Why the Church is Truer Than the Gospel
WHY THE CHURCH IS TRUER THAN THE GOSPEL By Michael Barker I didn't want to go to Church this past Sunday. There were two reasons: It was fast and testimony meeting and frankly I get little out of testimony meeting. Sometimes I even get quite frustrated. The Doctrine...
“Take, eat, this is my body.”
“The central act of worship for a Christian is an act of ingestion, digestion, and metabolism. We take Christ upon ourselves, by taking Him into ourselves. Our bodies draw upon His sustenance, integrate His nutrients, and synthesize His energy into our own cells. We make of Him, the Carbon and Hydrogen and Oxygen our bodies need to function, and little by little His substance becomes our substance, woven into the very sinews of our body.”
The Starter-Kit of the Restoration
“Unto My Servants, in Their Weakness” The early period of the Restoration saw Joseph Smith and his associates through some remarkable sequences of events. In Joseph’s early encounters with Moroni, he was first told of a book writen on golden plates,1 then told of a...
Wrong Message – A Response to: FYI (if you’re a teenage girl)
First, when we tell boys that their thoughts and actions cannot be controlled unless girls behave or dress a particular way, we teach boys that they do not need to be responsible for their thoughts and actions.
Satan’s Plan 2.0: Deseret Book Edition
The problem with Sister Nelson’s book is that it is evil. Satan wanted to shepherd everyone to heaven by coercing us to perform correct actions, regardless of our intentions. Version 2.0 of Satan’s plan replaces hard coercion with soft coercion: a lonely Tyler agrees to obey the commandments so he can be accepted into a group, and the other kids get “jars of pretzels and popcorn and candy” from Sister Croft “as long as we keep the promise.”
Absurd Moments in Church Art Part 2: Nephi’s Legacy
Nephite fashion seems to be a mixed bag. Artists can’t seem to decide on what else Nephites could have worn. So, if you’d like to dress like a Nephite, it looks like you’re in luck, because you can wear anything- a shower curtain, A kimono, a toga, a McDonalds cape, a miniskirt, scuba diving gear…Really, anything. Just don’t forget your headband
On the Important Work in the Oakland Stake Toward Better Understanding and Loving Our Gay Brothers and Sisters
On the Important Work in the Oakland Stake Toward Better Understanding and Loving The following was compiled by Carol Lynn Pearson, Walnut Creek, California. She has given us permission to re-post it here at rationalfaiths.com The original post can be found at:...
“…The Opiate of the Masses…”
In 1843, the German economist and Communist political philosopher, Karl Marx said: "...Die Religion... ist das Opium des Volkes..." It has been translated various way, but most commonly is translated as: "...Religion is the opium of the masses..." Well,...
Sexual Assault in Mormon Patriarchy
“…In the United States, and especially Mormonism, there is a patriarchy. In our patriarchy, the men are in charge. Men are bishops, stake presidents, and general authorities. Even the “head” of the Church, Jesus, is a man. With that authority comes privilege. This privilege affects how the police investigate, how the bishop or other religious leaders counsel, and the narrative regarding sexual assaults that’s carried in the culture…” A military lawyer post about his experiences dealing with sexual assault within our American patriarchy
A little less than a miracle, a lot less forgiving
I was asked to write today on the admirable open letter at nomorestrangers.org requesting the removal of The Miracle of Forgiveness from Church-owned store shelves in addition to asking the members themselves to no longer turn to it for counsel or use it to counsel...
Modesty: For Better or Worse
At the start of the Summer, my FB feed lit up with links to different videos and articles regarding modesty. Being a mom of two little ones, a boy and a girl, I was very curious to learn more about the direction our collective discussions on modesty were heading, so I...
Re-Naming the Reorganization
The only problem for our “Church of Christ” was that a number of other Christians had already had the same idea. For example, in the previous two decades Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone had each founded churches that attempted to restore primitive Christianity by paying close attention to New Testament practices. They likewise called their churches the “Christian church” or the “Church of Christ.”*
Beardliness is Next to Godliness: Win Some Sweet Booty for that Prophet Beard
Beardliness is next to Godliness Rationalfatihs.com and Modern Mormon Men are launching the contest to end all contests, starting this September. Before we begin, lets think about what we know about our Heavenly Father. We know he is all powerful and all knowing. We...
Defending Proposition 8—It’s time to admit the reasons
The arguments put forth so aggressively by the Protect Marriage coalition and by LDS church leaders at all levels of church organization during the campaign were noticeably absent from the proceedings of the trial.
You All are Going to Hell!!…Not!!: The Universalism of Mormonism
THE UNIVERSALISM OF MORMONISM By Michael Barker First, let me give the definitions of two words so everyone understands what the heck I'm talking about. The word universalim, as it pertains to religion, is the idea that everyone will be saved by God - eventually....
Unfailing Love
Two days ago I stumbled upon the Mormon Messages video, “Mountains to Climb”. It came to me on a day when I was on an emotional edge after reading a fictional story that brought many emotions I felt after the loss of my twin sons to the surface. The tears fell...
LGBTQ Mormon Crisis
Two Printable handout for bishops and stake presidents that talks empirically about LGBTQ suicides:
The LGBTQ Mormon Crisis: Responding to the Empirical Research on Suicide
Youth Suicide Rates and Mormon Religious Context: An Additional Empirical Analysis
The Barker Brothers’ Projects
These videos were created for Latter-day Saint parents and allies to voice their love for their LGBT brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. They want to give a message of comfort and support to other parents who are navigating the difficult conflicts that can arise in families around this issue.
“Cogito!” (“I think!”) follows the intellectual adventures of a recovering academic outside the walls of academia.
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