The LDS Dating Crisis

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the growing disparity between the numbers of single Mormon men and single Mormon women. But amidst all the hand-wringing about what this means for dating and marriage, there are larger implications for what it means for Mormonism, and I had quite a few follow-up questions. So I tracked down sociologist Rick Phillips , who with Ryan Cragun has authored the forthcoming study on the sex ratio disparity among Utah Mormons.

Utah mayor killed in Afghanistan had ‘loved Afghan people’ (My Journal Courier – Illinois) (November 21, ) A Utah mayor killed while serving in the National Guard in Afghanistan had “loved the Afghan people” and was a man of conviction, confidence and compassion, family and military leaders said at a public funeral Saturday.

Fundamentalist Christians, which includes some Mormons, insist on literal historicity of all scripture,, including the early chapters of Genesis. This causes clashes with science on various issues, including creatio ex nihilo creation from nothing , evolution, and the age of the earth. I have no problem with people have personal beliefs regarding any of this. For example, many Young Earth Creationists YEC demand we believe in a year old earth, with dinosaurs dying in the Great Flood or a deception placed in the soil by Satan.

Most of the YEC are not consistent, however. Genesis 1 is based on a flat earth, domed above by an expanse of water, with the lights Sun, moon and stars planted into the revolving dome. Surrounding the land are the oceans. Below or underneath, one finds another expanse of water and Sheol. All of this was supported on great pillars connecting earth and sky. If we are to reject a 14 billion year old earth, evolution and other science because of a literalistic view of Genesis 1, should we not also reject a round earth that revolves around a Sun that revolves around a galaxy of billion stars many of them billions of years old , etc.?

Do we ignore the consistent dating given by science via various methods of measurement?