Everyone does it for that reason? (edits for clarity) - Edit 2
Before modification by nossy at 29/02/2012 11:09:39 AM
And that reason alone? Besides, parents exhibit condescension towards their children at all opportunities - it can exist w/in "love." Anyway, at the core, it's about believing you know better than someone, and deciding to do something to save their damned soul in case they Get It. That's pretty nearly the definition of condescension, even if it's done for pure love, as you state.
Limbo. So do Catholics.
Sharing one's faith is different from being actively evangelized. Whether you truly believe it (evang. and/or this posthumous baptism) is all about love or no, neither is an "unintrusive" concept. You must be a special kind of person to find it endearing when someone is treating you as though you're "wrong, heretical, stupid, etc." That doesn't mean it's not condescension. And some weak people like me find condescension between adults really effing rude.
Mormons believe there is a waiting period between death and the resurrection/final judgement during which waiting period the spirits of the dead are in various states of waiting depending on the state of their soul at death.
Limbo. So do Catholics.
Mormons believe that the gospel will be preached to all who did not accept it during this life, whether out of rebelion, ignorance, or anything in between. Baptisms are performed on behalf of all deceased, who, according to mormon belief, can choose to accept it or not. Even the mormons believe that the baptism is meaningless unless the deceased expressly accepts it.
Of course anyone can choose to be offended at this practice if they wish. But it is entirely unintrusive and done only out of sincere love for all people. You would actually have to go out of your way to even know if it had happened.
If people feel it is condescending, well it is no more condescending than someone trying to share their faith with you in an unintrusive manner. I've had people try to share their faith with me, I find it endearing, even if the tacit implication is that they think my beliefs are wrong, heretical, stupid, etc. I don't see how it is really effing rude.
Sharing one's faith is different from being actively evangelized. Whether you truly believe it (evang. and/or this posthumous baptism) is all about love or no, neither is an "unintrusive" concept. You must be a special kind of person to find it endearing when someone is treating you as though you're "wrong, heretical, stupid, etc." That doesn't mean it's not condescension. And some weak people like me find condescension between adults really effing rude.