Not much can make me speechless. I can carry on a conversation with a tree stump and am not nearly as hesitant as I should be when it comes to sharing my opinion. But there are some things that I just can't fathom, and the things that I saw when I visited a Mormon church service yesterday is a prime example.
Since when is it okay to do paperwork or play with your cell phone in the middle of a church service? What happened to people taking their disruptive children out of the sanctuary during worship? Why do people, particularly adults, think it's okay to talk during the service? Why is it okay to knit a hat during Sunday school? And where was I when it became acceptable for adults - or anyone for that matter - to carry on a texting conversation in church?
Now I know that the older I get the more I become like my father, which isn't necessarily a good thing. I know that I'm judgemental but I really don't think I'm out of line in wondering what these people were thinking.
I grew up going to church. I've been to the Church of Christ, Catholic churches, Baptist churches, Lutheran churches and non-denominational churches and in all my experiences I've never seen this kind of disrespect toward God. While there are aspects that I like about the Mormon church (not so much the whole prophet business) this has really turned me off from learning more about them.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Mormons confuzzle me...
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3 comments:
Most LDS people don't do the things you mentioned, so it's probably a good idea to keep things in perspective and not generalize.
As far as the children are concerned, I long ago quit being offended by noisy children in sacrament meeting. While it may grate on your ears, I don't believe it offends God, so why should I be offended? And having wrestled with my own little ones trying to sit still during hours in which they would normally be napping or playing, I am sympathetic to parents struggling to teach their children that they need to be in church and, at the same time, receive a little spiritual nourishment themselves.
Thanks for your comments, Jim.
I'm sure not everyone behaves like what I witnessed, but I was just so surprised/shocked by I what I saw. My youngest was baptized and became an LDS member recently so I'm not against the church, just the behavior I felt was inappropriate. I can say without exception that everyone I've met who's affiliated with the LDS church has been incredibly friendly and not pushy at all (which I really appreciate).
I know how difficult it can be when you're trying to keep your children quiet. I'm not only a mother to 4 children (one of whom has significant special needs), but I also teach Special Ed at an elementary school, so I'm put in that position on a very regular basis. I agree that God may not be offended, but it doesn't make for a good environment in which to learn more about God if I can barely hear what the speaker says. Every other church I've been to has a nursery/cry room with audio so that parents can still hear the speaker. Perhaps that should be standard in all places of worship...
Ironically, you speak of being surprised at the disrespect for one "father" while having done the same to a non-metaphorical one, who has demonstrably done a lot for you.
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