Xander Fulton
United States
Portland
Oregon
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So I've been seeing a lot of commercials, sponsored Youtube videos, billboards, etc of various and sundry celebrities and/or normal folks going on about their 'normalness', and finishing with "...and I'm a Mormon"
...and *I* don't get it.
As an atheist, I don't care. I lump you in with any other Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jew, whatever in the same category as every other human being - 'to be evaluated on his/her own merit'.
If I were a bible-thumping conservative Christian (as I was a couple decades ago, and all my family still is)...you are still going to hell. Or eternal death. Whatever - depends on your sect. Doesn't matter how nice you are, how 'normal' you are...all totally irrelevant. Satan works by appearing 'nice' and 'normal'. You don't worship The Right Jesus (tm) - that is, mine - you die and go to hell.
So...who are these ads for? Those who already don't have a religious persuasion that require them hold one particular view...don't hold one particular view. And those who DO have a religious persuasion that require they hold one particular view...are going to hold whatever view their church tells them to, regardless of what ads they see.
I don't see the point! Please, RSP, explain this to me...
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Lynette
United States
Richland
Washington
Yep, I am a girl Scientist. Come for the breasts; Stay for the brains!
For as long as I shall live I will testify to love; I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough.
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For many reasons, quite a few of which are genuinely theological or historical (polygamy), some others which are just silly (They don't drink coffee)*; Many people see Mormons as *weird* in a way that makes them deeply uncomfortable without really knowing any of them.
This "I'm a Mormon" advertising, I perceive is a: we're mostly "just like you" type of campaign to try and lower some of those prejudiced barriers in society in general.
*I am not saying the don't drink coffee prohibition is "just silly" but that not drinking coffee as a religious prohibition could have the power to "weird people out" is silly.
As an small aside... I am a "bible thumping" Christian and I don't think Mormons are "going to Hell" by fiat. So please be careful about checking your prejudices at the door so as not to propagate ones that you may be in error about. That my be your family's flavor of some sub-set of believers who are Christians. But it certainly doesn't apply to all of us.
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XanderF wrote: So I've been seeing a lot of commercials, sponsored Youtube videos, billboards, etc of various and sundry celebrities and/or normal folks going on about their 'normalness', and finishing with "...and I'm a Mormon"
...and *I* don't get it.
do they show them in their funky mormon underwear .. ? That'd be interesting
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Jack Smith
United Kingdom
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MyTwoCents wrote: Meerkat wrote: For many reasons, quite a few of which are genuinely theological or historical (polygamy), some others which are just silly (They don't drink coffee)*; Many people see Mormons as *weird* in a way that makes them deeply uncomfortable without really knowing any of them.
This "I'm a Mormon" advertising, I perceive is a: we're mostly "just like you" type of campaign to try and lower some of those prejudiced barriers in society in general.
*I am not saying the don't drink coffee prohibition is "just silly" but that not drinking coffee as a religious prohibition could have the power to "weird people out" is silly.
As an small aside... I am a "bible thumping" Christian and I don't think Mormons are "going to Hell" by fiat. So please be careful about checking your prejudices at the door so as not to propagate ones that you may be in error about. That my be your family's flavor of some sub-set of believers who are Christians. But it certainly doesn't apply to all of us.
Mormons ARE weird. In order to believe Josep[h Smith's story of how he 'found' the Book of mormon and to ignore the masses of evidence that he just plain made it up requires a special soprt of suspension of disbelief. In my opinion Romney isn't fit to hold office because he believes that drivel. Its NOT like a normal religion, its way too new, way to transparently false, and way way too batshit crazy. It's utterly impossible for it to be true, Smith's claims were not even delusions, they were plain and simple lies from a known con man.
That's true of all Religions if you scratch the surface.
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Paul DeStefano
United States
Long Island
New York
It's a Zendrum. www.zendrum.com
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Meerkat wrote: I am a "bible thumping" Christian
No, Lynette, you're not.
Your views are not at all Christian mainstream and you don't attend mass.
Bible Thumping is a literal reference to physically striking a bible during mass as a way of applauding quietly the Word. You then go to the streets and thump it to get attention. Its a physical evangelical procedure.
Enthusiatstic does not equal 'bible thumping'.
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M@tthijs
Netherlands
NOT
Holland
Earn tons of geekgold:...
...go to VGG and add videogames to the database
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Geosphere wrote: Meerkat wrote: I am a "bible thumping" Christian
No, Lynette, you're not. Your views are not at all Christian mainstream and you don't attend mass. Bible Thumping is a literal reference to physically striking a bible during mass as a way of applauding quietly the Word. You then go to the streets and thump it to get attention. Its a physical evangelical procedure. Enthusiatstic does not equal 'bible thumping'.
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rob cavallo
United States
roseland
New Jersey
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im here for the magic undies.
