Am I The Only One Wondering About This?

[iLander]

Am I the only one that thinks it's weird that Mormons are survivalists?

I attended a Mormon church for 3 years as a young adult, and the concept of laying in a supply of food and water for your family was consistently taught. The children were taught in Sunday School to make sterno can cookers from tuna cans, candles from wax bits. Everyone kept a supply and was reminded to check it for freshness by the minister.

Here's an official church link; http://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage

The reason that was given was that when the cataclysm (not many details on what that was) happened Mormons would have to take care of their own families. The Mormons have their own banks, insurance companies, a complete financial infrastructure. Now they're hoping to have their own president.

I am not saying this to cast dispersions on Romney, because it is all true. It's not an exaggeration or mud-slinging, it's what they teach. I just find it odd that no one has reported on this, that there really isn't much mention of the beliefs of a presidential candidate.

Does anyone else find it disconcerting?

 

[VRBeauty]

The reason that was given was that when the cataclysm (not many details on what that was) happened Mormons would have to take care of their own families. The Mormons have their own banks, insurance companies, a complete financial infrastructure. Now they're hoping to have their own president.

I am not saying this to cast dispersions on Romney, because it is all true. It's not an exaggeration or mud-slinging, it's what they teach. I just find it odd that no one has reported on this, that there really isn't much mention of the beliefs of a presidential candidate.

Does anyone else find it disconcerting?

LOL the highlighted part.

You know, there's practically no way to discuss this without getting into either religion or politics! Suffice it to say that it's probably very much on some people's minds (as either a concern or an asset) but even those people, it's one of many things they have to weigh against each other as they decide which candidate they'll vote for.

 

[ForteKitty]

That link's pretty useful. More people should be prepared for emergencies... and zombie attacks!

 

[iheartscience]

My best friend in elementary and middle school was Mormon and they definitely had a stash of food and water, although it definitely wouldn't have lasted 3 years. I learned some very interesting stuff about the Mormon church by being friends with her. I went to several "stake dances" and some services and meetings. Plus my knowledge helped me appreciate The Book of Mormon play even more!

 

[lulu]

Well, to be frank, I think all organized religions are crazy. Some more than others. But many scare me more than Mormons. You never hear about Mormons rioting and killing people. There are others who perpetrate violence in God's name. Those are the ones that really worry me.

 

[movie zombie]

i would also imagine that past experiences also colors the desire to "be prepared". moving into Utah was no easy task. the idea of helping one another in a community was more prevalent in that day and age, imo.

 

[Deia]

Well, to be frank, I think all organized religions are crazy. Some more than others. But many scare me more than Mormons. You never hear about Mormons rioting and killing people. There are others who perpetrate violence in God's name. Those are the ones that really worry me.

+1. I am not a fan of Romney... Saying that, any religion, taken to the extreme, freaks me out. I can understand having a faith and needing to believe in something, and I understand why religion was created in the first place but I don't understand the need for it in today's society where we...just know better.

By the way, I am Catholic.

edit - I don't see anything wrong with having a stash though if that makes you feel comfortable. I mean, I remember that after 9/11 that my sister and her husband had all sorts of stuff packed up in case something awful struck NYC again.

 

[Alistra]

I am not a Mormon, or a fan of Romney. However, I can see some very practical aspects to being prepared. In the event of an emergency or even unemployment, having these skills and a stash of goods would be useful. Who knows what the future might bring?

 

[star sparkle]

Why would it be disconcerting? What could possibly be wrong with wanting to be prepared for the worst and making sure you have enough to take care of your family in the event of a disaster?

If there were a Muslim candidate, would it be fair to generalize and discriminate because of his/her religion, and call it "disconcerting?" No, it wouldn't. I can't see how this is any different.

 

[Deia]

Star sparkle - I think what's disconcerting is that whichever way you slice it, religion always comes up in politics, and presidential elections, so why is Romney being excluded of this? His religion plays a huge role with regards to his stance on several subjects.... Would be wonderful if this weren't true...but alas no.

 

[star sparkle]

Star sparkle - I think what's disconcerting is that whichever way you slice it, religion always comes up in politics, and presidential elections, so why is Romney being excluded of this? His religion plays a huge role with regards to his stance on several subjects.... Would be wonderful if this weren't true...but alas no.

True, and I completely understand that religion is of course always going to be brought up in politics, because that's just the way it goes. Mostly I was just questioning iLander's statement that Romney's religion is "disconcerting" and "weird." His religion definitely influences his politics, which is a reason I will not be voting for him, but I don't think it's fair to cast it in that light.

Perhaps we've all been watching/reading different news stories, though, because I've seen a fair amount related to this issue.

