After watching the video it was my intention to write a scathing refutation of the blasphemy. However, after doing a little web searching I found the facts weren't going to support me. First the only glaring inaccuracies I found in the video were:

Mormons don't believe that physical sex took place between Mary and Heavenly Father. Jesus was definitely the son of the father and impregnation occurred somehow but the Mary is a virgin thing is still in effect so I think it rules out a physical union. I'm not completely 100% on this though, so I'm going to ask my mom tomorrow.

The quote at the end by Joe is almost certainly fake, but I have no proof of this and may be wrong.

On the more shocking theology that isn't necessarily broached in Sunday School:

Elohim - Yup, thats Gods name. It also refers to the belief in multiple gods that aren't worshiped or thought to have any relevance in earth life. see
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Elohim
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elohim#Elohim_in_the_Latter_Day_Saint_movement

Kolob - Yes, there is literally a freakin' star in the universe that you could literally point to and say "thats where god lives." (Heavens Gate creepy) Its exact location is disputed and not addressed by church authorities, try a search for "Kolob constellation"
http://www.mormonwiki.org/Kolob
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolob#Literal_reading
http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blkolob.htm

Celestial Polygamy - It was my understanding when in the faith that Polygamy was a celestial practice that had be suspended during our time on earth due to prophetic revelation, and that when you do get in heaven men can marry multiple wives, but women can only marry one man. The whole prophetic revelation occurring at the same point in history that the US government made the ultimatum that Mormons had to give up polygamy before they would receive statehood is just seen as a coincidence. (seriously) After searching a little though a guess there is a little dispute over it.
http://www.mormonwiki.org/Celestial_polygamy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_marriage

I'd say that anything not outlined in this message is about 95% accurate, and certainly presented in the most sensationalist fashion.
I wasn't aware of most of this theological stuff while in the church and can understand when Mormons claim its inaccurate. However, if you believe church doctrine to be true then you sort of carry the theology indirectly.

Keep in mind that this theology rests on top of the church history, which is also more shockingly ridiculous then the general joe on the street has any idea of.


In reply to this comment by thepinky:
Wow. This is extremely inaccurate. I don't even know where to begin. Lies, people. Don't believe a word of it!!!

Tags for this video have been changed from 'unicorn, narwhal, celestial maiden, dragon, cat smothering' to 'adrian, molina, animation, funny, celestial, maiden, valkyrie, dragon, cat smothering' - edited by my15minutes

As a former atheist. I feel as though it is my duty to inform the other members of the Sift that were it not for this fantastic presentation of celestial wisdom, I would still be languishing in my formerly pathetic existence.
I would still be empty. Devoid of all meaning, morality or truth. Writhing in a pit of horrible shame for the ghastly pall of doubt cast upon me by the freezing shadows of science and supposed reason.
Upon completion of the veiwing of this epic saga. This masterpiece of man's triumph over the forces of seemingly impenetrable darkness. I have to say that my heart is now lifted above the treachery of men and their critique of His holy creation! My soul now soares through a thoughtlessly brilliant and glistening heaven. My mind, as if laid to rest in the very bosom of endless, comfortable silence, is free to explore and wonder at the innumerable marvels of the full 4,000 years of man's existence. My questioning fear, soothed. The crushing burdens of skeptisism, alleviated. I am enlightened. Nay! Riven! By this divine revelation of the world beyond my earthly illusions! And yet I am whole! I am complete in my understanding of His word and I bask in his eternal love.

God shower his blessings on this... Bible... Man. For showing me my foolishness with his light saber of unerring faith. Glory unto him.

And glory!!! to KIRK CAMERON!!!

Just having beaten this game with 88 stars just today, I found the game's controls to be spot on. You eventually get used to how the camera reacts when it follows you around a planetoid. The direction you want move the analog in, upside down or not, is the direction Mario moves in. The spin attack via Wiimote is a bit gimmicky but as far as gameplay mechanics/level design goes, Galaxy really innovates and refines the 64 formula. Fantastic artwork and graphics with silky smooth framerate that never bogs down, breathtaking with the HD (480p I should say) cable. If games like Portal make you dizzy, good chance this one will too. Wonderfully orchestrated music from various past Mario games and a good amount of new stuff as well. Exploring each galaxy is a joy. All in all, Galaxy really is a return to form. 64 beats this slightly, but only because of how revolutionary the whole concept was at the time, not to mention nostalgia factored in.

