I simply must share this.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

I was cruising around the internet, and looking at the FB pages of some former acquaintances. Former in that I last had contact with them about 40 years ago. The people in question are Mormons, and to be honest, I've always thought of Mormons as very conservative. To my complete shock (and delight) these long-lost acquaintances were posting the sorts of liberal comments about any number of issues (especially gay marriage, but definitely not limited to that) which were totally liberal and accepting.

Wow.

Goes to show that I've been misjudging at least some people completely.

[Coolest Ranger]

1. I have learned

that I thought I knew people but people I thought I had known all my life turned out to be way different than you think. A child hood friend of mine turned out to be a libertarian in his views. He used to disrespect my facebook page when ever I post anything about Hillary Clinton.

Most people who know me know I'm patient with you up to a point, but when you tell me that I am not open to their points of view that I should bend my will to what you want then you crossed a line and it pained me to do this but I blocked him. I haven't looked back either.

[BlueMTexpat]

2. I was born and raised

in a tiny community of barely 1,000 in MT and knew many Mormons. In tiny communities, people tend to know everyone else - sometimes a bit TOO well, LOL. One County Attorney, for example, in our tiny county seat, was a devout Mormon, with a large family. They were a distinct minority in our primarily Protestant (generally Lutheran and Methodist, some Baptist) community, with a sizable minority of Catholics. They were notable for using a converted school bus to travel on vacations but were always participating, contributing and respected members of the community.

While many Mormons I knew were generally more conservative than my parents (who were staunch liberal Dems), others were every bit as liberal, if not more so. No mainstream Mormons I knew were RW John Birch Society members or otherwise insane, like the rabid zealots of all religions who have come to dominate the GOP today.

One thing that Mormons did (and likely still do), probably better than any single religious group I have seen insofar as laypersons are concerned, is to send their young missionaries (this service was/is a requirement for ALL young males) around the world, living in communities and learning the languages - sort of a Mormon Peace Corps, although with a religious end rather than community development. While they may or may not have had conversions as a result, many of these former missionaries later entered fields in international trade or the USG diplomatic service with hands-on global work and living experience and with excellent linguistic abilities. They have become a very knowledgeable and influential group.

As with any group, the stereotype does not always fit. I'm glad to hear that you discovered that was true of your former acquaintances.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. An interesting observation related to me by my brother regarding Small Town America......

Who has recently done a lot of traveling in the West - and this should be prefaced by the fact that he and I just completed a (almost) cross country (Phoenix to Jax, FL) trip staying strictly on US and state routes (a total of 40 miles on interstates in over 2,000 miles across 8 states) is that in Utah and other predominately Mormon populated areas, the "main Street" of almost all of them are still vibrant, active and economically self sustaining, while in the rest of the country, Main Street is apparently littered with closed and shuttered businesses/buildings.


I'm certainly no fan of ANY reverence of a supernatural deity, much less organized religion in general, but as far as the LDS community in this country is concerned, they seem to be doing the Small Town America thing rather well.

[LittleGirl]

4. I've found that

it doesn't matter where they live or what religion they might follow, those that listen to right wing radio and Fox news are the only ones that have contempt for us 'Liberals'.

[LWolf]

5. I worked with

2 different Mormons. Both long since retired, neither part of the same church.

One was completely liberal and open, and a very loving person of all those around her.

One was stricter; he was smart, incredibly talented, great to work with and likable, but his strict adherence to more conservative doctrine caused him some problems now and then.

Knowing both of them left me with a broader, more inclusive understanding.