COV For Sunday 29 June

Here is the delayed COV for Sunday 29 June. I am sorry for the delay, this was due to Yahoo not showing me the contents of any emails!

Still, I have managed to work out a way around this and here we are:-

First up Kita Kazoo:

http://locokazoo.com/2008/06/26/answers-about-mormon-oddities/

“Mormons believe in modern prophecy. During the cold war, starting with the Cuban Missile Crisis, Mormon leaders counseled their followers to store food and other items for survival in case of nuclear holocaust. I find it strange that they continue to do so when there has been nothing to indicate the need for this now.”

Runtu's Rincon strikes up with the following interesting post on his blog:-

http://runtu.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/providing-context/

“I came across this interesting paragraph in the current LDS priesthood/Relief Society manual Teachings of Joseph Smith in a lesson about apostasy (I may write more about this lesson later):

As that year [1837] wore on, a spirit of apostasy grew among some of the Saints in Kirtland. Some members became proud, greedy, and disobedient to the commandments. Some blamed Church leaders for economic problems caused by the failure of a Kirtland financial institution established by Church members.”

(Matt: Yes... Church members did that! Hmmm...)

And from my own blog this time I respond to the comments from Aaron

“These are the comments Aaron made on my Mormonism and MLM post:

"I think you're on to something here. Some of your info is off target.”

http://notamormon.blogspot.com/2008/06/aarons-interesting-points.html

Aaron does not agree with me. And I asked him to provide evidence. If Aaron reads this post, perhaps he will reply.

And from CV Rick Pancakes

http://www.cvrick.com/cv_rick/2007/03/pancakes.html

“Separate two eggs very carefully. I use the shells, breaking the eggs in half with a single smack against a glass bowl, you really want to use glass for this, plastic or aluminum just won't work.”

And that's it for now. See you next time with your contribution!

And for some reason, Blogger steadfastly refused to upload the COV image! Oh, well. Maybe it will work in two weeks time!

Aaron's interesting points

These are the comments Aaron made on my Mormonism and MLM post:

"I think you're on to something here. Some of your info is off target.

Yes, Mormons have poor among them. No, we are not all poor.
And (after ten years as a financial clerk and auditor in the LDS church), I can certify that tithing is not what makes the poor mormons poor. That's a topic for another day.

The idea that the church deliberately keeps its members poor is also broken by the fact that Mormons are actually wealthier than most other religions, on a per-person basis. (If you take the top ten Judeo-Christian religions in the US, Mormons are #2 behind the Jews).

Also, on a much smaller point, the Mormon directive on tithing is does not define whether the 10% is before or after taxes.

But you are on to something here - the 'promise' of MLMs does always seem to be attractive to the poorer part of the population in general, and specifically to poor mormons. Why the typical poor mormon fails to demonstrate the same amount of skepticism towards an MLM 'opportunity' as, say, a typical poor catholic is well worth exploring. Perhaps they're just trying to keep up with their peers, the wealthy mormons, or perhaps the evangelical nature of the religion has created level of self esteem and faith (or whatever you'd like to call it) that overcomes fear of rejection.

By the way, the church also explicitly discourages taking state-based welfare and it discourages dishonesty, including with government program. So if you've been in a ward where those types of trashy behavior are rampant, I'm very sorry for the example you were exposed to, but it is not a reflection of the church's teachings or policies, implicit or explicit. People do tend to go astray in groups."

I have asked Aaron for evidence for his claims.

His last point is interesting. Because when the LDS Welfare programme was virtually halted in the UK 10 to 15 years ago, church members who were working for their LDS welfare payments were TOLD by the leadership that they must all go on to the government Social Security programme and get state assistance.

It seems that Mormonism is not quite the stable structure that Aaron fondly imagines it to be.

COV for Sunday June 16

Hi! Sorry about the delay in publication:- This was due to a download of new anti-virus software taking four hours!

First off CV Rick

http://www.cvrick.com/cv_rick/2008/05/saturday-meme---glad-im-not-mormon.html

“This is for all my ex-Mormon buddies out there and for those non-Mormons who've read my blog and realized that they grew up more sane and well-adjusted than any Mormon.

Why are you glad you're not Mormon...”

Now South Bay Soliloquies for the Soul

http://south-bay-soliloquies.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-guess-youll-do.html

“I recently had a conversation with my mom over the phone regarding the college class I'm taking online. . . .”

(MATT: And it goes downhill from there on in, as they often do, sadly...)

And next is Fiddley Gomme's contribution:

http://fiddley.com/archive/200806/just-give-it-back-and-i-promise-i-wont-call-ins

“Damn, but I was gonna take the sweetest shot of the flag on the front porch with the dusk moon in the sky behind it last night. Into the house I went to grab the camera bag from the sofa table. Not on the sofa table. Up to the bedroom to get the camera bag from the bedside table. I mean, out to the car where I left my camera bag. Err... what? It's not in the car?”

MATT: A similar thing happened to me. With a company camera. Arghhh! Sorry. But I do sort of feel your pain, here...)

And now my contribution.

http://notamormon.blogspot.com/2008/06/they-do-not-like-it-but-tough.html

“The official Mormon Church really does not like it when people call members of the FLDS Mormons.