From a design standpoint I'd say Galaxy wins out easily, there's just so many different moments that make you mumble "Holy shit!" to yourself. The whole celestial theme makes for epic stuff with a difficulty level that ramps pretty nicely as you move further along the variety of abstract/surreal platforming puzzles this game throws at you. Nintendo has returned that sense of wonder/adventure to Mario that has been missing since Sunshine (which basically took place at a crummy, boring beach resort and of course the final-and-oh-so-anti-climactic Bowser "you ruined my bath time!" tub fight, ugh!)lowered the bar substantially.

It's been a good year for gaming. Please excuse my rambling, I had high hopes for this game and it delivered. This and Portal get my official seal of approval for most innovative games of the year 2007.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

I agree that number 5 looks the most Christmassy. It's very celestial.

Gorgon, Thinking about politiancs and pandering, I've never seen Ron Paul pander when speaking, which makes me respect him that much more. I've never seen him attack another candidate. If politicians were more like him I think people would not be so politically polarized in this country. Again, he is the only religious candidate I would trust in office not to set policy according to his personal religious beliefs.

I don't think that "all" christians do not think that mormons are not christians. I think most people (christians) don't know enough about what the mormon religion claims (asserts) to know or form a viewpoint. As most religions there is a lot of personal subjectiveness when talking about religion. It seems to me only fundamentalist have a problem with mormon theology.

that text above was from a christian site (which i linked to) I'm sorry if i did not make it clear enough that those were their specific views.

I think it can be summed up as this (from a christian viewpoint)

how would you feel if one day someone all of a sudden added religious books onto biblical scripture, that changed much of the philosophy of the christian faith and even went as far as to say that the bible has been corrupted and that the new books were now the "true" word of god.

I imagine that has a lot of fundies/christians pretty pissed off (when they find out that and more...)

I found a really great outline of some of the other arguements that christians bring up (link at the bottom). I found this really interesting as I had not heard some of the specifics beforehand.

A Brief Description of LDS Doctrine and Teachings

What follows are a few key points of distinctive doctrines taught by the LDS Church, but by no means an exhaustive list of LDS teachings. These in particular are given to demonstrate how it differs from that of biblical Christianity. It should be noted that the LDS Church frequently uses terminology similar to that of biblical Christianity in communicating its doctrines, but often with drastically different meanings or connotations. This tends to obscure the fundamental differences in doctrine to the casual observer. (For a more detailed and authoritative look at LDS doctrine, we recommend you check out their online publication of Gospel Principles , which is available in the .pdf format; Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.)

The LDS Church is the only true church.
This teaching is generally not publically promoted in modern times, nevertheless, the internal teachings state that the other denominations are "abominations" to God, and that the LDS Church is the only true church that bears the "restored" gospel of Jesus Christ. In recent years, however, many within the LDS Church have taken active measures to appear more palatable to traditional Christianity. Many of the doctrines which set it apart from biblical Christianity have been downplayed (though not recanted). Nevertheless, because of the gross differences between LDS doctrine and orthodox Christian doctrine, and because of aberrant LDS teachings that depart from the biblical standard, Christendom in general does not recognize the LDS Church as another Christian denomination. These distinctives, however, are becoming blurred by a growing "ecumenical" attitude at an alarming rate; due in part to a general lack of education or agreement on Mormon distinctives, or for that matter, a lack of education or agreement on Christian distinctives.

The LDS view of the nature of humanity.
The LDS Church teaches that all humans existed prior to life on earth as the "spirit children" of the Heavenly Father (and his wife/wives) in heaven, and that our earthly birth came about when our spirit willingly chose to inhabit a physical body on earth.

