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Of course, most of the anti-Mormon stuff around here seems bitter and pointless, unless the point is to drive off the most conservative religious group from the ranks of the conservative movement. Because we certainly don’t need a few million active members of the conservative community. I mean, it’s not like they’ve done anything good like repeal same-sex marriage in California or anything — oh wait, they did EXACTLY that. So, maybe you should be outraged that many of our Christian churches teamed up with the LDS church to defeat gay marriage. [CharlesWayneCT]

First of all, a caveat on my position on this whole Haiti help thing: If a Christian humanitarian organization (like Franklin Graham), can work together with another Christian humanitarian organization (like Salvation Army), then that's where the melding should start. In a crisis of this magnitude, believe me, Christian orgs won't have ANY trouble at all, finding other Christian orgs to work with.

Now if the Mormon org wants to likewise work together with the old RLDS sect, same thing. Now, occasionally you'll have a crisis where it's not possible to find a co-partner. ONLY THEN should such a coalition effort be underway. Frankly, the Haiti earthquake doesn't qualify as such a crisis, and reveals more about the Lds church's lack of discernment.

Here's what I REALLY wanted to address, though, Charles: Your words above reminded me of some comments Reno232 made in early September...& prompted me to recall what I said to him...and what I've bold-faced below also applies to you...and, BTW, I told Reno a day after the post below that Here's an example [article about a food bank where Mormons & Christians were working together] of where Christians & Lds can work together -- similar to how they worked together re: to get Prop 8 passed in CA. (Likewise, Christian & Mormon leaders often work together in Boy Scout programs on behalf of youth)...

My Sept. 8 exchange with Reno232:

What does that have to do w/ advancing conservatism & saving this country? Are we arm in arm in this cause, or are you going to step on my neck because I don’t believe religiously as you do? [Reno 232]

My response<>/u>: I already said that Christians & Mormons -- to some degree -- already agree on issues & values & work together. What you've failed to realize is that Joseph Smith's first vision already attempted to squeeze our neck veins into breathing silence. He dug a gigantic graveyard for the Christian church, declared our...
...joinability null & void,
...ALL our creeds as an "abomination" to his god,
...and the heritage of our professing believers as 100% corrupt

The real questions here are "Do you & all FR Mormons agree with these three Smithian assessments of Christians & the Christian church?" [If I was a gambling person, I'd say, "I won't get a response on that question"]

Bottom line: Are you telling us that a few dozen FREEPER critiques keeps us from working together opposing same-sex marriage or abortion or socialistic health care --something apparently you can't tolerate -- but then we're just supposed to 100% ignore Joseph Smith's omnipresent scathing critique of us? (Especially if you're in league with Smith on those views)

What are you trying to accomplish in the name of conservatism w/ the bashing? Are you really advancing the cause? [Reno232]

My response: No, your real questions are:
What did Smith "accomplish" in "advancing" Christian values in this country by labeling 100% of our creeds as an "abomination" -- a word that means "putrid?" What did Smith, by doing that, accomplish in the name of conservatism?

Back to live action: So Charles, my Q to you are:
(1) Since I don't speak for other FR posters on this thread, why do you assume that the worldwide Mormon slander of Christians in their...
...Pearl of Great Price
...& Web sites
...& magazines (example: 1984 Ensign mag article by Kent Jackson)
... & curricula
...& sermons
...& temple rituals (example: Christians pastors were depicted as tools of the devil until 1989)
... (not to mention their accusation that we've all apostatized from our Catholic, Protestant & Orthodox faiths since the 2nd or 3rd century)...
...hasn't "driven off" Christians LONG BEFORE one word was even muttered on FR about Mormons???? [Now certainly that's not me -- but I don't portend to speak for others]
(2) And for those of us as Christians for whom these Lds pronouncements have NOT 100% "driven us off," are you -- as I bold-faced above -- telling us that from the Mormon perspective FREEPER critiques keep us from working together?

Whether it be opposing same-sex marriage or abortion or socialistic health care or whatever -- all because supposedly...
...Christians are NOT entitled to take into consideration what Mormon leaders & Mormon "scripture" says about us...
...but somehow Mormons ARE entitled to let some FR threads influence whether they work with us or not?

How is that not an inconsistent assumption being made?

I mean, are you telling us, Charles, that Christians are simply just supposed to 100% ignore Joseph Smith's omnipresent scathing critique of us?

Note: When Smith's first vision referenced ALL Christians, Christian churches, and Christian sects as:
...corrupt,
...powerless,
...abominable apostate heart-drifter...
...who teaches only human precepts...
...and is ALL wrong...
...all while conveying that this is God's exact assessment of me & every other Christian, Christian church, Orthodox church, Catholic church, etc!!!

Charles, I can ignore the above, and still work together with a fellow Boy Scout leader...so why can't a fellow Boy Scout leader ignore what a FR says about a Mormon and work alongside of us for the betterment of youth?

It seems all you're doing is siding with the inconsistent, double-standards of some Lds!