| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Reality_Check©" |
| Date: |
27 Jan 2008 10:57:42 PM |
| Object: |
** Mormon Cult Leader DEAD at 97 ** |
Mormon Church President Dies at 97
By JENNIFER DOBNER
Associated Press Writer
10:43 PM CST, January 27, 2008
SALT LAKE CITY
Gordon B. Hinckley, the longest-serving president of the Mormon church who
presided over one of the greatest periods of expansion in its history, died
Sunday, a church spokesman said. He was 97.
Hinckley, the 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, died because of complications from age and was surrounded by his
family.
"His life was a true testament of service, and he had an abiding love for
others," said U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and fellow Mormon.
"His wit, wisdom, and exemplary leadership will be missed by not only
members of our faith, but by people of all faiths throughout the world."
Hinckley had been diagnosed with diabetes and was hospitalized in January
2006 for the removal of a cancerous growth in his large intestine. In April
2006, he told a church conference he was in the "sunset of my life" and
"totally in the hands of the Lord."
By unfailing tradition, at a church president's death, the church's most
senior apostle is ordained within days on a unanimous vote of the Council of
the Twelve Apostles. The most long-serving apostle now is Thomas S. Monson.
The church presidency is a lifetime position. Before Hinckley, the oldest
church president was David O. McKay who was 96 when he died in 1970.
Hinckley, a grandson of Mormon pioneers, was president for nearly 13 years.
He took over as president and prophet on March 12, 1995 and oversaw one of
the greatest periods of expansion in church history. The number of temples
worldwide more than doubled, from 49 to more than 120 and church membership
grew from about 9 million to more than 12 million.
Like his contemporary, Pope John Paul II, he became by far his church's most
traveled leader in history. And the number of Mormons outside the United
States surpassed that of American Mormons for the first time since the
church, the most successful faith born in the United States, was founded in
1830.
Hinckley began his leadership role in 1995 by holding a rare news
conference, citing growth and spreading the Mormon message as the church's
main challenge heading into the 21st century.
"We are dedicated ... to teaching the gospel of peace, to the promotion of
civility and mutual respect among people everywhere, to bearing witness to
the living reality of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the practice of his
teachings in our daily lives," Hinckley said.
Over the years, Hinckley labored long to burnish the faith's image as a
world religion far removed from its peculiar and polygamous roots. Still,
during his tenure the Roman Catholic Church, Southern Baptist Convention and
United Methodist Church -- the three largest U.S. denominations -- each
declared that Mormon doctrines depart from mainstream Christianity.
"We are not a weird people," Hinckley told Mike Wallace on "60 Minutes" in
1996.
"The more people come to know us, the better they will understand us,"
Hinckley said in an interview with The Associated Press in late 2005. "We're
a little different. We don't smoke. We don't drink. We do things in a little
different way. That's not dishonorable. I believe that's to our credit."
Hinckley's grandfather knew church founder Joseph Smith and followed Brigham
Young west to the Great Salt Lake Basin. He often spoke of the Mormon
heritage of pioneer sacrifice and its importance as a model for the modern
church.
"I think as long as history lasts there will be an interest in the roots of
this work, a very deep interest," Hinckley said in a 1994 interview with the
AP.
"Because insofar as the people of the church are concerned, without a
knowledge of those roots and faith in the validity of those roots, we don't
have anything," he said.
In 1997, Hinckley seemed to drive that point home in his orchestration of
the lavish sesquicentennial celebration of the Mormons' arrival in the Salt
Lake Valley. The yearlong festivities featured a TV-friendly reenactment of
the dramatic Mormon exodus from the Midwest by handcart and covered wagon.
Born June 23, 1910, in Salt Lake City, Hinckley graduated from the
University of Utah with a degree in arts and planned to attend graduate
school in journalism. Instead, a church mission took him to the British
Isles.
Upon his return, he became executive director of the newly formed Church
Radio, Publicity, and Mission Literature Committee at $60 a month. Hinckley
always worked for the church, except for a brief stint during World War II
as a railroad agent.
Hinckley was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie Pay Hinckley, whom he
married in 1937. She died April 6, 2004.
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
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| User: "Uncle Vic" |
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| Title: Re: ** Mormon Cult Leader DEAD at 97 ** |
28 Jan 2008 12:13:09 AM |
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One fine day in alt.atheism, "Reality_Check©" <Reality@Check.it>
bloodied us up with this:
"His life was a true testament of service, and he had an abiding love
for others," said U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and fellow
Mormon.
It's strange how these people redefine the word "others" to mean "others of
the same faith". Or is it?
