Mormonism is filled with magical beliefs, magical items and magical powers. In order to be a true believing Mormon some of the magicial things you have to believe include wearing weird looking underwear will actually protect your body from physical harm. Olive Oil can cure you of illness. Angels will let you pass into heaven if you know a secret handshake. God communicated with the founder using a rock. There are more magical items to believe.

Then there are magical beliefs and magical powers a true believing Mormon must believe. Things like God hears your prayers even when God is millions of light years away. God gives Mormon Leaders magical powers to know your thoughts.

There is just too much magic required for me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2016 09:06AM by themaster.

And Catholics wear St. Christopher medals to ward off harm.
And I've had evangelicals tell me that the crosses they wear not only show the world they're christian, but protect them from Satan and his efforts to destroy them.
And Muslims have a magical rock in a building in Mecca that they're supposed to walk around and chant over at least once in their lives.
And on and on and on.

It's not just mormonism; religion is magic. All religion.

Stories of the magic are told all the time. However there are
never an actual claims that the magic will definitely work. So
they are reaping the benefit of magical thinking in the members
without actually committing themselves on anything.

Garments will protect you? Well, we never said that; however
let me tell you this story . . .

My mother was born in the early 1900's. She had some magical myths that she believed in such as, rubbing a sliced potato on a wart would make that ugly wart disappear, walking under a ladder was sure to bring bad luck, and if your palm itched you were about to receive good news. As a mormon she believed that it was wrong to sew on Sunday and if you did you were sure to make tons of mistakes that would be very difficult to undo. She really believed in these magical superstitions which were most likely learned at her mother's knee.

Explanations by humans to try to understand and control things that frightened them and were uncontrollable before scientific reasoning increased, was what humans first relied on. To me, that is what religions of today fall under....they are the old, archaic remnants of bygone eras.

Religion is magical thinking and self-delusional hopefulness.

Religion is a way for people to try to have some control over their lives. If they pray hard enough for the sick they'll be healed, if they fast and pray they get more power.

If it helps them feel like they aren't alone and have some power over their life then I don't see a problem. It's when they make up stupid random rules that marginalize some that I have to say ok, not cool stop.

religion in general is just too much magic for me.

Interesting topic: I think maybe the magic is what attracted me to LDS--the promise of an extra-rational reality. Hence my conversion.

Seemed like a good idea at the time--I was worn out from the rational grind. It offered an escape. Those crazy missionaries with their white shirts and blue name tags. Fellow travelers to a sudden, parallel universe.

I was Charlie Brown, wanting so much to kick the football that Lucy held. This time she won't yank it away, like all those other times! This time will be magical!

Later, of course, the bullshit sunk in. Poor Charlie Brown, flat on his back once again. He could blame Lucy for lying, for pulling the football away. But, really, nobody but himself to blame.

I often wonder if it's not so much the magic that finally causes otherwise rational minds to conform to religious belief, but rather, the romanticism. This applies especially to Mormonism. The whole idea of a restored gospel in all its purity, that is directly run by Christ with the hope of celestial salvation, is very enticing to many people. Either way - magic or romantic - the emperor clothes are just too toxic. Ugh!

Perhaps there's not much difference between magic and romance.

You just need a REAL lucky charm.

I hear the magic gets even better with that Second Anointing.

Yeah, it can make a lot of things disappear, like your money, your marriage, your reasoning etc.

Here's some real magic: A tweet from the Prophet, Seer & McRevelator, even Thomas S. Monson, from June 20, 2016, meaning it's hot and fresh from ghawd's own mind, to his competent servant, the current prophet in a somewhat abbreviated line of prophets, seers & McRevelators:

"Fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."

It's a comfort!