esodije wrote:The problem with being a “cafeteria Mormon” is that certain things are taken off the menu, like temple worship. No matter how you feel about the temple, it represents a sort of “higher order” of church membership that isn’t available to anyone who can’t get a recommend.
You think there aren’t cafeteria members in the temple? You’re not serious?
For example, in what way would considering the Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham as ‘fictional but inspired’ preclude a member from having a temple recommend?
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
I have a question wrote:You think there aren’t cafeteria members in the temple? You’re not serious?
For example, in what way would considering the Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham as ‘fictional but inspired’ preclude a member from having a temple recommend?
You're right, of course, and I'm the perfect example of someone with a diminishing testimony who nevertheless holds a temple recommend (and coincidentally is even a temple ordinance worker). What I really meant to say is that temple worship makes tithing mandatory, unless you're willing to to tell a pretty big lie about paying it.