What I don't understand is, why would someone want to be a part of a group that doesn't want or respect them as a human being? Why in the world would someone want to be where they are not wanted? Yes, it is wrong of Mormons, but what is right about them?
And Ginof, you aren't missing anything. The person that wrote it is missing a few screws. How can we analyze something that was no more than a travelling medicine show, only selling front row seats in Kolob. Religion can change its rules at any given time.

Like the Vatican astronomer that came out with an article saying it was okay for Catholics to believe in aliens. The rules are forever changing and people are alright with that.

ginof, I have always favored the idea that the "mark of Cain" was something like a birthmark. And it referred specifically to Cain; no mention of the mark being carried by his descendants. Of course, of whom was Cain afraid? If I read Genesis correctly, after Cain killed Abel, there were only three people on Earth; Adam, Eve, and Cain. But a few verses later, it talks about Cain's wife. Where did she come from? As the defense attorney in the play and movie "Inherit the Wind" comments, "Did someone else pull off another creation over in the next county?"

Mahree wrote:What I don't understand is, why would someone want to be a part of a group that doesn't want or respect them as a human being? Why in the world would someone want to be where they are not wanted?

not to go down a political rant, but today we have the log cabin republicans!

responding to youkrst

the psychology is amazing, truly the most dangerous thing in the world is between our ears

Consider that for the first tens of thousands of years religion was the best effort at using that dangerous thing between a human's ears. Religion was science. It was that body of human knowledge and activity that attempted to make sense of the natural world and exert some control over it through worship and ritual. It's only in the last few hundred years that humans have accumulated the knowledge and technology to develop natural (as opposed to spiritual) explanations that are verifiable. So religion is undergoing a revolution in its scope and purpose--if it can't be relied upon to explain natural phenomena like drought, earthquakes, skin color or the differences between the sexes then what leverage does it have to dictate behavior and morals? It has to discover a completely new purpose that is utterly divorced from natural phenomena of any sort. That leads to people like the pope's adviser suggesting that it might be better to say nothing at all about science, lest they say something that turns out to be wrong and so hurt the "credibility" of the church.
Coincidentally, the Mormon leadership made a huge statement this past weekend about past errors of the church:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/us/a- ... takes.html

Comments on chapter 6: This was an astonishingly weak chapter. I'd have liked to have seen a clearer and more detailed timeline for the evolution of LDS policy regarding race. And what does available data say about the current racial distribution of church membership? How does the church handle missionary work in Africa? The book seems to suggest the LDS does not conduct missions in Africa, which a quick google proves incorrect. What is the church presence in African-American communities? What positions of leadership do African-Americans currently hold, and what do they continue to be denied? This was kind of a throw-away chapter. Pretty disappointing.

Mahree wrote:Why would a black person even consider being a part of any religion? Why are they satisfied with a white God? I don't get it. Why would black people want to be a part of a racist community, yet a racist church? Even though the Mormons changed the rules on race doesn't mean they feel any different about it. They change their minds more often than their holy underwear. They will do anything to get more people into their flawed belief system. If I was religious and black, I would have changed race on the God and his sidekick, long ago. I don't think there is anything in the bible stating color, but then I am not a big bible buff.

My guess on why Christianity resonated so much with the Africans brought to this country in slavery is that the biblical enslavements in Egypt and Babylon hit the mark. What used to be known as Negro spirituals appear to center around Old Testament stories and themes. Right up through the Civil Rights movement of the 60s, the "let my people go" feeling was present, as was the struggle for justice that also had biblical roots. So it was partly a repurposing of the original religion.

I think it goes deeper. I think slavery originated out of a psycological aggression by those enslaved by a God or Gods. These people fear their Gods (their master(s)), in turn enslave another who fears them. One can interpret these holy books however they want–to suit them. I think letting go of a group that has been enslaved in their interpretation of their holy book, leaves them too aware to face their own enslavement. People involved with a God or Gods try to express such great happiness from their beliefs, but how could they be? It's all a facade, and they ultimately live their life in fear of their Master. Oppression has to be released somehow.

i think it was howard zinn where i read about that concept. The poor whites in the US southern states were taught to fear/oppress the slaves as someone who would damage them economically.

It's ironic that the harder I try to distance myself from comprehending "why" people choose the direction of a God or Gods, the more I'm forced to find compassion and understanding. I have spent all my life completely happy alone with my beliefs (or disbeliefs, whatever it's considered). I didn't know I had a name or category (atheist) until someone labeled me as a Wiccan. My response was, "What the hell are you talking about?" I'm a loner, always have been. Then I ended up in an Anthropology class on religion. Then I read "The Mormon's" and now, crazy as it seems, I have been asked by a family to write their story about their life in a cult for 13 years. Why in the world would a family of seven trust an "Atheist" if I am that, with their life. We are on total opposite sides of the spectrum, I may even be off the scale. I take people's lives very seriously and in order to write this story, I must understand, completely, how they feel about a God. This is not about my feelings or my life, so great care must be taken to express the sincerety and dedication they have. I could write it no other way, because I respect their life as they chose to life it. Life is interesting, that's all I can say. I could say "no" but they asked me and trust me with their life. Go figure.

wow! I hope you get a lot from the experience!