Oooh! What religious nuttery be this?

[averygoodun42]

Woman rings the doorbell wearing a long skirt and long sleeves with hair pulled back in a bun. My first thought is she's a JW (who have a persistent presence around here).

But then she talks and hands me a clipboard with the header: Health and Lifestyle Education Institute. Says it's a non-profit org.

One of the things on the form was a Health/Lifestyle Assessment.

Now I'm thinking Scientologist.

So, I decide to check a few things, including the Lifestyle Assessment ticky (which she explains comes with a form that covers every aspect of your life). She comes back after a bit with the forms she promised.

Top of form says "A donation is required for the evaluation of this form."

Right, says I. Definitely a religious organization, then.

I flip to the last page of the form, and sure enough, there's questions asking about my spiritual habits. Granted, this could still be a secular thing, but... yeah.

So I read through the form, and I still can't quite place what religion it is. It could be JW, it could be Mormon. It could be Muslim, it could be 7th Day or even Scientologist (though they're not big on modest dress, are they?). It could always be a new thing I haven't heard of, as when I google them, I find they don't have an internet presence, though the name did bring up a Zionist site that I didn't want to spend much time on, as well as all the listings for the city of the same name (Tekoa, Washington).

Are there any (western) religions out there that are vegetarian ('cause Buddhists, they aren't!) or are really, really into super-clean living besides those I mentioned?

I am half tempted to fill out the form and send it in with a pitiful donation (cash) just to find out (and see what advice they offer...). However, I think I'll pass. Fending off conversion attempts is not on my summer to do list.

This year.

Comments

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

(edited for detail) Deffo sounds 7th Day to me, and they're bigger than you might think.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

By Jove, I think you've got it! In fact, I'm positive you do.

Thanks!

[keladry_lupin]

Not Mormon, unless it's a nutter who's gone off on her own. Officially, Mormon missionaries travel in pairs (though there's occasionally a third) and wear black name tags with Elder or Sister and then their last name.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

She didn't strike me as a Mormon mostly because I have never encountered a female missionary. I forgot about the traveling in pairs... which also eliminates JWs. (And while I know Mormons eschew drugs, including caffeine, I didn't think they were strict in other dietary ways. But, well, every sect experiences evolution, so I didn't want to rule it out. :-)

[keladry_lupin]

The young men are the majority of the Mormon missionaries out there, but there are young women and older husband-and-wife couples, too. The couples rarely go door to door, however; they usually serve in temples or work as full-time administrators of offices or guides in historical locations.

Now that I think about it, a friend of mine who's my parents' age did go on a door-to-door mission after her husband died six years ago. So even though the single men are young, the single women can be any age.

There is something we call the Word of Wisdom. Some of it explains why we don't consume hot drinks, alcohol, and tobacco, but the rest of it is dietary advice. Lots of grains, don't eat a lot of meat, that sort of thing. The powers that be let that slide to a certain degree -- it's easier to just say no to the stuff you shouldn't touch at all than to limit how much of something necessary you take in -- which is why there are fat Mormons like me.

And that's way more about Mormons than you ever wanted to know.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Hot drinks? Like cocoa and herbal tea?

I was commenting to a friend the other day that the more I learn about Mormonism, the more I find it's very similar to the new age spiritualism that I (sorta kinda) grew up with. She pointed out that they both come from the Protestant Restoration of the 19th century, so it's no surprise.

It's not a religion I could ever in a million years adhere to (which is true of just about every religion out there, mind. I am firmly anti-dogma for myself), but it's fascinating!

Actually, most American religions are fascinating! If slightly (or not-so-slightly) nutty. ;-)

[keladry_lupin]

It was written in the 1830s, and I'm not sure herbal tea was as prevalent as it is now. I have both cocoa and herbal tea on occasion, but the thing with coffee and tea-tea is the caffeine and other substances in them that are harmful. (And it isn't exactly a good thing when someone pours scalding hot liquid down their throats on a daily basis.) Soft drinks hadn't been invented back then, and we're discouraged from drinking the ones with caffeine now.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

It's kinda funny that black tea has actually been shown to be good for burns. (A family story goes that my grandmother once spilled a pot of tea on herself, and my grampa told her to leave the clothes on so as to help prevent blisters. Sure enough, she was unscathed. Every other hot liquid, however... yeah, strip quickly and get that aloe out!) And the evidence keeps mounting that all forms of real tea are really, really good for you, despite the caffeine (or perhaps even because of it. don' know.)

However, I can see the benefit of a doctrine that shies away from using food as an emotional crutch, which I suspect is the rationale... (That's what God's for, right?)

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

Intrusive, much?

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! Very! (Although, they don't ask about my sexual practices, which is something.)

[(Anonymous)]

And it could just be a scam. Look religious and get people to send money.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Too true...