Sometimes while surfing the Internet, I come across a site fascinating for it’s value as an object of curiosity that I just have to let the world know about it. I guess that’s why God created blogs.
Especially interesting was this post by one of FMH’s contributors:
"Can we please (as Mormons) just admit that there are SO incredibly many things that we just don’t have a clue about?
[…]
"During my recent (and really my first ‘real’/deep) crisis of faith, I cannot tell you how unhelpful it was when people would pretend that all good/faithful Mormons never question, never wonder, never doubt.
[…]
"Let me tell you what was helpful to me. A former bishop who admitted he’d had periods of doubt also. A friend who acknowledged that my concerns were significant, but didn’t necessarily apologize for their existence (perhaps to do so would be to apologize for the state of the world, the fact of agency, the wisdom of God in sending us all here to work out our salvation?). President Hinckley who at the beginning of his administration stated that he knew respect had to be earned. And a dear husband who all along the way admits his own ignorance along with mine.
"What makes these frank admissions less depressing is a concurrent continued faith — demonstrated in how these people continue to live their lives. Their honesty makes their faith more meaningful to me. They find value in the gospel in spite of — maybe even because of — their doubts and imperfections. And because of their honesty in this, my ‘unbelief’ has been helped. Because of this, I had to address my concerns to God instead of people, since people don’t have all the answers regardless of the faith, knowledge, and goodness that we do have. And as I have begun to do this, I have been reminded of the points of divine help and contact that had been obscured for a time. Yes, I still have doubts and concerns. But I also feel I’ve gotten some significant direction and answers on a couple important issues for me."
While Mormonism is a deeply-flawed non-Christian religion, I have to admire the sentiments this particular Mormon is expressing because she makes an important point. Knowing enough to know what you do not know is a powerful witness and, if Socrates was correct, the beginning of wisdom. For Christians and non-Christians alike, that is a crucial lesson.
Intellectual honesty is always a good thing. I would much rather have a conversation or a friendship with an intellectually honest Mormon or JW than an intellectually dishonest Christian. Intellectual dishonesty always tends toward error and falsehood; intellectual honesty toward truth. To be afraid to question or cross-examine one’s beliefs is to begin to mummify them.
Of course, not all questioning or cross-examining one’s beliefs / cultural milieu / religious leaders / etc. constitutes intellectual dishonesty. I’m intrigued by the staking out of a “feminist Mormon housewife” identity, and that post cited above is indeed a positive-looking sign. It may be interesting to see how this plays out over time…
I am not sure Mormonism will be able to survive the fourth age of media and all the theological, historical, moral and philosophical challenges that it does not address. Mormonism’s cosmology is seriously flawed in that it does not answer even the basic question about the origin of the universe — something all the other Abrahamic faiths have sort of taken for granted for thousands of years.
What caught my eye was the phrase “people don’t have all the answers regardless of the faith, knowledge, and goodness that we do have. ” as being a marker of the type of fatalistic relativism that is the ideological cul de sac of any faith that is not intimately tied to Truth as we are blessed to know Him.
Not that I take her feelings to be representative of the whole but like I said: fourth age…
Mormons do have some radical ideas. My friend (Mormon) was telling me he thinks there’s a link between the pyramids in Mexico and Guatemala and the Egyptian ones. I did find his comparisons of the Cholula and Capan Mexico pyramids interesting and fascinating. I didn’t think there were bigger pyramids than the Egyptians’. He’s a pretty smart guy over all, and has answered all of my questions I’ve asked him. Mormons just seem too sure of themselves and restricted by their rules.
In reference to the feminist Mormon housewives; doubting, questioning, and wondering would have to come about from time to time if we don’t “know” something is true. That’s my definition of faith: hoping for something to be true that we don’t see (That’s a quote from the New Testament somewhere). It makes sense to me.
The statement about Mormons being non-Christians is wrong if your definition coincides with a dictionary’s. My friend has told me a few things about Christ. He reads the Bible and the church’s real name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Comparing that name to my wife’s church’s, Catholic, they sound more Christian.
Jean Bardeau –
I once had a Baha’i friend tell me that they alredy “accepted” Jesus, and therefore did not need to be evangelized.
Now, the Jesus she accepted was the mystic, prophet and all-around good guy – but not the Son of God.
Neither she nor the Mormon church believe in the true Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, second person of the Holy Trinity become human, who suffered and died and rose again to save us from sin.
They are therefore not Christians. Nice folks, maybe (like my Baha’i friend), but not Christians.
Oooh … again you people have managed to make me seething mad. Mormons have not accepted Christ as the “Son of God, Son of Man, Second Person of the Holy Trinity become human, who suffered and died and rose again to save us from sin”? What? The only thing that we might not agree with in that entire sentence is the word “Trinity” – we beleive him to be a seperate individual from God and the Holy Ghost, but he was still a member of the Godhead, still came to the earth as a human, born of God and man (or, well, woman). So, not Christians? First of all, how DARE you make such a judgement, especially given your apparent ignorance of our beliefs. Since when are Christians, like you profess to be, so bigoted? I am angry at you, and I would argue righteously angry, but I am not blindly declaring you not to be Christian, simply because we disagree on a few aspects of His doctrine. You beleive in Christ, don’t you? Well, so do I. You beleive the Bible to be accurate in its teachings of Christ, don’t you? Well, so do. Let God decide which of us has properly interpreted those versus, and leave the judgement to him. Again, I say, Mormons do beleive Jesus Christ to be the veritable Son of God, born literaly in the virgin birth to Mary, made flesh, crucified, resurrected, and most important of all, he DID suffer for our sins that me may be forgiven. Wherever you are getting your schewed ideas of what Mormons beleive, STOP, and go to the source for information for heaven’s sake.
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