Awkward Mormon moment

[BigFatMeanie]

Originally Posted by marsupial

Since danimal brought up awkward Mormon moments, I will share one of mine. In Memphis I wrote for a local fitness magazine. I was meeting with the editor who is extremely intelligent, even in Mensa, but lacks quite a bit on the social side. Anyway, I was talking to him about some articles we had coming up and it soon became obvious that he no longer was listening to me.

Me: I feel like I am talking to myself. Did you even hear what I just said to you?

Him: No, I'm sorry. I was just staring at your funny Mormon underwear.

Apparently from where he was sitting across from me in the room he could see right up my shorts.

Those type of conversations/moments simply don't happen in Salt Lake City. I think non-Mormons in SLC fall into two categories:

1. Bitter
2. Disinterested

Regardless of which category they are in, there is no reason for them to be inquisitive.

One of the reasons I like travelling is because people outside of Utah are more inquisitive and ask me about my religion and ask questions about Mormonism.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

Those type of conversations/moments simply don't happen in Salt Lake City. I think non-Mormons in SLC fall into two categories:

1. Bitter
2. Disinterested

Regardless of which category they are in, there is no reason for them to be inquisitive.

One of the reasons I like travelling is because people outside of Utah are more inquisitive and ask me about my religion and ask questions about Mormonism.

It's kinda like the 2 categories that ex-mormons fall into.

1. Bitter
2. Constantly seeking to bring down.

But we don't have any of those here.

[SeattleUte]

Yesterday I am riding the Bainbidge Island ferry, with a lawyer friend seated across from me in the dining area. He is telling me about how his son just tried to summit and then ski down Mt. St. Elias (18,000 ft.) in the Wrangles and nearly died. A woman comes up to us and sits down at the table. My friend introduces her as a lawyer too and a friend of his. We realize our sons are in the same school class on Bainbridge Island. My friend proceeds with his story and in the course of the discussion we begin to discuss Into Thin Air. The woman says, "Did you read Krakauer's last book?" And she proceeds to recount how "scary" the book is and to suggest unflattering things about Mormonism. My friend looks at me sheepishly. He knows where I was raised, who my famous brother is, etc. Of course, like most people he doesn't know the difference between an apostate, jack, devout or mullah Mormon. I realize I need to say something before she says much more because it's getting a bit awkward.

Here the apostate's chore is twice as complicated as the devout Mormon's. For he needs to convey in few words as possible and as flatly as possible that 1) he happens to have been raised a Mormon, his family is Mormon, etc.; 2) that he is nevertheless in many ways of like mind with the speaker (it's human nature to want to be liked, thusly expressing like mindedness when possible, isn't it? this also helps to deflate awkwardness), 3) and why. I told her I read the book because a) I liked Into Thin Air, and b) I was "raised Mormon." At this point my usual line is to say I'm lapsed (a well known term among Catholics) or not practicing. "Apostate" is too freaky in this context.

I critiqued the book; told her why I didn't think it was very good and how disappointed I was because I was so impressed with Into Thin Air and am in many ways of like mind with Krakauer. I told her the historical stuff was too derivative of prior much more skillfully wrought works, and the book's theme was too big a leap, too sensational given the evidence. I said that if Krakauer wanted to write a compelling indictment of religion like Chris Hitchins or Richard Dawkins he could have done so with this material working harder and rendering it in a more credible way. I told her that if she was interested in the origins of Mormonism the best book was No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie. She seemed interested and jotted the name down. We discussed a little about Brodie's background and how she came to write the book. When I said she was the niece of a sitting Mormon "prophet," and she was excommunicated for writing the book, the women said, "Lucky for her, I guess, the way they treat their women." I said, oh, they've become quite a bit more assimilated in recent years; their women are not necessarily so oppressed depending on the individual circumstances. In fact, I doubt they would have excommunicated Brodie today.

[Detroitdad]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Yesterday I am riding the Bainbidge Island ferry, and a lawyer friend was seated across from me in the dining area. He is telling me about how his son just tried to summit and then ski down Mt. St. Elias (18,000 ft.) in the Wrangles and nearly died. A woman comes up to us and sits down at the table. My friend introduces her as a lawyer too and a friend of his. We realize our sons are in the same school class on Bainbridge Island. My friend proceeds with his story and in the course of the discussion we begin to discuss Into Thin Air. The woman says, "Did you read Krakauer's last book?" And she proceeds to recount how "scary" the book is and to suggest unflattering things about Mormonism. My friend looks at me sheepishly. He knows where I was raised, who my famous brother is, etc. Of course, like most people he doesn't know the difference between an apostate, jack, devout or mullah Mormon. I realize I need to say something before she says much more because it's getting a bit awkward.

Here the apostate's chore is twice as complicated as the devout Mormon's. For he needs to convey in few words as possible and as flatly as possible that 1) he happens to have been raised a Mormon, his family is Mormon, etc.; 2) that he is nevertheless in many ways of like mind with the speaker (it's human nature to want to be liked, thusly expressing like mindedness when possible, isn't it? this also helps to deflate awkwardness), 3) and why. I told her I read the book because a) I liked Into Thin Air, and b) I was "raised Mormon." At this point my usual line is to say I'm lapsed (a well known term among Catholics) or not practicing. "Apostate" is too freaky in this context.

I critiqued the book; told her why I didn't think it was very good and how disappointed I was because I was so impressed with Into Thin Air and am in many ways of like mind with Krakauer. I told her the historical stuff was too derivative of prior much more skillfully wrought works, and the book's theme was too big a leap, too sensational given the evidence. I said that if Krakauer wanted to write a compelling indictment of religion like Chris Hitchins or Richard Dawkins he could have done so with this material working harder and rendering it in a more credible way. I told her that if she was interested in the origins of Mormonism the best book was No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie. She seemed interested and jotted the name down. We discussed a little about Brodie's background and how she came to write the book. When I said she was the niece of a sitting Mormon "prophet," and she was excommunicated for writing the book, the women said, "Lucky for her, I guess, the way they treat their women." I said, oh, they've become quite a bit more assimilated in recent years; their women are not necessarily so oppressed depending on the individual circumstances. In fact, I doubt they would have excommunicated Brodie today.

Back in my lapsed Mormon days I had a large number of conversations of this type. The frequency of these discussions is part of what led me to relapse into activity.

[Archaea]

I guess I don't have too many religious encounters outside of the internet. Seattle's was interesting until he gave the bogus info of Brodie's book, when a superior book exists.

Ah well. Perhaps that's why in polite company it's better not to have religious commentary at all, as most are ill-informed and the costs of informing the ignorant are not worth it.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Ah well. Perhaps that's why in polite company it's better not to have religious commentary at all, as most are ill-informed and the costs of informing the ignorant is not worth it.

I suppose it's not very missionary-like of me, but this is what I've decided as well.

Ditto politics.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Tex

I suppose it's not very missionary-like of me, but this is what I've decided as well.

Ditto politics.

I'd rather not drive them away from the organization and hope those better suited to the endeavor undertake it.

[JohnnyLingo]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I'd rather not drive them away from the organization and hope those better suited to the endeavor undertake it.

Very responsible of you.

The church appreciates your forbearance.

[scottie]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

...He knows where I was raised, who my famous brother is, etc...

Seattle, who is your famous brother?

[creekster]

Originally Posted by scottie

Seattle, who is your famous brother?

I think it's this guy.