Opinion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

[pogo stick]

Positive. Good people. But their religion is creepy.

[Earth]

Neutral.

[Communists For McCain]

An abomination.

What else should I call a religion that endorses the practice of showing up at my house at 9am while I'm suffering a massive hangover just to share the Word of God? I mean what the hell?! Seriously! No offense to God believers here but if someone wakes me up from an alcohol induced sleep it better be for a damn good reason like to tell me I just won the Lotto or some crap like that. I could excuse all of their fundamentalist beliefs, but nobody wakes Mech up from a raging hangover, NOBODY DAMN IT!

[Vasall des Midas]

But one of the most interesting religions out there.  Certainly, in my opinion, the only truly "American" religion.

Hardly. Pentecostalism and the Nation of Islam would disagree.

Until 1978 black people were not allowed to have the priesthood.  According to Joseph Smith, black people could not choose between following Jesus and following Satan in the pre-existence.

Although the practice of excluding Blacks from full membership was only invented under Young. (The LDS was also committed to Abolution of slavery in the 1840s, btw.)

The early Mormons also had a strong interest in converting Native Americans, again based on some part of the Book of Mormon that gives Native Americans an exalted place in the theology. The United States Government's hostility to Mormonism in the later 19th century - the very era when it was most interested in promoting Christianity among Native Americans - thwarted them in this field, though. Still, there are a few heavily Mormon reservations out there.

They are actually worse because the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price have no proof whatsoever.

Hmm? At least the Book of Mormon was written down at the time it was revealed by the Angel Moroni, and can be proven not to have changed since. Just like the Quran, but unlike the Bible.

(voted negative)

[I left.]

I have a negative opinion of the church, but I admire Mormons in a weird way.

[War on Want]

The LDS church is creepy, annoying and bigoted but Mormons themselves are very nice people. I voted negative but I have to say hating Mormons in some ways is backwards. Most Mormons do not treat their women like cattle, or parade around hating gays. In fact I hear more defense of gays from Mormons in Idaho, than from evangelicals.

[Magic 8-Ball]

I can't comment on the LDS's tenets, as my knowledge of it is fairly rudimentary.  Having found the Mormons I've encountered to be very kind and almost freakishly friendly, I'm inclined to vote positive.  Maybe it's a ruse? 

[Swedish Cheese]

I do not approve of the church and the religion itself, but mormons from my experience are mostly very good people, and in some ways I have to admit I kind of admire them as well. Still their faith is pretty insane.

 

[True Federalist]

Individual Mormons - Generally positive

The Church itself - Very negative

The Book of Mormon as a supposed historical record is clearly contradicted by the archaeological evidence.  It's not even possible to make the argument that can be made for the sacred writings of most religious texts for which literal interpretation is contradicted by archaeological or other scientific texts that the account was somehow garbled by time or is allegory.

[Communists For McCain]

An abomination.

What else should I call a religion that endorses the practice of showing up at my house at 9am while I'm suffering a massive hangover just to share the Word of God? I mean what the hell?! Seriously! No offense to God believers here but if someone wakes me up from an alcohol induced sleep it better be for a damn good reason like to tell me I just won the Lotto or some crap like that. I could excuse all of their fundamentalist beliefs, but nobody wakes Mech up from a raging hangover, NOBODY DAMN IT!

Whoops, that was Jehovah's Witnesses.

I'd probably say FF for polygamy, HP for their other psycho beliefs (black people are the descendants of Shem, what?)

[Storebought]

As a theology: Suspect. But true conclusions can arise from false premises, so the sordid beginnings (and middles) of Mormon theology cannot be used to disprove the veracity of its current teachings.

As a population: A time machine. Mormons are what Yankees would be if they never encountered Transcendentalism.

Reply to Ernest: New archaelogical evidence from SC shows that there was a race of humanity living in the Americas who predated the arrival of modern American Indians from Siberia. I am still skeptical of it, though.

[J. J.]

While I doubt there origins are legitimate, they seem, today like good people.  Positive.

[JSojourner]

Generally very negative.  But I need to be honest and say this is based largely on past history.  I know no Mormons personally and wish I did.  Usually, when you know someone and break bread with them, you see them in a much more favorable light.

I find their theology errant, but I am sure they would say the same of mine.