Resident Mormon checking in; I even live in Utah and *gasp* went to BYU. You could say I am a "Molly Mormon" (a term used in these parts for the churchy goody-goodies), but alas, I don't know how to make green jello, do not have 12.5 kids, or think that the University of Utah is the devil's school.
With that being said, the Church will recognize divorce but with a heavy heart. From childhood or whenever you begin to learn about our beliefs, we're taught that one of the most important decisions you make in life is who, when, and where you marry. It is not a decision to made lightly as it is a sacred thing. However, there are marriages where there is abuse, fraud, deception, etc and (I remember reading this once) whenever a person's dignity has been trampled upon, a divorce is certainly supported (happened to my brother). It's usually a case-by-case basis. (Clear as mud?)I don't know Marie Osmond's story, but I wanted to offer some back-up to Soarin's comments.
You don't know how long I've been LDS. It's none of your business.
Some people may say it's splitting hairs, but the church doesn't teach that attraction to another person of the same sex is a sin; rather, the church teaches that acting upon that attraction is a sin. The act of having homosexual sex is sinful.
My point is that LDS, like many other religions, believe in tolerance, compassion and rights, but not the right to be a practicing homosexual if they want to remain LDS.There's a widespread belief that the Bible promotes tolerance, but that's not really factual. It does say -- repeatedly -- that forgiveness is always available to anyone who's done wrong and is really sorry, but it doesn't promote tolerance. It's very clear that after forgiveness is given, the person is to turn away from that sin and live a different life.
For example, there's a story in the New Testament about a group of people who came together to stone a woman caught in the act of adultry. Jesus stopped the people from stoning her, told her that he did not condemn her . . . but he didn't say, "You're safe now -- go on back to what you were doing". Instead, he said, "Go forth and sin no more." Forgiveness was given, but she was expected not to return to adultry in the future. That's a second chance, not tolerance, not an acceptance of anything other than God's word.
Again, that's what can be defended with the Bible.That is blatantly obvious. Even if every word she speaks is true, didn't she stop to think about how it would make that poor family feel? All I can hear in her statement is, "I want to get my face in front of the camera. You should believe as I believe."You're painting with a wide brush there. I'm a Baptist and don't even know what Prop 8 is. If my church were championing it, I'd be aware.Nah, I don't get offended easily unless something is a slam at me personally.We had Baptist churches here in the South pooling money into the Prop 8 thing (and that church is worse than the Mormon one). I guess it just all depends. Myself, I think the idea behind Prop 8 is horrific and should be overturned. Guess that ain't happening though...
You might be interested to know that Baptist churches -- unlike most other denominations -- are more independant of one another. There's the Southern Baptist Convention, but it's more like a sharing of ideas rather than instructions from on high. Baptist congregations, unlike most other denominations, decide just where their comfort level is; thus, you'll find great discrepancy between churches. While most Southern Baptist churches are pretty conservative (though not nearly so much as some other denominations such as Church of God or Primative Baptists), others are more liberal. Some take the Bible more literally than others. The point is that you can't really assume about Baptist churches.
The joke is that three couples -- one Catholic, one Methodist, and one Baptist -- found themselves shipwrecked on an island, and they all though it was right to try to bring Christianity to the natives on the island. So the Catholics recruited some and started the First Catholic Church. Others chose to side with the Methodists, and they became members of the First Methodist Church. Meanwhile the two Baptists founded the First Baptist Church and the Second Baptist Church. Point being, you won't find great agreement between Baptist congregations; thus, it's harder to generalize about them.
Christian, much? No, and it's things like that in my state churches that turned me off that denomination. I couldn't allow myself to continue being a member due to that, among many other things that are my business and my business only.
I used the phrase "in my area" in my post. I wasn't referring to that other religion as a whole. I very clearly stated that.
But you can't see that for hollering about how intolerant I am.Sounds like you've had some negative experiences with the Baptist church. I grew up in the Presbyterian church -- until, that is, my parents divorced and some of the ladies came over and politely told my mother that church was for families. Hint, hint: NOT YOU. I was eavesdropping and was very hurt by the whole thing; it must've been much worse for my mother. As a child, I thought that was God and the church rejecting us. Now I know that it was just a couple very misguided women. I wouldn't have any problem trying a Presbyterian church today -- because those individuals wouldn't be in that congregation.I know about the Baptist church. I used to be one. Southern, at that. I didn't like their doctrines, I left it five years ago. I was accused by another poster of bashing that denomination. No, not at all. The SBC in my state is VERY CONSERVATIVE, but also very controlling. The churches in my particular town are very rude, unfriendly, and cold- we had a family lose everything in a fire and the Southern Baptist church in my town said they wouldn't provide aid because the family was not a member of the local church.
However, totally different with the SBC in Florida. Friendlier, more welcoming... it all depends on the people in the local church. Hence when I was accused of "bashing" that religion, the poster doing the accusing should have noted I said "in my area" not "as a whole." Then there would have been no need to say untrue things about my post.
I'm not sure how one can politely say, "Your son killed himself, and I think it's the fault of you and your church. I hope you're happy now."
I know about the Baptist church. I used to be one. Southern, at that. I didn't like their doctrines, I left it five years ago. I was accused by another poster of bashing that denomination. No, not at all. The SBC in my state is VERY CONSERVATIVE, but also very controlling. The churches in my particular town are very rude, unfriendly, and cold- we had a family lose everything in a fire and the Southern Baptist church in my town said they wouldn't provide aid because the family was not a member of the local church.
However, totally different with the SBC in Florida. Friendlier, more welcoming... it all depends on the people in the local church. Hence when I was accused of "bashing" that religion, the poster doing the accusing should have noted I said "in my area" not "as a whole." Then there would have been no need to say untrue things about my post.
I know about the Baptist church. I used to be one. Southern, at that. I didn't like their doctrines, I left it five years ago. I was accused by another poster of bashing that denomination. No, not at all. The SBC in my state is VERY CONSERVATIVE, but also very controlling. The churches in my particular town are very rude, unfriendly, and cold- we had a family lose everything in a fire and the Southern Baptist church in my town said they wouldn't provide aid because the family was not a member of the local church.
However, totally different with the SBC in Florida. Friendlier, more welcoming... it all depends on the people in the local church. Hence when I was accused of "bashing" that religion, the poster doing the accusing should have noted I said "in my area" not "as a whole." Then there would have been no need to say untrue things about my post.
