I got a call from my mother last night, and she was asking what all these "I'm a Mormon" commercials were all about. My take on it is Mitt Romney and friends are wanting to change the attitudes of folks prior to the next presidential election.

There sure are an awful lot of them, meaning an awful large chunk of change being spent on the campaign.

Any other thoughts?

Havent seen it. Is it a regional thing?

Not sure if it's specifically Romney but those are definitely politically motivated, trying to cover up just how crazy those people are even by the standards of the lunatic evangelicals.

Wow Malse, just when I thought you were done saying completely retarded things you go and surprise me :(

I haven't seen any yet, but I'm guessing it's more of a "hey we're not a bunch of whackadoodles"

So, you're conjecturing that the equivalent of 1820s scientologists, who believe that some guy found gold plates that only he could read, detailing how jesus was an alien, and he and the indians, who were lost isrealites, fought evil thousands of years ago, and now operate one of the richest cults in the US, doing such totally normal things like baptizing famous dead people into their religion, are somehow not dangerously insane? Particularly given they've been turning their wealth towards political action on an increasing basis for the the last decade or so?

Or are you just objecting to them paying to do damage control because other religious zealots have had it in for them since the beginning?

Is it the mormons or the JW's that maintain the belief 99.99% of the slots in heaven available are already filled and that the rest of us fighting for the 6 remaining slots?

jw believe 100% of the slots are filled but that after the tribulation all those that have died will be ressurected to live on earth in peace for a millenia or something like that.

If you're interested in reading about Mormons (and their purported crazy), I'd check out Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Interesting read about the murder of Brenda Lafferty and her daughter, along with the fact that there are two 'churches' that exist in Mormon faith, the fundamentalists (hyper-crazies) and the regular garden variety. Mormons don't scare me nearly as much as the scientologists do, who have such interesting rituals as harassing and beating their members and intimidating city officials to get what they want. Maybe I just haven't heard those stories much.

Though to be fair, both of them put together don't scare me nearly as much as Calvinists did, because when you already are going to heaven or hell, who cares what you do? You're already going somewhere regardless of your actions.

@Malse - Before you go gallavanting about how crazy/terrible we members of the LDS church are, why don't you try meeting some in real life... you probably know quite a few, at least if you're at all acquainted with regular, upstanding people.

Cados, out of curiosity (since I take it from your post that you are Mormon), is there a recognized divide in the church between fundamentalists and...non-fundamentalists? I got the impression from the book I mentioned that there was a group of perfectly sane people (who called themselves the Latter Day Saints) that called themselves Mormon, and then the murderous, polygamist "Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints", which is what most people associate with Mormonism.

Havent seen it. Is it a regional thing?


Based on the fact I see at least four a day it seems, and others have not seen any yet, it may well be targeted at specific areas.

The ads show a 'typical' individual of either sex and they talk about who they are and what they do (motorcycle repair/restoration, world long board surfing champ, clerk in one of the offices at the capital, etc) and the importance of friends and family and education.....and, "I am a Mormon" is the line at the end of each short oratory.

It really does strike me as a saturation campaign meant to assuage the fears that were voiced during Romney's last bid for the nomination; a method of letting folks know that Mormons are 'just like them'. And typing this, I am struck by the amusing parallel with the strategies used by Anna and the Visitors. :eek:

Cados, out of curiosity (since I take it from your post that you are Mormon), is there a recognized divide in the church between fundamentalists and...non-fundamentalists? I got the impression from the book I mentioned that there was a group of perfectly sane people (who called themselves the Latter Day Saints) that called themselves Mormon, and then the murderous, polygamist "Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints", which is what most people associate with Mormonism.

Exactly. Two completely separate entities.

@Malse - Before you go gallavanting about how crazy/terrible we members of the LDS church are, why don't you try meeting some in real life... you probably know quite a few, at least if you're at all acquainted with regular, upstanding people.

I live the in the northwest, I know a lot of Mormons and formons (and had no opinion until moving up here). I didn't say they were terrible. I said they were crazy. You can be nice and still nuts. If you want some real Mormon hatin', just check in with their former members (who frequently request to be excommunicated. Yes). There are the people who were so nuts, the already insane evangelicals that were too nuts and fled Europe kicked them out of the American northeast, you know, the place that had witch trials, revivals, and temperance movements. Those guys speaking in tongues and kissing snakes for Jeezus thought the mormons were nutty. It's not like it's just me.

Ambassador Huntsman here in China is considered as a possible GOP contender for the 2012 election. Very strong contender actually. He is as Mormon as they come. In spite of that, out of any of the current crop of dopes the Republicans have been putting forth, Huntsman is probably the one, if he ran, who would probably win the election by a landslide. IMHO he might be that one rare example of someone who has enough experience, wit and charm as well as relative youth and the billions to bridge the aisles. Think JFK, only Republican.....and Mormon. Plus between being a state governor as well as serving in Asia with China being the capstone...the man is well aware of the truly big issues. Even the environmental ones. Heh, you can't be posted in China and not see to the extreme degree that Humanity is fucking our environment up. All we have to do lately is look the window.

Every group has their fringe, Mormons, Baptists, Catholics, even Atheists have their Zealots.

99% of your Mormons don't fit into that category. And yeah those nutjobs from the FLDS (Warren Jeffs and his ilk) have at most a tiny tiny strand of a thread to any actual connection to the LDS church. I.E. Their great great great great grandparents were members but they're not in any way shape or form members of the church. They just claim the name. Much like Phelps and his bunch are "Baptists"

It's got be a lot more than 1% tithing for the church to have as much money as it does. Per capita, the LDS temple brings in more money than the Vatican (which is sort of unfair given how much Catholicism has been spread to the 3rd world, but I don't have per country stats. It's still an interesting point).

