I'm a Mormon - Tabloid (2011) Discussion

Well, obviously. She was nuts!

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Another one of my gripes.
Sadly some people will watch this and it will confirm (or reinforce) prejudices they already have against the Mormons and they will believe much of it.
Even if they believe Joyce is bonkers they might still tend to believe the anti-Mormon stuff.
And it wasn't only Joyce who was peddling the anti-mormonism - the filmmaker also had no problem airing and supporting Joyce's crazy claims with the clips from that wacky cartoon.
And didn't afford any opportunity to the Mormons to defend themselves - they even put on a disaffected former Mormon (I think a caption identified him as a gay rights activist???) to spout more anti-mormon stuff.

"They who... give up... liberty to obtain... safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

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[–] cookiela2001 11 years ago

And it wasn't only Joyce who was peddling the anti-mormonism - the filmmaker also had no problem airing and supporting Joyce's crazy claims with the clips from that wacky cartoon.

What in the cartoon do you think is false?

That Priestholders become a god and live on their own planet once they die?

That's a basic tenet of the faith.

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[–] Blugosisdead 9 years ago

Mormonism is a cult. Created by a con man named Joseph Smith. Any "church" that takes away your family if you leave, is a cult. One of my best friends is an ex mormon, her entire family disowned her when she left the "church". I found out is a very common practice in Mormonism and that's why members seldom leave. I truly feel sorry for anyone who has been subjected to such an absurd religion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn1iGvXU0dI

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[–] SloppyJ30 8 years ago

Yeah . . that's not a thing. The LDS church doesn't "take away" anyone's family for any reason. How exactly would that even happen? Look, you have millions of members, and thousands of clergy, so can you find an occasional wild card who abuses his position by giving bad advice? Yes, you probably can. But it's hardly a "very common practice" for members to "disown" family members who leave. I've known dozens of families who saw one or more of their own decide to bail, and not a single one ostracized the ones leaving.

If someone's really into their religion/cult, no matter what it is, seeing a loved one "leave the fold" is going to be a stressful thing. How they deal with it is up to them, but to imply Mormon culture or doctrine encourage people to disown family (or friends) who leave is simply wrong. It just is. Sorry.

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I have meddled with the primal forces of nature and I will atone.

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[–] Mehki_Girl 11 years ago

And yet you said nothing to dispute anything she said. What she said is true. Unless she studied the religion, sounded really real (like she dated someone who is a Mormon). Other than that, she has a personality disorder.

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[–] WVfilmfem 11 years ago

Yes, she's surely a nut...obsessive, delusional, and narcissistic. That said, however, there is much about the Mormon faith that is cult-like. I suspect anyone brought up in the faith from childhood onward lacks the objectivity to question anything they are told about the faith.

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[–] SloppyJ30 10 years ago

I suspect anyone brought up in the faith from childhood onward lacks the objectivity to question anything they are told about the faith.

This could be said about any number of people brought up in a particular faith.

Full disclosure: I am a lifelong Mormon who is still superficially active because of social/family considerations.I've always chuckled at the "cult" thing, as if every religion can't be described as a cult by an outsider who thinks it's weird.

As cults go, Mormonism would have to be one of the more benign ones out there. The most salacious, sensational assumptions and suspicions about what goes on in Mormon homes or meetings are so hilariously overstated that I can't even get annoyed. I just laugh. If you attended a few Mormon services, you'd likely be bored stiff and find it cheesy, but there's nothing sinister about it unless you're predisposed to see things in that way.

The funniest thing McKinney says about Anderson is that he started frantically chanting about Joseph Smith when she was trying to turn him on. I guess that could've happened, but all I know is that in 42 years I've never heard anyone "chanting" about Joseph Smith. There are a few hymns that focus on him and a couple of children's songs, but the chanting was high comedy. A distant second: the stern-faced "head Mormon" sitting in the courtoom when he was being questioned in court. That guy must have had one heck of a glare. I picture Christopher Lee in that role.

It's a shame the guy wouldn't be interviewed on camera. I guess he never developed an appreciation for the fact that he was involved in one of the strangest stories ever to involve an LDS missionary.

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I have meddled with the primal forces of nature and I will atone.

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[–] jriley555 8 years ago

you seem very level-headed

would it be safe to assume you don't actually go in for the metaphysical details of your religion?

also, and this is indeed intrusive, i suppose even a casual Mormon must wear the undergarment/s.

what i'm curious about how one changes the gear? do you hold onto a new one as you take off the old?

just curious. have vistied Nauvoo, IL, SLC many times, been to the temple grounds & visiter museum, always fascinated by the history of the Mormons :)

fwiw, i was raised catholic, but can at this point in life see fairly clearly all the absurdities of Christianity in general, Catholicism in particular, as well as the atrocities committed in the name of Christianity/Judaism/Islam/Hinduism, heck there's even a few murderous Buddhists running around.

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[–] SloppyJ30 8 years ago

No, I don't buy the doctrine in any literal way. Just like traditional Christianity, just like Catholicism, just like Hinduism, etc etc . . it's all very pretty nonsense.

Active "endowed" Mormons (those who have gone through a particular temple ceremony) are "counseled" to wear the garments pretty much all the time, although exceptions for exercise, sex, etc are assumed. No, there's no requirement to "hold onto" anything. I've never heard that, so I'm not sure what you mean. One just takes them off and puts them on like anything else.

When they wear out, you're supposed to remove the markings, destroy them (typically just burn them) and cut up the garment so it's unrecognizable. My mom used worn-out, cut-up garments as dust-cloths.

When Romney was running for POTUS, it seemed a fair number of people thought the idea of "magic underwear" was hilarious. As a kid, I heard tales of people literally being protected from physical harm by LDS garments, but that kind of superstition has faded away. I haven't heard anyone say anything like that in a serious tone for 30 years or more. I doubt you'd be able to find many LDS who see the garment as anything other than a symbolic covenant with God. It isn't any more magic than a nun's habit.

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I have meddled with the primal forces of nature and I will atone.

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[–] jriley555 8 years ago

thanks for the feedback, Sloppy :)

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[–] sbauer_19 9 years ago

I grew up around Mormons. You guys are the most racist and hypocritical people I have ever been around. Its hilarious.

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[–] Raszune 8 years ago

Mormons are a race now? That's a new one on me. LDS is a religion not a race.

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[–] mamaspank 8 years ago

Well, I've been embroiled in a custody battle with a newly renewed mormon who doesn't have a pot to piss in, yet somehow managed to afford an attorney. Gee, I wonder why he went back to the church. Also, it is the only religion I know of that only helps themselves. Convert and be helped or don't and make do with what you have. I see why it would be so tempting to sell your soul to Joseph Smith. Wait, no, I don't, because that is completely *beep* crazy.

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[–] Tommen_Forever 8 years ago

Well she was at least correct in calling Mormonism a cult. You have to give her that.

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Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television

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