Indeed, Dr. Zoidberg asked his laoban about it, and showed him the membership card. The Laoban said the group that Dr. Zoidberg met is the Budhist version of the Mormons.
I might have mentioned before that my neighbors are Yi guan Dao. They had a funeral for a grandparent last fall, and it was quite different from the usual Daoist type, which I also witnessed when my wife’s last grandparent passed away in October. Although they have been quite friendly with us, they’ve never approached either of us about prayer or conversion. I wonder if it has something to do with my wife’s deceased father’s reputation as a Chinese doctor and prominent local Daoist?
How does one get “accidentally converted” to a religion?
I have to agree with Brian here that this is cult practice and not really a religion. I don’t believe in “god” and think the whole thing is just human imagination. “Cults” by definition follow things that have lasted less than a thousand years (if you want to distinguish it this way). That means that LDS (Latter Day Saints or “Mormons”) are a cult by definition. Who is this Joeseph Smith? “God” told him to build his church in Utah? Utah, huh? That’s desert! It’s very hot and dry there. I guess they want to get as close to hell as possible! Just kidding. Or maybe it was a place to get away from people who thought otherwise. Interesting.
Getting accidentally converted to a religion? Do you think Brian (Bu Lai En) is strange? His “conversion” was a long time ago. Has it affected him? I don’t think so. I’ve met him and he’s “just a nice guy.” Being “converted” to a religion is in the eyes of the converters. Chiang Kai-Shek was given an honorary degree from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, US. That’s the epitome of hardliner evangelicalical, praise jesus, pulpit-pouding, screaming-pastor, fire-and-brimstone Christianity. Do you think Chiang Kai-Shek bought into that? He probably kept nodding and smiling at the right times, got his certificate and got the “hell” out of there. (Joke intended). He went back to Taiwan and never mentioned it. December 25 is still “Constitution Day” in Taiwan and not even officially “Christmas”. Even on campus today, I recentently read that interracial dating is still forbidden. Google for the details if you’re curious. I have visited that campus before (don’t ask why) and to me it’s “hell”.
George Carlin said: “If you look around the world, you’ll realize that ‘god’ is one of the leading causes of death.”
I think OP story is very cool. I think he deserves some money out of it, though. This gives me a new idea. I should marry every dead chick in Taiwan and rake in the bucks. Won’t make a difference to me. I want my “Vitamin M” which equals “money”.
OFF SUBJECT MORMON THOUGHTS:
When I see or meet these people, I treat them very nicely. Hey! They came to my country. They’re visitors. Ok, I’ll be nice to them. Their goal is to be nice to people and I can’t argue with that. My question is: why are they (nearly) all COMPLETELY blonde-haired, and blue-eyed? I think that people like this are a very small portion of US society. Bleach-blondes are in great number, but these Mormons are not. Does their “religion” forbid people with darker and/or curlier hair? I’m curious… A previous poster said he met a black Mormon. Ok, that’s a good start. They seem to send same-sex co-workers to “deal with” people they meet. Perhaps in order to reduce relationships bonded by mutual interest. They always pop the religion quesion and then I tell them I don’t believe in ‘god’. That screws them up. Finally I become “busy” and go away. When I tell them my reasons for not believing in “god”, I often wonder if I have ever “converted” one or two? haha. I don’t care. We’ll all die anyway.