Anne Frank reportedly baptised by Mormons | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

In the Jewish religion, there is no baptism. That is one of the tenets of Christianity, not Judaism. For the Mormons to do this act is to deny Anne Frank her rightful heritage, that of being a Jew, and is extremely offensive to any one who is a practicing Jew.

How did it deny her her rightful heritage? I could quietly baptize you a Moonie in my office. How would that affect you? It means as much and as little as what the Mormons do.

An Atheist Jew Reflects on the Mormon Baptism of the Dead

So Mormon baptism for the dead is back in the news. After repeatedly promising not to posthumously baptize Holocaust victims, the Mormons have -- once again! -- been caught violating that promise. Elie Wiesel has publicly called on Bishop Mitt Romney asking him, in his capacity as a person running for President who happens to be Mormon, to do something.* In short, once again People Are Upset.

Now, I grant you that, having promised to stop, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ought to carry out their promise, simply because, all things being equal, everyone ought to fulfill their promises, and there seems to be no reason that this one has been nullified.

But having said that, the entire issue raises, for me, another question: which is why the members of my tribe cared enough to extract the promise in the first place.

Why do Jews -- or anyone who is not a Mormon -- care about the Mormon's baptism of the dead? I get that they do. I get that I may be the only Jew on God's footstool who thinks that it doesn't matter. But really, I not only don't think it matters, I don't understand why anyone else does think it matters.

There are two basic possibilities. Either Mormon cosmology is basically right**, or it's not.

If Mormonism is wrong -- and really from this point of view it doesn't matter if the truth is the cosmos as described by the Jews, the Catholics, the Baptists, the Muslims, the Humanists, the Pastafarians or what have you -- then the so-called "Baptism of the Dead" does literally nothing. It is about as efficacious as children playing make-believe. At worst it does some spiritual damage to the living persons engaged in the practice; it certainly has no effect on the dead. Getting upset about the Mormons' actions is like getting upset when children at play say something like "everyone here is a cow".

If, on the other hand, Mormonism is right -- as far-fetched as that seems -- then of course the "baptism of the dead" is efficacious, and actually is doing the deceased a favor. So we should be glad they did it.

Either it's meaningless and stupid, or it's the right thing to do. Either way, how can anyone object?

http://stephenfrug.blogspot.com/2012/02/atheist-jew-reflects-on-mormon-baptism.html

Some of us object to people of other faiths performing rituals on their dead loved ones. For example, in my own case, I was raised a Protestant but no longer hold those beliefs, nor am I a member to any denomination. The dead can not speak for themselves, the Mormons need to get off their high horses and respect the faiths of others.

They believe they are helping. They aren't harming anyone. This isn't like Prop 8 where the belief caused a harm. Other faiths say the Mormons will burn in hell for not being whatever else they should be according to whatever faith.

It may well be they 'think' they are helping. In reality they are being disrespectful not only of the dead, but of the living when they do this.

I read in the news this morning they have also recently 'baptized' Danial Pearl. The journalist who was beheaded on film shortly after 9/11.

Pearl's parents, Judea and Ruth, said it was "disturbing news" to learn that Mormons had baptized their son, in a rite that they understand was meant to offer him salvation.

"To them we say: We appreciate your good intentions but rest assured that Danny's soul was redeemed through the life that he lived and the values that he upheld," Judea and Ruth Pearl said in an email. "He lived as a proud Jew, died as a proud Jew and is currently facing his creator as a Jew, blessed, accepted and redeemed. For the record, let it be clear: Danny did not choose to be baptized, nor did his family consent to this un-called-for ritual."

Boston Globe

but you say that because you dont believe they are right. they do.

yeah, and the Christians in Europe thought it was "right" to torture and burn women (and some men, and animals) as witches too. Just because some religious group "think" they are right does not make it so.

Baptize their own if they so desire, but leave the non-believers alone. The dead have made their wishes known through their lives, the living have repeated asked them to stop. To not stop completely disregards the wishes of others who are not of their faith. And that just serves to give insult and disrespect.

But they arent harming anyone. They believe the harm would come from not doing it. Plus they are creating an outlet for misplaced rightious indignation, it seems.

You dont believe they are right so you dismiss the practice out of hand. That disrespects their belief the same way. I dont really respect any faith. Its all garbage. There's no soul to save. But if you believe any fairytale, why be so dismissive of a portion of theirs that is benevolent?

I don't dismiss they "think" they are doing the right thing. That in their mind it is being "helpful". If they were only doing this to those that "wanted" it, then that would be just great.

However they are doing this to those that do NOT want this. And THAT is disrespectful, and quite a bit insulting. If it doesn't bother you, that's fine, that's you and your feelings/thought/opinion on the matter. However quite a few people / groups have repeated asked them to refrain. They refuse. That is disrespectful, and insulting.

Its a big screw you, we are going to do what we think is right, which is dragging you into our religion, regardless of how you feel about it.

People and their religious beliefs can be mighty weird, I'll grant you that. Fairy tales? I don't know. I do know that people do take their own religion/beliefs pretty seriously. What the Mormons are doing is just plain wrong.

So was I. This seems to be an ongoing problem with Mormons. Regardless of their own particular religious beliefs, such actions are an insult to those of other religions, or in the case of Mitt's FIL, no religion.

For a faith that keeps crying out for tolerance and respect they sure as heck don't offer any for the dead or their families.