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Old Timer wrote:
Almost every religion, and its denominations, believes it is the one, true religion. Some define it more broadly than others (like many Protestants meaning Protestantism as a whole), but nearly all teach it.Many religions demand great sacrifice of the active believers, and quite a few do so as much as the LDS Church.
I am NOT downplaying the issue for the LDS membership. Seriously, I am not doing that. However, it is important that we not buy into the idea of unique exceptionalism in these areas.
It’s a hard thing to let go of. I’ve been trying for 8 months now, with only occasional success. Thanks for the reminder, though – I need it.
A question for those who have attended a lot of other churches or were converts to ours. Do you think your experience with other churches helped you let go of exceptionalism, or kept you from absorbing strong exceptionalist ideas in the first place?
Just to be clear – I am not advocating the JW religion. They have organizational abuse that (IMHO) is just as bad or even worse than our own. Similar to the LDS church, If you believe it to be the only true way then all the sacrifices make sense. I am just pointing out one possible way to still claim to be the one true church and allow for leadership mistakes. Old Timer wrote:
I am NOT downplaying the issue for the LDS membership. Seriously, I am not doing that. However, it is important that we not buy into the idea of unique exceptionalism in these areas.
So to recap. The LDS church makes these exceptional claims about itself. This then becomes disappointing when the church behavior and history seem rather unexceptional. However, those disappointed individuals can comfort themselves by remembering that in making exceptional claims about itself the LDS church is par for the course. Almost all churches make exceptional claims. Therefore to do so is rather unexceptional. Irony?
:crazy: Exactly. 😆 
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