THE MORMONS AREN'T TAKING OVER THE PLANET QUITE AS FAST AS WE ONCE THOUGHT

Envoy Magazine Blog ^ | 1/2/2003 | Patrick Madrid

[Polycarp]

THE MORMONS AREN'T TAKING OVER THE PLANET QUITE AS FAST AS WE ONCE THOUGHT

Patrick Madrid&Action

EnvoyEncore

Today: Utah. Tomorrow: die Welt?

This morning's Salt Lake Tribune has an intriguing news item about the real versus perceived growth-rate of the Mormon Church. For decades, Mormons have touted their Church's rapid growth as a sort of implicit evidence that it is the True Church. Gordon B. Hinkley, the man at the top of the Mormon Church, echoes what many Mormons will tell you: that theirs is the "fastest-growing" Church in the world. Not so, says David Stewart, a Mormon researcher who has compiled the statistics and shows that, far from being the fastest-growing, Mormonism actually ranks 23rd among 149 Churches and Protestant denominations ranked in the U.S.

Stewart's detailed analysis of the growth trends of the Mormon Church is fascinating but unsettling. Let's not forget that a large percentage of those who go into Mormonism are former Catholics. What a good reminder for us to redouble our efforts to explain our Faith more intelligently, defend it more charitably, and share it more effectively.

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[Cvengr]

I guess this means LDS is just above Raelians. ;^)

[Conservative til I die]

Lemme guess, you're a mormon right?

[Wrigley]

You would be correct. He's Mormon thru and thru.

[possum]

Because there are more Catholics? And there are therefore more lapsed Catholics scurrying around doing weird things than there are, say, former members of the Holiness Bible Church (Idaho Synod) or the Ugrian Orthodox Church?

[narses]

Many of the former RCC members of the LDS are in or from Latin America. As the RCC keeps "protestantizing" both it's architecture and liturgy, those looking for discipline and teaching are drawn to those elements of the LDS.

They are disciplined, they do teach (albeit not RCC dogma) and they have the appearance of being "more Christian" than the feminized, protestantized RCC. In the LDS homes I've been in you find the iconography and statuary and passle of kids that once typified the RCC home. In the RCC home you find the big screen TV and the 1.8 children per family that typified the protestant homes of the 50's and 60's.

Remember, in Latin America and to Latin Americans, FAMILY and CHURCH are tightly linked. As the RCC has morphed into a feminized (and homosexualized) organization, the Latin American's saw the LDS as a bulwark against the destruction of their family and culture. Our Lady of Guadalupe is again bound in tears.

The exception are those orders (in particular the Legionairres of Christ) that have maintained a strong, traditional appearance. They seem to have the same growth patterns in Latin America as the LDS.

[sinkspur]

So, go join the LDS and shut the hell up!

[narses]

What a charitable, Catholic way to reproach me. Are there others you'd like to see leave the Mystical Body? Is your hatred of me so unbounded that you'd wish eternal damnation on me? Or do you believe I might be saved in the LDS belief?

[sinkspur]

What a charitable, Catholic way to reproach me. Are there others you'd like to see leave the Mystical Body? Is your hatred of me so unbounded that you'd wish eternal damnation on me? Or do you believe I might be saved in the LDS belief?

Oh, get off it. Your "feminized," phony, hurt feelings in response to any mild rebuke is getting old. Grow some thicker skin if you're going to put forth the nonsense you do. You're the one trying to depict the Catholic Church as a "feminized, homosexualized institution." You know good and well that that is not true, yet you promote it. And the Mormons are a lot more aggressive at selling their denomination, and Latins seem to respond to it. Many Latins will go with whomever pays them the most attention.

Your characterization of the Catholic Church is in line with the schismatics around here, who think time stopped in 1962.

It's an old, tired, stupid position to take. Teaming up with the Mormons against your own Church ought to give you pause, especially on a forum like this, where there are so many on hair-trigger-alert to bash the Catholic Church.

[narses]

You invited me to leave the Church, you now seem to deny the REALITY of a modern, woman/homosexual run Church. Do some research sinky. Many parishes have women administrators, and homosexual priests. If y'all don't like that, work to change it. Facts are. Your hatreds don't change them.

[Wrigley]

I'll stand with Christians everywhere against cults like mormonism.

[restornu]

Good for you:)

[sinkspur]

You invited me to leave the Church, you now seem to deny the REALITY of a modern, woman/homosexual run Church.

Is the Pope homosexual?

Your broad-brushing is ridiculous. There are some homosexual priests, and there are some parishes with women in administrative positions. You take that to mean that the Church is run by homosexuals/women because it serves your trad purposes. I, frankly, don't care if women are keeping books and running parish plants, making sure the plumbing gets fixed.

Your hatreds don't change them.

Can the hysteria, narses. Nobody "hates" anybody around here, least of all you.

[Elsie]

We gotta 2319 here!!!!

[restornu]

You invited me to leave the Church, you now seem to deny the REALITY of a modern, woman/homosexual run Church. Do some research sinky. Many parishes have women administrators, and homosexual priests. If y'all don't like that, work to change it. Facts are. Your hatreds don't change them.

***

Sink if it makes you feel more Catholic to hate & lash out at the LDS go for it:)

BTW I love all God children and narses I since the frustration because you love your faith and long to rid these forces that dilute the church you love!

[narses]

No sink, hatred IS the right word. ONLY hatred can explain your inviting me to LEAVE the Church. You ought to be trying to get folks IN to the Church. You might examine, with honesty, the issues that cause people to join a pro-life, patriarchal church that venerates Jesus both in word and symbols. Or you can spew hatred. Your choice.

[Wrigley]

Better for you if you would leave the cult you are part of.

[RnMomof7]

Statistics are a funny thing as you know Poly

If you have 1 Chinese man in your neighborhood and one more moves in you have grown 100%...So a 10% growth rate for the AOG is mucho more in actual numbers than 10% in the JW's

We must also consider that there are MANY non active LDS that are never taken off their rolls.....it makes them feel good to say they are the fastest growing .. ya know

[RobbyS]

How come no one complained when the women who did these things were nuns?

[restornu]

My life is complete in the Lord!

Our Savior's Love-click

Our Savior's love Shines like the sun with perfect light, As from above It breaks thru clouds of strife. Lighting our way, It leads us back into his sight, Where we may stay To share eternal life. The Spirit, voice Of goodness, whispers to our hearts A better choice Than evil's anguished cries. Loud may the sound Of hope ring till all doubt departs, And we are bound To him by loving ties. Our Father, God Of all creation, hear us pray In rev'rence, awed By thy Son's sacrifice. Praises we sing. We love thy law; we will obey. Our heav'nly King, In thee our hearts rejoice.

[CARepubGal]

Raelians do not have one on one interviews asking if and how a couple has had sex. Mormons do.