Hello! Of course my miffed-ness decreases as the day goes on, but increases again when I have the same episode occur. Let me explain: If you are following the recent arguments about who will be the republican candidate for 2008, you know all about those coming out against his religion, he's Mormon. That part doesn't bug me. Our country railed on JFK as well. No biggie. Here's what irks me...people who know nothing about the religion except what they've been told by other uninformed people criticizing the practices...especially when the part they are criticizing is the part that doesn't really occur (if that made any sense). For example, now that statements are in the papers about what Mormons believe, when I mention that I am one, people tell me they know "all about my beliefs, so I don't have to give them my opinion." Grrrr. First, what they've been told is incorrect in the cases I've experienced, and second, they tell me when I express my beliefs that, "That's not what you believe, I just read what Mormons believe. You must be being fooled by your own religion." Huh? I've been practicing since a child, taught my children the same things I've practiced, and now, just because some newspaper says I believe otherwise, I don't know what my religion believes? Right.
One example, then I'll end and go finish lunch, the paper stated that Mormons believed that Christ was born a mere mortal and worked his way to Godhood, and that we as mortals could too. BUT, just the other day, I attended a sermon/talk/speaker (whatever) at church who was preaching about how the whole reason the atonement is amazing is that Christ was part God, being born of God and a woman, and that gave him the ability to take his own life (meaning, yes, he was crucified, but could have stayed alive if he wanted to) and then gave his own body back it's life to start the resurrection. But, when I say that I believe the latter, I've had people (literally!) tell me that I don't really believe that, and they know I'm fooling them so that they will convert, and the paper was telling the truth. I just don't get it!!
To clarify the "worked his way to Godhood and we can too"--yes, we believe we can attain Godhood, but not via works, but because we are literally children of God, here to be tested. It's our divine nature. Just like a kitten becomes a cat. That's simplifying it A LOT. But, that doesn't mean we believe that Christ was born a mere mortal. Just to clarify.
Thanks for listening (reading) my rant. I love you women.
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