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Posted on 05/08/2008 5:04:47 PM PDT by Grig
I am posting this on behalf of many LDS freepers. They will post their own 'signature' to this in the comments below. --- Some of you have noticed lately a lot of LDS (ie: Mormon) threads here on FR. I'm going to tell you why.
For many years there have been several active LDS freepers here. We post to all the forums on relevant issues, and were happy to have a site where conservative values were so openly welcomed.
Those conservative values include faith in God, and freedom of religion. We fully respect the rights of all posters to express their opinions and views on religious matters, even when people choose to use those rights to express criticism of our own faith. We also support the ideas embodied in FR rules against religion bashing. There is no need for hostility and there should be no room for bigotry on FR. Every religion has it's miracles and mysteries. Every faith has things in it that are not or can not be proven, and things that run contrary to what secular science would have us believe. Someone mature and confident in their own faith generally doesn't feel the need to belittle the faith of others.
We have, to the best of our ability, conducted ourselves with civility and dignity. We do not feel that that respect has been returned by some posters (putting it mildly).
When Mormon missionaries were murdered, the moderators were kept busy pulling jubilant posts off the thread. When Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home, we contended for months with posters who appeared to be motivated by religious bigotry doing all they could to smear the family and accuse the father. Several posters openly admitted their religious motivation in opposing Mitt Romney and confessed that no matter how conservative any Mormon was, they would never vote for one for President of the USA. When the Pope died, I don't think any Mormon poster posted anything unkind, yet the thread about the passing of our President recently needed many comments removed.
Nearly every thread having any connection with Mormons, or Utah winds up being hijacked by anti-Mormon activists who copy and paste the same false accusations over and over even when it has been clearly and factually pointed out to them on multiple occasions that they are bearing false witness against our faith. Everything possible is done by these activists to make FR a hostile place for Mormons, and for at least some of them, bashing Mormonism is all they do here. Their most recent project is trying to blur the fact that the polygamous FLDS is a separate and distinct religion from ours, just as Lutherans are a separate and distinct religion from Catholicism.
In our opinion, such poster do a great disservice to FR and to their fellow freepers by spreading disinformation and promoting hostility towards a people known for walking the walk of conservative values.
Why the moderators here don't see the behavior of these anti-Mormon activists as religion bashing is a mystery to us, but it is the moderators call to make and we respect their right to do so. That doesn't mean we have to be passive however. We have all spent many hours refuting the accusations leveled at our faith, but these wind up buried deep in a flood of comments, effectively shouting us down.
Recently some of us have decided to take a more proactive approach. Rather than try to wrestle the pig into taking a bath, we are just going to hose it down. We will actively define our faith here rather than just respond to accusations.
So expect to see lots of Mormon threads, now and for as long as we see fit to keep posting them (although probably not as many as there are Catholic threads). They will be about our basic doctrines and responses to common accusations. If you want to know what our faith is about, read the articles we post. We will post them as open threads and I encourage you to compare the difference in tone and spirit between what we post and what our critics say.
Mormonism isn’t a denomination of Christianity. It is not Catholic, it (by it’s own recogning) is not Protestant.
So Mormonism is either the one true Restored Church (according to its own claims) or it is a fraud.
Which is it. It is Mormonism that asks you to make a judgement. If Mormonism is true and you reject it, you are not a member of Christs “true” Church.
Where do you stand? Is it the one True Church or not. If it is a fraud, then why are you so determined to defend it. While I agree that Mormons have a right to believe any darned fool thing they wish (as do you and I), I would never appear on a thread to defend believers of voodoo.....simply because it isn’t worth my time. So what is your motive?
You can claim all you want that the sky is green and the grass is blue - you have the right. But can you imagine anyone saying that because you believe it, your beliefs are as valid as anyone else's. Could you imagine a non-sky-green believer ever defending your ridiculous claims as vehemently as you have been defending the claims of Mormonism.
I think you have an agenda. I wish I knew what it was.
Interesting distinction between ignorance and willful belief.
If there was a voodoo worshipper on this board, and they made a comment about some current event, and someone responded “voodoo worshippers eat their children, so why should we listen to you”, I would stand up and ask the poster for proof to support their accusation.
Indeed but...you have to infer they have insufficient knowledge, they've established their own righteousness, and are not submissive in order for you to be right. You can't decide that. You're not God.
In other words its a "my interpretation of these writings is the correct one, theirs isn't." That's when you must play the "Spirit" card.
Already have one in my library. Have an NT as well. I keep all my sundials in a closet. :-)
Your example would be more like an article about the practice of zombies. The modern voodoo worshipper might proclaim loudly that they no longer rob cemetaries of the dead and that those people who continue the practice have no connection whatsoever to voodoo.
