19centconstable | Case #9: Video

[George is holding his communicator in one hand and filming himself as he waves cheerfully. He turns the camera briefly to show a group of aliens sat at a small table amidst what looks like a futuristic street fair who are waving cheerfully back. They are about nine feet tall, and hairy, with sharp talons on their fingers. They are wearing breathing-masks. They are also wearing slacks and crisply pressed button-down shirts. The camera turns back on George, as he continues to stride through the bazaar.]

I've just been speaking to some terribly nice Martians about Martian Jesus! I'm afraid a good deal of it all went straight over my head, but they did give me book which...

[George glances down at, presumably, the book in his hand.]

...appears to be about the Greek God Dionysus. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, but it was quite kind of them nevertheless. They also tested my levels of stress, although I really don't believe I'm under any undue amount of it, and invited me to come to their church tomorrow, although I think I'm going to decline.

[George draws closer to his communicator and imparts in a hushed voice:]

I believe they may have been Mormons.

[He draws back and makes a face that's equal parts "yikes", and "Mormons: whattayagonnado? They're really nice and it's hard to hold it against them".]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I seem to remember it to be a sort of... cult like thing, but this is from when I studied theology in the sixties. It might have changed a bit since then.

I think they believed we were all immortal and we'd forgotten or something.

I don't see myself forgetting something like that.

Me neither, but I think that was the base theory of it.

I think a lot of countries banned it, as it was getting people to give their money away and all sorts of things.

Give their money away? How was it doing that?

I think, basically, it was operating like a religion would - except for the profit of Mr Hubbard, not for the general congregation.

Scamming people out of their money through promises of salvation.

But that's not how it's done at all. There's even a bit in the Bible about it.

About what, exactly? [A skeptical theologian over here.]

About not being able to buy salvation. It's the Parable of Lazarus and Dives.

Oh, yes. I wasn't sure what you were referring to.

But that doesn't stop people trying, does it? People used to buy a monk's prayers, didn't they? Not that the monks were any more moral for selling them, to be fair.

Yes, and God did later raise Lazarus from the dead, which confuses it all a bit.

God forgives, and nobody is excluded. It still doesn't make buying salvation moral or right.

It certainly doesn't. Someone should tell the Space Mormons that.

You ran into them first, you should have. I... well, if I see them, I might try and make the point to them.

If I had known I would have. They seemed very reasonable and chatty.

You might get chance again. It might prove an interesting discussion.

I'd like to hear their justifications, if nothing else.

I suspect it's just what they were raised to believe.

I suspect it was. If they believe it sincerely, they should be able to justify it, though.

That is how most people justify it, though; that and that you're just not meant to question faith.

No, but... faith is made stronger through doubt. Faith is made stronger through justifying it beyond 'it's what I was always told'. Faith is something more than tradition, and you can question it, and can find more meaning than just what you were taught.

It's when I've questioned my faith when I've found the best answers, when it's come through the strongest. When it's given me what I need to know and believe.