Hi, Hyroglyphx.
Hyroflyphx writes:
Absolutely not a Mormon nation. Mormonism was ran out of the Eastern United States. Lol, Joseph Smith, the self-proclaimed prophet was killed in a shootout. That's how much he was viewed as a dangerous heretic
Maybe this deserves a more serious response than I gave it last time.
I'd obviously have to agree with you that the USA isn't a Mormon nation: we've never had a Mormon president (sorry, Mitt), there's a history of the Mormon community being in conflict with federal and state governments, and the basic tenets of Mormonism remain arcane to most of the country's citizens.
However, I think Mormonism is a key indicator of exactly what kind of nation we are, and have always been. The ability of an unpopular 'cult' to be born from humble beginnings, survive the hardships it suffered (or brought upon itself, depending on how you view the history), to eventually carve out a niche for itself, and ultimately grow into the 3rd(?) largest religious organization in the country... is testament to the fact that we are a nation that has always let people believe what they want (more or less).
Granted, the conflicts of Mormon history are also testament to the legacy of religious tensions and misunderstandings of our society, but I think it's all part of the learning process. We've come a long way toward reconciling our religious diversity with our secular government, and it would sure be a shame if we let sectarian claims to cultural hegemony ruin all that.
-Blue Jay, Ph.D.*
*Yeah, it's real
Darwin loves you.