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Subject: The rise of "Internet Mormons" vs. "Chapel Mormons"
In this issue:
ISLAM - restoring balance in favor of moderate and reformist voices
MORMONISM - fundie vs. apologist vs. cultural believer distinctions
+ from evangelism to ministry to missions to dialog; an eternal progression?
ORIGINS - "the modern solution to the question of where everything came from"
YOGA - to avoid regulation, some cite religious infringement
Apologia Report 14:28
July 23, 2009
ISLAM
Reformist Voices of Islam: Mediating Islam and Modernity, Shireen T.
Hunter, ed. [4] -- "The premise underlying this edited volume is that
the loud roar of Islamic radicals has drowned out moderate and
reformist voices in Islam. The collection of articles by nine leading
experts on contemporary Islam goes a long way toward restoring that
balance, and students will find here a useful starting point for
broaching the question, 'Where are the alternative voices within
Islam?' At the same time, though the comprehensive scope of the
various nationally and regionally focused chapters is impressive, the
volume suffers from unevenness throughout; some single countries
receive nearly twice the space devoted to entire regions, and some
chapters offer schematic overviews of a variety of thinkers while
others focus on only a few trends or individuals with greater depth.
The unevenness is compensated, to some extent, by the editor's effort
to draw the reader's attention to important issues addressed across
chapters (e.g., democracy, human rights, and women's and minority
rights) and the relationship of these issues to central and
overarching conceptual questions. The reader is likely to walk away
from this volume more convinced of the breadth and diversity of
Islamic reformist thinking and movements, but still lacking a
comprehensive grasp of the strengths and prospects of modern reform
along Islamic lines." Choice, Jul '09, n.p. [6]
---
MORMONISM
"Is Mormon theology diverging into new directions?" by Jonathan
Montgomery -- opens with the observation that "there seems to be a
growing theological distinction between the average LDS member sitting
in the pews, and Mormon apologists who are often found on the Internet
defending their faith against critics." He categorizes this as the
"Internet Mormon" vs. the "Chapel Mormon." By definition: "Chapel
Mormons ... are apt to be more fundamentalist and literal in their
beliefs.... Internet Mormons, on the other hand, are more likely to
grant errors or biases in scripture and leaders in order to more
easily accept modern science or to reject ethically questionable
statements and behavior from church leaders."
Areas of conflict that illustrate these differences are discussed,
e.g., the acceptance of evolution and Brigham Young's racism.
"Internet Mormons often suggest that the literal views of Chapel
Mormons are the result of a lack of education....
"In addition to differences about evolution, Noah's flood, and how
to interpret the words of a Prophet, Jason [the first name only
creator of MormonInformation.com] outlines a few other disagreements
often found between Internet and Chapel Mormons. Are modern Native
Americans the literal descendants of Lehi? Where is the Hill Cumorah?
Can living Prophets override scripture with new revelation? Does
General Conference and official Church publications count as gospel?
Do the teachings of the Prophet apply to everyone, or are some people
exempt?
"Out of this conflict rises a third budding branch of the Mormon
tree, the 'New Order Mormons,' those who have rejected some or most of
LDS doctrine but remain active and participating members. They remain
members for social or cultural reasons, or because they still believe
the church can offer some spiritual guidance, even if it is not 'The
One True Church' with a monopoly on a 'restored gospel.' ...
"It's only when anyone bothers to study beyond what is presented in
Sunday School or General Conference that these conflicts begin to
arise and require either an apologetic explanation or reveal that
things may not be what they seemed." From examiner.com, Jul 8 '09,
(If you're like us, we couldn't help but reflect on how the fundie
vs. apologist vs. cultural believer distinctions apply to other
theological systems as well. - RP)
"Some Thoughts on Mormon-Evangelical Dialogue" by Christopher Smith
who examines "interviews with three prominent and articulate
evangelicals about their approaches to the Mormon community. Dean
Jackson argued for reconciliation and repentance [1], Greg Johnson
pleaded for 'Convicted Civility' [2], and Mike Stahura called for
uncompromising commitment to the truth [3]. But however much their
approaches may differ, there is also a common thread among them. All
three describe their activity as 'dialogue.'
