RAWR!
It means "I love you" in dinosaur.
Unless you're Mormon. Then, it's just 'rawr.'
I saw this online the other day, and laughed my ass off. I'm currently ordering this on a bumper sticker-magnet, so I can put it on my car and drive around town.
But it made me think: Why don't mormons believe in dinosaurs?
After doing a little research, a lot of mormons were taught in seminary that God helped shape the Earth using a bunch of leftovers from other old worlds. The dinosaurs were aliens from another world, already dead. When God mooshed all the dead planets together to form Earth, the dino bones were buried and fossilized during the process.
It's not that they don't believe in dinosaurs, per se... They just think they're aliens...
While I couldn't find a formal "Book of Mormon" passage to show this, I did find a very interesting thread (link) about the subject. Mormons and ex mormons discussing dinos and seminary...
This kind of goes what some Christian scholars believe. Creationists are firm that the universe was created in 7 days, as told in Genesis. Dinosaurs were a part of that process, therefore, can only be 1 day older than Adam & Eve (link). The same people also believe that dinos were alive and cohabitated with A&E, since the bible says there was "no death" until the first sin was committed and Adam fell (link).
They also believe that dinos were still alive during Noah's ark, and there were dinos on the ark itself. (another link!)
In short, the way Jurassic Park was explained, and the modern theories about Dinosaurs, carbon-dating, etc are argued by mainstream religion left and right.
But who's right and/or more crazy in their beliefs? Mormons? Christian Scholars? Or mainstream science? I can't say for sure, but I'm leaning towards LDS as a little cuckoo...
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| Oh Mormons... You so crazy.... |
OMG! LOVE.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE a Buddy Christ in my living room. Have you seen my photo of him being kidnapped by a giant magnet monkey? haha
I'm sure if Joseph Smith could re-write the Book of Mormon, as told to him by an angel(?) if my "mythology" is correct - I'm sure he would have totally covered such things as explanations for the existence of dinosaurs... as well as the secret of the caramilk bar.
Just wow. Really?
ReplyDeleteYou know, the more I learn about the religions of the world, the more I am disapointed in the human condition.
I will never cease to be fascinated, in a train wreck watching kind of way, at what people will whole heartedly BELIEVE in.
LOL My sister is a married into the mormon religion. If I ever wanted to piss her off I could so post this blog! thanks Brandon
ReplyDeleteAh Mormons.. I knew a lot of their crazy beliefs but this is the first I read about their take on dinosaurs. Very interesting read.
ReplyDeletelmao!! then what happens when they go to museums and see the bones of dinosaurs?
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to comment on the "who is crazier" question because I feel I like the credentials but I am in love with the bumper sticker because funny is always funny, even if it might be crazy.
ReplyDeletestop making my mormon brain hurt. now I have to drink vodka, it cleanses the soul. so sayeth the peachy1. ( I have a calling) ahem.. notice me weaving a basket in ladies meeting, it's for me to ride to hell, oh wait that's right we don't have a hell... shit, I get my LDS stuff mixed up with real world stuff after a drink of mt dew or vodka...
ReplyDeleteSo how do they explain the dinosaur fossils?
ReplyDeleteWhat is funny is that NONE of that crap is actually in the book of Mormon. I feel sorry for you having to live out there.
ReplyDeleteI shy away from most creationist arguments, because most of those people don't listen or reason.
But evolutionists are just as off-base and use "science" as loosley and without concrete evidence as people use GOD.
Take carbon dating. I don't believe in their numbers at all. I think it's one of those situations where scientists had a framework they liked, and fit everything to it with ratios and variables of time we cannot possibly calculate. You can fossilize a hat in about 50 years given the right pressures and conditions. But maybe we should switch to cryptonite dating, since dinosaurs are aliens and all.
@chris: that's why I made sure to say these teachings are not in any gospel. However, like the link to the forum shows, it is being taught in seminary.
ReplyDeleteI agree that all ideas sound odd in their own rights. Do we know one way or another? Not for sure...
That thread was pretty interesting.
ReplyDeleteGotta love the controversy dinos can cause
ReplyDeleteall religious beliefs are full of obvious contradictions. except this one!
ReplyDeleteOf course dinosaurs were on Noah's ark. So were the Flintstones.
ReplyDelete(2 Guys Plowing has to be the best business name in a long time.)
