EDITOR'S NOTE: When I get to writing, sometimes the words flow and go off on a tangent. And in the fast-pace of blogging, up it goes on the blog, and then I get to wondering, "where did that come from?" That's what happened here. I am one half of one of the 18,000 same-sex couples married in California, during the brief window in which it was legal. A primary reason that Proposition 8 was successful in stopping marriage equality, was the Mormon church. I am also an atheist, who has many times been irritated by the intrusion of religion into law. Hence the rant.
As for the veracity of the story I attached my rant to, I couldn't say. Mayor Bloomberg of New York City is at the core of it, which lends it credence. But he could be barking up a wrong tree, who knows. So, without further ado, I do not disavow what I've written, but now you have the context, if it wasn't clear before. Ahem.
ORIGINAL POST:
Mormons are weird. Don't take that personally, Mormons, I find all religions weird. But I think--what with LDS' very recent vintage, it is weirder still that it has bloomed into such a force to be reckoned with. I mean, with Christianity, Judaism, Islam and others, the religions are so old, few of their claims can be fact-checked. The religions have to be taken almost entirely on faith. But there's stuff in the Book of Mormon that can be checked out, with history books and with common sense. There are entire websites devoted to Mormon debunkery, so I'll not delve further into that here. I'm just sayin'.
After the South Park episode, and the broadway hit, The Book of Mormon by the same guys, I think you'd find a lot of people who find Mormonism really kind of nutty, and in wonder of the fact that there are converts. How do you sell such a crazy story? By leaving the nutty stuff out, most likely.
I doubt those adorable missionaries spend much time on posthumous baptism, magical undergarments, end-of-days clearing houses, celestial marriage or Kolob in their spiels.
Secrecy is very big in the Mormon church, particularly with outsiders. With their ten percent tithing requirement, the Mormon church is also very, very rich. They can afford to pump money into efforts to defeat and/or prevent marriage equality for one, which is how they got on my bad side.
When a church is so publicly (with a layer of secrecy, naturally) politically active, I've got to ask: why are they tax exempt? Yes, the Constitution protects religious freedom (and freedom from religion, don't forget), but where does it say that they have the right to unlimited funds, tax free? And now they're supposedly selling unregulated guns? They need to be investigated, not just for this, but for any other potentially illegal dealings. They need their tax exempt status revoked, or at least need to be warned that further political--and illegal--activity be ceased instead, either/or.
I know that it is impolitic to criticize religion unless it is Islam and/or Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church. But I don't see what makes any religion so special. Anybody can invent a religion, and sell it to rubes. Joseph Smith, for instance. L. Ron Hubbard for another, but that's a whole different (but very similar) story.
[Excerpt]
Mormon Church 'owns unregulated gun sale website'
As for the veracity of the story I attached my rant to, I couldn't say. Mayor Bloomberg of New York City is at the core of it, which lends it credence. But he could be barking up a wrong tree, who knows. So, without further ado, I do not disavow what I've written, but now you have the context, if it wasn't clear before. Ahem.
 |
| Thought I'd better add this tag, since it would seem I had a few pent-up things to say! |
Mormons are weird. Don't take that personally, Mormons, I find all religions weird. But I think--what with LDS' very recent vintage, it is weirder still that it has bloomed into such a force to be reckoned with. I mean, with Christianity, Judaism, Islam and others, the religions are so old, few of their claims can be fact-checked. The religions have to be taken almost entirely on faith. But there's stuff in the Book of Mormon that can be checked out, with history books and with common sense. There are entire websites devoted to Mormon debunkery, so I'll not delve further into that here. I'm just sayin'.
After the South Park episode, and the broadway hit, The Book of Mormon by the same guys, I think you'd find a lot of people who find Mormonism really kind of nutty, and in wonder of the fact that there are converts. How do you sell such a crazy story? By leaving the nutty stuff out, most likely.
I doubt those adorable missionaries spend much time on posthumous baptism, magical undergarments, end-of-days clearing houses, celestial marriage or Kolob in their spiels.
Secrecy is very big in the Mormon church, particularly with outsiders. With their ten percent tithing requirement, the Mormon church is also very, very rich. They can afford to pump money into efforts to defeat and/or prevent marriage equality for one, which is how they got on my bad side.
When a church is so publicly (with a layer of secrecy, naturally) politically active, I've got to ask: why are they tax exempt? Yes, the Constitution protects religious freedom (and freedom from religion, don't forget), but where does it say that they have the right to unlimited funds, tax free? And now they're supposedly selling unregulated guns? They need to be investigated, not just for this, but for any other potentially illegal dealings. They need their tax exempt status revoked, or at least need to be warned that further political--and illegal--activity be ceased instead, either/or.
I know that it is impolitic to criticize religion unless it is Islam and/or Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church. But I don't see what makes any religion so special. Anybody can invent a religion, and sell it to rubes. Joseph Smith, for instance. L. Ron Hubbard for another, but that's a whole different (but very similar) story.
[Excerpt]
 |
| Michael Bloomberg, on the case. Image from source. |
KSL.com was criticised by the Mayor's office for running classified adverts
which allow individuals to buy and sell handguns and other firearms without
proper background checks and no questions asked.
The site is owned by Deseret Media, the for-profit arm of the Church of the
Latter Day Saints – also known as the Mormons – which has come to prominence
recently as a result of the presidential run of member Mitt Romney. . .
Read ore at: The Telegraph
Read ore at: The Telegraph
No comments:
Post a Comment
Have something to say to us? Post it here!