What Mormonism teaches me about religion

[exboyfil]

3. My daughter's English teacher

is having her study the formation of the Christian Bible, the formation of another text sacred to a culture, and great Western thinkers. I have been reading some of her papers on Mormonism, and I am struck as to how its growth counters one of the biggest arguments in favor of Christianity (it must be true because so many in the early church died professing it and the church grew even through the persecution).

Reading through the supporting papers generated by the church, I get the same feeling I get when I read fundamentalist literature arguing against evolution. Facts must always be interpreted to support their worldview.

The thing I am trying to do is to view this information with an open mind so that I can try to gain an understanding of Joseph Smith and his followers. I know very little about the Mormon church other than what has been presented to me through the filter of my church. That is wrong. I also think learning about the various faiths from Richard Dawkins is also wrong for example. I wonder if you can conclude about Mormonism, Christianity, and Islam is that it is (in the immortal words of Douglas Adams) "Mostly Harmless" when faith is separated from the power of the state. On the other hand when power driven by faith is exercised through the state or other secular power we have (with apologies to Tom Clancy) "A Clear and Present Danger".

I am convinced most faiths run around in a free society seeking to be outraged (ie persecuted). It is not enough for a school child to bring her Bible to school and have Bible study with her friends - the state must force religious study of the majority faith on all students in a public school.