From: Dale Thorn <dthorn@gte.net>
Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996 19:09:36 +0800
To: Moroni <moroni@scranton.com>
Subject: Re: I resent the word cult.
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.95.961004185932.2723D-100000@user1.scranton.com>
Message-ID: <32561E31.7B89@gte.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Moroni wrote:
> The resent the word cult being used to describe my religions.
> While I don't think it is good to make fun of even one's own religion
> I really think that it is in bad taste to knock another's religion.
> Time and bandwidth have been wasted on more than one occasion with
> your interjecting your personal views about other peoples religions
> only to find that other people do not view their faiths academically.
> I think that all religion should be kept off this list . I did not
> become a member to prostelytise people on this list and did not expect
> other people to start agitating mormons or moslems or Jews or other
> faiths. I mind my p's&q's but I don't have and certainly will sit idly
> by when someone makes my people look bad. Any trouble that you have
> made starting this thread was done by you so don't complain.
> Inciderntally, I emailed tilly a great source for soy meats for
> all those that have emailed me to say that they are returning to the
> church.

> On Fri, 4 Oct 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

[Tim's text deleted to save space only]

To Moroni: You talk about "my people" and "my religion".  Do you *own* 
these people?  Maybe your church owns their minds, huh?  What purpose 
does big-time organized religion serve other than to control the 
otherwise dangerous and predatory species we call human?

I guess if "your people" didn't kill anyone this year (or this decade, 
or in the last 50 years ad nauseam), then we should pin a medal on your 
chest, yes?  Frankly, it doesn't matter per se what "your people" pledge 
to do or not do, what matters is you, and me, and other individuals who 
*learn* not to kill, and to not have a desire to kill, and so forth.

"Your people" are always going to frighten others and stir up paranoia, 
for the very simple reason that:  1. They're human, and therefore are 
predators, and  2. In a large group like the Mormons, they have real 
power.  And this applies to all such groups, BTW.