When Ethan said that the witnesses were cajoled into signing their testimonies and didn't really believe it... this is the grave of David Whitmer, who became disaffected with Joseph Smith and left the church:
@DeseretStone This kind of thing is common in my neck of the woods. Sad to see a convert family get kicked out of their private Christian school for joining the Church. Seems odd, wouldn’t you want them there to learn about the “right Jesus”. I’ve also never heard of Catholic schools doing it.
Last week, a proposed list of simplified faith codes was released to the media. The Pentagon list included redundant and unnecessary labeling, and the mistake has been fixed.
The goal of this effort is to simplify a previously out-of-control “belief” coding system that had ballooned to over 200 codes.
In order to clarify the work of chaplains, and simplify the work of commanders, the Pentagon has consolidated and simplified the list to roughly thirty codes — using the previously used labels for faiths.
The Pentagon’s job is not to adjudicate theological debates, but instead to ensure sincerely-held faith is respected and encouraged in our ranks.
Below is the updated Religious Affiliation Codes (RAC) list:
This seems like a better landing spot. Let the faiths battle it out as to who falls into what category and then just list the key names for governmental purposes.
@tracewoodgrains Latter-Day Saints want to be called Christian because of Christ. Not because of other people called Christian. A Mormon can’t deny that term because it’s religiously essential to them. But people conflate the two points. Wanting recognition and wanting to take Christ’s name.
@tracewoodgrains There are two issues at play. Latter-day Saints legitimately see themselves as part of the in-group of broader Christianity. They think other Christians are wrong but valid believers. But that is wholly secondary to the main point. Which you seem to identify here.
Contrarian opinion:
Mormons self-identify as Christians, and that's all the Pentagon should care about.
I don't want the Pentagon (or any government agency) adjudicating theological disputes.
@kylebeshears I think the truncation will still cause issues though. Even outside of the current controversy. What is “Orthodox”? Are the Coptic Christians supposed to file in with the Serbs? Why only one form of Judaism or Islam? I guess it comes down to how the codes actually are used.
@kylebeshears I think this whole situation would have been avoided had they done that from the start. For purely classification purposes you don’t need “Christian-Lutheran” since Lutheranism implies Christianity. You don’t make those who do not accept LDS mad nor make the LDS feel othered.
“Many of those who suffered death at the fiery stake were honest, true Christians according to the light they possessed. I have seen those martyrs by aid of the Urim and Thummim; God has a salvation for them.”
- Joseph Smith
@kylebeshears I don’t think “Christian - Latter-day Saints” would be controversial from our side.
It makes more sense too if you’re going to include the Community of Christ under the same code.