Skip to content
Main Street Plaza

A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

Main Street Plaza

A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

Sunday in Outer Blogness: Conflicted Edition!

chanson, May 8, 2011November 9, 2011

The big news is (as I’m sure I don’t have to tell you) Osama Bin Laden is dead. And reactions are all over the spectrum. My own reaction was like one of Leah’s commenters:

I think that Due Process is a civilisatory achievement designed to remove bias and with it revenge from a system meant to deliver justice. Just like with the Guantanamo bay prison, or the treatment of Bradley Manning, I cannot see any special circumstance in this that even begins to counterweight the casting aside of such a basic and important tool.

But that’s just me (and that commenter). Reactions run the gamut from conservatives who think it’s so fabulous that Obama can’t possibly take credit, to folks who are simply pleased to see a villain defeated (by Obama), to people who think assassination is wrong on principle (but Bin Laden is an exception), to people who think at least the celebrating is inappropriate (empathizing with the tragedy of human death), to people (like me) who think Bin Laden was a villain — but not worth becoming villains ourselves over, to people who believe it was the opposite of the right thing to do. Not to mention the contribution by FARMS and the grimly amusing theological truth:

The good news is that Osama bin Laden in now exactly 1 year away from being eligible to have his temple work done. The bad news is that some fool will probably do it.

Wow, it so much more cheerful to talk about how conflicted we are about our complicated relationships with Mormonism! What about those “uncorrelated” Mormons? And when it comes to “uncorrelated Mormons” vs. the mishies, I’d put my money on Ren any day!! Is unwavering obedience (or boredom) really the cornerstone of Mormonism? (And don’t even get started on the gay). G tells of emotional advantages you lose when you stop believing. I agree with Winterbuzz that you have to acknowledge a problem in order to solve it (but should we really be solving this one?). Daniel sees his stay in exmo land as more a hobby than a failure to move on (me too!). Ain’t No Mo No Mo tells the tale of how she left. And Tom invented a clever exmo parallel to the iron-rod/liahona Mormon divide: Matrix vs. Inception exmos!

In general Mormon doctrine, Zo-ma-rah asks what we’re waiting for now that the CoJCoL-dS has stopped emphasizing how close we are to the last days. But if you could create your own world, why not be creative about it? What precisely is the mechanism of prophetic revelation? What ever happened to eternal progression? President Paternoster weighs in on fat ladies and Dave on Korihor. Is religion the root of moral behavior? Dadsprimalscream has a fascinating story about his missionary companion eloping, and Julia Sweeney is reading Martha Beck. Reuben has an interesting new take on the doctrine of wearing garmies (though I’m not sure the brethren will agree):

My recommendation is that you decide what garments symbolize to you, and then decide to let something else provide that symbolism at times when you choose not to wear the garments. Im thinking maybe a necklace, ring, or bracelet that you can keep with you no matter where you go.

And — as usual — Mormonism overlaps with politics. As is the case with the guy who was persecuted for piously disenfranchising gay people. (Note: loving God =/= hating gays.) Curtis gives a clear explanation of gerrymandering.

And — since it’s Mothers Day — let’s close with some posts on gender, family, parenting, education, and motherhood. I’m sure more tributes to moms will roll in during the day, but — as an amusing reminder that “Mom’s not perfect” — check out my SiL’s fabulously unsuccessful Polkadot Pancakes!

Sunday in Outer Blogness

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

Sunday in Outer Blogness: Violent Rhetoric Edition!

January 17, 2011November 9, 2011

Folks, sorry Sunday has come a little late this week! I’d like to claim that I was just so busy, but really it was a combination of massive Spring cleaning, plus a bit of getting sucked in by the call of the Legos, and then forgetting (until Sunday evening) that…

Read More

Sunday in Outer Blogness: They did it edition!

June 29, 2014

Yes, they did it. They excommunicated Kate Kelly. For asking questions and for her “tone”. And perhaps John Dehlin will be next. They even have this helpful “steadying the Ark” story from this week’s Gospel Doctrine lesson to back the leaders up on this, and Jesus isn’t as helpful as…

Read More

Sunday in Outer Blogness: Uncorrelated Revelation Edition!

September 8, 2013

Weren’t the days before correlation fun? Take Alma, for example. He got the authority to baptize just by praying for it — without any laying on of hands from a priesthood authority! Try doing that in today’s CoJCoL-dS. In prophecy news, Rick Santorum had a prophecy fulfilled. Other prophecies haven’t…

Read More

Comments (2)

  1. Chino Blanco says:
    May 9, 2011 at 12:56 am

    Heh, that new OECD study mentioned over at The Exponent popped up in timely fashion.

  2. chanson says:
    May 9, 2011 at 7:06 am

    Chino — So true!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Mormon Alumni Association Books

Latest Comments:

  1. termal kamerayla su kaçak tespiti on LDS vs LGBTQ:  Nathan Kitchen sheds false binariesJune 21, 2025

    termal kamerayla su kaçak tespiti Ekip çok organize, kaça?? an?nda bulup çözdüler. https://bence.net/read-blog/25188

  2. Cara B. Klein on My conspiracy theory #2April 26, 2025

    Wow, I had never thought about it in that way before You have really opened my eyes to a new…

  3. chanson on LDS vs LGBTQ:  Nathan Kitchen sheds false binariesApril 16, 2025

    The haiku at the end is lovely. Sounds like a great book!

  4. Donna Banta on LDS vs LGBTQ:  Nathan Kitchen sheds false binariesApril 14, 2025

    I imagine anyone who has tried to change the church from within will identify with Kitchen's story. I especially like…

  5. Johnny Townsend on LDS vs LGBTQ:  Nathan Kitchen sheds false binariesApril 14, 2025

    This was a painful review to read. For many years, I held the same hope, that the LDS church would…

8: The Mormon Proposition Acceptance of Gays Add new tag Affirmation angry exmormon awards Book Reviews BYU comments Conformity Dallin H. Oaks DAMU disaffected mormon underground Dustin Lance Black Ex-Mormon Exclusion policy Excommunicated exmormon faith Family feminism Gay Gay Love Gay Marriage Gay Relationships General Conference Happiness Homosexual Homosexuality LDS LGBT LGBTQ Link Bomb missionaries Modesty Mormon Mormon Alumni Association Mormonism motherhood peace politics Polygamy priesthood ban Sunstone temple

Awards

William Law X-Mormon of the Year:

  • 2023: Adam Steed
  • 2022: David Archuleta
  • 2021: Jeff T. Green
  • 2020: Jacinda Ardern
  • 2019: David Nielsen
  • 2018: Sam Young
  • 2017: Savannah
  • 2016: Jeremy Runnells
  • 2015: John Dehlin
  • 2014: Kate Kelly
  • 2013: J. Seth Anderson and Michael Ferguson
  • 2012: David Tweede
  • 2011: Joanna Brooks
  • 2010: Monica Bielanko
  • 2009: Walter Kirn

Other Cool Sites!

WasMormon.org
©2025 Main Street Plaza | WordPress Theme by SuperbThemes