This past week has seen a lot of discussion about capital punishment (and other pro-life questions). Interestingly economic discussions also seem guided by religious ideology. And don’t forget the military. Is it even possible to talk about politics without taking about religion?
In this week’s religious journeys, Eliza is at the point where she’s simply rooting for her friend’s happiness — rather than specifically hoping her friend will leave Mormonism, and Sulli doesn’t remember when General Conference is anymore. Saganist attended church for the first time in months (for his kids’ primary program), and found it worse than he remembered it. Amy has arrived at atheism, inspiring Andrew S to contemplate the different types of exmo atheists.
In community-building, John G-W asks whether a “big tent” gay Mormon movement is possible. Tachyon Feathertail finds church not to be very family-friendly, but leaving the church doesn’t always lead to friendliness either. Andrew again has some great insights and analysis of Bloggernacle community and history.
If you’d like some detailed LDS rule codes, read here about temple garments, and the BYU Honor Code. In other discussions that the CoJCoL-dS would like to see vanish, it seems like more polygamists are going public (but, like Santorum the CoJCoL-dS is perhaps learning that trying to hush a discussion is counter-productive). In other interesting LDS beliefs, the gender wars are going strong, as hawkgrrrl parodied a patronizing statement about LDS women, sparking cross-blog discussion.
Books! It turns out Therese isn’t the only one with a new book out — there’s also Raptor Jesus (not to be confused with Dino Jesus), and a historical novel about polygamy. Just Zena has a series of sexy Molly stories, and Ward Gossip has entered the terrible twos — with a retrospective of her two years of fun in Outer Blogness. The Student Review is back in print! Aerin found self-censorship in her old journal. And there’s always room for more analysis of the Bible.
And let’s close with some discussion questions! Would you sell your soul for a delicious cookie? Also have you been listening to the Cultural Hall Podcast? This quote is making my brain explode: “I love the idea of a Testimony Glove. I love what it teaches.” Because that whole open-microphone thing once a month just wasn’t correlated enough, so people need a glove to remind them of what they’re supposed to say. Have I just been out of the Mormon mindset too long to comprehend it….?
That Cultural Hall podcast is kinda interesting as anthropology, but also kinda hard to sit through. Chapel mormons with trained radio voices tryin’ to do the new media thing with a Latter-day Seinfeld sensibility. Even though the production isn’t nearly as slick, I probably prefer the quirkier This Week in Mormons if I’m curious to hear what the faithful are gabbin’ about. That said, I followed the C. Hall link and heard Richie T and Lauren bantering about an Episode 4 they recorded that apparently involved John Dehlin and upset their TBM listeners, so I’ll be sure to catch that one.
This quote is making my brain explode: I love the idea of a Testimony Glove. I love what it teaches.
I haven’t heard the podcast and don’t really know why it’s making your head explode, Chanson, but I realized while reading the quote that when I hear “glove” I think of the latex and nitrile gloves worn in medicine and lab work for preventing contamination. It must be the commonest use of gloves for those living in warm climates. I think the testimony glove’s intended audience is children, though, so they’re much less likely to have that association.
Does anyone else remember the Good News Glove? When I was still young enough to trick or treat, a minister living on our block gave out Good News Glove tracts one year instead of Halloween candy.
LOL. Kristen M. Oaks filching from the fundies? Say it ain’t so.
Aha, that would explain it. Since it’s important never to criticize anything that has even a semi-official church stamp of approval on it, they have to find something non-threatening to make fun of. But it seems like you’re missing the boat if you think that picture is odd in spite of the testimony glove (as opposed to because of the testimony glove).
And, really, if they want to make fun of silly LDS pictures, maybe we should suggest the Jesus, polygamist one for their next podcast.
I think I’ve seen that girl at bottom left before, somewhere else.
Edit: And why does she only have three fingers?
I guess she can’t use a testimony glove — she’ll just have to remember off the top of her head that she should mention Joseph Smith and Thomas Monson.
Clever that the Evangelical glove has “I have sinned” as the middle finger. Can the LDS one (with its little pasted-on heads) compete with that?
Good grief, your eyes are in better shape than mine.
OK, so anyway, I mostly wanted to find out if these folks would post my commentary, which they did, so I’m backing off now…
http://www.theculturalhallpodcast.com/2011/09/the-cultural-hall-ep-7online-dating/
This is totally orthogonal, but blame Iech Jesus for reminding me of my affection for Shibuya and the Psychedelic Furs.