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Jordi B. V.
Spain
Ripollet (Vallès Occidental)
Barcelona - Catalonia
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MyTwoCents wrote:
Mormons ARE weird.
Who's not? "Weird" means different, against "normal". Normal, weird, straight, etc, all of them are subjective adjectives...
By the way, Sandy Petersen is Mormon!  Maye you have to be "weird" to design Call of Cthulhu (1st Edition)! 
Hail Weirdness!
I haven't seen the Mormon ads, but as far as I know, all religions advertise themselves to get more "affiliates". No "patrons", no money... I am an atheist (thank God  ), but if I was a believer, how to know what religion is the "right" one? Buddhism, Hinduism, the Catholic Church, Protestantism, Islam, Jainism, Bahá'í Faith, Zoroastrianism, Wicca, Animism, Confucianism, Taoism...? Sciontology? 
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steven slater
England
County of Essex
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MyTwoCents wrote: Meerkat wrote: For many reasons, quite a few of which are genuinely theological or historical (polygamy), some others which are just silly (They don't drink coffee)*; Many people see Mormons as *weird* in a way that makes them deeply uncomfortable without really knowing any of them.
This "I'm a Mormon" advertising, I perceive is a: we're mostly "just like you" type of campaign to try and lower some of those prejudiced barriers in society in general.
*I am not saying the don't drink coffee prohibition is "just silly" but that not drinking coffee as a religious prohibition could have the power to "weird people out" is silly.
As an small aside... I am a "bible thumping" Christian and I don't think Mormons are "going to Hell" by fiat. So please be careful about checking your prejudices at the door so as not to propagate ones that you may be in error about. That my be your family's flavor of some sub-set of believers who are Christians. But it certainly doesn't apply to all of us.
Mormons ARE weird. In order to believe Josep[h Smith's story of how he 'found' the Book of mormon and to ignore the masses of evidence that he just plain made it up requires a special soprt of suspension of disbelief. In my opinion Romney isn't fit to hold office because he believes that drivel. Its NOT like a normal religion, its way too new, way to transparently false, and way way too batshit crazy. It's utterly impossible for it to be true, Smith's claims were not even delusions, they were plain and simple lies from a known con man.
I know only yesterday I was takling over a glass of water turned to wine (they do using the LHC) with a friend over this very issue.
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steven slater
England
County of Essex
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MyTwoCents wrote: Halfinger wrote: MyTwoCents wrote: Meerkat wrote: For many reasons, quite a few of which are genuinely theological or historical (polygamy), some others which are just silly (They don't drink coffee)*; Many people see Mormons as *weird* in a way that makes them deeply uncomfortable without really knowing any of them.
This "I'm a Mormon" advertising, I perceive is a: we're mostly "just like you" type of campaign to try and lower some of those prejudiced barriers in society in general.
*I am not saying the don't drink coffee prohibition is "just silly" but that not drinking coffee as a religious prohibition could have the power to "weird people out" is silly.
As an small aside... I am a "bible thumping" Christian and I don't think Mormons are "going to Hell" by fiat. So please be careful about checking your prejudices at the door so as not to propagate ones that you may be in error about. That my be your family's flavor of some sub-set of believers who are Christians. But it certainly doesn't apply to all of us.
Mormons ARE weird. In order to believe Josep[h Smith's story of how he 'found' the Book of mormon and to ignore the masses of evidence that he just plain made it up requires a special soprt of suspension of disbelief. In my opinion Romney isn't fit to hold office because he believes that drivel. Its NOT like a normal religion, its way too new, way to transparently false, and way way too batshit crazy. It's utterly impossible for it to be true, Smith's claims were not even delusions, they were plain and simple lies from a known con man. That's true of all Religions if you scratch the surface. But I can see how an intelligent person can believe in a faith thats thousands of years old and appears to have, at least been invented by a great moral teacher. The Book of Mormon, on the other hand, looks like exactly what it is, a bad recent forgery by a con man with little or no knowledge of history, geography or anthropology.
Like Ignatious Dolony or Helena Balvastiky your mean?
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Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim..
United States
Cleveland Heights
Ohio
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Their primary purpose is to change public opinion about Mormons so Mormon politicians are taken seriously (primarily Romney) by other Christians. Their secondary purpose is to change public opinion so that regular Mormons are taken seriously.
Maybe Newt can start an "... and I am an Adulterer" campaign. I'm sure there are plenty of adulterers out there who feel persecuted and looked down upon.
Not that I am equating mormonism and adultery, I just wanted to point out the ridiculousness of tolerating adultery and not mormonism.
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M@tthijs
Netherlands
NOT
Holland
Earn tons of geekgold:...
...go to VGG and add videogames to the database
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slatersteven wrote: I know only yesterday I was takling over a glass of water turned to wine (they do using the LHC) with a friend over this very issue. What's LHC?