Well, that's just too bad! For, in reality, members of the FLDS have just as much right to be called Mormons as the members of the LDS church. After all, don't both churches consider Smith and Young as their founders?”

That's it, for this time.

Two weeks time, we'll do it all again. With different stuff, obviously...

They do not like it... but tough!..

The official Mormon Church really does not like it when people call members of the FLDS Mormons.

Well, that's just too bad! For, in reality, members of the FLDS have just as much right to be called Mormons as the members of the LDS church. After all, don't both churches consider Smith and Young as their founders?

And, if one considers the point a little, surely as Smith and Young both preached and practised polygamy, a practice the LDS church abandoned, yet is still fully embraced by the FLDS church, this would mean that, in essence, the FLDS is closer to the church of the founders (Smith and Young) than that of the modern LDS church?

This is the official LDS position on polygamy:-
"SALT LAKE CITY 24 April 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reiterates that it has no affiliation whatsoever with any polygamous groups, including the polygamous sect in Eldorado, Texas. The Church discontinued polygamy officially in 1890, but more than a century later some news and Internet reports fail to draw clear distinctions between the Church and practicing polygamous sects."

Well, that's not actually true, is it? There are credible reports of officially sanctioned polygamous marriages well into the 20th century. so if there are still references made to Mormon polygamy, perhaps this is because the Mormon church played fast and lose with polygamy for several decades after the official deceleration in 1890?

It is not possible for Mormons to distance themselves from Polygamy. Especially when their own sacred scriptures (D&C) still refer to Polygamy as an official doctrine of the Mormon Church.

Expunge polygamy from the D&C and you might have something, Mormons. But until then your protests cut no ice with ordinary people, who are not Mormons, who know full well the links between Mormonism and polygamy.

The NSCFC launches Support & Advice for Existing or Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses

The charity...National Society for Children and Family Contact (NSCFC) now extends its Free and Confidential service in support of the long-term effects and sufferings of existing and ex-Jehovah's Witnesses.

An increasingly concerning cause of Family Breakdown of an insidious nature is the result of the affiliation of at least one Family Member to this powerfully controlling religious Organisation.

1/ Any religious organisation that separates Family Members using Mind Control via fear of ostracism and everlasting death must be challenged in the best interest of The Children, Family Life and Society as a whole.

2/ Dictating an individual's Human Right to contact with family members, especially The Children, clearly threatens the bonds, unity and natural love within the family Unit.

3/ The resulting Damage is so great that many adults, teenagers and children continue to feel the emotional and psychological effects long after successfully pulling away from such an Organisation.

For this reason we have brought onboard ex-members all of whom have vast experience in how best to face, overcome and survive subtle mind control albeit mental, emotional or physical, which can and does include child abuse and other unlawful acts, the like of which is covered up by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (WTBTS) Headquarter secrecy dictates, to the exclusion of the police and local authorities and well documented as such worldwide. Suffice to say, we want to expose any form of child abuse be it sexual or otherwise.

We wish to provide assistance to victims who have been molested as children and silenced from speaking out or seeking proper assistance as directed by any religious authority. So please, if you were, are and know of any such victim or perpetrator, then why not help yourself and or save others also, for indeed just as it is written “the truth will set you free”. Please Contact Us Online or Phone 0870 794 0075

National Society for Children and Family Contact (NSCFC) is a registered charity which believes that continuing contact with a child’s parents or extended family after separation or divorce is vital for the child’s balanced development and it works tirelessly to foster those all-important family contacts. As such we offer free support and advice to all those in need. Helpline at National rate on 0870 794 0075 or at www.nscfc.com

From someone who spent 45yrs as a JW and now an Ex member since 1999.

Kind regards

Mike Ellis

Chairman: “National Society for Children and Family Contact”.

Tel: UK 0870 794 0075

www.nscfc.com

COV for Sunday 1 June 2008

Firstly let's kick of with the following email

I saw your note for great sites to add that are ExMormon.

Here's a great one for you:

www.ExMormonConnect.com

** It is a social networking site for exmormons [dating, family connections, friends, playdates for kids, professional services, classified ads, events, etc]. It seems really cool/

Thanks,

RH

Thank you, RH. I'll add that to the list.

Next a blog entry from South Bay Soliloquies

http://south-bay-soliloquies.blogspot.com/2008/05/check-out-this-idiot.html

“Teen Alex Phillips puts girlfriend's nude shots on MySpace: Child Porn?

I definitely believe the charges on the guy should stand. Hopefully he spends his sixteen years productively doing something positive to turn his life around. We know his English skills need improvement.”

And next some very special art work from Sister Mary Lisa:

http://sistermarylisa.blogspot.com/

A fantastic piece of art and also “Focus on the Family”, which is the next post down.

My own post is in reply to one of those: “Why do you bother attacking the Mormon Church?” posts.

If these posts are rude or obscene I ignore them and delete them. I can't see why I should bother to help some poor Mormon break the rules of their own church! However, the response in this instance was not in the least ruse or obscene, so I have decided to answer the question in my blog.

http://notamormon.blogspot.com/2008/05/answer-to-this-is-just-me.html

And now some shameless self-promotion! The book is nearing completion. It will consist of extracts from this blog and some original material.

At least at first it will be sold as an e-book. I am thinking of charging about $2 to $4 for it. It will run to about 30,000 words.

See you in two weeks time!