I met a mormon!

[dave_littler]

So the other day, I had my first encounter with a Mormon. Mormons are pretty rare here in BC, and for most British Columbians, our main exposure to them is reading about that Mormon splinter group that lives up in the mountains and still practices polygamy, and so I’ve sort of wanted to have a chance to play with one of them for some time now.

Comments

[dwaleberry]

Nicely done, good sir.

[dave_littler]

That's how I do things.

I do them well.

[morgian_le_faye]

I'm surprised that you only ran into one. They always come in twos in America.

[dave_littler]

There were actually three of them wandering around, but the other two seemed content to let this Elder kid handle the situation on his own.

[morgian_le_faye]

Ah... yeah, they travel in twos here, and if I see them on the quad, I pick a different route to my building. I am not a fan of getting all riled up before class because then I don't pay much attention.

[dave_littler]

Ah, for me, I got anything BUT riled up. I just had fun with the poor kid. I'd been hoping for an encounter like this for a long time. I almost never see christian street preachers who will actually engage with me, so I have all these arguments and such bubbling around in my head that never seem to actually find expression in what I will chucklingly call a "useful" situation like this.

For me, this was sort of a release of pressure in that sense.

[mercury_shadow]

This gave me a good chuckle!

There's a Mormon church literally around the corner of my house (I'm surprised they don't come around more). Last time they were at my door I had an interesting conversation, however, not nearly as long or well argued as yours.

It went something along the lines of them starting off their speech introducing themselves, asking me if I believe in god, etc. etc. I told them that I didn't believe in god. They then asked, if I did not believe in god, what did I believe in? I told them that I didn't believe in any supernatural beings.

They then went on to ask, "If you do not believe in any god, do you believe we have a soul?" I told them I did not think we had a soul, so they asked, "If that's the case, what do you think happens to us after we die?" I replied with, "Well, we get buried in the ground and rot, end of story.". They told me I had a grim outlook on life, and then told me to have a good day and left.

[dave_littler]

I've heard that sort of sentiment expressed by a lot of christians in similar situations, that our refusal to accept their fairy-tale nonsense was somehow "grim" or "nihilistic" or whatever. To me, that's always come across as absurd.

I mean, is accepting the idea that I'll never have twelve legs grim and nihilistic? Is accepting the idea that I cannot fly on my own power and without external apparatus grim and nihilistic? Is accepting the fact that I'm not a thousand foot tall dinosaur grim and nihilistic?

Poppycock, I say. Accepting the idea that you do not and are not going to have amazing magical powers is neither grim NOR nihilistic; it's just a rational observation. They only think it's either because they start off their analysis from a point of pure fantasy, from which point of view, reality seems grim only because of their inflated and unrealistic expectations.

[paul_reeve]

I'm willing to vote that accepting the fact that you're not a thousand foot-tall dinosaur is grim and nihilistic. You should never give up on your dreams.

[dave_littler]

I have a theory on this sort of behaviour

[dave_littler]

I've had that conversation, too. Talking about pagans in non-christian lands, where missionaries are being sent, and all that. Are not the missionaries in effect going around and spreading damnation to every villager they fail to convert? Aren't they doing more harm than good?

But that sort of concept of empathy or expanded moral responsibility seldom occurs to people like this.

[nerdfury]

Perfectly executed! The seeds of doubt have been planted, and your young friend there will, in time, be raising hell by drinking alcohol and accepting blood transfusions!

[dave_littler]

It's actually the equally-crazy-but-unrelated Jehova's Witnesses who refuse blood transfusions, because of the biblical prohibition against drinking human blood, which these idiots have self-destructively misinterpreted as a prohibition against having it injected into them, apparently unable to discern the difference between drinking and injecting.

These people. I swear.

[nerdfury]

Mormons as well, but that's at least what a Mormon friend of mine here in Australia's advised me. Though he also says that most Mormons aren't 'that hardcore' and will toss up the idea of saving life versus crazy Mormon law and go for saving life. Same goes for "Hmm, do I let the guy put someone else's heart in me or do I die because some book says I shouldn't do it? Er, sorry God, but I kinda like living!"

[nerdfury]

As an "inactive" mormon (church member terminology) myself, I can tell you your friend has either been misinformed somewhere along the line, or he's just playing with you. There is no doctrine stating LDS members can not have blood transfusions or organ transplants, 'hardcore' or otherwise.

PS. sorry for the anon comment, Mr. Jitter. Been a fan of yours for some time now, and thought I'd jump in on this slightly related topic to address some misconceptions.