Who are 'they'?
And who's Ignatious Dolony?
(The Russia wife was google-able)(googlable?)(googable?)(Aarrgh!)
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steven slater
England
County of Essex
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_Kael_ wrote: slatersteven wrote: I know only yesterday I was takling over a glass of water turned to wine (they do using the LHC) with a friend over this very issue. What's LHC? Who are 'they'? And who's Ignatious Dolony? (The Russia wife was google-able)(googlable?)(googable?)(Aarrgh!)
Large Hadron Collider.
That should have been Ignatius Donnelly.
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Cpl. Fields
South Africa
Hopelessly Surrounded
Isandlwana, Zululand
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Quote: a normal religion
Bit of an oxymoron, that.
(I would have written oxymormon, but punning is against my religion.)
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Wade Nelson
United States
Saint Louis Park
Minnesota
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XanderF wrote: So I've been seeing a lot of commercials, sponsored Youtube videos, billboards, etc of various and sundry celebrities and/or normal folks going on about their 'normalness', and finishing with "...and I'm a Mormon"
...and *I* don't get it.
Same here. We started seeing the adverts on TV. The conversation went something like this:
Wife: "That was weird."
Wade: "Yeah, what was that about?"
Wife: "What are they advertising for?"
Wade: "It's almost like they did something wrong and are trying to cover for it."
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Jerry Martin
United States
Loveland
Colorado
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I thought the commercials were basically a way to "normalize" Romney so he is an acceptable Republican candidate. I never saw one until Romney was making his run for the nomination.
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Josh M
United States
Minneapolis
Minnesota
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In my opinion, the ads are done by the LDS in a multi-pronged approach:
1) To indoctrinate, proselytize, and inculcate non-Mormons into their way of life. The ads aren't new. I remember seeing these back when I was a kid. (I think she needs Prozac instead of the LDS, talk about a wrist-slasher commercial). www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17r6W5ThqM
2) To equivocate Mormons with normalcy. The church has been getting more backlash recently than before. Matt and Trey of South Park had their Joseph Smith episode as well as their hit Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon". Remember that scene in Silence of the Lambs when the senator is pleading for her daughter to be released? She kept saying her daughter's name so that the abductor would not see her as an object but as a person. So, think of the LDS as Buffalo Bill.
3) To help allow a Mormon candidate to become president. This ideas was posited to me by a Republican friend of mine who foresaw Romney ascent to the national spotlight and its need for making the American hoi polloi comfortable with his cult.
I'm an atheist and ascribe to the ideals of the Constitution and believe that there should be no religious test for whoever wants to be PotUS. That said, a definite crossed line for me is when an elected official believes that their spiritual ideas should be foisted upon the rest of the public. If believing that someone can look into a hat and read hieroglyphics floats your boat, fine. It's no more strange than Jesus condemning a fig tree to death or having several different 10 commandments from the same diety.
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Chad Ellis
United States
Brookline
Massachusetts
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MyTwoCents wrote: But I can see how an intelligent person can believe in a faith thats thousands of years old and appears to have, at least been invented by a great moral teacher. The Book of Mormon, on the other hand, looks like exactly what it is, a bad recent forgery by a con man with little or no knowledge of history, geography or anthropology.
Most Mormons I know point to a very pragmatic source of faith; the fruits they observe in their lives and in the lives of other Mormons. While I am hardly a believer I can certainly understand how growing up in a Mormon family and Mormon community, and comparing that with other communities I observed would make me think that we were following a good path.
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Everyone wants to be Chad Thriftington III
United States
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
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If you ever get a chance to have Mormons rent property from you, take it. They take great care of the place and always find you new Mormon renters when they leave.
That and they run clean thrift stores.
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Jeff Brown
United States
Colorado Springs
Colorado
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As is evidenced in this thread, Mormons are often caricatured and stereotyped. I myself have noticed that when some people find out I am a Mormon, they are surprised that someone so normal could be a Mormon.
Simply put mormons have an image problem and it interferes with our message, The ad campaign is an attempt to counteract that. I really don't think it has much to do with politics.
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United States
Missoula
Montana
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I think a large part of the image problem is the cult tactics aka mission trips.
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M C
Canada
Lethbridge
Alberta
More money than brains... :-(
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This particular flavor of Mormon ads seems to stem back to the publication of a specific book recently done by an LDS guy who was a professional pollster and polled Americans about their views on Mormons. I can't remember the title offhand, but the thrust of the book was that LDS perceived themselves to be more highly regarded than they were. It also drew attention to that fact that despite decades of our best efforts, most Americans don't know very much about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, yet feel that they do. This book was quite shocking to many LDS.
These types of ads preceed Romney, but I can't comment if they are coming out more frequently now as I don't watch TV.
