For those who may have read the post below this already, or are going to read it after reading this... First, my apologies for the language. I'm normally not like this, but on the plus side I felt incredibly liberated after spewing all my feelings out in the post.
Deidre - the Spiritual Dilettante pointed out that I am in a dysfunctional relationship with my Church - I think she may be right, maybe I do need a break for a while. She also asked a question that few others have asked about... The infamous light bulb incident. I knew I had blogged about it, but it took me a while to find, since I mixed it up with some impressions of a book, and a little of my personal religious history.
The original story is on my other, more subdued blog, right here.
Well, I read the original light bulb post, and I have to say I am totally baffled -- I don't understand it at all. What could possibly be wrong with what you did?? Please enlighten (no pun intended, ha ha!) us non-Mormons...
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I too love the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. My niece -- featured on my blog today -- is of course named after the Lyra in the books, who I think is a fabulous model for girl-hood! I actually found the movie version to be not bad -- the actress playing Lyra was very good, and they really got across the atmosphere of menace of the Magisterium...
What could possibly be wrong?!?!
ReplyDeleteI whipped a light bulb out of my pocket, mid speech. In so doing, any spirit which may have been in the meeting fleet like a scared little rabbit. A gasp went through the crowd, all knowing that Satan had his dirty little hands on me, and that they could no longer believe anything I said.
OK, so it wasn't that bad. The thing with Mormons is that it has become a very rule oriented religion. The congregation I attend with is worse than most. I don't think a single Sunday has passed without someone bringing up the need to be unquestioningly obedient. It's something that I really struggle with.
The rule I broke was one of the unwritten rules, that you are not to use props while giving a talk in the main meeting. Technically, anytime someone holds up their bible to illustrate a point they're breaking this rule as well, but they don't get called on it. Several weeks after this incident, a letter came out from the governing council of the Church, stating that props were not to be used in the main meeting.
I think I mentioned it in that original post. My beef with the whole thing, wasn't that I got the tap on the leg and was asked to put it away. While uncomfortable, it was almost to be expected. What got me was the HUGE deal that was made about it afterward, and that is still brought up.
I love the name Lyra - Almost need to have another kid so I can use it as well!
I'm sorry, I still don't understand. What is wrong with using a "visual aid" when you're speaking? How would it scare a spirit away??? I've never heard of such a thing in any other Christian church... I don't mean to be offensive, but it just seems totally off the wall.
ReplyDeleteNo offense taken at all! In fact I whole-heartedly agree.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing wrong with it, as far as I can tell is that it's against the rules.
I think the original way of thinking was that in that particular meeting, things should be kept low key, so that it doesn't turn into a circus, but I think the powers that be have missed that point entirely and now just cling to the letter of the law, rather than trying to understand the spirit of it.
I personally don't think I did anything wrong, in fact if I'm being honest, the use of a small visual aid to demonstrate a point helped engage people and probably made a bigger impact than if I'd just droned on and on like everyone else does. Perhaps that was the motive behind them completely and utterly over reacting about it. I was upstaging everyone else... Not my intention, but it could have been seen that way by those who are fully committed to the authoritarian nature of the organization.
Unfortunately too, the remainder of the congregation, all being told by the leaders that I have done something bad, all fall in line like obedient little sheep and start to throw the rocks as well.
So in summary, nothing is wrong with it at all, just some stupid rule that people don't know the reason for, but they just follow blindly. I know it doesn't make sense, but that's the whole problem with people who practice blind obedience - No sense is used at all.
Bizarre - I think this kind of thing is why some people think of Mormonism as a "cult" - not so much the strange rule itself as the blind obedience part. But the main thing is, I think, that the community in your place of worship should make you feel better about yourself, not worse. Otherwise what's the point? Might as well just pray at home by yourself...
ReplyDeleteExactly!! Church is about meeting together to lift each other up.
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing is that the original principles behind Mormonism were really good, unfortunately a power structure has grown up around those, and misses the point on a lot of them.
I think it was a quote by Philip Pullman which I included in the original blog about the lightbulb incident, where he was asked if all organized religion was bad. He responded that it wasn't, but that anytime you have an organization, it tends towards corruption, and sadly this appears to be the case with Mormonism.
I'm caught between wanting to raise my kids with those principles, but thwarted by all the garbage that has taken over from those principles in the organization itself.
Sad, sad, sad....
It seems like in many faiths, religion is the problem because it becomes about control, power, and fear.
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated note, check this out: http://www.dailykitten.com/archives/2130-koda.html
Perhaps you should bring a kitten as your next visual aid. I mean, if you're going to get in trouble, at least you'll have the kitten to take your mind off it.
It would definitely appear so - on religion that is. Pity, because I think there is a lot of real good it could accomplish as well, if it didn't get in the way of itself.
ReplyDeleteThat kitten is definitely cute. Sadly I am allergic to cats, so in order to take him in as a visual aid, I would have to drink some Benadryl or something similar first. Now that I think about it though, that could make the whole experience a lot better too - being under the influence!! Just may have to have the wife drive, to avoid any run in with the local law enforcement.