For the life of me I can't figure out what people have against them. And I've heard both liberals and conservatives express negative opinions. I'll give you the problem with their doctrines and their history but what religion doesn't have that sort of thing. But their doctrines as far as I know aren't bad, just a little wacky. And their history is history. I know they're conservative generally. Is that what the problem is? I like people who are courteous and respectful and stick by their families and communities and try to help others. My family and I spent a night in O'Hare airport back in 2000 when my son got married. My 85 y/o mom was with us. We hung out next to a group of Mormon kids coming back from their 2 year service and they couldn't have been nicer, expecially to my mom. I had a Mormon student from the local medical school in my clinic this year. Same thing.
As far as Catholics believing what the Church tells them to believe, I think we've got a little contradiction in terms here. When you say the Credo, do you believe all those things. Well there's a lot of stuff in there that's hard to swallow. Is Christ God? Did He die for our sins? Was he born of a virgin? Did he rise from the grave? That's tough stuff that you'd never believe except that the Church tells you it's true. Can you at least accept the possibility? If you don't believe these fundamental things that the Church tells you are true, can you still be a Catholic? "And if Christ has not been raised, then empty is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. … You are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:14,17).