In any case, the two religious organizations currently buying public relations ads on TV and cable networks are Scientology and Mormon.org.

You tell me what that says.

In any case, the two religious organizations currently buying public relations ads on TV and cable networks are Scientology and Mormon.org.

You tell me what that says.

Is says....they have money and like to spend it? Catholics don't have as many rich and or generous members of their flock?

Otherwise...what? Who cares. If you don't like someone's religion, than ignore it. Change the channel. Those organizations are operating within the laws of our country and yes, some of the laws allow Group A to possibly offend Group B and B can go after A in the courts if they really want to make a big deal out of it.

Mormons are harmless. What is offensive about them? Their ideals of having big familes and wanting to live prosperous lives? Their wierdo undergarments? The most extreme of them sometimes take an extra wife. For most sometimes one wife is more than enough so that is where the craziness might apply?

Scientologists are too kooky to be taken seriously even on a good day.

Gotta love the "Oh, they're just harmless Mormons and Scientologists, don't worry about them" from the same people that wax neo-Crusader at the mention of fundie Muslims.

Sanchek, my view towards most organized religion is bluntly speaking...fuck em. Not sure if you had a target for your comment or were just generalizing but *shrug*.Some faiths do lend themselves better to that philosophy because they more or less believe in mutual respect and co-existance with other faiths. Mormons are actually one of the better ones to this regard. Cases in point:

Mormons have not tried to suicide bomb crowded marketplaces, have they? Fly any hijacked airplanes into buildings? Do any form of HARM to innocents due to some misguided followers who read too deeply into the militant side of the holy tome of choice? At least within our lifetime? The ambassador here as far as I know has not tried to eat his (or anyone elses) young. There are no Church of Latter Days Saints tracts being nonchalantly left in the embassy cafe. Point being is that they are harmless and leave me alone. They don't offend me and I don't go out of my way to offend them. Heck I get more badgering from fundie Christains trying to make me smoke their Jesus than any Mormons or Scientologists. Scientology exists for the nutjobs of the world to have something to do with all their Hollywood money. Its easy to laugh at them.

All religions are quirky but some are harmless in their application of their quirks. Buddhism compared to Christianity is very odd and might be considered hazardous, but in what way...who knows. Too much peace and harmony I guess. Some religions handle their PR better than others and Islam...unless you are in the club, does not translate into much past the "Either you are for us or against us mentality" that is also shared by many Christians.

Another thing, while on the topic of translation...how well do all these faiths really translate into our modern world? Catholism.. LOL now there is a faith that does NOT translate very well in its practice in spite of the core values being almost basic common sense. Some of the pomp and ritual almost seem as camp as Civil War reeanactments. Same with Islam. Perhaps some faiths conflict less with modern advances in technology and philosophy as compared to others. Pretty sure you can get a daily scripture app for the Iphone but that is not the same.....

Do a news search for "Mormon rape". The way they treat their women (http://gawker.com/5398574/extreme-mormon-sect-member-it-wasnt-rape-it-was-spiritual-marriage) is on not far from being on par with the "terrorists" in the Middle East we loathe so horribly.

In regards to bombs and airplanes, how many brown people do you have to kill to square things? Why aren't we systematically exterminating Eric Rudolph, Timothy McVeigh, or Ted Kaczynski's family, friends, and acquaintances too? While you're at it, assume anyone of their religions are just as bad and got after them too!

Except he's not Mormon. He's some fucking whacko who uses the name.

Beats me why not. Probably because it is legally easier to start and prosecute a war than execute anyone on our own soil? The Branch Davidians are/were probably the most recent example of any attempt at that, although that was a bit of a flub. Plus if a US citizen kills a bunch of other US citizens then its a crime. If a foreign national or foreign group kills a bunch of US citizens, especially on US soil well then its an act of war. The fact that brown skinned Muslims seems to be the flavor of the month is irrelevant since we have as a nation killed more Christian white people in the past 250 years than any other race/color/religion. The Revolution, War of 1812, The Civil War, World Wars 1 and 2 etc. It doesn't forgive these horrible events in history at all but when someone brings a war....its gets fought.

Otherwise...what do you want? The ads to stop? They paid for them and they are legal. Just like the ads running about the mosque being built near Ground Zero in NYC. Sure they might be offensive or at least in poor taste, but so is farting in the elevator and then hitting the button to every floor. Its not something you have to do..but its not illegal and if the smell is that bad for everyone else...well the elevator is going to stop at every floor. Feel free to get off and catch a fart free one.

Generally speaking, its a safe bet to ignore aspects of other religions you don't like, since trying to criminalize people's beliefs tends to not go over so well (France and the Burqa for example). That is for lawyers to figure out since plenty of behavior that could be considered a crime by the society at large is considered business as usual by some religions....and the US has that whole freedom of religion thing going on. So there you have to decide what is more important? Upholding the Constitution by letting a few sleazy aspects of some religions slide a little....or turn the USA into China and criminalize most everything we don't feel like debating.

You're getting confused. I don't care if they run the ads or if people are Mormons (or Scientologists or Muslims or whatever).

I lived in Utah for 22 plus years and was dating a LDS gal for 10 plus of those years.

Sure the religion has some quaint beliefs, of course what religion doesn't, but for the most part they are upstanding people. Utah is one of the better places to raise a family due to the type of folks that religion has in it.

So no, they're not all crazy and no the LDS church isn't trying to rule the world anymore than the rest of the religions are.

These are the mormons I wanna hang out with! :)

http://picnicface.com/videos.php?videoID=21