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Notes -
I don't see the Mormon comparison as particularly accurate today? I would have thought that the stereotypical view of Mormons is not that of selflessly compassionate people on the margins of society tending the needy, albeit with a distressing tendency to refuse political or civic loyalty. Rather, my picture of a stereotypical Mormon is more 'Stepford nice', if that makes sense? I picture polite people in clean white shirts who never swear and who are conspicuously observant of propriety. If I think 'Mormon', I think 'clean, upstanding, good citizen', and so on. Mormons have put a lot of effort into respectability.
If I set the stereotypes aside and instead think about Mormons I actually meet, in that context what I mostly see them is actually a very strong effort to make themselves less recognisable - it is unusual that I talk to a believing Mormon for very long before I reach the part where they say, "See, we're just like you, we're Christian, we believe in Jesus, there are no differences!" In other words, in my experience they try pretty hard to play down the weird beliefs that make them different, which is not something I suspect a first or second century Christian would do vis-a-vis pagan Romans.
There’s some of the Stepford-nice portrayal, but here in north Texas, it’s way closer to what hydro describes. I’ve had coworkers gossip about the number of Mormons around. Never in a negative way—more like “wow, he’s literally the nicest person at this company” or “have you heard about dirty sodas?” “Weird” is definitely the prevailing sentiment.
Might be an outgroup/fargroup thing. Or maybe that secular liberalism has disarmed religious sects enough that people don’t feel threatened.
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Yes, interesting – I think I agree with your distinctions, although I wonder if the Romans thought of early Christians as "Stepford nice," too.
Entirely possible! People often have different instincts around it as well - people have told me that I sometimes come off as a bit Stepford, even though I don't intentionally try for anything like that, and I find it a little creepy when other people do it. The point where politeness or outward kindness becomes creepy may differ from person to person, or according to cultural context.
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