Latter-Day Saints in Yrth

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by ericthered

You might actually get some living on the edges of the great desert if you pull from small utah towns. That would give you a very segregated feel, though, and if you give them weapons they'll be a magnet for new banestorm transportees and underground engineers.

Mormons in the nineteenth century already had a very segregated feel and for that matter do so to this day. Comes of leading a rag-tag fugitive wagon train to a shining planet known as Utah.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Eh. That might or might not be a big deal; it's not like there aren't any other cultures in Yrth which might plausibly have polygamy. Most likely it just winds up being a line item in the litany of heresies they're accused of.

The Mormon theology and Christology are the real problems. In short, Mormons are polytheists who deny that Christ is God, but think that he is a god. God the Father is a physical being with a fleshy body. Jesus Christ is one of the Father’s ‘spirit children’, which number includes the human race.
This is all wildly unacceptable to Yrthian Christians. Muslims have far, far more in common with Christians than Christians have with Mormons, but look how they get on in Yrth.
Add to those theological problems the LDS belief, very strongly put forth in the 19th Century that Christianity is a false religion and that Mormonism is the only correct religion...
What time is it? Crusade time!
Muslims are mostly not going to be cool with the LDS polytheism (and they thought the Trinity was difficult!) the competing missionary work, and the place of Smith as the latest and greatest prophet of God.
If Mormons on Yrth did build a New Zion in the Great Forest or the Great Desert using TL 5 weapons and tools, I could see the first ever Megalan/Al- Wazif alliance and joint holy war! Now that would be interesting.

[Flyndaran]

I thought Mormonism was a type of Christianity, just "weird" like Voodoun and Catholicism.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Eh. That might or might not be a big deal; it's not like there aren't any other cultures in Yrth which might plausibly have polygamy. Most likely it just winds up being a line item in the litany of heresies they're accused of.

I don't know. Christianity has been strongly against group marriage in our world, even when that interfered with winning converts; I can't think of any large sect except the Mormons which practiced it (assuming for the sake of argument that Mormons are Christian). Christian attitudes to marriage have varied widely in other areas, so I think the consistency may suggest that a rule against group marriage is deeply embedded in Christianity. But the history of religion is not my specialty, so I could easily be wrong.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I thought Mormonism was a type of Christianity, just "weird" like Voodoun and Catholicism.

Just say "it's complicated".

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I thought Mormonism was a type of Christianity, just "weird" like Voodoun and Catholicism.

Catholicism isn't weird. It's the baseline for the West. Protestants aren’t ‘weird’ either. And Protestants hardly differ with Catholics on theology or Christology. That split is mostly a matter of differing views on church governance and some differences in the interpretation of certain scriptures related to soteriological matters.
Voudon is a syncretic religion with West African polytheist/animist/magical beleifs mixed with Catholic elements.
Mormonism is a new religion, created in America. It is not Christian. It rejects the core teachings of ALL the historic Christian traditions.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Catholicism isn't weird. It's the baseline for the West. Protestants aren’t ‘weird’ either. And Protestants hardly differ with Catholics on theology or Christology. That split is mostly a matter of differing views on church governance and some differences in the interpretation of certain scriptures related to soteriological matters.
Voudon is a syncretic religion with West African polytheist/animist/magical beleifs mixed with Catholic elements.
Mormonism is a new religion, created in America. It is not Christian. It rejects the core teachings of ALL the historic Christian traditions.

From reading the bible, I have to say that Catholicism is weird no matter how prevalent it is in the world.

All religions over a century old are syncretised from many cultures and other beliefs.

I figure all it takes to be Christian is say you are and believe that Jesus existed and said something you believe.

Do Mormons call themselves Christian? If so, then disagreeing with them sounds like the Pope calling Protestants not real Christians.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by oldgringo2001

Mormons have always been suspected of conspiracies, so why not add a "real" one, sort of a non-Catholic complement to what we all know the Jesuits or the Templars are really up to.

Let's suppose that Mormons began coming to Yrth in the 1840s--and that there has been limited two-way traffic since then, not only between Yrth and Homeline, but between several worlds with a Mormon presence. Few Mormons are initiated into this particular mystery of the church, but the elders have always been in on it. Who would uncover such goings on, the FBI? Have you noticed how many Mormons are in the FBI now?

As for polygamy, there has been serious discussion of relaxing the rules on that by our Catholics. Jesus is on record against divorce, but if he said anything about having more than one wife, it hasn't been set down in any of the currently accepted Gospels. And we already know that Megalos, the home of the Mother Church on Yrth, has been ruled by emperors with harems for a long time.

Paul said, "let each man have his wife, and each woman have her husband" or however that goes. That could imply monogamy. More important the epistles were written before the gospels and if they are accounted as inspired then Jesus did say it. Just as if the Emperor makes an edict it does not matter if he declares it before the Senate or dictates it to a secretary.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

From reading the bible, I have to say that Catholicism is weird no matter how prevalent it is in the world.

All religions over a century old are syncretised from many cultures and other beliefs.

I figure all it takes to be Christian is say you are and believe that Jesus existed and said something you believe.

Do Mormons call themselves Christian? If so, then disagreeing with them sounds like the Pope calling Protestants not real Christians.

No. Being Christian includes following a specific set of doctrines. It is legitimate to ask if those doctrines are followed.

Just as if I am a Jacobite I must believe that the House of Stuart is the lawful heir to the British throne.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

No. Being Christian includes following a specific set of doctrines. It is legitimate to ask if those doctrines are followed.

Just as if I am a Jacobite I must believe that the House of Stuart is the lawful heir to the British throne.

What doctrines, specifically? The idea of a being a follower of Jesus, but not being a Christian sounds a bit absurd to my atheist ears.