Why Mormons Have No Idea How to Implement Christlike Values

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Not Buying It
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Why Mormons Have No Idea How to Implement Christlike Values

Post by Not Buying It » Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:02 am

Well, OK, some of them can, let's be fair. But when I look at the reports of some of the insensitive things said in Conference this past weekend (didn't waste a single second of my life listening to it, lucky me), when I see the flags in prominent members' yards supporting a candidate I don't need to name who is the exact opposite of every single thing Christ ever taught us to be (isn't it telling I don't have to tell you which one I'm referring to?), when I think of the horrible things I have seen and heard and even done myself in the name of the Church over the years, it becomes very clear to me.

Mormons can't implement Christlike values in the real world because the most important value the Church teaches them is that the Church is always right. Everything else is window dressing. The one, firm, unyielding, overriding consideration in everything is fealty to the Church.

Mormons are not taught to exercise agency in applying Christlike values to their interactions with the world around them. They are taught unwavering obedience to an arbitrary set of rules as a show of loyalty and unquestioned devotion to the Church. They struggle with anything that falls outside of the black and white rules the Church gives them, and have a difficult time using their moral compass with anything that doesn't have a rule from the Church attached to it.

The question is never "What would Jesus do?" The question is always "What does the Church want me to do?" And if the Church is silent on something, they struggle with having a moral framework to guide their decision making.

Which is why I will always object to those who say at least the Church teaches good values. It doesn't do that so much as it teaches members to value the Church.
"The truth is elegantly simple. The lie needs complex apologia. 4 simple words: Joe made it up. It answers everything with the perfect simplicity of Occam's Razor. Every convoluted excuse withers." - Some guy on Reddit called disposazelph

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Red Ryder
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Re: Why Mormons Have No Idea How to Implement Christlike Values

Post by Red Ryder » Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:57 am

Isn’t it ironic?

I also skipped conference but had the misfortune to eat meatloaf with the in laws for Sunday dinner last night.

Mother in law starts to talk about her personal revelation she received during conference. “I had the thought to question my life to determine if I was racist and realized that I’m not racist. I believe in God, who is not racist, therefore I am not racist??” She seemed to have to reassure herself and once she tied herself back to the church she was reassured.

Now to be fair, she isn’t really racist, but fails to see the inherent racism we all have engrained like the disgust of dirty people at Wal-mart, or the fear that moves you to lock your car doors, or the comments about immigration.

Then there’s the support for all the crooked political candidates in both sides of the aisle, the never ending homophobia, the rants against over sexualized media content, and on and on.

You perfectly explained why it happens here:
“Not Buying It” wrote: Mormons are not taught to exercise agency in applying Christlike values to their interactions with the world around them. They are taught unwavering obedience to an arbitrary set of rules as a show of loyalty and unquestioned devotion to the Church. They struggle with anything that falls outside of the black and white rules the Church gives them, and have a difficult time using their moral compass with anything that doesn't have a rule from the Church attached to it.
Great post and insight into the mind of Mormons.
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Not Buying It
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Re: Why Mormons Have No Idea How to Implement Christlike Values

Post by Not Buying It » Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:13 am

Red Ryder wrote:
Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:57 am
Isn’t it ironic?

I also skipped conference but had the misfortune to eat meatloaf with the in laws for Sunday dinner last night.

Mother in law starts to talk about her personal revelation she received during conference. “I had the thought to question my life to determine if I was racist and realized that I’m not racist. I believe in God, who is not racist, therefore I am not racist??” She seemed to have to reassure herself and once she tied herself back to the church she was reassured.

Now to be fair, she isn’t really racist, but fails to see the inherent racism we all have engrained like the disgust of dirty people at Wal-mart, or the fear that moves you to lock your car doors, or the comments about immigration.

Then there’s the support for all the crooked political candidates in both sides of the aisle, the never ending homophobia, the rants against over sexualized media content, and on and on.

You perfectly explained why it happens here:
“Not Buying It” wrote: Mormons are not taught to exercise agency in applying Christlike values to their interactions with the world around them. They are taught unwavering obedience to an arbitrary set of rules as a show of loyalty and unquestioned devotion to the Church. They struggle with anything that falls outside of the black and white rules the Church gives them, and have a difficult time using their moral compass with anything that doesn't have a rule from the Church attached to it.
Great post and insight into the mind of Mormons.
I find your mother-in-law's reaction very interesting. The Church serves to reassure her she isn't racist and doesn't need to change - she is following the Church, the Church is led by God, God isn't racist, therefore she isn't racist. As you point out, that blinds a person to all of the unconscious biases, behaviors, and attitudes that aren't recognized as racist but that still keep our black brothers and sisters down. Most of the things that keep blacks at a disadvantage in our country are perpetuated by white people who would never consider themselves racist - but the kind of approach your mother-in-law is taking keeps that from ever changing.

And the Church itself isn't much help , of course, because it engaged in blatant formal racial discrimination for years with the priesthood ban, and yet has convinced itself and its members that it isn't racist and never was. By refusing to acknowledge the racism of its past, it hobbles any efforts to fight the racism of the present, because it gaslights members into thinking that which was clearly racist isn't, so why even worry about the more subtle racism you can't see? When the racism right there in front of your face isn't called racism, you have little hope of changing the more subtle forms that aren't as visible.
"The truth is elegantly simple. The lie needs complex apologia. 4 simple words: Joe made it up. It answers everything with the perfect simplicity of Occam's Razor. Every convoluted excuse withers." - Some guy on Reddit called disposazelph

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alas
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Re: Why Mormons Have No Idea How to Implement Christlike Values

Post by alas » Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:17 am

I knew I could come on NOM the day after conference and find some real wisdom.

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deacon blues
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Re: Why Mormons Have No Idea How to Implement Christlike Values

Post by deacon blues » Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:38 am

One can believe that God isn’t racist but that Church definitely was, and to some degree still is.
Or one can believe that the Church is god, which requires a lot of denial and rationalization
God is Love. God is Truth. The greatest problem with organized religion is that the organization becomes god, rather than a means of serving God.

Mackman
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Re: Why Mormons Have No Idea How to Implement Christlike Values

Post by Mackman » Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:45 am

Great post, I can relate to all of it.

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2bizE
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Re: Why Mormons Have No Idea How to Implement Christlike Values

Post by 2bizE » Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:00 pm

Whenever I hear the Mormon leaders talking about not being racist, I can’t stop thinking about a KKK leader explaining how they are no longer against black people....it’s just in my head...it will take more than a few words to change what is rattling inside my head...maybe a heartfelt apology would help...
~2bizE

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