Baptism for the Dead

[Crow]

Bill Mahers recent New Rule segment with his unbaptism of Mitt Romneys relative sums up the baptism of the dead rather well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7j0EHyuvUA

[Dobermonster]

Bill Mahers recent New Rule segment with his unbaptism of Mitt Romneys relative sums up the baptism of the dead rather well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7j0EHyuvUA

LMAO. That guy gets it.

[Sandra Craft]

What do you think?  Do you care if the Mormon Church baptizes you after you're dead?  Do you think it is disrespectful, or does it not matter because the people are dead and don't know?

For myself, I don't care.  For others, it's disrespectful but also silly and meaningless, so unless it seriously upsets somebody living, most likely in a case of rival superstitions, I say: whatever.  And in the case of rival superstitions, I say the original mumbo jumbo gets priority.

When I was living with my mother, during her marriage to a Mormon, I got baptized for the dead.  It was rather like being on a factory line, with water.

[Amicale]

This must be something specific to just the Mormon church, yes? Most mainline Protestant/Catholic churches that I know of will only baptize a person while they're alive, since they believe the soul has to still be in the body in order for the baptism to be 'valid'. The Catholic church will only baptize someone on their deathbed if they're reasonably certain the person's still alive, or that they've just died within the last few hours because the soul may still be with the body, but even then it's a 'conditional baptism'.

As for whether I think there's 'harm' to it -- no, I don't. Logically, I can't think there's any harm to saying words and pouring water. But I do think it's disrespectful to the memory of the person, seeing as long as the person was old enough/of sound enough mind to make choices for themselves, you'd think they would have been baptized into the Mormon church if they chose to be while they were alive. For myself, I wouldn't want it done to me or for me, but I wouldn't care enough to vote on legislation banning it either.

Here's one thing I'm wondering -- would the Mormons baptize someone into their church if the person had already been baptized into another faith denomination while they were alive? Ie, Catholic, Baptist, etc? If so, that would kinda be akin to 'stealing church members' post-humously...

[Sandra Craft]

Here's one thing I'm wondering -- would the Mormons baptize someone into their church if the person had already been baptized into another faith denomination while they were alive? Ie, Catholic, Baptist, etc? If so, that would kinda be akin to 'stealing church members' post-humously...

That I know of, they've baptized dead Jews (Mormons still baptizing dead Jewish Holocaust victims despite protests) and I can't see why any other religious group would be spared.

[Crocoduck]

Here's one thing I'm wondering -- would the Mormons baptize someone into their church if the person had already been baptized into another faith denomination while they were alive? Ie, Catholic, Baptist, etc? If so, that would kinda be akin to 'stealing church members' post-humously...

They don't care if the person was baptized in another church and they believe that the spirits of the dead must accept the baptism. It has to be voluntarily excepted by the dead spirits.
I think the only people they now try not vicariously baptize are Jews because it really pisses off the Jews.  

[Ali]

When I was living with my mother, during her marriage to a Mormon, I got baptized for the dead.  It was rather like being on a factory line, with water.

Oooh, tell more!  I've always been a little fascinated in the Mormon religion, I think because I had never even heard of them until I moved to Colorado (as far as I know there are no Mormons in OH.  LOL)  They seem so exotic.  Have you been inside a temple?

[Sandra Craft]

When I was living with my mother, during her marriage to a Mormon, I got baptized for the dead.  It was rather like being on a factory line, with water.

Oooh, tell more!  I've always been a little fascinated in the Mormon religion, I think because I had never even heard of them until I moved to Colorado (as far as I know there are no Mormons in OH.  LOL)  They seem so exotic.  Have you been inside a temple?

If I can remember anything, it was a very long time ago.  I've been to 2 temples -- one some time in the early 60s after it had just opened in So. Cal (wish I could remember what city, I was about 10 at the time and only remember a very long drive) and I've been in the big one in Salt Lake City, UT.  Basically I just remember a lot of very strict rules and very conservative beliefs.  I don't know if they've since changed this policy but when I was going to the church black men couldn't be deacons, priests or bishops because blacks were an inferior race (they could still be members of the congregation and pay tithe tho).  Never mind all the things women couldn't do.

I wouldn't call Mormons exotic so much as borderline cultlike.  That Joseph Smith story sounds fishy even when you're a kid, but many adults I knew accepted it unquestioningly.  I think of mormons as being about 10 years behind the Catholics and 5 years ahead of the Scientologists.

[Ali]

I think it's the secrecy that captures my imagination.  Non-Mormons aren't allowed in the temples, so immediately my head goes to top secret rituals probably involving virgin blood or something.  LOL

[Sandra Craft]

I think it's the secrecy that captures my imagination.  Non-Mormons aren't allowed in the temples, so immediately my head goes to top secret rituals probably involving virgin blood or something.  LOL

No, none of that, just the magic underwear.  (Restraining myself from making a joke about enchanted thongs)

[Guardian85]

The only mormon temple I have seen in Norway is here in Stavanger.
I have visited them often, but only to steal parking space near work.

[Amicale]

The only mormon temple I have seen in Norway is here in Stavanger.
I have visited them often, but only to steal parking space near work.

Hey, it's a win-win situation. You get a parking spot close to work, and they get to look like they have one more devotee because your car's always parked there!

[Guardian85]

The only mormon temple I have seen in Norway is here in Stavanger.
I have visited them often, but only to steal parking space near work.

Hey, it's a win-win situation. You get a parking spot close to work, and they get to look like they have one more devotee because your car's always parked there!

That's what I thought! But I also did it a little bit to be an ass.

[Amicale]

The only mormon temple I have seen in Norway is here in Stavanger.
I have visited them often, but only to steal parking space near work.

Hey, it's a win-win situation. You get a parking spot close to work, and they get to look like they have one more devotee because your car's always parked there!

That's what I thought! But I also did it a little bit to be an ass.

You'd only be an ass if you had a desecrated copy of the book of Mormon clearly displayed on your front dashboard.

[Guardian85]

The only mormon temple I have seen in Norway is here in Stavanger.
I have visited them often, but only to steal parking space near work.

Hey, it's a win-win situation. You get a parking spot close to work, and they get to look like they have one more devotee because your car's always parked there!

That's what I thought! But I also did it a little bit to be an ass.

You'd only be an ass if you had a desecrated copy of the book of Mormon clearly displayed on your front dashboard.

Please don't give me that kind of ideas!