I check in on TSCCs website every couple of days or so to check up on news and see what new 'cure your child of pornography' FHE lesson they want you to give this week. Looking today I saw one of the creepiest sentences that I have ever seen right on the main page: "God loves you; The first and greatest commandment is to love him back." I might just be exhibiting my anti-religion tendencies, but that sentence just completely creeped me out and set off all sorts of alarm bells. Also, I just have to ask, since when has God displayed any sort of love worth reciprocating?

First of all, don't lose sight of the basic reality here: the Mormon church and its officials claim to speak for God, BUT THEY DO NOT.

They do not, either because God does not exist, or because God does exist and is nothing like what they claim. I personally am in the 'God does exist' camp, but often find common cause and respectful conversation with the other side.

There are names for ANYONE who commands love from another person: narcissist and rapist come to mind. Perhaps others can fill in a few more.

The God I know (not the phony Mormon God) does not command love, but through His unconditional and unending love inspires people to love Him. This love relationship has been one of the key factors of recovery for me.

What you found in LDS.ORG -- Creepy? Yes!

JAR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2015 05:57PM by justarelative.

I know they don't speak for God (and I place myself in the agnostic, atheist leaning camp), but just think what sort of person you must be to think that you do speak for God, and that the God that you believe in would command something like that. Sometimes I just can't understand how someone could read that sort of sentence and feel GOOD about what they just read.

Yes. Once you start the mind pretzel game (or others start it for you) you can get comfortable with almost any set of words, completely oblivious of what they sound like to an 'outsider.'

I routinely contemplate this phenomenon, and turn it back on myself. What am I doing, what am I saying, that a person from a radically different point of view would shake their head at.

Introspection. It's harder than it looks.

JAR

Disengenouous in every way thinkable.

A clockwork turd.

Well, Shummy, I would say yes and no.

One of the most profound and paradoxical things I have discovered about life is that in almost every significant circumstance, each person is BOTH villain and victim. Sometimes more of one than the other. Sometimes so much more that we see it in very black and white terms: she was in the right, or he was in the wrong. But most of the time it is more subtle than that.

For the person who has undergone the mind-rape of a cult religion since birth, you have to admit that such a person has at least some victim status. And if that person goes on to wrongly presume to speak for God (and a VERY non-standard formulation of God at that) that such a person is at best confused or misled. But if that person presumes to speak for God (of whatever formulation) knowing it is not so, then it is hard to escape assigning villain status.

So that person is both victim (mind-rape) and villain (knowing it is not so.)

Personal integrity is much harder to come by than you would think at first. The pull of self-serving but disingenuous ideas and opportunities is very strong.

Regards,

JAR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2015 08:18PM by justarelative.

I agree that the real problem isn't what God is due or God wants but that the Mormon church sets itself up as God. What they mean, in that saying, is that you should love them first, above all. They claim to speak for God and because they do, the rest of humanity needs to fall in line, obey orders and love THEM with all their hearts.

So while the idea of loving God doesn't bother me, these con men and liars hijacking that love as something they are somehow entitled to, THAT bothers me a lot.

Well, I've read more than once that "God gives you everything, and only asks for one tenth of it back."

Wow, what a deal!

"God loves you; The first and greatest commandment is to love him back."

Mormons (& Mormonism) make(s) up their/ its own dreams, rules, "callings" and commands/ commandments. Little does it remember the first is to love yourself, and by connection, love one another.

Mormonism it's always replacing (hijacking) - "God gives you everything, and only asks for one tenth of it back." - itself for God.

God doesn't get this money. The corporate JSC does... and it is a lot more than 10%- with interest

What they're really saying (this is just a rough translation from Mormon-ese) is "we want your tithing money"

;)

I took one for the team and watched the brief video.

What the hell kind of accent does Jesus have?

And the mormon Jesus still reminds me of the Foo Fighters Dave Grohl.

jpt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I took one for the team and watched the brief
> video.
>
> What the hell kind of accent does Jesus have?
>
> And the mormon Jesus still reminds me of the Foo
> Fighters Dave Grohl.


The Mormon Jesus is actually Lutheran.

Christus (also known as Christus Consolator) is a 19th-century Carrara marble statue of the resurrected Jesus by Bertel Thorvaldsen. Since its completion in 1838, the statue has been located in the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark. In the 20th century, images and replicas of the statue were adopted by the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

If the Mormon Black Suit out there who is supposed to be having regular god-conversations would just share one of them, it just might put an end to our quandries.

Come on. Just one little prophecy, I think the year 2015 is good for this to happen.

What say ye?

More Tithing ... must have more tithing ... (the coming GA Zombie Apocalypse)

"LOVE" must be some kind of unknown acronym for "give money", and only GA's know. That is my interpretation of the statement

I COMMAND you to love me!!! Why are you guys always laughing loudly about Me and my servant, even Jesus Smith...err...ummm... Why do I embarrass myself every time I try to talk to my children?!!! I'll try again in a couple hundred years...or maybe I should hit the reset button again and flood those f%^#ers! Nah!...those 15 geezers could never build an ark. Be good...and love me, dammit! Peace out...thus saith ME!

And if "god" merited love, why would it need to COMMAND it?

Oops.