Christianity is What Christians Talk to Each Other About



We all know denominations have seminaries. What seminaries and their professors study, write about and teach is what might be called (I'm the only one I know of who calls it this) the faith's manufacturing and wholesale sector. Preachers preach what those in the pews want to hear preached. This is the retail sector of Christianity. Those in the pews are the consumers. In the market system, what consumers buy sends money to the manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors. 

Professor Stevphen Prothuro in his book, "God is Not One, says Christianity is the retail sector, what those in the pews think and talk about. In most of both the Protestant and Catholic branches this is sin. It's what they worry people worry about. Ultimately, preachers read this back to them. Then, there is what a denomination's leaders, like the Pope, talk about. A professor at Mormon BYU studies what the head of Mormons focuses on. It changes. These leaders talk about certain sins until those in the pews start to ignore them. Then they move to other sins.

If there was a way to rank the most unbelievable and implausible stuff in religion, that in and around Mormonism would rank up there. Joseph Smith finding stones, never seen by others, just like Moses and hear, along with Brigham Young, and hearing from God he should have sex with lots of women just doesn't make the cut for believability. 

But the tall tales continue. Each elderly white man, chosen by a few other elderly white men, to head the denomination is called the "Prophet." A Prophet is the person who hears from God. He then rules the faithful with whatever God told him.

Problems arise when a new Prophet is named and God tells him something different than the past one. This happens like clockwork. The Prophet just died and new guy doesn't discuss the sin of coffee and tea like the previous ones. The required underclothing has been modified for comfort and appearance. A few Prophets back black people could not the Mormons. As times changed, that crafty God told new Prophets things entirely different than he told previous ones. 

We can predict that as numbers in Mormonism continue to fall, the underwear God requires will become more stylish and comfortable. God will notice coffee wakes people up for the sermon so that will be approved as well. 

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