Religion!

Aldaniti

Aldaniti

At the Start
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
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Wickford
I have never been religious as I feel its the seed of a lot of problems in this world so I tend to stay away from it,

So imagine you are me & your 18yr old son wanders into the living room & announces the fact that he wants to be baptised & is going to follow the Mormon church :confused:

I'm gobsmacked & managed to mutter the word ok but thats about it!

Something is making me feel uncomfortable about this but I can't put my finger on it :blink:
 
This site might help: http://www.mormonsmadesimple.com in dispelling some of the myths and perhaps giving you a little basis for discussion. One of my cousin's sons also went the same way in his late 20s, married a Mormon girl and has one daughter. My cousin's sternly warned him not to proselytise at family gatherings, which he respects, but it has given him a strong community focus which he seemed to lack before. I have to admit to confusing the Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) with the Seventh Day Adventists, just as I once rather unfortunately referred to happy clappers to someone who'd been 'reborn' into the Baptist faith (a dunk in a swimming pool). Too much complication for me - if I were to lean to anything, it'd probably be animism, talking to the trees and cuddling rocks! Or is that cuddling trees and talking to rocks? As I say, too complicated for me!
 
Was it totally out of the blue? That would worry me the most, although picking Mormonism is a bit bizarre.
 
I noticed a mormon bible in his room last week when he was staying with my day for the week, don't know how long its been in there though,

He has never said anything before which is why it left me a bit speechless,

I've just been reading a few bits on the net & it has actually got me a bit worried, he has aspergers syndrome which tends to make people a bit easily led,

He said its to do with someone at work, he has a part time job as a waiter in a local restaurant, thankfully he leaves here on 18th Sept to go to uni in bristol so won't be working there anymore but he said about being baptised for he went,

I have nothing against being baptised but what concerns me is all this stuff about giving 10% of income to the church & alsorts of other things

Helen
 
Was it totally out of the blue? That would worry me the most, although picking Mormonism is a bit bizarre.
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would worry me more if he wanted to join a homophobic, woman hating/stoning, racist, medieval sect instead

Mormonism isnt so bad. Lots to be be said for polygomy.You get to swap the old bolier around when you get bored or shes starts moaning too much and (even better some would say) the women can get the lazy git out the house for a bit of P&Q
 
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Well they're at least as homophobic as the Catholic Church (which is to say quite a bit), but they at least stopped being officially racist in the late 70s, and polygamy has been banned for over a century.
 
Mmm, my cousin's son would have quite a problem trying to play the racist card, as one of his sisters' second husband is a South African (Indian-origin) Hindu - plus, he's a huge improvement on the first, an adulterous Afrikaaner!

I think all religions are homophobic, aren't they? Can't think offhand of one which says just accept everyone for the way they're born.
 
Its the Christian Scientists that get me. You have to be a real simpleton/john travolta to swallow that garbage

No fan of religions myself but dont believe they should all be tarred with same brush. Buddism is clearly harmless enough and the C of E (despite the idiot Williams) has quietly and effectively been liberal enough in recent times
 
I think all religions are homophobic, aren't they? Can't think offhand of one which says just accept everyone for the way they're born.
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C of E. Enough gay vicars around
 
krizon said:
I think all religions are homophobic, aren't they? Can't think offhand of one which says just accept everyone for the way they're born.
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Well the Anglicans/C of E are actually having a (long) debate about it, which puts them light years ahead of the other mainstream religions here.
 
I don't care what faith a person espouses, so long as they don't forget their basic humanity.

From what I've seen of many of our local churchgoers, the "virtuous" are rarely kind, they're too busy being "good".
 
Yes, and the Anglicans are agonising over whether to split off into pro-homo or anti-homosexual schisms, aren't they? African churches are violently anti, and most African countries where the Anglicans and RC's are rife are ridden with those mother religions' strong anti-homosexual bias. The bias means that where most of those countries have adopted homosexuality as a criminal offence, the churches do not speak out against any sentencing. That's still down to organisations like Liberty to try and redress.

I can only hope that by 6010, we'll have evolved to a rather more enlightened plane, with or without the assistance of chanting and incense.
 
clivex said:
Its the Christian Scientists that get me. You have to be a real simpleton/john travolta to swallow that garbage

No fan of religions myself but dont believe they should all be tarred with same brush. Buddism is clearly harmless enough and the C of E (despite the idiot Williams) has quietly and effectively been liberal enough in recent times
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John Travolta is a Scientologist, not a Christian Scientist.
 
In response to Aldaniti, do not gainsay your son but stay in touch and keep an eye on what is happening, I know it's easier to say than do.
 
Helen, the upside is that your son will have the support of a community wherever he goes and sex, drugs and alcohol are not likely to be so much of a problem if he is involved with the Mormons!

My nephew (17) recently got involved with a local church group and although not even remotely religious, is enjoying the company of kids of his own age as well as adults other than his parents to whom he can talk about problems and who are also interested in and encouraging him in his interests (music and geography). Sure, much of the advice will have a religious slant put on it, but as much of that advice involves keeping out of trouble and how to handle life in general, I can't think that is a bad thing.

No doubt much of the advice is the same as his parents would give, but how many of us- at that age - ever listened to our parents? :lol:

The only thing I can think of that might help to alleviate your worry is that you ask him not to commit himself totally until he has been a member of that church for at least a year and not to sign anything until he has read it thoroughly and thought it through for a few weeks.
 
I've had short chat with him & it appears that its someone at work, she is a 17yr old who's parents aren't mormons but all her other friends are, as he if off to Uni next month the other side of the country I am hoping that it will just blow over once he is there & has other things on his mind,
When I first looked at the mormons website it all looks ok but once you start digging around it gets very worrying at times
Jamie has aspergers syndrome & it tends to make them easily led just the thing that these sort of people like!
 
Because enough did quote it on the census form, it is recognised as an 'official' religion. Not just in this country either.
Obi Wan for PM I say.
 
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