In that case, a poster might respond with an article showing the zombies was a practice initiated by voodoo and that current practioners of Zombieism indeed originated and have much in common with voodoo. Perhaps like this: Zombie Link
The we would hear great cries of alarm from the current voodooist with claims of anti-voodooism, and a need for hosing the pigs who make a connection.
Its not so much carrying water but rather taking on the role of a peacemaker, a paramedic if you will helping the wounded after all the carpet bombing. Or picking someone up after being kicked in the groin for Jesus. It happens so frequently I haven't the time to read. But thanx.
Thank you brother!:)
See post 1310. :-)
Jospeh Smith was an IGNORANT, 14 yo farm boy with no bible knowledge - Straight from LDS archives.
they've established their own righteousness,
Article of Faith #3 - We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
and are not submissive in order for you to be right.
They didn't even follow their OWN 'scripture'!
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TRUTH IGNORED
Smith, Young, Taylor, Pratt, Snow, Kimball, Woodruff ...
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You can't decide that. You're not God.
God can; and has.
Mormons state that Joseph Smith was accurate when HE stated that the FATHER and the SON of the GODHEAD visited him.
Ask THEM for some PROOF.
We Christians show PROOF from the BIBLE that the two described were Satanic messengers, disguised as angels of light.
BOTH things CANNOT be correct.
Which one is true?
No one disputes that you sincerely think you’re correct.
Its just that you don’t have anything more to back up your position than they do. You can say God said this and that but its purely subjective. Until you can produce objectivity its all faith. They have it too and are just as sincere. You’re gonna kick em in the groin for that?
In your subjective opinion.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
It is fact.
Deeds do not a God make, nor do they save you.
This verse is very clear, the is only one way, all other such claims are false, including claims there is no God.
Christians would do good to remember this one verse, for it ends all arguments.
Non Christians and non believers would do good to learn it...
Hello Charles.
I posted the other two sentences for you. The lack of context you so vehemently claim is, perhaps, only in your imagination.
You have attempted to draw a parallel by saying that there are different Christian denominations (and they all don't agree, which is true) - so therefore what is the problem with Mormonism not agreeing with everything Christians hold dear - so there!
From my perspective, that was your "set up."
Here is why I believe you are so very wrong Charles.
While different Christian denominations clearly exist, most Christian believe they are united in the body of Christ if that denomination believes in what the Bible says about Him.
I asked you twice that if God was not worth defending, what is worth defending?
You blew me off.
I asked you if you knew you were really in His grip?
You refused to answer.
I know people that are not that smart, and they don't have much in this world. Some can't speak English very well. But if I asked them about Jesus Christ, they bubble forth with praise and gratitude.
A Korean woman who goes to my church will tell anyone withing listening distance how much Christ has done for her. A former Muslim man who used to beat his wife and children will turn on a dime and tell anyone who will hear how he loves Christ so much, because He save him and made him a new person.
Christ saved me. I am so grateful to Him.
Christian churches that are of a different denomination, yet have a mission statement for Christ are united in Him. They cooperate every day - every week - exchanging personnel, money, and aid.
I see it in our church. We have pastors going to different cities and countries.
In my opinion, all you want to do is blur the lines here.
Have you ever heard of these?
1. God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life.
2. Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
3. Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.
4. We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
Those are the Four Spiritual Laws. All Christian who believe in Christ share them - regardless of denomination.
We Must Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
The lines are not blurred in His eyes.
I think you're missing the point. All us Mormons didn't run Romney for President: he ran himself, and some Mormons supported him, and some, myself included, were strongly against him.
I have a fairly large personal experience of Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, several types of Muslims, and many much smaller groups of various religious denominations, Christian and otherwise, as well. I have never, ever, found a group that was homogeneous and numbered more than a few dozen. I know for a fact that there are some really poor examples of Baptists. Also, some really good ones, as well. The same is true of every other church, and every other religion. Some of the folks here on FR seem unaware of that.
Bell-Curve crowds, FRiend, that is what we're dealing with.
I know that if someone posted an anti-Romney statement, a bunch of Mormons would jump on them and accuse the poster of bigotry. I'm not anti-Mormon (although I don't agree with the theology), and I didn't see members of the LDS jump in to try to bring reason to the debate. I'm glad to see your post today, but it is a bit late.
Frankly, the radical response by some (not all - there are several Mormons that I never saw on those threads) of the LDS crowd has poisoned relations between Mormon conservatives and evangelical conservatives. And that is bad for FR, and for the country.
BTTT
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