As a little Protestant I blew a gasket in public because the mall Santa had an unlit pipe in his mouth for the photos.
My children have to follow rules that other kids in the neighborhood don’t have to follow. Rules about how they address grownups and their friends, how they are expected to behave in public and in private. My wife and I spend a lot of time drilling “these are our rules and you have to follow them, don’t worry about everyone else they have their own rules” into their heads. The corollary is “our rules don’t make you a better person so climb down off that horse missy”
Of course we’re Catholics so there ya go.
Well, what do you think of this exchange this Mormon journalist mom had with her son about Catholics?
From the article: "Mom," Jackson said, "Jimmy doesn't want to join our church. He only reads the Bible, even though it's incorrect. And he said he believes in one hundred different gods. I don't know if we can ever be friends again." I put my arm around his shoulder. "Jimmy is Catholic," I told him. "Catholics are wonderful. He believes in one God. He was probably referring to Catholic saints. And your friendship with Jimmy is not over. You can be friends with all people." Jackson shrugged and looked relieved.
What do you think of Jimmy's ironic comment about Catholics having "one hundred different gods" [what his mom clarified to be "saints"] when Mormons themselves have...
...the Mormon father-god (1)
...his wife, the mom-god (2)
...his first son, the savior-who became a god (3)
...the Holy Ghost, who's a god despite not having a body (4)
...the Mormon grand-god -- the one who organized the father-god (5)
...the "council of gods" or what Joseph Smith also referenced as the "heads of the gods" (6 through ?)
...and then all of the Mormons who supposedly became gods (millions more???)
Now there's a Mormon kid who's yet to have his seminary lessons...lessons, BTW, that even most Mormon adults haven't bothered to digest.
So, for any of you Mormons who've missed those lessons, here ya go:
“The doctrine of a plurality of Gods is prominent in the Bible. The heads of the Gods appointed our God for us…you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves…the same as all Gods have done before you…” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 370-372, 346
"Brethren, 225,000 of you are here tonight. I suppose that 225,000 of you may become gods" Lds "prophet" Spencer Kimball (from a speech published in The Ensign, November 1975, 1980).