"This is an encouraging sign. In the past, evangelical outreach to
Mormons tended to be described as 'evangelism,' 'ministry,' or even
'missions,' but rarely as 'dialogue.' 'Dialogue' was a word that
conjured the specter of an impotent ecumenical movement. It was a word
that seemed to imply weakness and lack of conviction. So to see a
conservative evangelical like Mike Stahura unashamedly using the word
'dialogue' signals a welcome shift in the evangelical movement's
attitude toward the term. ...
"Whereas organized interfaith dialogue too often degenerates into
an exchange of platitudes, Mike represents an opportunity for Mormons
to engage in a robust exchange of ideas. This is interfaith dialogue
of the truest kind. This is where the rubber meets the road."
mild-mannered musings, Jul 4 '09, <www.tinyurl.com/nou49f>.
Smith's observations bring to mind some words of caution. While
truth fears no investigation, it is too often obscured by amateur
discovery. And, to paraphrase Walter Martin, the grand-daddy of the
countercult movement: "If you're going to debate someone, make it
count by picking an opponent who has authority and not just someone
who makes a lot of noise and to whom few actually pay any attention."
---
ORIGINS
Nothing: A Very Short Introduction, by Frank Close [5] -- the unnamed
reviewer explains that the author, a physicist, summarizes current
philosophical thinking about what remains "when everything is taken
away." The assumption is that the universe as we know it began in a
state of nothingness "14 billion years ago" with the "Big Bang." In
answer to "Where did all this stuff come from" Close replies: "Science
says that it came from quantum fluctuations in the void."
Close discusses the void and nothingness, ending with "empty space,
that is, a volume from which all matter and forces have been removed,
and it buzzes with energy. The smaller the space, the greater the
fluctuations in the energy that pervades it. This makes the void fizz
with activity, as particles and their antimatter counterparts zip in
and out of existence. It is this activity, at quantum mechanical
scales, that banishes nothingness and which is thought to have given
birth to the universe.
"Mr. Close surveys 3,000 years of thinking to arrive at the modern
solution to the question of where everything came from. The answer is
nothing." (This may be the most profound contemporary admission of
ignorance now in print. - RP) The Economist, Jul 11 '09, p86.
---
YOGA
"Yoga Faces Regulation, and Firmly Pushes Back" by A. G. Sulzberger --
"Citing laws that govern vocational schools, like those for
hairdressers and truck drivers, regulators have begun to require
licenses for yoga schools that train instructors, with all the fees,
inspections and paperwork that entails. While confrontations have
played out differently in different states, threats of shutdowns and
fines have, in some cases, been met with accusations of power grabs
and religious infringement...."
However, last April resistance took shape. "In New York State ...
teachers fought back, complaining that the new rules could erode thin
bottom lines, contradict religious underpinnings and, most important,
shut down every school in the state during an eight-month licensing
period. ...
"Alison West, who was selected to lead [a] new coalition, the Yoga
Association of New York State, prayed for 'some joyful conclusion
we've never conceived.'
"Within days, Joseph P. Frey, an associate commissioner with the
State Education Department, said in an interview that the department
would suspend the licensing effort, allow the classes to continue and
instead lobby for legislation adding yoga to a list of activities that
are exempt from regulation." New York Times, Jul 11 '09, ppA1, A15.
--------
Sources, Digital:
1 - <www.tinyurl.com/l7xs2f>
2 - <www.tinyurl.com/ns4qqu>
3 - <www.tinyurl.com/lakfjk>
-------
Sources, Monographs:
4 - Reformist Voices of Islam: Mediating Islam and Modernity, by
Shireen T. Hunter (M.E. Sharpe, 2008, hardcover, 322 pages)
5 - Nothing: A Very Short Introduction, by Frank Close (Oxford Univ
Prs, 2009, paperback, 144 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/l7kwbu>
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