Why do I gain the impression that with Mormonism it is all about the money? Again, cleaners and caretakers at branches and wards are being sacked and replaced with members 'called' to be cleaners and caretakers.
And the UK sales centre is being closed and centralised in Continental Europe. That's like the US, Canada and Central America all being run from the same central location. It will almost certainly not work.
Yet on the other hand, we see shopping malls, luxury hotels, etc, etc, being built with money from the Mormon church!
What IS happening? What IS going on?
Is The Mormon church morphing into a multilevel marketing real estate concern that has less and less to do with the cult that Joseph Smith founded?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Matt meets the Mormons and gives 'em what for!
Yesterday, I had a good day. I had visited my doctor (yes, on a Saturday and for free) and gone to pay the gas and electricity bill (finally sorted out after a great deal of effort) I'd met my Managing Director and one of his children on the way back from Football practice (that's soccer, if anyone wonders) and I was almost at home having had a glorious walk in some surprisingly warm September sunshine when I was almost home when my heart sank. Oh, no! Mormon missionaries!
It was the overaggressive deadly duo I had had a run in with several weeks previously.
They have a very annoying way of approaching people on the street. They had just been told "no" by someone and switched their attention to a woman walking through a small park area at the side of the pavement (sidewalk). "Can we share our message with you?" said the more aggressive one. "No! Thank you" she said, firmly but politely.
"Oh!" He shouted at her, rudely. "So you don't believe in God?!"
I looked at his companion, who was heading towards me, a look of fervour in his eyes. "He's still very presumptive, isn't he?" I said.
Companion said: "Can we share a message with you about..." I cut him off by saying: No, thank you!"
He continued to drone on, giving me his sales script. I repeated myself. It made not a jot of difference. He went on and on.
At this point I lost my temper, somewhat. I said, very loudly: "I have said NO! I quite like the word no! It's short and to the point. It only has one syllable and two letters. N and O. I wonder which part of that rather short word you seem to have trouble grasping?"
At this point a man out walking his dog let out a snort of laughter.
The companion then said: "Well, if you are not interested in us sharing our message, perhaps you might know some people who would be interested in us sharing our message with them?"
I shouted: My God! It's like being assaulted by a religious salesman in the street! Please! Just go away! I am NOT interested!"
He then said: "Have a nice day!" To which I replied: "Yes, you have a nice day, too."
It was clear they were beyond reason and beyond debate or argument. My parents became Mormons in 1966. Throughout that time as a TBM and an exmo I have met many Mormon missionaries from all over the world from all types of backgrounds. I can honestly say I have never met a more dense and self-centred pair of plonkers as these.
Are they playing a game? Seeing how many people they can enrage?
It was the overaggressive deadly duo I had had a run in with several weeks previously.
They have a very annoying way of approaching people on the street. They had just been told "no" by someone and switched their attention to a woman walking through a small park area at the side of the pavement (sidewalk). "Can we share our message with you?" said the more aggressive one. "No! Thank you" she said, firmly but politely.
"Oh!" He shouted at her, rudely. "So you don't believe in God?!"
I looked at his companion, who was heading towards me, a look of fervour in his eyes. "He's still very presumptive, isn't he?" I said.
Companion said: "Can we share a message with you about..." I cut him off by saying: No, thank you!"
He continued to drone on, giving me his sales script. I repeated myself. It made not a jot of difference. He went on and on.
At this point I lost my temper, somewhat. I said, very loudly: "I have said NO! I quite like the word no! It's short and to the point. It only has one syllable and two letters. N and O. I wonder which part of that rather short word you seem to have trouble grasping?"
At this point a man out walking his dog let out a snort of laughter.
The companion then said: "Well, if you are not interested in us sharing our message, perhaps you might know some people who would be interested in us sharing our message with them?"
I shouted: My God! It's like being assaulted by a religious salesman in the street! Please! Just go away! I am NOT interested!"
He then said: "Have a nice day!" To which I replied: "Yes, you have a nice day, too."
It was clear they were beyond reason and beyond debate or argument. My parents became Mormons in 1966. Throughout that time as a TBM and an exmo I have met many Mormon missionaries from all over the world from all types of backgrounds. I can honestly say I have never met a more dense and self-centred pair of plonkers as these.
Are they playing a game? Seeing how many people they can enrage?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
RFM Board should be back on line, soon!
Eric, Susan, CZ and several other people have been working very hard to try to put right the dreadful situation that was not of their making.
The board should be back up and running by the weekend.
Dee you there!
PS... Eric, isn't it time RFM had a Paypal account sorted out for donations? Just a thought!
The board should be back up and running by the weekend.
Dee you there!
