Mormonism is NO different than any other religion or club

[Texas Lawyer]

96. I struggle with this issue. I agree that it would be difficult to explain Catholicism, or any

Protestant version f Christianity, or Islam, etc. to a disinterested observer in a manner that did not make some of the dogma seem illogical (or based on impossibilities and magic thinking).

With that said, it does seems as if you can make some distinctions among religious beliefs.

For example, the foundations of Scientology are not hidden by the mists of time because it was founded within the lifetime of people who are still alive. It is a religious belief system founded by a person who was also known for writing science fiction books. I have no problem whatsoever with anyone who takes comfort or support from the belief in Scientology. I presume that some ancient Greeks thought of Zeus as a real and literal figure and some probably thought of the depictions of Zeus' life as fables that taught lessons about the culture's values; I presume the same about Moses, and Jesus, and Buddha, and Mohamed, and I know that some people take comfort from their beliefs about these figures, and I feel no differently about people who take comfort from Scientology.

Yet, I also think you could compare Scientology with, for example, Unitarianism.

I think -- objectively -- Scientology IS different from Unitarianism. You can compare the origins and tenets of both belief systems and draw conclusions about the differences. Likewise, I think you can compare the beliefs of those who believe in the Neanderthal, big foot, the Gigantopithecus, the yetti, sea serpents, the Kraken, aliens, angels, plesiosaus, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Homo floresiensis, and hobbits. Some of these beliefs are more rational, some are less rational, and some of these beliefs fall somewhere between the two extreme points on that scale.

If you can distinguish Scientology from Unitarianism, then perhaps you could create a scale with one set of religious beliefs at one end and another set of religious beliefs at the other end.

Do you think you could create such a scale for religious belief systems?

If so, do you think you could put Mormonism somewhere within such a scale?