Hello, my name is FaithAndReason, and I'm a recovering Mormon.
Part 1: what I am, and why you should care.
I am a member of the Mormon church, officially "The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints", or
LDS church, one of the fastest-growing Fundamentalist Christian denominations in the world, and by far the most reliably Republican demographic in the US (Mormons voted 88% for Bush in 2000; Utah and Idaho remain the only states with net positive approval ratings for Bush.)
In short, I am a Fundamentalist. And a Democrat. I am a walking contradiction.
There's enough diary material there for a whole series, so much so that I hardly know where to start. (Yes, after years of lurking, this is my first diary.) I know what this diary won't be:
- It won't be a melodramatic description of my personal spiritual journey. That would be rather tedious, like watching somebody else's vacation slides. We don't know each other well enough for that.
- It won't be a lurid tell-all about a dark and secretive religion, the sort that Katie Holmes might pen someday. I'm not an ex-Mormon, I'm a still-Mormon. That is, I continue to unapologetically support the Church's doctrines and organization; I have just decided not to actively participate in the Church any more (primarily due to my impending divorce.)
Since I don't really know where to start, I'm just going to open up the floor for questions. Is there anything you've ever wanted to know about the Mormon church: what we believe, where it stands, why we do what we do? Post your questions below.
Of course, I can only give my own personal views, not ex cathedra; but I think I can speak to the Church's positions fairly accurately. So, if you're interested in better understanding the concerns of Democratic "people of faith", or simply want to know more about "the enemy", fire away!
UPDATE: as expected, the number one question is roughly "How can Mormons call themselves Christians, yet so enthusiastically support the Republicans that are so un-Christian in every way?"
There are many aspects of that question that are specific to Mormonism, but most of the answer has to do with the relationship between fundamentalism, religion and politics in general, so this deserves a much longer answer; and I'm going to save that discussion for diary Part 2 tomorrow.
Meanwhile, continue with the snarky questions, I'm lovin' it!