Mormonism has the best theology and institutional set of all the major religions. Yes, its founding myths are weird and ahistorical, but this is true of every religion. In many ways, Mormon theology is *more* realistic than mainline Christianity. Let's count the ways...
For one, Joseph Smith had the benefit of knowing circa 1830 that other planets existed, and so incorporated it into LDS theology. It may sound weird to learn that exalted Mormons can become as gods on their own planets, but imo this adds plausibity post-Copernican Revolution.
Given its origin in the industrial revolution, Mormonism has an unusually materialist interpretation of God not as omnipresent, but rather as a being that can move with great rapidity from place to place, almost like a telegraph signal.
Mormonism offers a reconciliation of the material with the spiritual in away reiminscient of the software / hardware distinction. This is probably strictly heretical, but of all the Christian metaphysics I'm aware of, this seems the most compatible with modern computationalism.
LDS emphasizes that we're living in the latter day's (it's in the name). This sounds increasingly plausible to my secular ears given the approaching technological singularity. Yet Smith wasn't prophetic. He was just extrapolating from the 19th century's technocapital take-off.
Combining these ideas gets you the LDS's famous obsession with science fiction. There's even a Mormon Transhumanism Association that forsees us transcending the physical realm via whole brain emulations and the like. All plausible in my lifetime!
Institutionally, I think of the LDS church as blending the best parts of Protestant temperance and work ethic with the organizational continuity of a formal priesthood structure, modeled on free masonry. As I argue here, this gave the LDS much greater adaptability and resiliency
The free masons were just one example of a mutual aid society. As such, the LDS church is structured a lot like a mutualist or co-operative organization, with many of its subsidiary companies managed as co-ops, too. https://www.secondbest.ca/p/th...
The LDS conception of original sin is fundamentally rehabilitative, which turns out to be well-adapted to the modern-era's abundance of addictive substances.
The LDS church combines hierarchy with embedded autonomy in a way that's imo close to optimal from an Ostrom self-governance POV. They even do the sort of revenue sharing federated countries like Canada use to ensure horizontal equity.
I wrote this series, "Mormon Integralism," about how the LDS adapted to the New Deal by building a parallel welfare state. Yet it's more than a welfare state. It's almost institutionally-complete. They even have their own diplomatic cables. https://www.secondbest.ca/p/mo...
So when AGI arrives and US government collapses into Snow Crashian anarchy, the LDS Church will still be standing as a voluntarisric, quasi-cooperative parallel government, full of members who've been prepping for ASI their entire lives.
@hamandcheese I think you are ignoring that the LDS church has edited the thornier and contradictory parts of their belief system (as purportedly dictated by G-d to Joseph Smith using VR glasses) out of history, and purged those “heretics” who pointed this out. Also it’s moving the goal-posts
@hamandcheese Well no, because Christianity is true and Mornomism isn't.
@hamandcheese No Mormon telling you what he believes has ever said "we get to be Gods with our own individual planets." For a people who are so eager to share what they believe with others, it's remarkable how little the popular summary of our belief resembles it.
@hamandcheese Yeah, but did you see American Primeval? 🙄
@hamandcheese Active LDS here: Great thread! Regardless if you believe or not, you have to admit that Joseph Smith's theology is impressive for an uneducated farm boy. This thread has good insights. Only a couple of nitpicks. For one, the "Mormons get their own planet" is a meme from our
@hamandcheese Raised LDS, and though no longer an active member, I would not recommend any other Christian church to anyone looking to set a strong foundation for their children. Mormon's teach obedience to the Lord. It's not "Free Pass Christianity", nor is it hell, fire and brimstone.
@hamandcheese c'mon now
@hamandcheese This is fascinating. Learned something new today. How would Mormonism stack up against Buddhist or Hindu cosmology?
@hamandcheese Mormon cosmology is fascinating. The explanation for life is uniquely satisfying to me: the character of spirits cannot be directly measured, even by God, and so life is necessary so we can demonstrate how we use our agency.
@hamandcheese Lmao at the idea of God not being omnipresent and merely moving with “great rapidity” - all religious and mystical traditions agree on omnipresence as a core reality of God
@hamandcheese “More realistic” while simultaneously be completely ahistorical and false is somewhat of a bizarre rationalization.
@hamandcheese I highly recommend https://www.amazon.com/Theolog...
@hamandcheese Who is this Samuel guy I like him
@hamandcheese Your thread is creating a buzz! #TopUnroll https://threadreaderapp.com/th... 🙏🏼@chaodoze for 🥇unroll
@hamandcheese Yes it is TRUE for every religion! Furreal ☯️
@hamandcheese You misspelled generic 🙃
@hamandcheese That really makes you sound like a cultist. Define "best theology". Do you mean irrefutable? Because it's not. Do you mean consistent? Because it's definitely not. Do you mean most attractive? Because by numbers it is not. So, what is your qualifier here?
@hamandcheese LDS blocked the passage of same sex marriage. I never forgot that. Also, someone I knew got married in LDS church. Her mother flew over from Italy to USA but because she isn't LDS, they won't let her in to observe the ceremony. Two cruelties are enough to connect the dots.
@hamandcheese @threadreaderapp unroll
@hamandcheese @cremieuxrecueil The evidence for Christianity is so strong that even Pinchas Lapide, an Orthodox Rabbi, was convinced Jesus was raised from the dead. The evidence for the Aztecs descending from ancient Israel is not comparable.
@hamandcheese My IQ took a major beating, ngl.
@hamandcheese Any way you could work LDS polygamy into the list of positives?
@hamandcheese No hate intended, but it’s a modern offshoot with the benefit of everything that it offshoots from. It’s paradoxical to say that its additions are anything but exactly that which makes it an offshoot. Any claim of superiority is purely opinion and can’t be reasoned in the typical
@hamandcheese Has to wear special underwear and can't drink hot drinks.