 

[Deia]

iLander didn't call it weird - someone else did edit- never mind, oops, missed the first line. Well, she's not calling the religion weird, if you wanna be specific!

I understand what you are saying - and what I am trying to say, unsuccessfully lol, is that I don't think she meant that his religion itself is disconcerting, but that his religion hasn't been brought up at all during the elections. Maybe I am misunderstanding iLander though

 

[star sparkle]

iLander didn't call it weird - someone else did

I understand what you are saying - and what I am trying to say, unsuccessfully lol, is that I don't think she meant that his religion itself is disconcerting, but that his religion hasn't been brought up at all during the elections. Maybe I am misunderstanding iLander though

Lol, well, it's in the first sentence of this thread.

My apologies if I misunderstood you, iLander. It just bothers me when people are discriminated against or thought to be "weird" because of their religion, no matter which religion it is. I work in law enforcement and it's so upsetting to me when we get people calling to report on their neighbor "because he's Muslim." Or because "he prays a lot," or "wears a turban."

 

[amc80]

Why would it be disconcerting? What could possibly be wrong with wanting to be prepared for the worst and making sure you have enough to take care of your family in the event of a disaster?

If there were a Muslim candidate, would it be fair to generalize and discriminate because of his/her religion, and call it "disconcerting?" No, it wouldn't. I can't see how this is any different.

Agreed. I have a lot of Mormon friends and I think they are pretty smart for being prepared. On friend's husband does seasonal work, so there are times when things are really tight...and they dip into their emergency supply during these times and replenish it when things are good.

Honestly, I don't see why people care that Romney is Mormon. Do people think he is going to mandate religion or try to convert everyone? What's the big deal?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

That link's pretty useful. More people should be prepared for emergencies... and zombie attacks!

This is a huge, huge deal that people are NOT looking at. Everyone says keep a three-month supply. I just finished a zombie book and the zombies were still attacking the living after ONE year! The survivors were hunting for food contintiously. You need portable food for probably 2-3 years because who knows how long the zombies will linger. They're already dead, so it's not like they're going to die a second time unless the survivors finish them off!!!

 

[iLander]

iLander didn't call it weird - someone else did

I understand what you are saying - and what I am trying to say, unsuccessfully lol, is that I don't think she meant that his religion itself is disconcerting, but that his religion hasn't been brought up at all during the elections. Maybe I am misunderstanding iLander though

Lol, well, it's in the first sentence of this thread.

My apologies if I misunderstood you, iLander. It just bothers me when people are discriminated against or thought to be "weird" because of their religion, no matter which religion it is. I work in law enforcement and it's so upsetting to me when we get people calling to report on their neighbor "because he's Muslim." Or because "he prays a lot," or "wears a turban."

Well, I'll explain: I know this sounds paranoid and strange on my part, but when I was growing up in the '70's, there was continuous talk about the president and "the button". Also "the football", which was a suitcase that contained "the button". "The button" refers to the launch codes for nuclear war. When Reagan was president, and his capacity seemed to be slipping, the press questioned his judgement and access to the button. This was all a big deal during the cold war and before the wall came down. That's my historical background, and why this question occurs to me. I am not comfortable with the fact that the person with"the button" was raised to be prepared for armageddon.

And, apparently, zombie attacks. . .

ETA: Some of my best friends have turbans, or wear crosses, or whatever. Doesn't bother me a speck.

 

[madelise]

iLander didn't call it weird - someone else did

I understand what you are saying - and what I am trying to say, unsuccessfully lol, is that I don't think she meant that his religion itself is disconcerting, but that his religion hasn't been brought up at all during the elections. Maybe I am misunderstanding iLander though

Lol, well, it's in the first sentence of this thread.

My apologies if I misunderstood you, iLander. It just bothers me when people are discriminated against or thought to be "weird" because of their religion, no matter which religion it is. I work in law enforcement and it's so upsetting to me when we get people calling to report on their neighbor "because he's Muslim." Or because "he prays a lot," or "wears a turban."

We have a Muslim kid volunteer at work. He wears a small hat thing, similar to a yamaka, except colorful and angular at the top. I forget the name. Okay nvm, I goggliar-ed. It's called a Taqiyah. He's the sweetest kid, 18 years old, wants to make a difference in society by spending his precious time being unpaid at a hospital. He only works for 3 hours a day. THE FIRST DAY, we had multiple calls to the hospital, complaining about "that Muslim daring to wear his Muslim garb at the hospital", and how unsettling it was for the patients and their family members to see such an abominable sight while they are checking in for life risking procedures.. you know, where lifelong nonreligious people suddenly pretend they believe in God? Those types.

