The Problem of Language

    In case you all have wondered I have ADD when it comes to blog posts. Today is no different. As I stated early on I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon if you prefer. I am proud to declare this fact. There is no shame in it. Further, I am a fairly open minded individual and state that as far as what happens on judgment day is concerned I don't know who will go where, save for the few where scripture has explicitly stated otherwise. Sadly others do not share this same respect (yes I am looking at you extreme fundamentalists).

    It has been vogue in the extremist circles to call Mormon's members of a cult or cultists. Often times the defamers try to support their assertion through a series of half-truths, out of context quotes, and full-blown lies. I honestly am not surprised then that as Mormons are having their "moment" then that their most ardent detractors are becoming more prominent as well. Sadly this is always the case with any group that rises from obscurity their opponents rise up and attack. The attack that is the most dishonest and by extension most infuriating is the assertion that Mormonism is in fact a "cult."

    Now I recognize that the technical definition of cult can apply to all religions and yadda yadda yadda but to use that as an excuse to not bring up the issue is weak. Why is it weak? Simple the connotation is something of a more sinister nature. Whenever someone is said to belong to a "cult" the general image that people have is one of human sacrifice, mass suicide, or some other related practice. Which practices, last time I checked, were discouraged by the church insomuch that there would be instant excommunications from the church for such activities. The Mormon church in general is a body doing much good in the world in terms of humanitarian services. Though many people still hold to the cult idea. Why?

    The answer is in the language if you can control the language you can control thought. If you can control thought you can control actions. If you can control actions you control the person. This is exemplified during the rise of Nazi Germany. Certain groups of people were demonized and called unsesirables. With this use of language the people's opinions of these groups morphed from ambivelence to minor digust to extreme disgust to the point of murder.  Language controlled thought and thought controlled action in this case their is no question.
   
    What though am I getting at? Am I trying to compare the plight of Mormons not to that of the Jews in the holocaust? Of course not what I am saying is that if we do not control the language of extremism then extremism will take control of us.

    Diasagree with Mormons all you want argue the doctrine but know that they are not a cult I am an example of this. The people I disagree with are examples of this. Look to the members of the Church and ask yourselves are these really the evil people some would want me to believe? The answer in the majority of cases will be a resounding no!