PS... Eric, isn't it time RFM had a Paypal account sorted out for donations? Just a thought!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Tabloid: The documentary of Joyce McKinney and Kirk Anderson
In the mid-1970s the UK was rocked by the sensational story of how Joyce McKinney, a very intelligent University graduate and beauty queen had come to Britain and kidnapped and had a Mormon missionary, Kirk Anderson, chained to a bed in a remote cottage and forced him to have sexual intercourse with her. She absconded and was tried in her absence and found guilty.
Famed US film maker Errol Morris has made a film about her. In this extract he talks about Joyce McKinney:-
Famed US film maker Errol Morris has made a film about her. In this extract he talks about Joyce McKinney:-
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Kettle, meet kettle! Video of a kettle plus a moral message
I will show you a video of a very special kettle. When it was turned off, it shone with a blue light. When it was heating the water it had a very dramatic red light. When it had reached the boiling point, it turned itself off and reverted to the blue light.
My wife just pointed out that the kettle, although very pretty, only lasted for 12 weeks.
Isn't that like Mormonism? It looks shiny and special, yet pretty soon it fails and you find out that all is not well!
My wife just pointed out that the kettle, although very pretty, only lasted for 12 weeks.
Isn't that like Mormonism? It looks shiny and special, yet pretty soon it fails and you find out that all is not well!
Thursday, September 09, 2010
RFM Board to be back on line soon
Sadly, when the ISP that has always looked after the RFM Board and website decided to upgrade their systems, they managed to 'break' the RFM Board.
There were severe problems that meant that RFM had no other option but to suspend the operation of the board until a new system could be put into operation.
This should happen either today or certainly by the weekend.
Visit www.exmormon.org to check out the board status.
There were severe problems that meant that RFM had no other option but to suspend the operation of the board until a new system could be put into operation.
This should happen either today or certainly by the weekend.
Visit www.exmormon.org to check out the board status.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
What has happened at the RFM Board?
Does anyone know what's happened over on the RFM Board?
It's still down after the Sunday break and it is now Tuesday evening.
I hope nothing serious is wrong.
If I can help (even though I am over here in the UK) please email me matt_exmo@yahoo.co.uk.
There have been problems with the board due to technical problems with the ISP. Perhaps they have jammed it in the 'off' position after the board was turned off for the regular monthly rest?
It's still down after the Sunday break and it is now Tuesday evening.
I hope nothing serious is wrong.
If I can help (even though I am over here in the UK) please email me matt_exmo@yahoo.co.uk.
There have been problems with the board due to technical problems with the ISP. Perhaps they have jammed it in the 'off' position after the board was turned off for the regular monthly rest?
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Summer is over, Autumn is on the way
Summer is fading and Autumn is, indeed, on the way. The Canada Geese are preparing for their long migratory flight and soon the ponds and lakes of the British Isles will cease to reverberate to their melodious honking as they spend their winter on the other side of the Atlantic.
There is something mythical and magical about their skeins as they fly, honking to each other, to leave our shores until next Spring, when their honking voices will again signal to the inhabitants of the British Isles that Spring is, again, on its way!
Some people say that it is the Autumn for the Mormon Church, that it cannot last long before it falls into the winter of it's existence. I feel that this is wishful thinking. Mormonism will be here for many years to come.
However I believe that it is slowly changing what it is and that this process will take a great many years. Mormonism will, over time, become less of a religion and more of a corporate body. It is probably for this reason that the Mormon church is buying more land, building shopping malls, etc. Preparing for a time when the core of Mormonism shrinks to Utah and neighbouring States in the USA, and that eventually Mormonism will not be so much a religion but a corporate brand.
There will still be some members of the Mormon church, but they will be seen as virtually museum pieces. There will still be some branches and wards across the USA and in some other parts of the world but these will be seen as curiosities, a fleeting memory of a distant past. And about as relevant as the early sects of Mormonism that faded away when their founder/s died.
There is something mythical and magical about their skeins as they fly, honking to each other, to leave our shores until next Spring, when their honking voices will again signal to the inhabitants of the British Isles that Spring is, again, on its way!
Some people say that it is the Autumn for the Mormon Church, that it cannot last long before it falls into the winter of it's existence. I feel that this is wishful thinking. Mormonism will be here for many years to come.
However I believe that it is slowly changing what it is and that this process will take a great many years. Mormonism will, over time, become less of a religion and more of a corporate body. It is probably for this reason that the Mormon church is buying more land, building shopping malls, etc. Preparing for a time when the core of Mormonism shrinks to Utah and neighbouring States in the USA, and that eventually Mormonism will not be so much a religion but a corporate brand.
There will still be some members of the Mormon church, but they will be seen as virtually museum pieces. There will still be some branches and wards across the USA and in some other parts of the world but these will be seen as curiosities, a fleeting memory of a distant past. And about as relevant as the early sects of Mormonism that faded away when their founder/s died.
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