The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

I've been asked a couple of times lately why I still attend a church I don't necessarily agree with. It's a complex issue, but I think I got some answers figured out this weekend. I'm still no where close to having any conclusive answers, but I think I'm headed in the right direction.

I think people who have been very committed to a specific ideology for a long time, and then discover that it has many problems, tend to 'Throw the baby out with the bath water' and forget all the good that initially attracted them to the ideology.

Here are some good things that I really like about the Mormon faith:

• Humans are the offspring of God and have the potential to become like him. We have divine potential. I don't necessarily agree with how God is defined within the religion, but based on my beliefs of what God is, I agree with this.


• There are teaching about the sacredness of women. (See the negatives too) and they teach that families are eternal.


• The concept of eternal progression. That life and progression doesn't end with death and will continue indefinitely.

And some things I don't like:

• The bureaucracy that that has developed around the religious ideals. The corruption of the leadership, the repression of woman, despite the teachings mentioned above, and the fact that it has become a religion of rules, rather than a religion of personal improvement.


• Pride. Mormons will be the first to expound on the virtues of living a pride free life, and then continue on about their Church being the only true Church, and them being so much better and more blessed that everyone else, who is obviously following Satan. Even now my wife and I are shocked to find ourselves surprised when we meet non-Mormons who are moral and decent human beings in stable loving relationships. Years of brainwashing takes a lot to remove.


• The Utah Mormon Culture. I know it exists elsewhere, but it's accentuated in Utah. The Church mixes with the culture and takes the worst of both to form a new super culture. It's hard to describe, but if it weren't for my incredible job or my wife's family, I would be out of Utah quicker than some really quick thing...

I've had a few experiences this weekend that got me thinking about this. One of the more significant was watching Extreme Home Makeover on Sunday night. They renovated a small Church in New Orleans that had been damaged during the Hurricane several years ago. I was impressed by the humility and willingness to serve of the pastor. His greatest moment seemed to be when he found out about a sizable donation from Sears that would allow them to serve food to those that needed it. I like the idea of a small Church that is concerned about improving the lives of those in the community around them. It didn't appear to be a case of forcing people to adopt their way of living, more a case of them reaching out to those in need and helping them get back on their feet.

I'd like to find a small local community Church that is like that around where I live. One that teaches that we can all become more than we are now, respects women for the amazing creations that they are, and is more concerned with helping each other than following a set of rigid rules.