In response to my brilliant friend Nick Mosquera

A friend of mine called Nick Mosquera recently posted the following bit of drivel on another weblog, The Billiken’s Bluff, run by a mutual friend of ours.

[…] Seems the state of Illinois is offering an official letter of regret to the State of Utah and the Mormon church for the execution of its founder, Joseph Smith, and the expulsion of its followers. I guess the passage of time and common sense proved to be inadaquate. This article came the day after my buddy Dave met with a pair of Mormon prophets that came to his apartment to convert him. He debated them a bit- they complained he wouldn’t pray with them. It’s a shame he didn’t have this in his arsenal, though I’m sure they would have been proud of the Land of Lincoln for finally burying the hatchet. As much as I’m angry with people who would be willing to travel for two years of their life trying to convert people to a cultish religion, I have to admire their tenacity (their only allowed to call home twice during that time). It’s take a special kind of sheep to worship that intently.

The moral of these stories? Seems it’s real easy to lose sight of the “big picture,” whether you’re banning coffe from the diet, or attempting to add more sugar and saturated fat to it. I imagine that the atmosphere around the SFA headquarters, with everyone doped out on Cheeze-its and Pixie Stix, is similar to that in downtown Salt Lake. They’re both cults, and both completely reliant on propaganda. If I had to choose, though, I’d definitely take the one that’s encouraging me to destroy my body over the one that really wants me to feel guilty for having one. Amen.

Naturally I felt compelled to respond to such a ridiculous attack on Mormonism and anyone of honest faith of any kind. Here is my response:

In this my first post on The Billiken’s Bluff, I would like to thank Nick for diverting us with his insightful and timely analysis of Mormonism (and its compelling parallels with the snack food industry). It was refreshing to read such well-researched and informed reporting because so often these days one is forced to slog through raving drivel that neglects historical context and personal faith and attachment. The kind context that comes, for example, from knowing that Mormons were subjected to extermination orders in Missouri, which led them to go to Illinois, where they were repeatedly attacked by mobs, murdered, and had their property destroyed.

Furthermore, other less talented writers would avoid getting right basic facts like the name of the Mormon fellows that go around proselytizing—missionaries not ‘prophets’—but then again ‘prophets’ is a more controversial word; an easy way to make a uninteresting story interesting. Many would think these ‘prophets’ insane to devote two years of their lives to the service of their honest faith, and assume they are suffering from brainwashing and lack of caffeine in their diet. Clearly Nick understands that rational people can respect the faith of others without resorting to petty name-calling and fear mongering. I admire that commitment to common decency and mutual respect.