Tag Archives: morality

System of right and wrong. Church claims moral authority.

A Loving God?

When deconstructing religious beliefs, examining whether the God we’ve been taught to worship and admire is indeed as loving as we think is on the table for many. Christianity teaches that “God is Love,” but examining scriptural narratives reveals inconsistencies in this portrayal, especially concerning God’s actions as a parental figure. Here are several examples …

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“Thus the mildest criticism of religion is also the most radical and the most devastating one. Religion is man-made. Even the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets or redeemers or gurus actually said or did. Still less can they hope to tell us the "meaning" of later discoveries and developments which were, when they began, either obstructed by their religions or denounced by them. And yet—the believers still claim to know! Not just to know, but to know everything. Not just to know that god exists, and that he created and supervised the whole enterprise, but also to know what "he" demands of us—from our diet to our observances to our sexual morality. In other words, in a vast and complicated discussion where we know more and more about less and less, yet can still hope for some enlightenment as we proceed, one faction—itself composed of mutually warring factions—has the sheer arrogance to tell us that we already have all the essential information we need. Such stupidity, combined with such pride, should be enough on its own to exclude "belief "from the debate. The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species. It may be a long farewell, but it has begun and, like all farewells, should not be protracted.” Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011), Author and Journalist, God is Not Great, p.10-11 | wasmormon.org
“Thus the mildest criticism of religion is also the most radical and the most devastating one. Religion is man-made. Even the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets or redeemers or gurus actually said or did. Still less can they hope to tell us the "meaning" of later discoveries and developments which were, when they began, either obstructed by their religions or denounced by them. And yet—the believers still claim to know! Not just to know, but to know everything. Not just to know that god exists, and that he created and supervised the whole enterprise, but also to know what "he" demands of us—from our diet to our observances to our sexual morality. In other words, in a vast and complicated discussion where we know more and more about less and less, yet can still hope for some enlightenment as we proceed, one faction—itself composed of mutually warring factions—has the sheer arrogance to tell us that we already have all the essential information we need. Such stupidity, combined with such pride, should be enough on its own to exclude "belief "from the debate. The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species. It may be a long farewell, but it has begun and, like all farewells, should not be protracted.”Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011), Author and Journalist, God is Not Great, p.10-11

Religion and Tribes

The LDS Church is Just Another Man-Made Religion One of the hardest truths to face when stepping back from Mormonism is this: The LDS Church is just a man-made religion, no more divinely authoritative than any other. That sentence alone might feel heavy, especially for a “true believing Mormon” (TBM). It cuts directly against the …

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“The legality of the council's action in suppressing the Expositor depends upon the nature of the charges in the Expositor... some of the charges involve facts that are essentially undisputed... Politics. The Expositor's general complaints about the union of the authority of church and state in Nauvoo were essentially true... Religion. The same can be said of the Expositor's charges that Joseph Smith was teaching false religious doctrines, notably polygamy. Morality.... Whether the charges were true or false, they were malicious, scandalous, and defamatory.” - Dallin H. Oaks, “The Suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor,” Utah Law Review, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1965 | wasmormon.org
“The legality of the council's action in suppressing the Expositor depends upon the nature of the charges in the Expositor... some of the charges involve facts that are essentially undisputed... Politics. The Expositor's general complaints about the union of the authority of church and state in Nauvoo were essentially true... Religion. The same can be said of the Expositor's charges that Joseph Smith was teaching false religious doctrines, notably polygamy. Morality.... Whether the charges were true or false, they were malicious, scandalous, and defamatory.” - Dallin H. Oaks, “The Suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor,” Utah Law Review, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1965

Leadership Suppress Dissenfecting Light – The Nauvoo Expositor

On June 7, 1844, a bold and short-lived newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor published its first—and only—issue in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was created by former Mormon insiders who could no longer remain silent. They leveled charges against Joseph Smith, including abuse of power, political tyranny, and most explosively, his secret polygamy. The Nauvoo Expositor printed …

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Distorted Reality

Religious zealotry distorts reality by imposing rigid, dogmatic worldviews that demand absolute obedience. High-demand religions, like Mormonism, instill a black-and-white perspective where faithfulness equates to righteousness, and doubt or dissent signals moral failure. This absolutism fosters an “us vs. them” mentality, making it nearly impossible for devout believers to see those who leave as anything …

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“[E]very thing is useful which contributes to fix us in the principles and practice of virtue. When any act of charity or of gratitude, for instance, is presented either to our sight or imagination, we are deeply impressed with its beauty and feel a strong desire in ourselves of doing charitable and grateful acts also. [I ask whether] the fidelity and generosity (of some fiction books) do not dilate [the reader's] breast, and elevate his sentiments as much as any similar incident which real history can furnish? Does he not in fact feel himself a better man while reading them, and privately covenant to copy the fair example?” - Thomas Jefferson (1771) | wasmormon.org
“[E]very thing is useful which contributes to fix us in the principles and practice of virtue. When any act of charity or of gratitude, for instance, is presented either to our sight or imagination, we are deeply impressed with its beauty and feel a strong desire in ourselves of doing charitable and grateful acts also. [I ask whether] the fidelity and generosity (of some fiction books) do not dilate [the reader's] breast, and elevate his sentiments as much as any similar incident which real history can furnish? Does he not in fact feel himself a better man while reading them, and privately covenant to copy the fair example?” - Thomas Jefferson (1771)

Mark E Petersen, LGBT Are Worthy of Death

Over time, the LDS Church’s perspective on homosexuality evolved from a stance of subdued disapproval to one of pronounced institutional homophobia. In the 1950s, church leaders increasingly characterized homosexuality as both a crime and a treatable mental disorder. In 1968, they further intensified their stance by including “homosexual acts” as grounds for excommunication, effectively aiming …

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Reversing the November Policy

The 2015 November Policy of Exclusion The November Policy of Exclusion, or the LDS Church policy to ban LGBT, was a controversial policy change by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in November 2015. This policy update was initially leaked to the public and was later officially confirmed by the LDS Church. The …

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60 Minutes: Gordon B. Hinckley Interview Transcript

The following is the transcript of the interview with Gordon B Hinckley, LDS Church President, Bill Marriott, Marriott Executive, Orrin Hatch, Utah Senator, Steve Young, Professional Football Player and an unnamed BYU Student. The original segment aired on April 7, 1996.

Personal Mormon Faith Crisis Report – Summary & Potential Next Steps

The report concludes with suggestions the mormon church can take to mitigate the further loss of members due to a faith crisis. This report shows that the church leaders are well aware of the fact that members are leaving and why they are leaving and shows us insight into how the church thinks it can plug this membership leak.