What topics should I discuss with my Mormon guests?

[Katzpur]

I'm amazed! Why don't Mormons drink tea? It seems such an innocent beverage. I would have made the same mistake.

We have a health code which prohibits tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco. I'm sure they're offered a cup of tea or coffee rather frequently. It's really not all that big of a deal. They'd just decline.

 

[Katzpur]

Here are my questions I would ask them:

1. How old is the earth
2. Do you believe in evolution
3. Do you seriously believe in the planet Kolob
4. Depending of the answers above.....ask them if they are ready to take an IQ test
5. Show them the door and say "I live in reality...I stopped believing in made up fables when I was 5"

Info about Kolob (click on the link to right): Kolob - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I hope, for the missionaries' sake, they don't ever have the pleasure of meeting you. With respect to your questions, you'd probably get different answers to the first two of them, depending on the missionaries, particularly since these are scientific questions, not theological ones. For instance, If I were the missionary, my answer to question #1 would be, "About 4.5 billion years." My answer to question #2 would be, "Yes." My answer to question #3 would be, "Why shouldn't I? Do you believe all of the planets in the universe have been identified and named?" Your suggestion that they take an IQ test is insulting to say the least. Let me just tell you a little bit about the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

Among the LDS Church’s fifteen highest ranking leaders (the “First Presidency” and the “Quorum of the Twelve Apostles") are eight men with doctorate degrees from Harvard, Yale, Purdue, and Duke. Three are lawyers, one of them a former Supreme Court Justice and law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, Earl Warren, one a heart surgeon and the former president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery for the American Heart Association, several who were professors at Stanford, Texas Tech and the University of Chicago, one of them being a university president. One was the former senior vice president and chief pilot of Lufthansa Airlines. One was on the staff of Adm. Hyman Rickover, developing military and private nuclear power reactors. One was the CEO of a California health care system, another the associate general counsel of what is now Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C. One was a pilot in the Pacific Theater in World War II. I suspect there isn't one in the bunch whose IQ is not significantly higher than yours.

 

[Reptillian]

You honestly didn't know Mormons don't drink tea? If you really had nothing else in your home to offer you'd be much better off just offering some water to drink. Make some Koolaid if nothing else

I didn't know that, I knew about the alcohol...but no coffee or tea either? That's a very restrictive religion.

 

[Revoltingest]

I hope, for the missionaries' sake, they don't ever have the pleasure of meeting you. With respect to your questions, you'd probably get different answers to the first two of them, depending on the missionaries, particularly since these are scientific questions, not theological ones. For instance, If I were the missionary, my answer to question #1 would be, "About 4.5 billion years." My answer to question #2 would be, "Yes." My answer to question #3 would be, "Why shouldn't I? Do you believe all of the planets in the universe have been identified and named?" Your suggestion that they take an IQ test is insulting to say the least. Let me just tell you a little bit about the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

Among the LDS Church’s fifteen highest ranking leaders (the “First Presidency” and the “Quorum of the Twelve Apostles") are eight men with doctorate degrees from Harvard, Yale, Purdue, and Duke. Three are lawyers, one of them a former Supreme Court Justice and law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, Earl Warren, one a heart surgeon and the former president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery for the American Heart Association, several who were professors at Stanford, Texas Tech and the University of Chicago, one of them being a university president. One was the former senior vice president and chief pilot of Lufthansa Airlines. One was on the staff of Adm. Hyman Rickover, developing military and private nuclear power reactors. One was the CEO of a California health care system, another the associate general counsel of what is now Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C. One was a pilot in the Pacific Theater in World War II. I suspect there isn't one in the bunch whose IQ is not significantly higher than yours.

Criminy! Even if I wanted to be a Mormon, I doubt that I could pass the entrance exam.
Among Revoltifarians, only one guy finished high school. (Yeah, that's me....I'm bragging.)

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

Here are my questions I would ask them:

1. How old is the earth
2. Do you believe in evolution
3. Do you seriously believe in the planet Kolob
4. Depending of the answers above.....ask them if they are ready to take an IQ test
5. Show them the door and say "I live in reality...I stopped believing in made up fables when I was 5"

Info about Kolob (click on the link to right): Kolob - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm planning on serving a mission in the spring after I graduate (working on my BS in Physics). My answers would be 1). 4.5 B years. 2). Of course. Every generation has genetic variation, either increasing or decreasing the fitness of those individuals (and making them more or less likely to reproduce). 3). I don't know enough to answer. 4). I'd be happy to!

You may wonder why I would answer this way. Well, the church is extremely important. It's role is to help us come unto Christ and receive the gift of his atonement. What does this have to do with evolution and the age of the earth? Hmm... a little I guess. The point is the church and its leaders instruct us concerning gospel principles. It is not a scientific guide. Yes, the two should mesh. We as religious people get into trouble when we start using religious texts and stuff as literal scientific authorities.

And for the record, I believe that God is the ultimate authority both scientific and spiritual. He can increase our capacity to learn and comprehend truths of any kind. And one day we will be able to learn about all those unimportant yet interesting "outskirt" ideas such as Kolob and how exactly the story of Adam and Eve fit into natural history.

 

[Katzpur]

I'm planning on serving a mission in the spring after I graduate (working on my BS in Physics).

And you are seriously going to be the most effective missionary in your mission. I love your attitude and the exceptional maturity you always show.