I found this video while watching that video of the Guiness record for most t-shirts worn.
Does anyone know if there are other videos similar to this on the internet? Perhaps dealing with other religions? It’s kind of Chick-esque so I’m hoping there may be something on Catholics or Muslims done in the same way.
Something by the same people responsible for “Mormon theology” would be ideal, I would rather not see something that is overtly hateful*, just overbearingly smug and hypocritical, like this one.
As a former Mormon missionary, I’ve seen many, many of these films, from the well-produced (if factually shaky) granddaddy of them all (The God Makers), to crappy little infomercial-style clips shot by some local church. They’re funny and sad all at once.
1.) If you really want to know what Mormon theology is, go to the Vistor’s CEnters near their temples (If you can get to one). They’re not at all shy about telling you, and in video form at that. If you live near Rochester, N.Y. or Manti, Utah or Logan, Utah, you can get a full-blown pageant going into a lot of it.
2.) If you want a hilariously melodramatic film where the Mormons are the Bad Guys, get hold of Trapped by the MormonsTrapped by the Mormons (1922) - IMDb They used to show this once a year at the art cinema in Salt Lake when I lived there. The LDS Church protested when it came out, of course, but it’s too ocver-the-top now. There was actually a sequel, Married to a Mormon, which the imdb lists but doesn’t recognize as a sequel (and which I’ve never seen) Married to a Mormon (1922) - IMDb I have the first film on tape. To my utter surprise, someone remade the first fiolm last year. God knows why: Trapped by the Mormons (2005) - IMDb
I put this in cafe society because I’m not interested in debating the merits of its content so much as just finding other religous themed videos in the same style. I guess I am inexplicably fascinated by this particular video because the narration and animation vaguely remind me of the old Lord of the Rings cartoon by Ralph Bakshi (or maybe I’m thinking of the other one, I get them mixed up.)
If all I wanted to do was laugh at the religious, I’d watch that “Kirk Cameron banana clip”.
Try to find a copy of the Season 7 episode of South Park called “All About the Mormons.” The whole episode is probably somewhere on YouTube, but I can only find bits and pieces. The ending is one of my favorites in South Park history.
My guess: Some other Judeo-Christian sects are feeling the pinch and need to beat back the competition for bodies and dollars.
I’ve lived out west (Oregon) where Mormons are thick as flies. (No analogy intended.) I toured the HUGE temple complex in Salt Lake City. I’ve concluded that:
1 - Mormonism is no more or less fictitious than any other religion;
2 - It is therefore no more or less harmless than any other, and
3 - It still creeps me out a little bit. Maybe it’s the 10x life-size pictures of the current leader of the Mormon Church papering the walls of an entire building devoted to him, and calling him a “Modern Day Prophet.”
At this point in my life I’ve decided religion is a fundamentally irrational pursuit, so there’s not much point in understanding any specific theology, unless the goal is to understand how real people who are still alive might base their actions on it. But having said that, a lot of faith-based organizations (including the LDS Church) do some real good in the world. And whatever I might think about what Mormons believe, at least they are public and forthright about it, unlike say, Scientologists.
I seriously doubt it. From the comments on the IMDB site, it’s clear that they camped this up outrageously, and that it’s as absurd as the original now appears.
(I assume you’re describing the prophet, and not Jesus Christ - we sort of put Jesus at the top of the great big organizational chart, but most people accept that the daily logistical management of the church is handled by the presidency, which the prophet leads.)
Could it be that you’re exaggerating a bit? I, too, have been through most of those buildings, and have yet to see one “10x life-size picture” of the prophet anywhere, let alone said pictures papering the walls.
You make us sound like Jonestown. It’s unwarranted hyperbole like yours, that encourages people who are less familiar with the religion to freak out.
I think when I first started regularly posting I took a sideswipe at LDS doctrine, when I was really complaining about Episcopal Bishop Spong (the linking point was how I regarded both as redefining serious theological concepts in a way
contrary to historic C’tianity), to which you rightfully took exception.
I think we’ve had much more minor disagreements since.
Unless “Temple of the GodMakers” used the same or similar animation, I still say that clip came from the original “The God Makers”.
I doubt it. While various churches are concerned about the teachings of Mormonism and its growth, I see no evidence that any particular sect is losing massive numbers of people to the LDS faction.
Moreover, why should we automatically assume the worst of motives? It seems to me that if these sects believe that LDS teachings are damaging, that would be plenty of motivation for them to go out and combat Mormon teachings. Heck, several of the most vocal anti-LDS groups (Utah Lighthouse Ministry and Utah Christian Publications, for example) were founded by ex-Mormons. If they feel that the LDS church had led them astray, then they would be strongly motivated indeed to reach their former churchmates. (Note that neither organization is a church or sect, and so there is no “competition for bodies and dollars.” They also labor in a hostile territory – the heart of Mormonland. While this does not prove them right, it also makes it unlikely that they are motivated by selfish ambition or the almighty dollar.)
In my own experience, first as a Mormon, then a Mormon missionary, and now an ex-Mormon, I’ve observed that many if not most of the “ex-Mormons trying to get their erstwhile brethren to see the light” ministries seem to have a personal axe to grind with the LDS Church. There’s something about Mormonism’s doctrine and culture that makes it difficult to make a clean, non-embittered break with the church.
Now, I’m sure that most of these guys honestly believe the Mormon church is false, and are motivated at least partly by genuine concern for their fellows. It’s just that, for many of the ones I’ve met, there seems to be an unspoken motivation to damage the church somehow.