I an only imagine the calls you guys get, if we got such trash after an innocent, smiley little kid worked only 3 hours. I wanted to cry for him. I was so angry. We live in SoCal, where it's supposed to be a melting pot, and liberal, and safe for minorities. What BS.




I think all religions can be ridiculous, and each have their "disconcerting" details. And then again, there are nonreligious people and atheists that are just as nuts with their own philosophies.

 

[madelise]

Why would it be disconcerting? What could possibly be wrong with wanting to be prepared for the worst and making sure you have enough to take care of your family in the event of a disaster?

If there were a Muslim candidate, would it be fair to generalize and discriminate because of his/her religion, and call it "disconcerting?" No, it wouldn't. I can't see how this is any different.

Agreed. I have a lot of Mormon friends and I think they are pretty smart for being prepared. On friend's husband does seasonal work, so there are times when things are really tight...and they dip into their emergency supply during these times and replenish it when things are good.

Honestly, I don't see why people care that Romney is Mormon. Do people think he is going to mandate religion or try to convert everyone? What's the big deal?

Ditto. I'm not a supporter, but I don't not like him because of his religion
There has yet to be an atheist candidate JK. I would never vote (or not vote) based on anyone's religious preference or lack of.. unless he/she was shoving it down everyone's throats.

 

[iLander]

Well, I'll explain: I know this sounds paranoid and strange on my part, but when I was growing up in the '70's, there was continuous talk about the president and "the button". Also "the football", which was a suitcase that contained "the button". "The button" refers to the launch codes for nuclear war. When Reagan was president, and his capacity seemed to be slipping, the press questioned his judgement and access to the button. This was all a big deal during the cold war and before the wall came down. That's my historical background, and why this question occurs to me. I am not comfortable with the fact that the person with"the button" was raised to be prepared for armageddon.

And, apparently, zombie attacks. . .

ETA: Some of my best friends have turbans, or wear crosses, or whatever. Doesn't bother me a speck.

Please see my clarification above.

 

[JaneSmith]

... More people should be prepared for emergencies... and zombie attacks!

http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/
This is a humorous way of conveying valuable information. I usually keep candles, water, canned food, batteries, and a radio handy.

Re: religion.
It is imperative that people be free to believe whatever they want. It's the actions people take based on their beliefs that are sometimes concerning, frightening, harmful and/or destructive. People also do not have the right to not be offended (I'm looking at you, Islamic rioters).
I would like people to be more aware of their own cognitive biases such as cognitive dissonance, motivated reasoning, and confirmation bias. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_bias

Re: politics.
I would vote for a person who's political platform I agreed with, and if they were a catholic or muslim or atheist or buddhist I wouldn't care as long as they kept it at home. Secularism is they key.

And bling. Bling for a happy life.

 

[JewelFreak]

As a non-participant in any particular religion, I still see a great deal of good in them. All lives encounter events so painful, the sufferer isn't sure he'll survive the emotional blow; or so scary, she's afraid she'll fall off the cliff tomorrow (zombies?). Millions find courage & solace in their churches, from their gods. There are times (some extended unendurably long) when we hurt so much or are so frightened, even breathing is an effort. Whatever ethical way people can manage to put one foot in front of the other when facing life's spitballs is constructive in my books. Whatever reminds us constantly to get back on the straight & narrow, ditto. Some religions are weirder than others, I do agree, but if they do not advocate harming others & provide strength in rough times, I can't criticize their members, as long as they don't try to make the rest of us live by their tenets.

Yes, religions have & will be twisted to evil ends, but so can schooling, loving, any endeavor we take on. And, smart as we think we are, I do not believe we...know better. We know zilch. There are so many "mysteries beyond our poor imaginings." Some so far beyond, we don't know the questions to ask, let alone the answers.

--- Laurie

 

[Ella]

Everyone please remember that we don't allow dissection of particular religions here on PS.

If you want to continue the conversation please keep it hypothetical about survivalism and or zombie attacks but leave the religion out of it.

 

[nkarma]

There is a wide variety on opinions about various religions here which is refreshing.

In regards to the original question, I do not think it is weird or something to wonder about at all. I took a class from the red cross on disaster preparedness and the number one thing they recommended you do is have water, food, supplies, etc... in your home. They quoted something like 1 emergency responder for every 10,000 people in the area I live, so having supplies available most people would agree is a good idea. I believe the red cross is a non-political Christian organization. Is what they are promoting something to wonder about too?

And if we are gonna attack religions about the "weird" things they promote....let's do it across the board. Judaism you can't eat pork because of health concerns back when the Torah was written. Is that weird? To some yes. Christians and most other religions believe that the world was created in seven days and women were created from a man's rib? To outsiders and anyone with basic scientific knowlegde, it is going to sound odd to.

