Communications

I had a buddy once tell me that if I read Ayn Rand, I’d turn into an ass. But I read ‘Atlas Shrugged’ anyway, mainly because Rand is often quoted, as if scripture, by many entrepreneurs – particularly in the state in which I live (conservative Utah).

Rand stated that selfishness is a virtue. Wow. She rejects altruism, the view that self-sacrifice is the moral ideal. She argues that the ultimate moral value, for each human individual, is their own well-being.

That flies in the face of true Christianity, and yet it’s preached like scripture by conservatives. While I consider myself an entrepreneur in many ways, I have a tough time with some of Rand’s philosophies.

I’d love any thoughts or push-back on this. . . Is my interpretation flawed?

According to the Consumerist:

A company called You’ve Been Left Behind is selling a post-Rapture package that sends emails to your sinful friends and family, letting them know where you are and what’s up with the whole pending apocalypse thing. For only $40 per year, You’ve Been Left Behind offers “to get one last message to the lost, at a time, when they might just be willing to hear it for the first and last time.”

My question is this: Who sends the email?

[ad#on-post]

The Catholic Church has just ordered all dioceses to not give ancestral information in parishes to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here’s a quote from the Vatican:

“The congregation requests that the conference notifies each diocesan bishop in order to ensure that such a detrimental practice is not permitted in his territory, due to the confidentiality of the faithful and as not to cooperate with the erroneous practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, came to the Mormon Church’s defense:

CNS quotes Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, as saying he didn’t understand why the LDS church was singled out by the Vatican letter. “We have a policy not to give out baptismal records to anyone unless they are entitled to have them,” Msgr. Fitzgerald told CNS. “That isn’t just for the Church of the Latter-day Saints. That is for all groups.”

The Catholic Church is being a little shortsighted. There are many reasons for doing family history work that have nothing to do with religion. The Huntsman Cancer Institute, for example, selected Utah for its research center because of all the family history records available in the state. The Mormon Church has done a lot of good by gathering all these records for anyone to reference. Alex Haley, who won the Pulitzer for his book Roots, got all his research from the Mormon Church. All the Vatican is really doing is preventing people (regardless of their religion) from finding out about their heritage.

I’d love to hear people’s thoughts on this.

[ad#on-post]

The winner of the April Fools jokes goes to:

Rapper Snoop Dogg converts to Mormonism

By Aaron Nichols

DIAMOND BAR, California (AP) — In what some may consider an unexpected move, rap artist “Snoop Dogg” has reportedly converted to Mormonism after nearly a year of study with the fast-growing, Utah-based faith.

Snoop Dogg says he “can’t get enough of the Book of Mormon.”

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Snoop Dogg — whose real name is Calvin Broadus — said he considers himself extremely fortunate to have discovered such a deep sense of spiritual fulfillment at this stage in his life.

“Mr. Broadus is also very pleased to find that his family is as enthusiastic about attending church services as he is,” the spokeswoman said.

However, Snoop Dogg has not been enthusiastic about publicly sharing his experience and declined to be interviewed by CNN for this article. In fact, he reportedly informed producers of his E! reality show “Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood” that this particular aspect of his family’s life was off-limits to the cameras. Still, he left open the possibility of addressing the subject in future episodes.

According to the Associated Press, Snoop Dogg was first introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon Church is officially known, after attending a Gladys Knight concert in an LDS meeting house in Los Angeles.

Knight, who very publicly discusses her conversion to Mormonism several years ago, invited Snoop Dogg to what is known to the Mormon faithful as “Family Home Evening,” a church program that encourages families to set aside Monday evenings for gospel-centered lessons and family togetherness.

Though Snoop Dogg has been hesitant to publicly discuss his recent spiritual journey, he commented on the experience of attending his first “Family Home Evening” in a recent interview with People Magazine.

“I was hooked from the start,” Snoop Dogg said. “We talked about the purpose of life, played Mousetrap, and ate brownies. The kids thought it was off the hook, for real.”

In what Snoop Dogg now thinks was anything but a coincidence, Mormon missionaries had knocked on his door just one week before the Knight concert. He said he had initially turned them away because of what he knew about the strict Mormon health code, which prohibits members from smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs.

“Y’all know me,” he said grinning broadly. “There were just certain things the old me — the “natural man” — needed to do. And these young guys are telling me that God’s not down with disrespecting ourselves. But it’s cool now.”

Snoop Dogg said his conversion marks the end of his old life, one that included frequent run-ins with the law. Snoop Dogg was convicted in 1990 of cocaine possession and charged with gun possession after a 1993 traffic stop. In 1997, he pleaded guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.

In 1996, Snoop Dogg was acquitted of murder after a purported gangbanger was killed by gunfire from the vehicle in which Snoop Dogg was traveling.

Snoop Dogg dismisses critics who claim his conversion is intended to placate a Salt Lake County judge, before whom he is appealing an alleged probation violation.

“Listen, the haters will say what they will,” Snoop Dogg said. “I can only do what I feel is right.”

[ad#on-post]

Looking past his religious differences with Gov. Mitt Romney, Dr. Bob Jones, chancellor of the fundamentalist Christian university, has announced that he will endorse the Mormon for the Republican nomination. Jones was quoted in USA Today as saying, “This is all about beating Hillary”, and “As a Christian I am completely opposed to the doctrines of Mormonism, but I’m not voting for a preacher. I’m voting for a president. It boils down to who can best represent conservative American beliefs, not religious beliefs.”

Although I believe the Christian Right has irreparably damaged (and will continue to damage) the Republican Party, it’s refreshing to see, at least to some degree, some level headed thinking from an Evangelical leader.