Query: Language, culture, subculture and empiricism.

[Archaea]

Sometimes I like to step out mentally of my culture to just examie what's going on.

And what I observe is we Christians, especially Mormons, are peculiar. Our entire nomenclature is laced with assumptions of things hoped but not seen.

Take for example our constant references to the Spirit. Follow the Spirit. First, you can't see it or touch it, but you can be touched by it. Second, you have to recognize which spirit is touching you. Young couples are often motivated by the Horny Ghost instead of the Holy Ghost.

Our subculture is based upon an entire Book without any corroborating evidence, save one stele in Saudi Arabia. We assume we know we're acting for God, somebody the vast majority of us will never see in this lifetime. We follow a bunch of rules and directions "laid" down through mortals but somehow inspired by this Being.

Now, we become happy by virtue of our life in this subculture, and if we are happy and productive, who are others to question. Yet, it is easy to see how empiricists or others can look at our subcultures and wonder if we're not a tad bit looney. OTOH, there are loads of empiricists who are not the least bit happy or productive.

[il Padrino Ute]

And this subculture works for me, but not others, which is fine.

Mormons are peculiar. But then, all subcultures are as well, so there's really not as much difference as all would like to think there is. We're all a bit odd in our own way.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Sometimes I like to step out mentally of my culture to just examie what's going on.

And what I observe is we Christians, especially Mormons, are peculiar. Our entire nomenclature is laced with assumptions of things hoped but not seen.

Take for example our constant references to the Spirit. Follow the Spirit. First, you can't see it or touch it, but you can be touched by it. Second, you have to recognize which spirit is touching you. Young couples are often motivated by the Horny Ghost instead of the Holy Ghost.

Our subculture is based upon an entire Book without any corroborating evidence, save one stele in Saudi Arabia. We assume we know we're acting for God, somebody the vast majority of us will never see in this lifetime. We follow a bunch of rules and directions "laid" down through mortals but somehow inspired by this Being.

Now, we become happy by virtue of our life in this subculture, and if we are happy and productive, who are others to question. Yet, it is easy to see how empiricists or others can look at our subcultures and wonder if we're not a tad bit looney. OTOH, there are loads of empiricists who are not the least bit happy or productive.

This is especially noticable in foreign mission fields where converts enter a localized version of the Mormon, which is a Western subset, culture. It was always interesting to see an investigator's reaction to discussion of the Sabbath, being prompted by the Spirit, wearing garments, or finding purpose through scripture reading. The vernacular of the church was often intimidating, but once conversion took place there seemed to be a quick transition.