The LDS view of the nature of God.
LDS theology states that God (or more commonly referred to as "Heavenly Father") is an exalted and glorified man, that he has a physical (albeit immortal) body. It is also taught that qualifying Mormons can also become gods, just like the Heavenly Father, in the next life, and produce spirit offspring (presumably to populate another earth.). The doctrine of the Trinity as accepted by Biblical Christianity is rejected by LDS theology. The LDS Church teaches that both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are "spirit children" of God, and that Jesus is unique in that he is also the fleshly son of God (conceived by a physical union of the Heavenly Father and Mary). It is also taught that Lucifer, or Satan, is also one of the Heavenly Father's spirit-children, making him a "spirit brother" Jesus.

The LDS view of the fall of humanity.
The LDS Church teaches that Adam and Eve were the first "spirit children" to inhabit physical bodies on earth. Their temptation by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit and subsequent fall is characterized as part of God's plan, using the premise that had they not done so, then they would not be able to reproduce, and thereby provide physical bodies for other spirit children. It is also the teaching of the LDS Church that unless a spirit child inhabits a physical body, he cannot be elevated to godhood in the next life.

The LDS view of scripture.
The LDS Church accepts the Book of Mormon as their primary scripture and the inspired Word of God, supplemented by the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. The Bible is accepted as the Word of God only insofar as it has been translated correctly. However, the qualifier attached to the Bible substantiates a belief that the Bible has been significantly corrupted over the centuries, and is therefore not entirely reliable as the Word of God.

The LDS view of revelation and prophecy.
Generally speaking, prophecy is seen as progressive and changeable. New revelations are not uncommon throughout their history, and critics will point out that many of these revelations tend to be revelations of convenience in order to accommodate a particular circumstance or situation. A case in point is the revelation that allowing of African-Americans to enter the priesthood (which had been prohibited until the 1970s). Other prophecies, such as Joseph Smith's claims about what will be found on the moon, have remained (and are likely to remain) unfulfilled.

The LDS view of salvation and the afterlife.
Salvation in LDS terms refers simply to the resurrection (return to life), which has been provided to all men via the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It differs from the biblical Christian view, which is that salvation is a rescue from God's punishment for sin, and the right to live eternally in God's presence. The afterlife is also viewed differently. The LDS teachings concerning the afterlife involve three levels of glory, and one is assigned to a greater or lesser level of heaven, according to one's performance on Earth. The highest level, the "Celestial" heaven, is reserved only for those who have met all the requirements of the LDS Church, including, among other things, temple marriage, and strict obedience to the commands. The LDS also teaches what is called "The Outer Darkness," which would be roughly equivalent to hell, a place of torment reserved for those who reject the gospel (as presented by the LDS Church). This is in contrast to the Biblical description of the afterlife, in which anyone who embraces the unmerited salvation of Jesus Christ will be blessed eternally in God's presence, and those who reject it will be eternally condemned in hell.

Additional Comments.
Anyone who delves into Mormon doctrine, thought, and teaching quickly realizes that it is not a simple matter. A systematic theology can hardly be said to exist in Mormonism. It is convoluted, and often contradictory. Many LDS theologians and apologists have undertaken a systematic approach to defining the doctrines and theology of the Church (a notable example being Bruce R. McConkie, author of Mormon Doctrine). The LDS Church as an organization rarely gives any official endorsement of church theologians or apologists, although unofficially, as in the case of McConkie, they may be considered authorities by the general Mormon public. In addition, Church leadership are quick to skirt the more esoteric aspects of their doctrine, particularly those doctrines which are most blasphemous to Christians. For example, when asked about the man-becoming-God doctrine on a Larry King Live interview, LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley evaded the question, and hinted that it was an anachronism that was generally not taught anymore. However, comments made by President Hinckley during LDS church conventions clearly indicate that this doctrine is alive and well in the internal structure of the LDS Church.


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A Brief Description of LDS Practices and Lifestyle Distinctives

LDS values.
The LDS Church is often praised by outsiders for their promotion of traditional family values and morality. Emphasis is placed on family and community support, patriotism, chastity, and respect for civil law. Politically LDS members (as a rule) tend to be conservative.

