29 January 2019
Correspondent TK claims that “liking Mormons is a whole heckuva a lot easier than liking many a secular.”
Correspondent SA agrees, and includes Jehovah’s Witnesses as well, then suggests that “Trinitarians are the worst.”
While I don’t share SA’s experience with Trinitarians (nor therefore his assessment) I am otherwise inclined to agree with both.
If I were so wired I’d be torn between the LDS and a theology of my own devising. Among human beings generally Mormons seem to me to be among the most civil and sincere, irrespective of their peculiar ideology. Among arrogant atheists I come across as a fairly decent fellow (I hope), but I’m nowhere near as nice as most Mormons.
I’m either willing to engage proselytes when they show up, or politely brush them off, depending on my mood.
I was outside my house one afternoon in Kawaihae Village when a couple of “Elders” showed up. (“Elders” who, from the looks of them, may have been shaving for about three weeks.) I told them up front that I was an atheist materialist who had actually read the Book of Mormon, and that if they wanted to they could hang out and we could wash my car while we entertained each other. They both rolled up their sleeves and tucked their ties into their collars and we set to. It turns out we didn’t talk all that much about the New World Testament after all. I was clearly conversant and not buying any of it, and they were too smart to continue laboring fruitlessly. Instead we talked mostly about the “city” of Corvallis and Oregon State University — my own alma mater, and one of theirs as well.
It was simply a lovely time, and I was grateful for their help and they were grateful for the cold drinks and we were all grateful for the beautiful day and each other‘s company.