Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski
There was a thread on CG a week or two ago where it was observed that evangelicals dislike mormons precisely because their beliefs are so similar; evidence that it is human nature to be most distrustful of those who are most like us. I would argue that your loathing of Mormon liberals is more evidence of this theory. You seem to be disgusted by the fact that a group of LDS would have relatively honest and intellectual viewpoints regarding the faith but for whatever reasons have not chosen to reject the faith outright as you have. Particularly telling is your statement "...when you belong to a community of poeple whom you find mostly so awful." You are clearly projecting your own biases with that statement. We love our people. In spite of our differences.
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You may have a point except I don't "loath" them. (For example, I'm truly very fond and an admirer of you and if I ever wind up in Provo again I will try to take you out to dinner.) If you study the history of Islamic-Christian relations it's interesting to note the mutual hostility when they had so much in common. Islamic dogma was adapted from Christianity and Judaism, its philosphers revered the Greeks, its architecture was heavily influenced by Byzantium, a Greco Roman bastion. In many ways Islam was just Christianity on steriods. Yet Christians and Muslims loathed one another from the start; in particular Christians loathed the upstarts.
If you look at the root of the word "liberal" there is the notion of ceaseless questioning and testing the established order. Mormon liberals choose to compartmentalize their liberalism in a way I choose not to and seems often disingenuous. With respect to social issues our views are very close.
But there are many aspects of liberals whether or not Mormon that I dislike. I abhore the hostile attitude toward Western culture and the idea that our icons are recognized as such because they were white men. This problem is insidious in a place like Seattle where schools would sooner have a special cultural study focus on Africa or India as Great Britain or ancient Rome. What results is just bad education and ignorance. Unfortuantely, home schooling is the only sure fire way to get away form it and I'm not a fan of that. This is why when anyone says Gibbon or Melville was a bad writer my antena goes up. I am also a big fan of Adam Smith's invisible hand; economic as well as individual liberty.
I'm not saying other cultures aren't totally worthwhile of course including to study and experience. One of the glories of ours is its absoprtive quality. But we need to understand ourselves first.