LDS restrictions.
The LDS Church prohibits the use of alcohol, tobacco, and "hot drinks" which in practice is coffee and tea (and caffeine in general). This restriction is also known as the "Word of Wisdom." LDS members are generally "Sunday Sabbatarians," that is, Sundays are considered to be holy days and not to be desecrated by working, entertainment, or other types of non-religious activities. The degree of strictness may vary.

LDS requirements.
The members of the LDS Church are expected to faithfully attend church (in some cases attendance is taken and absence is noted); they are expected to pay a strict 10% tithe of their income; young men are expected to serve two years on a "mission," the location and logistics of which are determined by the Church.

LDS structure & hierarchy.
The LDS Church is organized by wards (individual congregations) and stakes (groups of wards in a particular area, often using a common meeting or "stake" house). A member is assigned to a ward based on where he/she lives in a community. Each ward has a leader known as a bishop. The stake is led by a stake president. (No women are allowed in the priesthood or bishopric of the LDS Church, or in any of the higher church government positions, however certain societies within the church are led by women.) The LDS church does not have "pastors" or "ministers" in the sense that most Christians would think of them. Nearly all the leadership of the LDS Church is done on a volunteer basis, i.e., they are not paid clergy members. This is a fact that many Mormons take as a point of pride over most traditional Christian churches, which further substantiates the belief among them that the non-LDS churches are corrupt. However, higher positions of leadership within the LDS Church are not only paid, but paid extremely well.

Sunday church services generally consist of a time of singing hymns, sometimes a sacramental meal, and sharing of "testimonies" by the ward members (each member is encouraged to participate in the giving of testimonies, which affirm their faith in the LDS Church). There is no "preaching" in the sense that traditional Christianity thinks of it, but individual members and/or leaders may be called on to share or teach during church services. Children and youth are taught scriptures and LDS principles in separate classes.

LDS temples.
The LDS temples are a focal point of the LDS religion. Temples are where the religious rituals, most of them very secretive, take place. People are baptized, "sealed", and married, in the temple ceremonies. LDS members also practice "Baptism of the Dead" where deceased individuals are baptized by proxy in order to secure membership in the Church for them. Access to the temples are restricted to those who have been deemed worthy by their church leaders, and have been given a "temple recommend." Worthiness is generally determined by the bishop or stake president based on overall lifestyle, being up-to-date on tithing and other requirements of the Church.

LDS missions & missionaries.
Young men, generally out of high school, are expected to serve two years on a mission. While this is not an official requirement for advancement in the church, it is generally an unwritten expectation. Latest estimates are that only about one-third of young LDS men actually go on missions. The mission place is determined by the Church with little or no input on the part of the would-be missionary or his family, though the family must incur much of the expenses related to the mission. The location may be in North America or anywhere in the world. They are sent out in pairs, wearing black suits and white shirts, and their objective is to teach others (often door-to-door) about the Church and to encourage people to embrace the Book of Mormon and join the LDS Church. While on a mission, the missionaries are often subject to certain restrictions, which include limited contact with their families. While most missionaries are men, unmarried women are also allowed to go on a mission, if they so choose. Sometimes couples will serve together on missions, typically after retirement.

http://www.mormonchallenge.com/mormonism.htm

Qruel: one other thing to keep in mind about the widely varying beliefs of mormons (like any religion)

Today, there are many schism organizations who regard themselves as a part of the Latter Day Saint movement, though in most cases they do not acknowledge the other branches as valid and regard their own tradition as the only correct and authorized version of Smith's church. Most of these organizations are small. The vast majority of Latter Day Saints belong to the largest denomination, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which reports 13 million members worldwide. The second-largest denomination is the more ecumenical Community of Christ, which reports over 250,000 members. The third largest is The Church of Jesus Christ, with fewer than 20,000 adherents.(that was from wiki)

I just watched this online last week. In parts it's quite stunning. The concept of the glass sphere/ancient tree/celestial journey is interesting. Also one of the more moving depictions of romantic love I've seen in some time. But it's flawed in many ways. 8/10

Also; I'm puzzled as to why atheists like him feel the need to "Preach" their beliefs to others. He speaks of those that atheists "need to reach" in the video. I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds this one of the most distasteful (and irritating) things about the followers of organised religions.