That's a serious mind fuck to get your head into believing that kind of cah-cah! But, then look at other Mormon beliefs... I wonder how they justify marrying their nieces and shit like that? I don't even want to know. I think Mormon men terrify me more than any islamic jehadist because they're more of a danger to American women and children.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that the book of mormon also states that black people are black because they were stained by God, as punishment!
ReplyDeleteI always like to disagree, for the sake of disagreeing, but I usually have substance for it.
ReplyDeleteReligion isn't the only institution (now I'm not being defensive about religion) which wallows in its steadfast bigotry. Ah! The science world was plenty guilty of that I'm sure! Let's start with the more obvious ones.
A lot of people blame the Catholic Church for suppressing Copernicus's heliocentric theory. And yet I'm sure he finished his book about it almost... 10 years before his book was placed on the ban list by the church? In fact, it didn't even reach the Pope's ears until Copernicus started to act like an upstart! So... WHO was the first to reject him? Why his colleagues! Almost every university professor, and even some of his friends, refused to look at the hard evidence he gave. And these were all persons of science. They thought "no aristotle must be right!" and therefore did not even take a second look. It wasn't until Copernicus got a small following did the Church notice his dogma-impugning work and thus banned it.
Oh and there's the tough subject of evolution, which people forget (despite overwhelming evidence for natural selection) is a mere theory, and HAS been disproven. Instead of arguing for it, however, I will leave it to the more able pundits of science (i am very weak in the field of science, academically anyway). This is one of the easier reads: http://www.newgeology.us/presentation32.html though there have been books written on the Institution's failure to recognize the incredibility of Darwin's theories (despite Darwin having said so himself in the Origin of Species).
Although the intro to that article seems a little castigating to be believable, they bring up very sold points towards the end.
So you see, the science world now is throwing rocks at religious institutions for bigotry, putting a duality between faith and reason which should not exist.
@Leila: I'm saying this a little tongue in cheek because of today's topic, but AMEN!
ReplyDeleteScience now vs science 100/300/500/1,000 years ago. Compare it. Know what the one thing in common with all eras is? The majority of people agree "THIS is the way it is."
I forget who said it, but I'll take credit for it. Feel free to quote me: The moment we, as a society, agree that we do not understand EVERYTHING is the day we can start to understand anything.
I'm not saying we have 100% of the answers right now. That's why I threw science up there too. Is any of those 3 right? Maybe. Hard to day. Are they wacky? Each of them are, in one extent or the other. Do we have the concrete absolute answer? Definitely not.
But... with that said... alien dinosaurs from another world... *snort*
Is... are... grammar be damned. You get the point.
ReplyDeleteWell, technically all life on Earth could be alien thanks to the idea of panspermia. Dino's specifically? Nah.
ReplyDeleteBut there is something right about it, not all dinosaurs were wiped out and they are among us today, we share the skies with them. Yeah, dinosaurs evolved into birds and there is lots of scientific proof to back this up.
So, did science just one-up the LDS on the crazy scale or what?
"...if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims."
ReplyDelete-14th Dalai Lama
I often wonder why organized religions in the West are typically the most intolerant voice in an argument. I think we could all learn something from the Dalai Lama here.
I had two friends as young as me in my last job and one of them was a mormon, when I found it the other one asked me jokingly how I didn't notice before. I laughed because he wasn't any different from both of us. Mormons are cool guys, maybe I didn't talk with him enough to discover those crazy dinosaur theories. DInosaurs is a uncommon topic when talking at work.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why Scientology gets the craziest religion award, because Morman is pretty nuts too.
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about the Mormons but on the basis of this post they seem to believe the same mumbo jumbo as any other religious types.
ReplyDeleteAnyone with a view held to the total exclusion of all others is a prime candidate for having the p!ss taken out of them
ReplyDeleteTo the guy above me, Mormons are definitely nuts, no question! Scientology is just too far out though.
ReplyDeleteAhahaha, that damn raptor!
ReplyDeleteThere are two things that scare me:
ReplyDelete1. Mormons
2. Scientologists
I'm not kidding. Those people are typically not totally sane and you just don't know what they are going to do or say.
Of COURSE they don't believe in dinosaurs. Dinosaurs don't ride bicycles! (and, according to Robert Duvall: Charlie don't surf. Although, what the hell that has to do with anything is beyond me).
ReplyDeleteDISCLAIMER: The above is not meant as an affront to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of Donny and Marie. I use it merely for its comedy potential. I would poke fun of any religion that wouldn't behead me on national TV.
