Being raised LDS, there were always things instilled into my head that "we" didn't do.... obviously. Like cuss, drink, smoke, get tattoos, wear tank tops, or booty shorts or bikinis etc. But one thing that always bothered me was that Mormons called themselves Christians when they don't wear or embrace the cross. I remember getting a beautiful gold cross in the mail from my Catholic aunt and basically I was told that "we" don't wear that. Growing up, I was always weirded out by Christian music and radio stations or really anything Christian that wasn't Mormon. I assume that I felt that way because I was told that wasn't what we did, although Mormons want so bad to be considered Christian, but they also want their members to look down on Christians too. Anyways, I'm basically just venting, but did any of you notice that "Christian" music and radio stations were looked down on in your household? I noticed that my TBM grandmother was listening to a Christian radio station the other day and I am wondering if there may be a chance that she is starting to see that she can believe in Christ without the Mormon church as well. Thoughts? Please don't comment just to tell me that all religion is pointless as I am happy to be a Christian without Mormonism at this point in my life. :)

I've noticed that too
"But, we're Christians too. In fact, we're the only true Christians - the rest of you are deceived by Satan, who by the way is Jesus' brother!"

But at least the temple flowers are pretty...

Lol! Ehh, the temples and their flowers just creep me out these days. It's funny how I'll still be obsessed with the temple even tho I know the BS that goes on inside. Driving through Utah I always point out the LDS temples to my husband and we discuss how creepy and brainwashing it all is, but we never can get enough.

Christian music...ugh...too cloying for my taste.

I grew up Catholic. We never listened to Christian music at home, and I don't know of anyone who did.

Here, from my POV, are some major differences:

1. Time -- We went to church for about an hour a week. In addition, as a school age child, I had one hour of religious lessons per week. That was it. Religion was a part of our lives, but did not take over.
2. Priorities -- Family truly came first. Religion was somewhere down the list. My father had no problem with saying "No" to a priest.
3. Entanglement/Privacy -- There was not a steady stream of calls, visitors, or demands. It would have never dawned on our priest to come to our home unless he was expressly invited.
4. Range of Involvement/Belief -- You could attend mass twice a year, occasionally, once a week, or every day. All were acceptable. You could be "all in," or more commonly, be a cafeteria catholic.
5. Friendships -- We were not afraid of outsiders. My parents and I had friends of all faiths, and that was encouraged. We did not see our friends as conversion projects, but as true friends.
6. Confession/Repentance -- Confession is anonymous and private. In my experience the priest will only discuss what you, yourself bring up. Repentance is just some prayers that you say after confession. Easy, peasy. No one looks down on you for going to confession. It is expected. No one is publicly shamed.
7. Obedience -- We respected Catholic leaders, but we did not always agree with them. Strict obedience was never expected, and would have been impossible to enforce.
8. Crosses -- Catholics, along with other Christians, often do wear crosses as necklaces. The crosses may be a family heirloom.

My friends included Episcopalians, Methodists, Lutherans, etc. I would say for the most part that my family's experience was typical for them as well.

Some Catholic oddities:
1. My parents had a crucifix above their bed. I always found this rather foreboding.
2. In my youth, the religious custom was to have meatless Fridays. So we ate fish instead. I found this custom rather charming and comforting, part of the weekly cycle. I still often eat fish on Fridays!
3. Getting objects blessed by the Pope: If a friend was traveling to Rome, you would give her a bible or a rosary to have blessed by the Pope. These items, once blessed, were considered rather special.
4. Religious medals -- It is not unusual for a Catholic to wear a religious medallion around his or her neck depicting a favorite saint.

I also grew up Catholic. My experience was exactly as you described. We had many relatives of different faiths, mostly Lutheran and Methodist, and it was not unusual for us to attend one of their services if we were visiting those relatives on any given Sunday or religious holiday.

My experience as well, summer.

I grew up Lutheran and that is my experience. Including meatless Friday. My mother grew up Catholic, you could take her out of the church, but not the programming.

The only time church took more than an hour a week was in Jr High when going through confirmation. Then it was 3 hours, 1 on Wed and 2 on Sun (church and Sunday school). We also would have the occasional weekend event. Like movies and a sleep over at church, trip to a ski place, canoe trip in the summer. Oh and the movies, NOT Disney. I remember vividly watching the "Haunting of Hill House" and "I Know who you are and I Saw what you did".

I wasn't raised with a particular religion. Mom was a non practicing Catholic and dad is an atheist. Once I was an adult, I became a Christian and joined a local Free-Will Baptist Church. A couple of years later, I went to a Christian College that was associated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and met people who were Southern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and a few others. Despite some theological differences, we all got alone great. Now that I am older, I have stopped attending church but still friends with everyone.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2016 01:00PM by kativicky.

My ex husband used to take my daughter to the LDS Church on occasion. I noticed that when she went for several weeks she started to get a superior attitude.

I always listen to Christian rock on the radio while in the car. One day she asked if it was "Mormon" and when I said it wasn't she turned up her nose a bit.

