My comment in response to the fine work of the Right Reverend JC Christian

Actually, I must raise my sword in defense of the lay Mormons, or anyone who has been indoctrinated (and even "endocrinated") into a religion that tells lies (i.e., pretty much all of them)...

In almost all religions, there are a full spectrum of adherents, ranging from almost complete apostasy to rigid fundies...and it is the latter that cause all the trouble.

Interestingly, the more non-ignorant the adherent is, the less fundamentalist they tend to be.

I have a good friend/ex-boss who happens to be Mormon, but I don't think he's much into the alternate history espoused by said religion. (Or any religion.) In other words, he's not a literalist.

[ Though, I guess I should mention he is a Glenn Beck fan, it has seemed to me that he disagrees with Beck when the latter acts like a screaming weenie.

And even if we doubt Beck's sincerity when he does so, he does "say the right thing" from time to time, such as advocating non-violent protest in the manner of Gandhi and MLK.

But I digress. ]

Then there was my old almost girlfriend, who was raised Mormon...a few years ago, she told my pastor that she was a "recovering Mormon", and he said, "that's okay, I'm a recovering Catholic." Funny to hear that come from a Catholic priest...

So hearing his courageous words helped this one realize that there _is_ that
wide spectrum of religious belief in any religion... AND at all levels of their hierarchies.

There was another time, when the gentleman said -- in a _sermon_ -- "the stars do not always shine on the Vatican." (If Bill Donahue had been in the audience when he said that, I fear we'd have had to put him in 5-point restraints.)

But, this was probably the best way for the man to carry out his pastoral mission. Men and women of conscience know the guy is genuine...as is my Mormon friend...and as are plenty of Mormons.

In summary: religion is a funny thing...and some religious detractors are more "literalist" than the religious adherents.

Indeed, if you were to bring up one of hundreds of Bible contradictions to a mainstream theologian, she would most likely roll her eyes, pat you on the head, and offer to buy you an ice cream cone.

Take care,

(In response to Men with huge forearms holding long, hard, rigid shafts of steel
)