Our Church is quite unique in that non LDS are held in higher regard with respect to their expertise on what Mormons believe. I've seen that in microcosm in RSP as well. As Romney rises in prominence, anti LDS critics become more shrill. The average Joe who honestly doesn't know much about Mormons will find more anti LDS sites than LDS ones from folks who make a living of 'debunking' the LDS church. People are happy to believe any old thing about Mormons. I suspect these ads are an attempt to counter that.
Our church is also somewhat unique in that people feel more free to mock it than other churches. Look at the magic undies comments above. I suspect people are more reserved about mocking turbans and kippahs. I'm not particularly offended by it, but there does seem to be a double standard.
The flavor of the ads seems to influenced by the notion that nothing changes someone's mind about Mormons more than actually meeting one. I've noticed the double take that some Fundie Christians have had who have gotten to know me have had when they've discovered I was Mormon and didn't really fit the stereotype they had been inculcated to believe since birth.
As to the comment about Mormons being so crazy that they aren't fit to hold public office, it seems clear to me that past weirdness doesn't seem to be a good predictor of future weirdness. Who cares if someone is Mormon?
Edit: submitted only part of my post by accident.
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steven slater
England
County of Essex
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tscook wrote: I think a large part of the image problem is the cult tactics aka mission trips.
As opposed to http://www.cmu.org.uk/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Protestant_missionaries... those cults and thier mission trips.
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Go-vangelist
United States
Denver
Colorado
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I'm a Mormon (no irony intended, ha) and the ads seem a little weird to me too. I guess my religious beliefs are a very personal thing, so I'm uncomfortable seeing "ads" about it.
I think the reason for the ads is this: Mormons and the Mormon church are very misunderstood. Woefully misunderstood. I think the main point of the ads is, yes, to tell people that Mormons are pretty regular folks. Which is true.
Practically speaking, the Mormon church teaches hard work, education, honesty, loving your families, being a good neighbor - all those "Leave it to Beaver" virtues that are so often mocked but are also essential for a society to survive.
Yes, Mormons believe some things outside mainstream Christianity. It's kind of the whole point of Mormonism - that the church established by Jesus was lost during the Dark Ages and had to be re-established, with a restoring of the lost truths and the priesthood authority necessary to run his church, do baptistms, etc.
This misunderstanding of Mormons has been illlustrated very clearly by the evangelical votes against Romney, as far as they are objecting to his Mormonism and not his political platform.
I can tell you that none of the candidates believes in the evangelical core values more than Romney the devout Mormon. The Bible, faith, repentance, Jesus as the Savior, obeying the 10 Commandments - Mormons absolutely, 100% believe these things and talk about them every day, not just on Sundays. These are core to a Mormon (which is why they insist they are Christian).
I remember seeing a poll in Iowa of evangelicals that said 1) we don't like Mormons, and 2) we don't know much about Mormons.
The statement "Mormons are a cult" has always baffled me. It seems that evangelicals are using the word "cult" to mean "churches that don't believe what we do," which is of course pretty broad. To me, a cult is stuff like brainwashing, give us all your money, bizarre beliefs. The Mormon church isn't like that. OK, some of our beliefs might be weird to some people, but they are all supported in the Bible, from the Mormon point of view anyway.
If you go to a Mormon meeting on Sunday, you're not going to see weird stuff. It's people talking about trying to be more like Jesus, studying the Bible, bearing witness that Jesus is their Savior, how to be a better parent, being honest at work. Stuff like that.
The ads should just point people to wikipedia. It has a very accurate description the church, last time I read it. True, some things are explained differently than Mormons think about them, but overall it's accurate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_L...
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King of All Simians — Not a Mere Diplomat
United States
Wilmington
North Carolina
Listen, this is no set of rules. I'm not tellin' you what to do, all I'm saying is I'm bringin' up three things that are, like, so important to the whole world, I don't happen to find much importance in.
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It's no coincidence that this ad campaign is occurring at a time when a Mormon is making a run for president. I'm not saying it's anything too nefarious, mind you. It makes a lot of sense. Romney's best served by not engaging questions of his Mormonism directly, so the Church attends to that line of inquiry independently.
'Cos the tenor of these new ads is much different than those of yore. The ones I grew up with, with the kids breaking a window and owning up to it, were more PSAs for being a decent person. This new campaign is directly addressing the perception that Mormons are weird, and that certainly serves Romney's campaign well.
(For me, I'm in the "everyone who believes in supernaturalism is pretty weird" camp, though the recent origins of Mormonism open it to more skeptical scrutiny than traditions whose beginnings are lost to the mists of time. But personally, the thing I think of first when I think of Mormons is definitely the marriage thing. No, not pluralism--I'm talking about standard man-and-wife marriage. It wasn't until I was in grade four that I had a friend whose parents weren't divorced, as mine were. That friend, John Brown, was a Mormon.)
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