# Liberal Mormons and Scientologists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 21, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081 "2013-07-21T02:34:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/21 "2013-07-31T01:25:36Z")
As always, you can get the Straight Dope from [Jack Chick](http://www.chick.com/catalog/comics/0118.asp). šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/22 "2013-07-31T01:35:24Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > If Smith was a fraud, he paid such a disproportionately high price for it that I donā€™t like the idea of throwing around such an insult. What does the price he paid have to do with him being a fraud or not? Paying a high price makes you buy into that talk about the golden plates, seer stones, etc? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/23 "2013-07-31T02:22:38Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > If Smith was a fraud, he paid such a disproportionately high price for it that I donā€™t like the idea of throwing around such an insult. Hey, some fraudsters donā€™t know when to quit. They get cocky and arrogant and think theyā€™ll be able to smooth-talk themselves out of troubleā€¦all the way to the gallows. Thatā€™s why they are despised so much. He neednā€™t have been killed over it (though someone needs to be held accountable for [Mormon hair](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/17/polygamist-sects-a-furthe_n_97282.html)). But if he was fraud, he was a fraud. It ainā€™t an insult if it is true. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/24 "2013-07-31T02:28:53Z")
> [@Kable](#): > > So you wouldnā€™t be comfortable just calling Joseph Smith a fraud? Keyword ā€œjust,ā€ the answer is no. A fraud, yes. ā€œJustā€ a fraud, no. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/25 "2013-07-31T02:55:12Z")
Letā€™s get back to Scientologists. Are there any that interpret the doctrines metaphorically, etc.? Iā€™d be surprised. Mormonism might be a ā€œcult,ā€ but Scientology is a **CULT.** Very tightly disciplined even by Mormon standards. ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/26 "2013-07-31T13:35:21Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > A fraud, yes. ā€œJustā€ a fraud, no. With regards to being a fraud, how would you compare Smith with Moses? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/27 "2013-07-31T14:01:14Z")
We know almost nothing about Moses, and in fact, a considerable number of scholars think there was no such person. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/28 "2013-07-31T14:06:05Z")
> [@Some kid in the 4th grade](#): > > Oh yeah? Then how do you explain the Burning Bush? .. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Schmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Some\_Schmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Schmo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/29 "2013-07-31T14:10:39Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Iā€™m afraid that, one day, a pair of young Mormon evangelists knocked on my door, when I was in a foul mood, and I did so. But Iā€™m not proud of that, and wouldnā€™t do it if they hadnā€™t been pushing. > > If Smith was a fraud, he paid such a disproportionately high price for it that I donā€™t like the idea of throwing around such an insult. He ā€œpaid such a disproportionately high priceā€ for conning hundreds of people, bilking people out of their time and money, moving them across the country, sending men on missions and marrying their wives behind their back, seducing teenage girls, and creating a 2 century legacy of bullshit? I kind of think the fraud got off easy. ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/30 "2013-07-31T14:41:26Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > We know almost nothing about Moses, and in fact, a considerable number of scholars think there was no such person. Well theirā€™s that (I guess we only know what we read, much like Jesus) but say he did exist and said the things in the Torah. Do you think he is more or less of a fraud than Joseph Smith? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081/31 "2013-07-31T15:58:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > As always, you can get the Straight Dope from [Jack Chick](http://www.chick.com/catalog/comics/0118.asp). šŸ˜‰ Why is Joseph Smith apparently a clone on Napolean? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-mormons-and-scientologists/664081.md?page=1)