Oh, and BTW, can someone tell Buddy Christ his heart is showing?
did you refrain from ridiculing leila because you didn't want to alienate a follower/commenter? or do you subscribe to her shitstream of "i'll admit i don't know anything about it but i'm gonna spout off on it anyway"
ReplyDeleteI have a few Mormon friends. This has inspired me to start a conversation and somehow weave the topic of dinosaurs into it.
ReplyDeleteJurassic Park. They have to know about Jurassic Park.
they´re indeed crazy hahahahaha....
ReplyDeletehahaha..Every species who landed in earth did try the forbidden fruit?
ReplyDelete@ResCogitans: You should have guessed by now that I don't ridicule any of my commenters. Not BECAUSE they're my commenters, per se, but because I like having a healthy debate.
ReplyDeleteI wish more of my commenters were religious and take the side of religion, so we can get all sides contributing. I like ranting a lot in my blog, but sometimes facilitating a good debate is really really fun.
That's weird.....I was raised Mormon and I never heard of any of the dinosaur/alien junk.....I don't know where you're getting your info, but I'm willing to question it's authenticity.
ReplyDeleteAnd to Autumnforest-Mormons don't 'marry their nieces and shit like that'. Polygamists and the FLDS church are not part of the LDS religion. Polygamy is not accepted in the LDS church and if you participate in it you get excommunicated.
@Josie: Thanks for adding to the conversation. I tried to research as much as I could before posting, so I wasn't throwing ideas out there with some backup to my claims. There's a few links I provided to show comments from others. I also asked some of my local friends, and some remember 'learning' this in seminary.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the polygamy goes, I think the mix of redneck+mormon could be the cause of this. Just like redneck+christian spawned the Westboro Baptist Church.
That said, you don't see many redneck catholics. I wonder why that is? No country music in latin?
Bahaha! Yet another example of Mormon wacko-isms. They aren't the only religion that doesn't believe in dinosaurs, though. Can't remember what the other one is. Seventh Day Adventist? I dunno. Hey, maybe if I ask God, she will tell me! What's that? Silence? Damn....
ReplyDeleteI spent way too much time reading those links. I'm.. just.. amazed. It was funny at first.. And then depression spawned over me. I live on the same earth. Damn. :|
ReplyDeletelol, Wow, umm..don't know what to say on this one.. I had no idea really what the Morman faith was all about, but I think I'm going to hit wikipedia and do some reading.. Is Scientology a sect of Morman or something??
ReplyDeleteAlways love a good theology vs. religion argument
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty sad that Mormons actually don't believe in dinos. Hell, though, the longer you live on this rock, the more you realize everyone is nuts... It just a matter of levels of the nuttiness. I gave up on the human race long ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you linked to some stuff to back yourself up. However, after going to the last 3 I looked into that site some more and I could find anything associating it with the LDS church or Mormons.
ReplyDeleteAs for the first link that goes to the forum; unfortunately there's some wack jobs in all religions and it sounds like some of those seminary teachers were off their rockers.
And may I also say, I think it's great that you don't attack anyone for their opinion and/or input. It's hard to have a debate or discussion with someone without one of those people being an ass hole.
That's why I put them up there, as a way of saying "Look! Mormons aren't the only kooky ones out there!"
ReplyDeleteI think there is no way to know who is 100% right. To think we have all the answers right now is extremely arrogant of us.
Just like 1,000 years ago, when people were worried about the Y1K bug, and end times and such. 1,000 years later, Y2K and end-times again. All people end up doing is looking like fools when they claim "I have the answers for EVERYTHING!"
Poor dinosaurs ;_;
ReplyDeletei mean, honestly, what did they do?
That first passage about smooshed worlds is actual awesome IMO. Reminds me of stuff like in Halo 2, the Covenant homeship High Charity has a giant glass chandelier in which each piece of glass is a fragment of a world destroyed by the covenant.
ReplyDeleteI do prefer the aliens version but I'm in trouble now.
ReplyDeletemormon thesis on dinosaurs is cool but wrong xD
ReplyDeleteThat is a funny bumper sticker!
ReplyDeleteI think I mentioned that I was a Jewish girl born in SLC and lived there recently for a short time. It was definitely an entertaining experience to watch the bridges that needed to be built between those who are LDS and those who are not.
But really, all religions are pretty wacked!
This was a funny post with great links!
