John Safran takes on the Mormons

1. Sage
   August 23rd, 2007 at 9:11 pm

   Err. Thanks. Less insults and more items of real valid interest, please.

2. Jess
   August 23rd, 2007 at 9:16 pm

   Please don't think Australians sound like this. His VOICE is so annoying!

3. ben
   August 23rd, 2007 at 9:32 pm

   loved it

4. Mokuwai
   August 23rd, 2007 at 10:23 pm

   Yeah are you trying to be offensive. This is not neat at all. Mormons are never this rude or pushy.

5. Alex
   August 23rd, 2007 at 10:28 pm

   Safran's voice is proof enough that the devil exists.

6. Aleki
   August 23rd, 2007 at 10:34 pm

   Being mormon, I too find this to be offensive. We are never this disrespectful to people. You can do better than this Stanhope.

7. Adam Stanhope
   August 23rd, 2007 at 10:50 pm

   My sincerest apologies to those who take offense at this.

   Where I grew up it was Jehovah's Witnesses who would come pester us on Saturday mornings.

   Do they have Jehovah's Witnesses in Utah?

   And yes - Safran's voice really is something.

8. F. S. Monstruo
   August 23rd, 2007 at 10:59 pm

   heh- loved this! brilliant

9. JJ
   August 23rd, 2007 at 11:05 pm

   Yes there are Jehovah's Witnesses in Utah.
   They are in every state in the U.S. and in pretty much every country and in hundreds of lands/territories that are not even considered countries. (in 310 languages now also)

10. Adam Stanhope
    August 23rd, 2007 at 11:08 pm

    When I was growing up there was a Jehovah's Witness kid in my grade. His parents didn't allow him to go on field trips, even to The Boston Museum of Science. I weep for him.

11. Chad
    August 23rd, 2007 at 11:50 pm

    I totally agree with this guy! door to door salesman are sooo annoying! especially when they try to sell god

12. Doug
    August 24th, 2007 at 6:44 am

    Not funny, and a bit more than annoying. I've never really had this problem that he's describing, so maybe I don't "get it".

13. Adam Stanhope
    August 24th, 2007 at 8:23 am

    You've never had this problem, Doug? Wow! Where do you live?

14. Cuimhne
    August 24th, 2007 at 9:24 am

    I don't understand people who can take offence at this. As Richard Dawkins ia always saying, why should religion be above criticism? Why is it so disrespectful to criticise religion?

15. xopl
    August 24th, 2007 at 9:37 am

    That's fine old man, but when the next missionaries come a knockin' I'm gonna whack them with a rake just like you.

16. Gdub
    August 24th, 2007 at 11:04 am

    This video is pretty unbelievably old (saw it on Digg like a year ago) and also not that funny. Religion shouldn't be beyond criticism, but this is just bigotry and uninformed stupidity.

17. Aleki
    August 24th, 2007 at 12:20 pm

    My religion is not above criticism, however this goes beyond that. I don't believe this is the proper venue for this either.

    The missionaries don't only try to spread their message in neighborhoods they do a lot of community service. When we had the big earthquake in Hawaii the very first people going door to door with aide and service wasn't the government or red cross it was the mormon missionaries. They simply offered service with no message attached regardless of religion.

    I just think Neatorama can be better than this type of posts.

18. slingshotjohnny
    August 24th, 2007 at 12:21 pm

    I've found that answering the door naked gets rid of all manner of unwelcome, intrusive folk, such as hairy krishna, cops, and mormons, too. They ARE pushy and it's not nice. Don't get up in arms if you don't understand the parody, it calls attention to your fragility.
    It's nobody's business what I do in my home, think in my head, or feel in my gut and therefore there's no reason to have anything to say about it.
    The idea that all kinds of behavior, ranging from the less than polite, through antisocial and into genocide, can be justified and encouraged by invoking the name of an almighty being (who, BTW, takes precedence over your almighty, whoever he is) and his faithful flock (herd word there, infinitely appropriate) has been a bright and shining light from the other side of the door. I walked through as soon as it opened and never looked back- I'd figured out that moral responsibility can be forgotten so quickly once God and the flock accept you as one of theirs. "Join the right team, the good team, the IN crowd!"
    God is a weakness, just like eating more than I know I should, drinking before work is done, or sex with strangers but no condoms. Sure, it's easy and feels good but learned folk resist. If you let someone talk you into believing, you quit trying to fulfill your potential as a human. Moo! If you talk to anyone about believing, you're perpetuating the devolution of our species, which, BTW is contributing to the destruction of our biosphere. And I'd like you to stop fouling the space I must share too! I keep my vices and weaknesses private, it's why we have windowshades and doors. Your religion falls in the same category as my masturbatory practices, keep it private. At least when I wank, it's a crusade against nothing more than boredom. I want to find a new planet when I think about religious herd actions like crusades, jihads, inquisitions, cleansings, reprogrammings and the like. The only thing more foul than the evils committed against folk who didn't believe the same way is the continued practice of drawing lines between peoples. Or perhaps the monied interests encouraging this drawing of lines between peoples...

