My personal introduction (this is a hard one)

[Anonymous]

SamBee wrote:

Yeah, the church has plenty of “environmental issues” – starting with disposable sacrament cups and heating costs… that’s worth another thread!

Well, if you do decide to start that thread, could you include a link here so we can jump to it easily?

[Anonymous]

Welcome. cwald uses an alien avatar which I think epitomizes the feeling of not fitting in. I use a unicorn since it doesnt’ seem to exist anywhere in real life. I find that my perspective on the world is vastly different than the average member so often I say something and their eyes literally bug out of their heads,

And at least one of my challenges and one of my life’s experiences are unlike anyone else’s here — and 99% of the populaton.

So, hopefully you feel welcome and among friends.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the jungle. Like you, I often wonder how seemingly scriptural Mormons can hold to tea party conservative politics or even espouse capitalism. It’s as if they totally ignore the Jesus of the scriptures and even the teachings of Joseph Smith. I belong to the Socialist Party of Australia so US politics don’t concern me anymore as far as having to vote. The whole conservative nature of Mormons also mainly applies in the US. Here in Australia as in other parts of the world I’m sure members are more liberal leaning. Most rank and file Mormons here in Australia are more concerned about their own political parties and don’t really pay that much attention to US political philosophy. They are mainly proud of the fact that Mitt Romney is a Mormon without really seeing what a bankrupt person he is coming across as. anyway, I hope you enjoy it here. hope to talk to you again soon.

[Anonymous]

It does seem frustrating at times. While I agree with many of the posts above, that there are more liberals in the church than we may realize, it seems the conservative republicans are often heard. In my ward, we had one zealous republican email everyone on the ward email list to say we should cancel all youth activites during the republican primaries because every good latter-day saint and patriot should be out exercising their duties as citizens. I was pleased that there were quick replies to state: 1) the ward list should not be used for political messages, 2) many ward members are democrats and so they can run the youth activities for any republicans that want to go to GOP primaries.

I still hear comments on Sunday during meetings that make me cringe, but I have started seeing that others cringe along with me. And I notice they speak up. Which I think is the right thing to do. The church needs multiple voices.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses! And I am grateful that there is more of a liberal groundswell of support, but then when I think of all the people I know that have left the church, and that they’re almost universally on the left side of the political spectrum, it gives me pause. Then again, maybe it’s because that of all the people I know outside the church, they’re almost all universally liberal.

[Anonymous]

Conservative Republicans right now are the shrill piccolos of the orchestra in the United States – and it’s important to recognize that this is largely an American thing.

I’ve said for a long time that when those who are different shut up or leave (when the oboes and bagpipes and kazoos stop playing or leave the orchestra) they create a self-fulfilling prophecy by making the Church even more uniform than it would be naturally. I understand it’s harder for the abnormal of any kind to engage in a community where there is a dominant instrument, but leaving only perpetuates and exacerbates the problem.

I get it when leaving is necessary; I really do. However, I also get how often “irreconcilable differences” really are reconcilable.

[Author]

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