultural bond that could break with a lot of friends and families.

It is somewhat odd we have encouraged others to leave even their families if need be to join Christs church. However, one of the strongest holds we have on our members is the family and cultural tie.

[Topper]

It does not provide for casual ties as do other denominations. Or not without a lot of guilt.

The other denominations are just as boring if not a lot more so.