I just finished reading "Under The Banner Of Heaven", about the Mormon Church.

[Aristus]

Scary!

Granted, most of the scary people depicted in the book are members of the polygamist Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, rather than the more mainstream LDS Church, but still, what a bunch of creepy, crazy, whacked-out fanatics!

If you still don't think we dodged a bullet by having President Obama defeat Rmoney, read this book.

[Suich]

1. I tried reading that once!

I don't think I even got to page 50! I ended up throwing it in the garbage, not even the re-cycling!

Scary stuff, especially Jeffs and his followers.

[Tom Ripley]

2. It is a great example of the New Journalism (which now has some age on it-- nothing wrong with that)

It is an masterpiece of fine research and writing.

[Brother Buzz]

16. Jon Krakauer does his homework, that's for sure

Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman is another example of impeccable research. Then Jon weaves a very, very complicated story about a must unique man into a very readable book. Interesting, a outdoor/adventure writer has to show other journalists how to do it and illustrate why "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend" is not journalism.

[harmonicon]

3. I agree that the book is frightening.

Last edited Tue Jan 22, 2013, 08:06 AM - Edit history (1)

I remembered thinking that something seemed a bit off about Colorado City when I first drove through it, and reading that book, I was amazed to find that such a place (places) could even exist in the US. Previously I'd thought it impossible that such communities could possibly exist. It's truly frightening, scary-ass shit.

However, you equating that sort of community and activity with the Mormon church is pure nonsense. Imagining that Romney has any relationship with illegal actions (apart from financial crimes) is just silly. It's as if you think we're in great danger of being a nation ruled with a paedophile-loving agenda if Biden were to become president, because he's Catholic.

Please don't spout bigotry. Yes, Mormonism is a crazy religion, but it's sure as shit no more or less crazy than the born-again Christian shit that our president follows (or any other religion, is my point), and I'm fine with him having access to the button.

[Bucky]

4. Thank you.

I'm so frustrated with all the openly bigoted hatred against a religion that came out on DU during the election. It was remarkably disheartening. I'm not a religious person, but I just get turned off whenever I hear someone spew hatred against any group of people. It's validating to finally read someone else on this forum taking a genuinely liberal stand.

[siligut]

5. Sorry, there are people within the mainstream religion who are extreme

They just hide it. Mormons have their own state for a reason, so non-members won't get glimpses of the pockets of aberration.

I have said it before and will continue to say it, most Mormons are likable people but they cover for the deviant ones. But there is something called the hive-mind, so they all fall-in line when directed.

I lived in Utah for a year and I have seen this hive-mind personally, it is quite interesting and I have been able to understand the mechanism to some extent.

All you have to do is go read the stories on the exmormon board. http://www.exmormon.org/ to read former Mormon's experiences and why they left. You can get some idea of the abuses.

And while it isn't crazier than "born-again christian shit", the problem is that Mormons were given a vendetta by Joseph Smith against the US and they are gaining power.

[arbusto_baboso]

10. Thank you.

It needs to be said again and again. Mormonism is a cult, it is FAR more extreme (even in its "mainstream" beliefs) than anything Christianity can concoct, and it is NOT patriotic, sdespite the appearances its members try to adopt.

And that's the thing about mormonism; it's ALL about appearances. As a former mormon, I can tell you that any criticism directed against that religion is not bigotry, because it is TRUE.

[siligut]

12. When I lived in Salt Lake City, my old Sony TV screen became magnetized overnight

This was during the time the proselytising started, it was both fascinating and frightening.

I don't talk about it because it is too difficult for most people to fathom.

Electromagnetic energy has practical uses in medicine and science but it also can be used for dishonest purposes.

Yes, Mormonism is a cult and damages lives. When people bring in the argument that this is what was done to the Jews, I have to laugh. If only the Nazis had been exposed first.

[siligut]

15. From The National Center for Biotechnology

Enhanced hypnotic suggestibility following application of burst-firing magnetic fields over the right temporoparietal lobes: a replication.
Healey F, Persinger MA, Koren SA.
Source
Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
The suggestibility of normal, young men and women as assessed by Spiegel's Hypnosis Induction Profile (HIP) before and after weak (1 micro Tesla), burst-firing magnetic fields were applied for 20 min over the left or over the right temporoparietal lobe or both hemispheres; a fourth group received sham treatment. Only the group that received the stimulation over the right hemisphere exhibited a marked increase in suggestibility (eta = 0.58) following the treatment. These results replicate components of several different previous experiments and suggest that attribution of symptomatic changes following exposures to weak, extremely low frequency magnetic fields, to placebo effects may not be correct. Instead, fields whose signatures contain biorelevant information may directly affect the neurocognitive processes that are associated with hypnotizability
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9003980

Persinger is well respected in his field. I am posting this to support my post regarding my magnetized TV screen. It was all very strange to me at the time and I doubt I would have believed it if I hadn't experienced it.

[harmonicon]

11. You don't think the same thing could be said about every other religion?

Give me a break. Imagine the shit that's spewed around here about Mormons applied to another religion, and see if it sounds like bigotry (spoiler alert: it is).

"Jews have their own country for a reason, so non-members won't get glimpses of the pockets of aberration.

I have said it before and will continue to say it, most Jews are likable people but they cover for the deviant ones. But there is something called the hive-mind, so they all fill-in line when directed."

Or lets try this one:

"... the problem is that Muslims were given a vendetta by Louis Farrakhan against the US and they are gaining power."

[arbusto_baboso]

13. Yeah, go to Utah and stay for awhile.

You'll see thast Utah mormons are much, MUCH more like Nazis than they are like Jews.

[siligut]

14. Al-Qaeda doesn't have a whole state in the US and many positions of power in the FBI, CIA and NSA

While I agree with you on a general basis, the Mormon issue is separate. I really don't expect many people to know and those who do are afraid to talk about it.

[Frank Cannon]

6. I knew Brenda Wright Lafferty.

She was a lovely young woman with a good head on her shoulders, not nearly as submissive and "zombified" as most Mormon girls in southern Idaho. I was flabbergasted when I found out she married into that family of psychos.

[KurtNYC]

7. Have you seen this...?

The majority of Mormons live outside of the U.S.

[Major Nikon]

8. It's not that hard to find crazies in any religion

Much of religion is collective craziness. Imagine if your neighbor put up a sign that said cable TV is destroying society. You go talk to your neighbor and they say radiation leakage from the cable is penetrating people's brains and is breaking down the fabric of society. You would probably conclude that there's no proof of what they are claiming and your neighbor is half nuts at best. Now imagine if your neighbor put up a sign that said gay marriage is destroying society.

[amuse bouche]

9. I didn't read that book

but agree they are scary cult. Most people don't know they were once considered a terrorist group by the Feds.

They also attacked settlers trying to pass and blamed it on Native Americans

Gawd I loathe religion. It's used as a cover for bigots and to rationalize hatred of others

[KamaAina]

17. This is the Warren Jeffs crowd

also the place in Texas where all the women dressed like extras from Little House on the Prairie. The mainstream LDS chruch is scary, but not THAT scary.