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| Tuesday, May 21, 2013 |
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Our ward has adopted an expectation that we are trying to have non-members every Sunday, and our teaching should reflect that consideration. |
I like Primary, where the crazy is unsubtle. Like kids with Aspberger’s drawing on you with crayons. That’s my kind of crazy. |
queuno – that is a good practice. Would eliminate some of the craziness as well as, hopefully, improve the overall quality. ZD Eve – agreed on Primary – you also get some great humor from the kids… |
Unfortunately, the crazy Mormons I know would have no problem with their nuttiest even if non-Mormons were present. The only thing I can do is tell my non-Mormon friends after the fact that whatever stupid they said in church is not the gospel. That is only downside of a completely volunteer church. The crazies slip in. I know some missionaries that dread taking prospective members to church on Fast and Testimony Sunday cause that is when the Freak Flag really flies. |
“It does make me wonder if folks really think about what they are saying and what impact it would have on others in the room…” Obviously not. That’s why you have people quoting and re-quoting things like the “Unwritten Order of Things.” which didn’t we all agree last year had been quietly removed from the canon? |
I think we’re pretty crazy. My ward sure is. Last night our home teacher, who is on the high council, came to visit and I brought up the “Ezra Taft Benson quotes” talk damning socialists (read President Obama) that chapped my hide. He laughed and said “I kinda like those talks. It’s usually so boring I fall asleep.” He told us how several weeks ago, due to the fires, the sun looked very red and the next week a guy in the ward he was visiting got up in testimony meeting and prophesied that the end was near. He said this guy got pretty emotional and the (very young) bishop told him to keep his testimony on the gospel. Our home teacher has the cutest grin and he laughed with enjoyment. Then he said “I told Hal (our stake president) we should have that guy speak in every ward in the stake. That would make things interesting for awhile.” Yeah, we’re crazy. My home teacher, not so much. I think that’s a great idea. |
4. living in zion – fair but true point. The crazies do slip in – that is what you get when missionaries tract during the day – the crazies are home and let them in. 5. Ron – sigh… well, good news is that the people I view as crazy view me equally as crazy on the other side of the line so it equals out |
I personally know plenty of Non-Mormons with the same type of sentiment toward their own denominations or Christianity in general as you get in Sunday school. These types of attitudes that you describe can be found throughout the general population. I don’t know that its any more or less common in Mormonism |
7. Devyn- In other words “Don’t judge me because I’m crazy differently than you?” |
I think Dustin’s on to something. |
8. Dustin – you are right, but, unfortunately, the other denominations are not as aggressive as we are at recruiting… 9. Ron – precisely or I reserve the right to judge you as you do for me |
It’s not just WHEN missionaries tract, but WHERE too. Crazies are everywhere, but certain areas seem to have more of them… |
Personally, I agree with annegb’s home teacher – the crazies keep it interesting. :) Though, no matter where you are coming from, if your culture is different, all others look a little weird, which is why it is so important to try and keep an open mind. It’s no wonder people look at Mormons and think we’re a little “off.” We do have our own, unique way of doing things. I was talking to my Catholic friend that I work with at an elementary school in Utah. She was talking about how the culture rubs off so easily. She said she was at training where they put on a video and the first thing that popped into her head was “oh my! that teacher is wearing a sleeveless shirt!” |
Tim – you are right, I think about the number of crazies I inflicted on wards from my mission and feel a bit bad as they were not really helping the ward but more of a hindrance |
Just the basic beliefs are crazy in the eyes of non-members even without the fringe members, and without some of the fringe beliefs of core members. Mainstream Protestant Christianity, and even much of Catholicism has rejected a lot of biblical beliefs that Joseph Smith restored: miracles, laying on of hands, healings, tongues, personal revelation, angelic visits, meeting Jesus face-to-face, new scripture, continuing prophets and apostles. Plus even the basics of the gospel that Protestants and Catholics have are considered nonsense by atheists and by believers of non-Abrahamic religions. I think the gospel is designed to be crazy to non-believers. |
As my friend — and a member of the stake presidency — reminded me after a particularly, um, heinous F&T meeting: a ward that doesn’t have room for crazies doesn’t have room for gay men who date men and teach EQ. I smiled, wanly, and thanked him. Justly accused, warmly reprimanded. |
* pokes the sleeping beast * |
* woohoo … is anyone there? * |
:) |