I nipped that right in the bud. I managed to get a Divorce Decree that states neither my ex nor I will baptize our daughter in any church. I also explained to her that Joseph Smith's first wife was very, very sad because her husband had many wives. I gave her an age-appropriate explanation about why I don't believe in the Mormon church and why it's not a good thing. She especially got mad when I said that only boys got to do anything like prepare the sacrament, etc.

The LDS Church can suck it.

Mormons saying that they are Christian too is like Catholics saying they are Mormon too. How would they like a group of Catholics showing up to their Temples with Temple recommends from the Pope claiming their right to worship there along with the "Christian" Mormons? They wouldnt. This is a classic example of Mormon double-think. When Christians point out the differences Mormons claim to be the same. When Mormons point out the differences then they claim to be special. Which is it? They can never decide.

I was told that Mormons dont wear Crosses either. They say they want to focus on the life of Jesus not his death. This is completely un-Christian because it was the death of Jesus Christ that made the atonement to begin with. The entire focus of the New Testament is on the death of Jesus but Mormons refuse to focus on that.

1 Corinthians 1:18
"18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

Christian music is completely subjective because there is Christian opera, classical, rock, rap, hip hip, country, etc... I think that every culture has developed their own type of Christian music. Mormons will look down on Christianity because they want to feel superior as their religion teaches them they should.

I prefer 'Cheers' Norm.


:-)

My dad was basically an ex-Catholic, and my mom was a non-practicing Episcopalian, so I wasn't really raised with any particular religion, although I have gone to the Catholic church for family weddings, baptisms, and funerals on my dad's side. I also never really knew anyone who listened to Christian music, just whatever hymns were sung in their church, as I did know people from other denominations.

The weirdest thing for me was that the crucifix my grandparents had over their bed was one that was first put on my uncle's casket. As far as fish on Fridays was concerned, my grandparents had only done that for Lent by the time we grandchildren were born. Before then, they were so strict about it, my dad to this day can't stand most fish and he hates tuna casserole.

About the cross thing, my mom didn't know the Mormon taboo against them, so when I was baptized, she gave me a plain cross necklace as a gift, and my TBM ex compared it to wearing a rifle to remember JFK. Since I divorced my ex and resigned from the church, I've gotten myself a nice cross necklace collection.

My parents were converts. I had similar aged cousins who were very active in evangelical denominations. Where I was taught that premarital sex was the sin second only to murder they were taught that they shouldn't do it. My cousins did eat of the fruit - they weren't called in for an interview they weren't shamed - they pretty much resolved their feelings of guilt with their god.

It was a totally different experience growing up for them than it was for me.

There's a wide range of experiences in Christian life. Would be hard to specify a "norm".

It seems the range is not as wide within LDS.

Re the whole 'cross jewelry' topic: Years ago as a convert, marrying into a long-time Morg family, my mother-in-law made damn sure that I knew crosses were verbotten in Morg society. She even went to far as to denigrate me in front of others whenever I 'slipped-up' and happened to wear a favorite cross necklace from my earlier, 'heathen' life (OK, I admit, sometimes I might have worn it just to get her cranked-up).

Funny thing was, after her death a few years back, we found photo-booth-type pictures of her from her youth stashed in a box (she must have been 15-16) sporting a very LARGE crucifix necklace, which she seemed quite pleased to be wearing (!).

From the research this prompted, I've come to the conclusion that the 'ban on the cross' was not always in place, but may have begun sometime around the Depression Era. I'm guessing some GA got a bee in his bonnet about it and mentioned his opinion from the pulpit and it took off from there.

I still have fun wearing that old, cherished cross on the rare occasion that I have to show up at a Morg meetinghouse.

On Christian music:

"Christian rock doesn't make Christianity better - it only makes rock worse"

Hank Hill

I think Christian rock is usually a Protestant thing.The only people I know who listen are Protestants. I could be wrong but that is my experience.

I'm Eastern Orthodox and my TBM family constantly shame me for my faith and constantly and openly ridicule my beliefs. I never argue back since i am not going to get into a "My God is more true than your God" argument/pissing match. I pray that they wake the hell up for sure and leave it at that.

But in my opinion Mormon "Christian" normal, isn't.

If you really look at it they are not Christian, since they reject pretty much everything traditional Christianity teaches be it that its Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran, etc. They reject original trinitarian belief, the cross, Christs atonement on the cross they view it almost as an accident instead as a willing sacrifice that brings the new Israel (Christ and his church), how they view the "God head" is complete polytheism. 3 separate physical beings (sorry that's polytheism) instead of a divine mystery and God being one in essence. I could go on.

The Mormon "church" sadly is a cult. Their views of "normal" really only apply to those who are LDS and nothing more. And on Christian music most westerners tend to find Orthodox chanting and hymns almost alien (Orthodoxy doesn't use instruments hence no Christian rock)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2016 07:28PM by roya1b100d.

This makes them enjoy finding what they see as flaws in traditional churches. They come up with the excuse that wearing a cross is the same as worshipping an idle but they wear their own mormon jewelry with pride and they worship temples and Books of Mormon.

Who do Mormons worship?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24WYysT61C8

The answer is near the beginning, at the 12-second mark.