That last photo and caption is priceless! LOL! I never knew that Mormons had that theory. I'm kind of torn on dinosaurs. I can't explain these bones that have been found, but I have a hard time believing they are as old as paleontologists claim. When you think about it, all religions have something about it that will sound absolutely nuts to people of other religions. If there were "terrible lizards" on the Ark, then that means they're not as old as people think. To be honest, I don't know and I can't say that I care. As long as Godzilla doesn't come stomping down my street or raptors run through my back yard, I'm good.
ReplyDeleteI don't normally comment on random blogs, but I just have to point that the idea that Mormons don't believe in dinosaurs is complete bullshit of the highest order. Heck, as a Latter-Day Saint myself, I poke fun at Mormons all the time (I find that there is a separation between Mormon culture and beliefs, especially apparent once you go international) The church has not taken a stance on the issue, and whatever ideas of the world coming together to with dino bones in them is just Mormon urban legend hogwash. Once of the most prominent LDS theologians, was a geologist, James E. Talmage, and he was definitely a proponent of the idea that earth is billions of years old. Mormon theology (as it actually exists) is actually quite liberal on the issue, and believing that the earth is only 6000 years old or whatever crazy fundamentalists Christians believe (like those idiots at the Creation Museum) is not an important tenet of the Church.
ReplyDeletei'm sure they're cuckoos in every religion but I don't think this is part of the "mormon" beliefs . .
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Way to strawman. BYU has a really good paleontology museum, and research and teach evolution actively. The church has a neutral stance on evolution. I have heard this quirk of a comment from some members (mostly on my mission from other 19 year old), but it is speculative belief not doctrine of the Church. Evolution and the Church is a complex issue and you are perpetuating miss-information.
ReplyDeleteHi, I have a PhD in Evolutionary Genetics, and I'm a Mormon.
Thank you so much, Dr. Mormon, for your comment. I am being sincere when I say it is a pleasure to talk to an educated Mormon.
ReplyDeleteEducated members of the LDS community are usually great people. However, it's the educators in the LDS community I sometimes worry about.
As stated in this post, I did a good deal of research before posting this story. I even had a mormon intern at my job repeat this as fact. She learned this in Seminary from one of her teachers, and heard it again from a few people while attending BYU-Idaho.
I know there is no official stance on this issue from the Church, but this gives influential people (teachers, for example) the wiggle-room to say things like this, referencing Mormon scholars from the past.
Again, thank you. If you read this response, please feel free to email me at lostinidaho@ymail.com. I'd like to extend to you an offer to write a post on this blog, as an educated Mormon, helping shed some light on fact vs fiction.
Humans are the proof of the non existence of a god...
ReplyDeleteso umm...this is awkward. I'm and paleontologist and I'm a Mormon. I attended seminary and sunday school 4 years, have read the book of Mormon countless times, and attended a Mormon church almost every week since I was baptized at 13.... no where was I ever told God mush together dead planets or that Dinosaurs are aliens. maybe when you "check your facts" you should talk to an active Mormon....
ReplyDeleteThanks for contributing Lizzy. I did indeed check my facts, as I heard this story coming out of a local seminary where my brother-in-law went to school. At the time, I worked for a non-profit and had an LDS intern. I asked her about the story.
ReplyDeleteShe was a BYU-I student, and remembered hearing that story in seminary at the same school. She went on to tell me the 'young Earth' story that a lot of Judeo-Christian religions believe, with that Jurassic twist. When God formed the Earth, he used bits and pieces from other 'dead' planets. This is where dinosaur fossils came from.
While you have never heard of this story, and it may not be common Mormon canon, someone somewhere within the ranks of the church is telling this story. (Kind of like the Curse of Canaan and why blacks were ostracized in your church for so many years.... not everyone knew that until 'everyone' knew that during the civil rights movement...)
So question: As an paleontologist and a Mormon, do you believe in a young Earth? Or is that something that some-but-not-all Mormons believe as well?
I heard the claim, but I didn't start hearing it until the very late 90s. It's a recent theory. In the 1980 issue of the Bible Dictionary of the LDS church, under the section about creation, it explained that different apostles held different opinions, including some who thought there was life on earth for millions of years before Adam. Sometime in the 90s, this all went away, and the church seemed to have made an unconscious decision to try and be more like the evangelicals.
ReplyDeleteWell, there is that little movie they show us in the temple.
ReplyDeleteWe humans have a memory problem. If something went away in the 1990's it never existed in the first place. Political ideas are cyclical, and few people ever remember the last 'cycle.' Obama uses verbage similar to Reagan, and people chastise Obama for saying such horrible things, yet praised Reagan 30 years ago...
ReplyDeleteI love that this debate is still going on... *popcorn*