"His wit, wisdom, and exemplary leadership will be missed by
not only members of our faith, but by people of all faiths throughout
the world."
If he actually had any wit or wisdom, he'd have questioned his faith and
discovered the true path of his leader, Joseph Smith: monetary gain.
Imagine how much of Smith's "abiding love for others" could have been used
to feed others not as well off as he.
Instead, we have this:
http://www.lds.org/temples/main/0,11204,1912-1-81-2,00.html
Hinckley had been diagnosed with diabetes and was hospitalized in
January 2006 for the removal of a cancerous growth in his large
intestine. In April 2006, he told a church conference he was in the
"sunset of my life" and "totally in the hands of the Lord."
And it is also strange how these "men of God" tend to die ordinary deaths
due to ordinary diseases that afflict ordinary humans despite all the
protections offered by "God".
--
Uncle Vic
aa Atheist #2011
Supervisor, EAC Department of little adhesive-backed "L" shaped
chrome-plastic doo-dads to add feet to Jesus fish department.
Convicted by Earthquack.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: ** Mormon Cult Leader DEAD at 97 ** |
28 Jan 2008 02:58:51 AM |
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On Jan 27, 10:13=A0pm, Uncle Vic <addr...@withheld.com> wrote:
One fine day in alt.atheism, "Reality_Check=A9" <Real...@Check.it>
bloodied us up with this:
"His life was a true testament of service, and he had an
abiding love for others," said U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a
Utah Republican and fellow Mormon.
It's strange how these people redefine the word "others" to
mean "others of the same faith". =A0Or is it?
From 1985 to 2006, the Church has shipped 54,905 tons of food and
107,061 tons of other supplies to more than 150 countries, more than
#900 million in cash and supplies. In 2006, for example, the Church
provided $14.9 million in cash and materials in response to the
conflict in Lebanon, the earthquake in Indonesia, for refugees in
Burundi, Sudan and Uganda, and 76 other disasters.
Explain again how "others" only means "others of the same faith"?
"His wit, wisdom, and exemplary leadership will be missed
by not only members of our faith, but by people of all
faiths throughout the world."
If he actually had any wit or wisdom, he'd have questioned
his faith and discovered the true path of his leader, Joseph
Smith: monetary gain.
Really? How much money did Smith have when he was assasinated?
Imagine how much of Smith's "abiding love for others" could
have been used to feed others not as well off as he.
$900 million, much of it while Hinckley was president.
How much did /you/ give to feed others ... hmmm?
<snip>
Hinckley had been diagnosed with diabetes and was
hospitalized in January 2006 for the removal of a
cancerous growth in his large intestine. In April
2006, he told a church conference he was in the
"sunset of my life" and "totally in the hands of
the Lord."
And it is also strange how these "men of God" tend to
die ordinary deaths due to ordinary diseases that
afflict ordinary humans despite all the protections
offered by "God".
Which protections are those? Where does it say that men of God are
not ordinary humans, and subject to ordinary human ailments?
bestRegards, Guy.
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| User: "\john p" |
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| Title: Re: ** Mormon Cult Leader DEAD at 97 ** |
28 Jan 2008 01:31:11 AM |
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On Jan 27, 9:13 pm, Uncle Vic <addr...@withheld.com> wrote:
One fine day in alt.atheism, "Reality_Check=A9" <Real...@Check.it>
bloodied us up with this:
"His life was a true testament of service, and he had an abiding love
for others," said U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and fellow
Mormon.
It's strange how these people redefine the word "others" to mean "others o=
f
the same faith". Or is it?
"His wit, wisdom, and exemplary leadership will be missed by
not only members of our faith, but by people of all faiths throughout
the world."
If he actually had any wit or wisdom, he'd have questioned his faith and
discovered the true path of his leader, Joseph Smith: monetary gain.
Imagine how much of Smith's "abiding love for others" could have been used=
to feed others not as well off as he.
Instead, we have this:
http://www.lds.org/temples/main/0,11204,1912-1-81-2,00.html
Disney Land? ;-)
Hinckley had been diagnosed with diabetes and was hospitalized in
January 2006 for the removal of a cancerous growth in his large
intestine. In April 2006, he told a church conference he was in the
"sunset of my life" and "totally in the hands of the Lord."
And it is also strange how these "men of God" tend to die ordinary deaths
due to ordinary diseases that afflict ordinary humans despite all the
protections offered by "God".
And why won't god heal amputees? He can onlyt fix people with ailments
that don't require a god.
--
Uncle Vic
aa Atheist #2011
Supervisor, EAC Department of little adhesive-backed "L" shaped
chrome-plastic doo-dads to add feet to Jesus fish department.
Convicted by Earthquack.
.
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