.... *Grumble-fuck-mutter*
Okay, incase no one here knew, I'm a Latter-Day Saint, aka a Mormon. I'm not the best example of what it means to be Christ-like, but then, who is? Even the Prophet himself will say that he's not perfect, because if he was then he wouldn't even be here right now.
That said, some of the things my Church does bugs the crap outta me. The whole thing with voting as a bloc for example. Seriously, that's not following Christ's example. While he certainly wanted everyone to follow the teachings of the gospel he wasn't out to cause revolution. He himself said "Render what is Ceaser's unto Ceasar..." Rome itself didn't want to crucify Christ - the Jews called for it because they thought he was a blasphemer and popular opinion won out in the end, even when given the choice between two evils.
Also, supposedly we have this big thing about Free Agency and it being the root of the war between God and his son, Lucifer. By the LDS view, Lucifer's plan was to have everyone's life decided for them so they wouldn't have to make choices for themselves and potentially make painful mistakes. Okay, so while Prop 8 won't neccesarily force people to not be homosexuals, I still see it as a step towards Satan's POV and his desire for everyone to be miserable.
However, we shouldn't be throwing the baby out with the bath here. For one thing, the LDS Church has the single largest geneological database in the entire world and it is free for everyone to use. No matter what website you may go through, chances are pretty damn good they're getting all, if not most, of their data from LDS geneological databases to help you find your family history. Another interesting thing to note is that unlike any other church out there, ours is not a burden on the economy. All properties are bought without taking out bank loans. We even provide our own welfare services so that when our members hit upon hard times they won't be entirely dependent on the government's welfare system. Yes, that especially includes food. We have something called Bishop's Storehouses and it's nothing to sneer at. They tend to move stuff by the truckload. I know as my family has been at the receiving end of such deliveries on a weekly basis before.
So please don't talk about imposing a tax on my church. Aside from voting as a bloc, we're a religeon that's given the government the least amount of trouble these days. If you want to do something, talk to your local LDS members about it. Some may actually be asses, but most are decent enough to hear you out and discuss the matter. Not only do we encourage our members to be civil and friendly with others, but we also encourage our members to question their faith. Yes, you read that correctly. We do encourage independant thought.
Okay, incase no one here knew, I'm a Latter-Day Saint, aka a Mormon. I'm not the best example of what it means to be Christ-like, but then, who is? Even the Prophet himself will say that he's not perfect, because if he was then he wouldn't even be here right now.
That said, some of the things my Church does bugs the crap outta me. The whole thing with voting as a bloc for example. Seriously, that's not following Christ's example. While he certainly wanted everyone to follow the teachings of the gospel he wasn't out to cause revolution. He himself said "Render what is Ceaser's unto Ceasar..." Rome itself didn't want to crucify Christ - the Jews called for it because they thought he was a blasphemer and popular opinion won out in the end, even when given the choice between two evils.
Also, supposedly we have this big thing about Free Agency and it being the root of the war between God and his son, Lucifer. By the LDS view, Lucifer's plan was to have everyone's life decided for them so they wouldn't have to make choices for themselves and potentially make painful mistakes. Okay, so while Prop 8 won't neccesarily force people to not be homosexuals, I still see it as a step towards Satan's POV and his desire for everyone to be miserable.
However, we shouldn't be throwing the baby out with the bath here. For one thing, the LDS Church has the single largest geneological database in the entire world and it is free for everyone to use. No matter what website you may go through, chances are pretty damn good they're getting all, if not most, of their data from LDS geneological databases to help you find your family history. Another interesting thing to note is that unlike any other church out there, ours is not a burden on the economy. All properties are bought without taking out bank loans. We even provide our own welfare services so that when our members hit upon hard times they won't be entirely dependent on the government's welfare system. Yes, that especially includes food. We have something called Bishop's Storehouses and it's nothing to sneer at. They tend to move stuff by the truckload. I know as my family has been at the receiving end of such deliveries on a weekly basis before.
So please don't talk about imposing a tax on my church. Aside from voting as a bloc, we're a religeon that's given the government the least amount of trouble these days. If you want to do something, talk to your local LDS members about it. Some may actually be asses, but most are decent enough to hear you out and discuss the matter. Not only do we encourage our members to be civil and friendly with others, but we also encourage our members to question their faith. Yes, you read that correctly. We do encourage independant thought.