Self-Conscious Religion
Posted by Wade on January 19th, 2006
It wasn’t until my mission that I discovered how much time and money other Christian religions spend on attacking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I served seven months in Colorado Springs (home of Focus on the Family and dubbed the “Christian capital of the world”) and learned a lot about myself and a lot about religion in general. Even though this picture was created by me (a friend sent me a funny e-mail with something else written on the sign - you can go here to make your own), I can honestly say that I have been in numerous churchs in which the whole of the sermon that Sunday was devoted not to expounding the truths of the New Testament, rather it was devoted to expounding the falsity of the Mormon Church. You see, my companion and I would visit a different church in our area every Sunday. On one occassion the pastor saw us in the congregation and immediately shifted his sermon toward the evils of the Mormons.
Just last Saturday night, I was visiting a member of my ward with the missionaries. This member has just started to come back to church after a long time of inactivity after his conversion when he was in his twenties. While visiting I asked him about his conversion. He told me he has always had questions about God and religion. One day he went to a Christian book store to look around. While there, he discovered that one whole wall of the store was dedicated to books and materials about the evils of the Mormon religion, i.e. anti-mormon literature. He said he then had the distinct question come to his mind: “what are they so affraid of?” After this, he investigated for himself and was converted.
I like that question - what are they so affraid of. I think if any religion has to expend so much energy focused not on how or why it is good, but on how or why other religions are bad, it’s a fairly good sign that religion is extremely self-concious about its lack of substance and foundational truths. I’ve always appreciated the fact that we don’t have hundreds of pamphlets at the back of our chapels attempting to refute Catholicism, New Age Christianity/Non-Denominationalism, Presbyterianism, etc. In other words, I love the fact that my religion isn’t self-concious!
While your picture was perhaps fictional, there was at least one time on my mission where a church in my area had a very similar message about an anti-Mormon message that Sunday. I don’t have a pic of it, but I should have one of me standing inside this huge cross that seemed to be cut out of the inside of a brick wall standing out in the yard.
(we weren’t allowed to go to other churches because of what one missionary did during a sermon about baptizing little children)
I served in Souther california by the way. The large and spacious building was in our mission (http://www.calvarygs.org/calvary/)
Comment # 1 left by Ian on January 19th, 2006
What mission did you serve in? Perhaps I know the church you’re talking about?
Comment # 2 left by Wade on January 20th, 2006
There is a bit of irony about my post when I thought about it: Am I being self-conscious? Interesting what a little introspection can do…
Comment # 3 left by Wade on January 20th, 2006
I served in the Arcadia California mission. The Area I was in was Glendora 5th ward If I recall correctly. My mind could be fuzzy on that point though.
Comment # 4 left by Ian on January 20th, 2006
Ah, I’m not too familiar with that area - although Ryan may be, he served his mission in the L.A. area too.
Comment # 5 left by Wade on January 20th, 2006
ehhhh Arcadia is not in the LA mission.. it’s almost as good but not quite
Comment # 6 left by Ryan on January 20th, 2006
Ha Ha.
We were boardering the LA mission. Dodger stadium was actually in one of my areas. We got to go into LA when we visited the temple and once for a regional confrence. I served from 06-08 btw.
Comment # 7 left by Ian on January 20th, 2006
06-08? You mean you’ve already served? Are you one of the 3 Nephites or something? I hear they can travel through time
I’m guessing you meant ‘96-’98.. I was ‘00-’02, I’m still just a child as it were.
As to Wade’s topic, although formally, we do not organize our sacrament meetings around the bashing of other churches, how much of it really goes on in our Elders Quorums and sunday schools and especially as missionaries, is it just a reflection of our self-consciousness as you suggest of other churches? Or is it less harmful because it isn’t “official”
Comment # 8 left by Ryan on January 20th, 2006
Yes, that’s what I meant 96-98. I must be getting old. lol.
I’m not sure that it’s less harmful because it is not official. By teaching or beleiving doctrines about other churches being “the church of the devil”, builds animosity toward them. I love the belief that all churces have good and that we can add to it.
