The doors to the cultural hall are going to be shut for a while as we vacuum the floor. You can peek inside and see what we’ve been discussing over the past couple of years, but comments are closed for the time being. Why? It is simply time for a break.
We hope and expect to come back, and we might even post an interesting news item from time to time, but you’ll need to find another place to talk. That shouldn’t be a problem, given that there are about a bazillion Mormon-related blogs and bulletin boards. If you are the kind of person who is more comfortable in a stimulating Sunday School discussion, you might try By Common Consent. If you find the cultural hall more comfortable than the chapel, try visiting New Order Mormon for its discussion board. Or if you are on your way out of the building altogether, you might consider Main Street Plaza.
“Here’s what I think in a single sentence: I think that the real religion is about the understanding that if we can only still our egos for a few seconds, we might have a chance of experiencing something that is divine in nature. But in order to do that, we have to slice away at our egos and try to get them down to a manageable size, and then still work some practiced light meditation. So real religion is about reducing our egos, whereas all the churches are interested in is egotistical activities, like getting as many members and raising as much money and becoming as important and high-profile and influential as possible. All of which are egotistical attitudes. So how can you have an egotistical organization trying to teach a non-egotistical ideal? It makes no sense, unless you regard religion as crowd control. What I think most organized religion—simply crowd control.”
John Cleese, from his interview in The Onion
One of the more interesting things I heard last weekend at the American Psychological Association convention in Boston was this line, “Absolute certainty and evil are actually the same thing,” from a presentation on the belief systems of religious extremists. It struck me as something that many in the Cultural Hall might agree with. Certitude may give people an enhanced sense of meaning, but it reduces the number of alternatives one perceives to be available. The result is increased extremism, both in attitudes and in actions.
When I heard that idea, that absolute certainty and evil are the same thing, I couldn’t help but think of LDS lore. Remember the story about the suggestion that it might be better to make everyone do the right thing, so that all return to God, vs. the alternative that people have choices? Whether or not you believe that those two proposals were actually put forward in a heavenly council, it is an idea worth pondering. Choice is a basic Mormon ideal, and it seems more real to me when we are less certain. Certitude enhances meaning in one’s life, which has certain benefits, of course. But certitude also limits the number of alternatives we see, which impacts our ability to choose among our options.
I promised to pass along any LDS efforts to counter church support for Prop 8. The purpose of the site is to educate people about marriage equality and about LDS people who are lesbian or gay and to provide support to LDS people who oppose the proposition. More videos and blog posts will be added until the California election.
http://mormonsformarriage.com/
Comments are welcome, particularly if you have a related story to tell.
When it appeared on television I’d heard about the 30 Days episode featuring an LDS woman, Katie, living with gay men who’d adopted children. I hadn’t been able to see the program, however, until today, when a friend forwarded me the link. It is fascinating to watch, and it seems to me that Spurlock (the man behind the 30 Days series) has done a fine job presenting a balanced picture of the issue. It is apparent that the gay couple (and their friends) had hoped to change Katie’s mind. They believed that by opening their home and showing that they are good people trying hard to be good parents to four children, their actions would at least soften Katie’s opposition. She remains steadfastly opposed, however, and she describes well how her views are too intertwined with her identity and with her understanding of God and morality to change. The program takes about 43 minutes to watch, and it is well worth your time.
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