Yes, well, as he explains in this video, the goal is not necessarily to convert people, but to "raise consciousness" as he puts it, to make atheism a legitimate point of view, if nothing else. Atheists wont threaten you with eternal hellfire unless you reject the supernatural, nor do we intend to have people follow some silly rules about sex that we invented. We dont want people to bow to some earthly nor celestial supreme being. Nor do we make outrageously arrogant claims of knowledge and certainty without at the very least pointing to publicly available evidence.

If we had to make demands, it would probably be that people should have a right, and a duty, to think for themselves.

the theory of evolution says nothing about creation, and as such does not rule out a creator

Nothing can, even in principle, rule out a creator, it is simply impossible to do. Thats what we are trying to show by postulating celestial teapots and invisible unicorns, you cant rule anything out.

To say evolution "says nothing about creation" is a bit like saying "the football coach hasnt scored a single goal this season" it is correct in one sense, but a pretty pointless argument against the coach. The answer in both cases is "well, not exactly". You still need a coach, thats my point.

Evolution explains how all life went from really simple to really complex with no need for, and perhaps not even room for, a divine intervener. In other words, God is shown quite certainly to be ruled out of the entire circle of life as we know it, and he/she/it is reduced to a previous gap, this time not to explain the wonderful diversity and beauty of the life of this planet (Which is the reason we invented him in the first place), but to explain how he twisted the cosmological constant knobs into place and made lifeless, barren rocks unevenly distributed in galaxy clusters so far apart it shouldnt even count..

yeah, and by Halloween I will be barricaded in a campus library... probably too busy to run contests... this was a great way to wrap up my summer break though, I had a lot of fun with this, Thanks again, and..

*quality for Silvercord, for pointing out to me the auspicious celestial timing that inspired this event!

Congrats Persephone, yer a fellow mythology nerd... I dig that So, congrats on the Gold Star, and use your new celestial powers with pride!

There, the start of something called faith and belief.

Russels 5-minute creationism can also be seen as a critique of the defense of irrational faith based on consistency and logical principles, as opposed to positive evidence, ie: evidence that positively suggests that the world is 5 minutes old. Argument from consistency and logic alone is not enough. Russels point is that we can make up anything we wish ,and still be both consistent and logical, he makes the same argument with the celestial teapot, Nobody can disprove a teapot orbiting Jupiter because we dont have telescopes good enough, space is too big etc, but because of the sheer lack of positive evidence, its not to be considered a valuable suggestion.

Likewise, Young Earth Creationists can perfectly well manage to stay consistent, God buried fossils to test our faiths, remember?

If I invent a reality where God only cares about me, and he grants me the right to kill anyone I want, steal shit and generally be a complete asshole, there is nothing inconsistent about that reality, and the logic is flawless, after all, its just Gods will, right? But there is no evidence! Evidence is key, its the only thing that we can really trust, the only thing worth trusting, even if the world is 5 minutes old, if we are ever going to figure it out, evidence will get us there, not a random, consistent thought.

You're right, SG it is *near *dupe. Here's the original, a bit shorter:

http://www.videosift.com/video/Size-Comparison-of-Various-Celestial-Bodies

Also a nice one here:

http://www.videosift.com/video/The-grand-scheme-of-things


Here's a really good one if anyone wants to post it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WEL117xXpw

And don't forget the "Powers of 10" videos here:

http://www.videosift.com/video/IBM-Powers-Of-Ten-amazing-9-minute-science-video

And here:

http://www.videosift.com/video/Spectrum-Natural-ends-of-time-and-space

And, of course, here:

http://www.videosift.com/video/Powers-of-ten-Simpsons-version



And jwray, there's an invite for you at the "Clouds and Beyond" Collective.

Sc

What are you talking about? It says black people are "neutral" according to them, not evil.

But anyway what about asians, native americans, etc? Not everyone is either white or black.

And what's with that "endless celestial sex" with "multiple wives"? I'm surprised mormons aren't polygamous perverts.

Celestial sex is over-rated.