19. James
    August 24th, 2007 at 1:04 pm

    whine a little more. there is such a thing as freedom of speech, and if you dont like it, run your own website.

20. James
    August 24th, 2007 at 1:10 pm

    plus its damn funny. I invited missionaries in for a beer once

21. ted
    August 24th, 2007 at 4:03 pm

    He certainly knows how to stretch a topic.

    Cute for 30 seconds, tedious the rest.

    It is true, though. Had lots of times the Mormons and Jehovahs Witnesses have come to the door with smug, holier-than-thou comments, putting down other religions, all unsolicited.

22. Dan
    August 24th, 2007 at 4:15 pm

    I didn't think he was rude. Turnabout is fair play.
    I thought it was funny and it made a point. I find it insulting when someone asks me if I've ever thought about my relationship with god, but I usually just feel sorry for them.

    For all the talk about whether or not Americans could elect a Mormon, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that a professed atheist wouldn't have a chance.
    So much for religious tolerance.

23. Dan
    August 24th, 2007 at 4:15 pm

    And if you didn't like it, it's REAL easy to go look at something else.

24. Solo
    August 24th, 2007 at 4:37 pm

    It gets really funny towards the end where they dress up in their little mormon shirt and preach atheism to people in Salt Lake City.

    A good example of how proselytism is bad. You can have any belief you want. Gold tablet, magic translation stones and white native americans and all. Don't force it on other people.

25. Jennifer
    August 24th, 2007 at 5:21 pm

    "Don't force it on other people."

    - Amen to that Solo!

26. Becky
    August 24th, 2007 at 6:39 pm

    I live in Salt Lake City, and I can say "yes" Mormons are that pushy to those that say they aren't....... "yes" they try to force their religion on you and make you feel awful and "under them" if you are not one of them. it is true they do some service, but usually its just to try and get you to think they are holy so they can get into your head.....

27. Mokuwai
    August 24th, 2007 at 7:29 pm

    I just don't think it's "neat" to put down or make fun of someone else's religion. I've only ever found the mormons to be respectful and polite. When you tell them you're not interested in their message that's the end of the conversation.

28. rotu
    August 24th, 2007 at 7:36 pm

    I'm not much of a religious guy, but I look forward to Safran going for the jews given him being one.

29. Becki
    August 25th, 2007 at 1:04 am

    I wish people with this much time on their hands would consider lambasting Socialism with as much energy. That's as much a religion as Mormonism, and far more widespread, not to mention far more detrimental to a lot more people's lives.

30. Adam Stanhope
    August 25th, 2007 at 9:14 am

    I'm rather fond of Socialism, myself, Becki. You're not?

31. Becki
    August 25th, 2007 at 10:15 am

    Adam: try living under Socialism. It's for people who believe that government knows better than them. Inherent in this is that government knows better than you what to do with YOUR own money. It NEVER will - and the clearest explanation of why not is in this classic little video clip of Milton Friedman: 4 ways to spend money.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un4-eI1T71E

32. Blasphany
    August 26th, 2007 at 4:55 pm

    I aggree with # 18 (above) Slingshotjohnny...
    I have also found that intimidation also scares these cows away. Flip on some Black metal...if they think that they're contacting the demon himself, they'll either flea like scared children or keep knocking...if they keep knocking throw on some sunglasses and take off all your clothes...if you've got some fake blood laying around, it adds fun...
    If I want to follow an organized religion, I know where to find it...so don't come knocking wanting me to buy all of these unproven theories...
    On top of this door knocking...my personal belief is that everyone is allowed only one child if they decide to breed...after this, both sexes are to undergo spay and neutering to prevent population growth. Population growth encourages the blight of organized religion such as this...it also encourages pollution of our not-so-great-anymore planet we are forced to live on...not only that; the pollution I speak of are all the dirty diapers from all of these offspring the religious people are producing...to sum it up... I feel that it is the religions like this that are forcing our environment to poison itself...stop having kids you mormons!!! You already outnumber rats and roaches...and we have not found a suitable way with getting away with legal genocide yet. Spay and neuter yourself and your kids in the meantime...wanking is the best form of birth control!!! If god doesn't like it...tough! get it cartherized ...and yes, I also would support using human offspring as a source of meat, Just like veal, except you might want to put these offspring on a diet of wheats and grains first!!!...but last time I checked it was considered inhumane...I suppose all those religious politicians don't consider people in vegetative conditions being kept alive inhumane either...what hypocrits religion raises!!! Don't wake me up on saturdays before noon, and get out of my TV!!! Next time you wake me up, I'll push you down my stairs...and then I'll let god save yer butt!
    Atheism is a guilt free set of rules to live by...more people should try it!!!

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