Some of what I read between the line's in Ilander's original post disturbs me. Four years ago I felt the same way when people said African Americans want their own president. I also do not think it's right to have a post "wondering" about any religious pracitces.

In the end, I think the attitude of the people in Romney's party towards people from different cultures, religions, etc... are going to end up being why he is not elected.

 

[monarch64]

There is a wide variety on opinions about various religions here which is refreshing.

In regards to the original question, I do not think it is weird or something to wonder about at all. I took a class from the red cross on disaster preparedness and the number one thing they recommended you do is have water, food, supplies, etc... in your home. They quoted something like 1 emergency responder for every 10,000 people in the area I live, so having supplies available most people would agree is a good idea. I believe the red cross is a non-political Christian organization. Is what they are promoting something to wonder about too?

And if we are gonna attack religions about the "weird" things they promote....let's do it across the board. Judaism you can't eat pork because of health concerns back when the Torah was written. Is that weird? To some yes. Christians and most other religions believe that the world was created in seven days and women were created from a man's rib? To outsiders and anyone with basic scientific knowlegde, it is going to sound odd to.

Some of what I read between the line's in Ilander's original post disturbs me. Four years ago I felt the same way when people said African Americans want their own president. I also do not think it's right to have a post "wondering" about any religious pracitces.

In the end, I think the attitude of the people in Romney's party towards people from different cultures, religions, etc... are going to end up being why he is not elected.

I agree with all of this, thanks for stating your piece so well, Nkarma.

Ilander, I find it disconcerting that so many are so intolerant of religions (or the lack of religion) different from their own. I may disagree with someone's beliefs for various reasons, but I'm not going to call them "weird," because then I just become part of the problem.

 

[VRBeauty]

I am not comfortable with the fact that the person with"the button" was raised to be prepared for armageddon.

And, apparently, zombie attacks. . .

For me, it's a stretch to use Mormonism's teachings about disaster preparedness as a reason not to vote for a Mormon as president. If the candidate personally made a big deal about disaster preparedness - i.e., if he or she was a survivalist, maybe - but not the mere fact that this is a part of the faith they practice. Please understand I'm not saying that Ilander is stretching to come up with that connection. My mother grew up in Europe during and after WWII, so her mind makes many connections that would never occur to me. I just don't think most people make that particular connection unless they were looking to justify voting against someone because of their Mormonism.

One of the campaign issues used against JFK's in 1960 was the fact that he was a Catholic. It had nothing to do with legalizing abortion (it wasn't on the radar screen then) - the rationale was that as a Catholic, JFK would defer to Rome for important decisions. Even knowing that the world was a lot less ecumenical then, I'm guessing this was largely a politically-driven rationalization. But please take my interpretation with a grain of salt... I wasn't exactly reading the editorial pages or participating in political discussions back then!

 

[AmeliaG]

I am not comfortable with the fact that the person with"the button" was raised to be prepared for armageddon.

You've heard of the number of Catholics who practice birth control and have had abortions despite the church's teachings? I imagine its the same for Mormons who've been trained for Armageddon.

I think any teaching carried to excess can be disconcerting, even the Cold War paranoia about the man who pushes the button.

 

[AN0NYM0US]

Doesn't every major religion believe in some version of "end times"?

 

[iLander]

One of the campaign issues used against JFK's in 1960 was the fact that he was a Catholic. It had nothing to do with legalizing abortion (it wasn't on the radar screen then) - the rationale was that as a Catholic, JFK would defer to Rome for important decisions. Even knowing that the world was a lot less ecumenical then, I'm guessing this was largely a politically-driven rationalization. But please take my interpretation with a grain of salt... I wasn't exactly reading the editorial pages or participating in political discussions back then!

I think this really brought it home to me VR; of course the concept that JFK would defer to Rome was silly.

Because of that little glass historical of cold water, I realize that I'm being silly, too.

It made sense in my head, but you're right, it doesn't make sense out in the real world.

I will dig deeper into the candidates (I have voted both Rep and Dem over the years, I vote for candidate, not party) to decide which way to vote.

For everyone's edification: my religion accepts all other religions as valid, so it's not a religion issue, or intolerance, or anything else for me, personally. I think paranoid musing would probably be an accurate description.

I appreciate everyone's input, this is why I come to PS, it helped me look at it with more clarity. Thank you.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Great post, iLander.

Personally, one of the few things I do appreciate about this campaign is how religion is being kept out of the discussion, for the most part.

 

[Karl_K]

No it is not weird to lay in supplies, I do so when I can.
When the company I was working for went under and declared bankruptcy owing me a months pay and having a busted up arm from an on the job injury and unemployment was barely enough to cover rent at least I didn't have to worry about having something to eat for several months. I didn't eat well but I was far from hungry.