Through my life, I've had several Mormon friends, and they've all been great people. And no one has ever tried to convert me -- unlike friends in other religions I could mention. Now my family is living in Utah, we know lots and lots more LDS and I have to say how great they've been to my parents. It really lessened my worry with them being so far away now.

The Mormons may have tried to convert me by sending me a nice copy of the King James Bible, which I still have. And I knew a Catholic girl when I was in junior high who had decided to convert to Mormonism because she was in love with Donny Osmond. So that's 1 present and 1 friendship, and 0 attempts to get me "clear" of my "thetans."

Just so we're "clear" (ha! Ha!), I don't mind people knockin' Mormons. They're knockable enough, and if I'd started writing this blog 15 years ago knockin' Mormons would be all this site would be about.

I do mind when someone's ego won't let them just say, "Wow. I didn't know all that about Scientology. Thanks for the tips, guys," and then leave it at that, without dragging in people who have nothing to do with the gaffe in an effort to change the subject.

It's especially dumb to do it with Mormons, who can be depended upon to vote Republican with more surety than virtually any other subset of Americans you can name. "Social justice" arguments don't sway the Mo's one whit.

Never been Mormon, but run into a lot of them (living in Utah, that will happen :)). I also used to know a girl who got pulled in by Scientology. As I posted at Ace's, I can safely say that I'd convert to Mormonism five hundred times over before ever walking into a Scientology center.

Not saying there aren't things about Mormonism that bother me - there are, and I'd make a lousy Mormon. (The whole ward/bishop system bothers me, from the descriptions I've been given). Still, comparing Mormonism to Scientology is like comparing a gnat to a ravening leopard seal.

Ilyka, got ya :) I'm just saying that if I had to live in a town surrounded by Mormons or Scientologists, I'd pick the former. I wouldn't ever be Mormon, but they don't make me back away slowly :)

Yeah, I hear you. But you know, this comment made me snort tea a little bit:

I'm a Frisbyterian.

We believe that when you die your soul goes up on the roof and you can't get it down.

That's not real whack, is it?

Yeah, the Frisbyterians bit was killer. Wasn't that one of the Daves? Dave in Texas maybe? Too many Daves on that blog to keep track of.

Actually, that's an old quote of Bono's (the U2 guy).

But yeah, Dave in Texas used it. I didn't realize anyone remembered it -- Bono said it to some interviewer back in the 80s.

I didn't realize anyone remembered it

Dave in Texas is good at the music trivia (I remember him from the ASV comments), so it figures he would know something like that. He plays in a band in East Texas somewhere I don't remember.

One of all of a handful of people I regretted never meeting while I lived in that state. Kim du Toit, of course, would be another one [/p0ker face].