“Trying to tick you off” may be a side benefit, but the real purpose of invoking the “burning in the colon” is to diffuse what you and most Mormon’s view as a debate closer
A Your prediction for ticking people off as entertainment does not speak well of you.
B It is a debate closer for us, once God speaks, what any one else says is irrelevant. We do not expect it to close the debate for you.
‘I felt a burning in the bosom and therefore I’m right’. You believe in revelation, but seem incapable of admitting that anyone else might have a revelation that was counter to yours.
Yes, you are correct, God will only tell the truth, he will not tell me yes, and you no, I made an analogy with math earlier...
Indeed, many of us have had a revelation that Mormonism is a cult and that it needs to be opposed because it drains the souls of men (if we had not had such a revelation, why would we battle so hard?).
Really? Please tell me how this revelation came to you. When you tell me, the burden of proof is on you, to prove you are not lying because I have received a witness, and I have personally caught anti's telling Blatant lies to try to injure the testimonies of Mormons who read here. Do you know who
Mark Hoffman is? He is an excellent example of an anti Mormon, he grew up in he church, committed sins, went before his bishop and passed an interview for a mission (he lied and knew he was lying) and he went on his mission anyway, figuring that if he could lie to his bishop the church wasn't true (even though the doctrine is clear that God will allow men to chose to lie and reap the consequences) He returned from his mission, and pretended to be a good solid member, while forging documents designed to bring down the Church. We may never know (in this life) all the forgeries, so if I were an anti, I would be mad at him for muddying the water of anything I might find. In the end, he was so sure he was right he began murdering people with car bombs to cover his tracks (murdering for Jesus?) he was injured when one of his bombs went off in his car as he was transporting it, caught, tried and confessed all of this. I link to Wikipedia which has a brief description which differs in some minor details from my memory, but i do not consider them significant and am willing to go with Wikipedia on this if you have a problem my recitation, either will show you the lengths Anti Mormons will go to.
Moreover, you generically deny Objective evidence, trying to turn everything into the subjective which you can trump with your burning in the bosom speach.
Objective like having differing interpretations of scripture? LOL!
Unfortunately for you, the objective evidence in the form of historical documents is huge.
Yeah, that's what Mark thought, 'nuf said.
It shows Joseph Smith was a petty peep stone diviner before latching on to the religion scam, it shows the Book of Mormon an artifact of early settler lore about the connections of Jews and American Indians (totally falsified by current DNA data), it shows the Kirtland bank scandal to be a scam which required purging numerous stout Mormons from the fold to hide the truth. And so much more.
Peep stone? Yes, he had the ability to divine, it was a common thing back then to use divining rods and etc. so? (I heard Jesus taught in the temple before he started his ministry... Shhhh!)
Religion Scam? So much for your objectivity.
Early settler lore, LOL! Such a fabrication.
DNA evidence? Talk about Subjective, here, read
This Kirtland bank scandal, LOL This has been debunked so many times it's pathetic that you bring this back from a well deserved rest.
I think we can agree on one thing: Very few are the number of people who have a neutral opinion of Joseph Smith and there has been so much said on both sides that the truth is difficult to find.
This obfuscation of the truth is why I encourage people to pray and ask God for he knows the truth far better than you or I.
Moreover, while the Mormons have at times been treated unfairly, Much as we are being treated here.
any reading of both sides of the historical documents shows that the Mormons incited as much animosity as not, and Joseph Smith was cut from the mold of a dandy/tinpot general/fraudster/king. Brigham Young was perhaps even worse, being a murderous thief. One cannot read the accounts of Missouri and of Illinois Governor Ford and not be struck by the realization that the Gentiles were acting out of fear of the Mormon Danites and militia and the possibility of a breakaway theocracy in their midst as much as any animosity to individual Mormons. Indeed, the Mormons could have been annihilated a number of times except for the forbearance of Gentiles.
If you remember, my ancestry comes from "The other side" of Mormonism, don't tell me they were forbearing, they weren't. Like most people, they did what was best for them, they tried to look out for number one while not stepping in number two.
BTW, your sidewise swipes at good men, detracts from your argument.
Now people can certainly come to less severe conclusions than I have based on the records
You can say that again, and again.
You might want to consider
Matt. 7: 1-2 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
I for one would hate to stand before the Bar of God with harsh judgment on my record.
but just as assuredly it is impossible to read the FAIR and FARM spin on history and not realize in juxtaposition to the records that a whitewashing has occurred.
Really? The anti sites that still quote from proven forgeries can be trusted?
Which is worse, to believe good of evil men or to believe evil of Good men?
As to your Whitewashing theory, please not that the Link to
Mark Hoffman on Wikipedia that I listed earlier mentions that we gave a "incriminating" letter (that was forged, but we didn't know it then) to the RLDS church because it was important to them. Individual Mormons have undoubtedly covered up things that they thought damaged the church even when the church would have wished otherwise, the Catholics have the same problem in their history. The LDS church is very open on it's web site as is the Catholic church, and that I applaud, non Mormons are just as free to download the study materials and talks as I am. This charge of conspiracy to cover up our "flaws" just does not hold water. However, I do not expect you to see that.
When a church thrives on distortion of history, on secrecy and excommunication of apostates by the droves,
Distortion not!
Secrecy only the Temple ceremonies are kept Sacred and from the world, all else is published and in nauseating detail.
excommunication of apostates by the droves Well, our numbers should be declining dramatically, no wait, we are one of the fastest Growing religions. I ask you, should a Church (earthly organization) tolerate those who openly flout and disobey? Thus impairing the Church (earthly organization) from Preaching the Gospel (Eternal message of salvation that encompasses all man kind)?
Have you been paying attention to what is happening to the Episcopal Church with the Gay marriage issue? This is what happens when a church does not clean house. (My apologies to Episcopalians, I have several friends who feel this very deeply)
one knows the jig is up.
Yes, I not that you have not quoted a single source, what too much of a hurry?
The steady bleed of apostates who have been harmed by Mormonism is itself a revelation that all is not well in the land of Oz.
The "Steady bleed" is not enough to keep our numbers from Growing, and while regrettable is predictable, every church has those who do not continue in faith to it.
You post these things as if they are a triumphal victory over Mormonism, well, I would never dream of robbing you of your moment of success, alas, a moment was all I could spare... (The Scarlet pimpernell)