WHY DO MormonISM EXIST AS A RELIGION

[donbjc]

The magic in the underpants is the fact that they protect from harm as long as you are keeping the promises you make to God, but they are not any more magic than prayer is. They are holy, not magic, and God protects people who live up to their promises to God, wheather they be Catholic or Presbyterian or Mormon.
Do you believe God answers prayers? Is it magic or is it the power of God helping you with your daily life?
As far as the divorce goes, my wife left me for another man, over 30 years ago and is still married to that man and is now a Seventh Day Adventist. There was nothing I could do to hold the marriage together and as a young man I did not want to be celibate. The priest did indeed collect $500.00 from me as a fee to present my case to the Tribunal and they called and told me since it had been so long that there was no need for annulment. I don’t really know how these things work, but maybe if I had asked for the money back they would have given it. I just know I had many different answers and the best was from the Vatican writings pointed out in this forum. So I just don’t understand why priests don’t read that and make their decisions based on what the Pope has plainly stated with regards to divorce.
I am quite confused as to where I really stand in regards to the Catholic Church, because they can’t agree on where I stand, so I just don’t take communion(even though some priests told me I could others told me I can’t). I just figure to be safe I better follow the priests who told me not to. This is not the subject of this thread, so sorry to stray, I just wanted to answer your question regarding that topic. I try to follow the Catholic standards as far as I understand them, but I am just saying it is difficult to understand if the priests don’t even know what they are.
About the friendship within the Catholic church, I have many friends who are Catholic, but not from my parish, it is just by chance that I know them, not through our common faith.
My wife was told in this forum that I am very high maintenance by thinking that the church members should be more concerned and friendly with each other. It was when my wife was asking about it and was told that the church is for worship and not for making friends. It is Ok with me, but a glaring difference between the Catholics and the Mormons. Don

 

[Mike_D30]

donbjc:

My wife was told in this forum that I am very high maintenance by thinking that the church members should be more concerned and friendly with each other. It was when my wife was asking about it and was told that the church is for worship and not for making friends. It is Ok with me, but a glaring difference between the Catholics and the Mormons. Don

That’s unfortunate, and I do agree that the Catholic Community can be more connected, but it isn’t without socialization, there’s the Knights of Columbus, pot lucks, Bible Studies, Bingo nights (really for the odler crowd). But without these my Grandmother would’ve been a very lonely woman. The Catholic Church cared for her when she was suffering with Cancer. My other Grandma lives in housing provided by the Church (we still pay although discounted, it’s a community and a rented condo) where she meets other elderly women whose husbands have passed on a while ago.

But in essence I think it us Catholic’s in America that are failing, and not the Church, or the priests. I go to St. Ephrem’s in Brooklyn, and now I believe there is only a Monsignor and a priest to handle a very large Parish. But stilll the Monsignor will meet with us one on one, it’s incredibly demanding. But from what I’ve seen the Catholic Church is like college you get ot what you put in.

I also agree that most Mormon’s appear to the salt of the Earth type of people, they’re very nice and moral people, and have a close knit Church community.

Well good luck and I wouldn’t worry about what a priest has to say about your salvation, that is left up to God’s divine mercy.

God bless take care…

 

[Casen]

This has been an interesting thread. It’s ironic to me that some Catholics, of all people, with their religion full of religious mystery, tradition and symbolism, which I happen to respect, would make fun of LDS temple garments, and their obvious religious symbolism. Was the Ark of the Covenant in ancient Israel “magical” or was it “sacred”? It certainly afforded the Israelites protection when they obeyed their covenants with Jehovah. Derogatory words like “magical” and “cult” are often thrown around as a sign of disrespect but it usually says more about them than about their target.

 

[majick275]

good point. Garments could be considered similar to scapulars. I do have a problem though with the specific symbols used on them. I find them ungodly. (square and compass) But each to his own. I found michael quinns book “early mormonism and the magic world view” an inresting read on the topic of folk magic influencing Jospeh Smith Jr.