Posted on 01/31/2009 9:48:29 AM PST by Zakeet
Edited on 01/31/2009 11:43:32 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Speaking at its annual conference held in Detroit in July 2007, NAACP Chairman Julian Bond called on the American public and the entertainment industry to stop using the N-Word. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick added, Today were not just burying the N-word, were taking it out of our spirit. I applaud this effort, and with it I offer my own challenge to Mormons everywhere to bury their own infamous N-word, that being the word anti-Mormon.
As with the word [snip], the word anti-Mormon is meant to be nothing more than an ugly pejorative. It is usually slapped on anyone who questions or disagrees with the teachings of the LDS faith and implies that the perceived critic is somehow against (anti) Mormons (as individuals). Im certainly not against Mormons; in fact, I personally feel I have something better to offer them than what they already claim to have. Technically, that makes me pro-Mormon, though I admit I am against Mormonism.
Far too many Mormons automatically assume that Christians who wish to challenge LDS presuppositions are somehow motivated by hate. Such an assumption seems to be borne more out of laziness on the part of the accuser rather than the result of critical thinking skills. It is easy to accuse someone of hatred; after all, that word gets a lot of mileage in our dumbed-down culture. The intellectually indolent person somehow feels no need to evaluate what has been said once he has successfully assassinated a persons character. However, when Mormons flippantly throw down the hate card, they certainly run the risk of bearing false witness.
I would be the first to admit that this disparaging label had some real meaning during the early and mid-1800s, but it certainly does not fit the great majority of people Mormon apologists have attached it to in modern days. Articles from LDS apologetic groups such as FAIR and FARMS (now the Neal Maxwell Institute) are peppered with this word, sometimes to the point of monotony. The irony is that while such organizations desperately want to be recognized for their scholarship, they fail to realize that true scholarly material tends to refrain from such ad hominem. This behavior has not gone unnoticed by those known for their thoughtful contributions to this subject. In their book Mormon America, Richard and Joan Ostling note, The FARMS team is particularly shrill in its rhetoric, an odd pose for an organization that seeks to win intellectual respectability for the church. All too often Saints use the label anti-Mormon as a tactic to forestall serious discussion (p. 376).
Modern Mormons who equate questions and disagreement with persecution need to do some serious rethinking. In my opinion, Mormons who lump those who challenge the truth claims of Mormonism with the persecutions of the past actually bring dishonor to the Mormon pioneers who truly suffered. Considering what some of the early Mormons went through, I am sure they would view with contempt a modern Mormon who whines about being persecuted simply because someone challenged their faith.
Thankfully, some Mormon thinkers disagree with fellow members and have chosen to refrain from using this unnecessary language. They recognize that even though some folks have sharp theological disagreements with Mormonism, their purpose is not at all to bring harm to the LDS people. Anti-Mormon is an overused moniker that needed to be jettisoned long ago, and I call on every Mormon to bury their own N-word, once and for all.
Ok, what?
Sadly I have grown so used to it I hardly notice...
No that was the democrats.
This holier-than-thou preaching from the self-proclaimed lofty perch by some people on this thread is getting REAL tiresome....some of you must think there is no record of your OWN words on this site. For example.....
"Do as I say, not as I do" seems to be the word of the day as sent down by Salt Lake.
In response to your little homily at the end, try Matthew 7:3
Amen sister!
Agreed.
However, when criticism is offered in anger and hate, it is a very different animal.
Agreed. And if anyone will provide me with an example where I have done this, intentionally or otherwise, I will promptly apologize to the injured parties.
Our Lord went through far worse than any of us will ever experience, are we greater than he that we can get so worked up about doctrinal differences? Shouldnt we follow His example?
Our Lord "got worked up over doctrinal differences" many times, and was never bashful about speaking out (e.g. Matt. 23:27). And we are commanded to be wary of and confront false doctrine (e.g. Matt 7:15; 24:24, Rom16:17, 1Ti 1:3-10, 4:6-16, etc.)
Never said that F, don't try to mind read - its not good for your witness. The key point is all those wishing to become gods in mormonism must pay their tithe to maintain their temple recommend. If that is not doctrinal, please cite me where I'm wrong.
Interesting we have a Wonderland reference in a Mormon thread. Fantasy begets fantasy...
Resty, what you've posted so far does little to bring credability to your arguement. If TN is wrong, post real data not personal attacks - thought you have been argueing against them throughout.
Pay to play...
Very Chicago democrat....
Not suprising. Many who've read the bom have seen the same as well as tried to work through their doctrines - especially when their prophet is only prophetic when it is convient to public opinion.
Yet when Jesus shows up in america, he destroys multiple cities and thousands upon thousands of his other sheep. If mormons want to believe in that Jesus - fine. But when mormons want to call themselves Christians - especially when they say they are the only true Christians - then their doctrinal differences can and should come under review. Seems some of the mormons here vent their spleen because we have the audacity to stand and say - from mormon sources - that the teachings of mormonism are not those of Christianity and represent the false gospels and Christs warned about by Jesus and the Apostles.
Yet when Jesus shows up in america, he destroys multiple cities and thousands upon thousands of his other sheep
Please give chapter and verse where Jesus did that?
so you are saying this thread is a LDS source?
“And when the critic has a history of antagonism, no criticism, no matter how sincere the critic may be, will not be received well by its intended target.”
Means WILL BE rec’d well?
Where have you been living under a rock there are folks who have various kinds of dyslexic.
In my day they did not have clue unless you were Rockefeller
so by the time I self discover what it was (21) from than on I was self taught.
Seems your tolerance is only for those who function like you!
That's assuming that the "intended target" is known. Who knows what our intended target is on a site that has thousands accessing it daily?
LOL...preaching "tolerance" now!
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