To me, that is the most Christlike attitude I can think of regarding the issue.
Besides, didn’t Jesus say; “whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Comment # 9 left by Ian on January 21st, 2006
…how much of it really goes on in our Elders Quorums and sunday schools and especially as missionaries, is it just a reflection of our self-consciousness as you suggest of other churches? Or is it less harmful because it isn’t “official”
Yeah, I acknowledge that there is likely a lot of “unofficial” bashing of other churches. And yes, I would say that those who expend a lot of effort to tear down other religions are doing it primarily to establish a foundation for themselves (they don’t have a solid testimony). However, I would also say that there is a major difference between official and unofficial self-conscious religiousness!
Because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints doesn’t officially tear down other churches shows me, that as an organization, it has no interest in proving to the world which church has the real truth because it lets the truth speak for itself.
Comment # 10 left by Wade on January 23rd, 2006
I think a lot of Mormons are self conscious about there religion. There are countless books at Deseret i.e. “Day of Justice” and many others that are all dedicated to debating the anti’s pamphlets. As a missionary there we so many times that we ran across things and the first thing we did was to research things, and find a debate for it. That brings up another question when some one debates you when do you turn your cheek and when do you call them to repentance?
Comment # 11 left by Eric on January 23rd, 2006
I knew some missionaries that would love to debate. I knew others that would never debate. Perhaps it was a coincidence that the non-debaters were also the highest baptizing. At least in my experience.
Comment # 12 left by Ian on January 23rd, 2006
Perhaps it was a coincidence that the non-debaters were also the highest baptizing.
President Hinckley seems to think that the Book of Mormon does not need to be debated. I might suggest, by extension, that the church itself has no need for extensive defense either. I see the term “defense” as pertaining to Wade’s post because, as tehy say in football. The best defense is a good offense.
“The evidence for its truth, for its validity in a world that is prone to demand evidence, lies not in archaeology or anthropology, though these may be helpful to some. It lies not in word research or historical analysis, though these may be confirmatory. The evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself. The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. Reasonable people may sincerely question its origin; but those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true, that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel, that it “came forth by the gift and power of God … to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ” (Book of Mormon title page).”
Gordon B. Hinckley, “Four Cornerstones of Faith” (First Presidency message) Ensign, February 2004, 6.
To Eric’s question of turning the other cheek. On my mission I started by debating each little point but the longer I was out, the more I asked people about their purposes for debating with me. I think we turn the other cheek when they are just trying to prove us wrong and engage in conversation when the person seems to be an honest seeker of truth(whatever their prejudices towards the gospel)
I don’t have much to support that theory however, anyone have anything official?
Comment # 13 left by Ryan on January 23rd, 2006
nothing huh?
Comment # 14 left by Ryan on January 24th, 2006
I think we turn the other cheek when they are just trying to prove us wrong and engage in conversation when the person seems to be an honest seeker of truth(whatever their prejudices towards the gospel)
Perhaps the JST can offer some insight here?
The inspired translation of Luke 6:29 says, “And unto him who smiteth thee on the cheek, offer also the other; or, in other words, it is better to offer the other, than to revile again…”
Maybe I’m being too specific here, but isn’t it possible to “offer” someone one’s cheek but still ask them questions about their own beliefs? I have to confess, I loved debating religion on my mission. The only time I didn’t like it was when the interlocutor would get angry - but I usually was able to avoid those situations.
For the most part, I would calmly ask questions of those who wanted to debate or even riducule my beliefs. Invariably the question would put them into the defensive mode as they began to describe their own theories or what have you. From there I would describe my beliefs, point out how they differed and attempt to explain why the difference might be important.
In other words, I think the inspired version seems to say that as long as you aren’t “reviling” in response, it is okay to debate. After I got over my own self-consciousness in relation to my religion (this was after the first year), I was able to usually not attack/revile.
Comment # 15 left by Wade on January 24th, 2006
You can make your own custom images on http://www.customsigngenerator.com too.
Comment # 16 left by Crisis Plan on February 7th, 2006