Posted on 09/29/2010 3:05:05 PM PDT by zippythepinhead
Atheists and agnostics know more about major world religions than many people of faith, while Mormons can answer more Bible questions than their Catholic and mainline Protestant counterparts.
Those are among the somewhat startling conclusions about religious literacy in America the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life drew after surveying 3,412 Americans.
Some of the multiple-choice questions were relatively simple: Where was Jesus born and who led the exodus from Egypt? What religion was Mother Teresa, what day does the Jewish Sabbath begin and what is the name of Islam’s holy book?
Others were more obscure: What is Indonesia’s dominant religion? Which Christians teach that salvation comes through faith alone?
About half the Protestants (53 percent) couldn’t correctly identify Martin Luther as the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation. Fewer than half of Americans (47 percent) knew the Dalai Lama is Buddhist and only 38 percent correctly associated Vishnu and Shiva with Hinduism.
John Morehead, director of the Western Institute for Intercultural Studies in Salt Lake City, had already noted religious illiteracy in the general population as well as in the evangelical community. But he did not expect Mormons to top them in their biblical fluency.
“Mormons tend to emphasize Mormon scriptures like the Book of Mormon rather than the Bible in their devotional life,” Morehead said in an e-mail.
Even some LDS scholars were surprised to find Mormons at the top.
(Excerpt) Read more at sltrib.com ...
Bwahahahahahaha ... nice try!
Sorry, but it appears that most MORMONs either CANNOT or WILL not answer SIMPLE questions.
"Mom; I'm tellin' you: PRESBYTERIANism is UNTRUE!"
Did you like the way the twister avoided answering the eternal progression heresy? Bwahahahaha, and I thought he’d lost his touch! Nah, not Delph, he’s a born dissembler. Such a good dishonest Mormon example. DBS is alive and well with this one (dodge, bait, and switch)
So let me get this straight, you say two totally opposite things, say now that they were in response to some complicated question I ask that I don’t see anywhere so the fact now it’s all my fault for not “understanding” you...
There is confusion alright...
By design as usual...
No I am not Jesus, Jesus is Jesus, and his spoken words are in the Bible. Sure you have heard of it. It is all there for people to see and understand both in word and context since the writers did a fairly good job of setting the various stages and condition about to who and about whom he was speaking. No real stretch no need to have any divine powers, just decent reading abilities and a rational honest and straightforward mind.
And again you miss the “calling your brother a fool” point. No one that I see is disagreeing with the fact the Bible tells us not to call our brother a fool. The point of contention is whether one is addressing a bother with that term or someone else. That should be a very simple and rational point to grasp when one is be forthright and not trying to “confuse” the issue.
Not that anyone of the LDS persuasion would do that of course...
And please, you and your peers just stop (not that you will, against SOP) with the “The only thing I object to is a summary dismissal without examining the evidence and without a prayer of truth being revealed” type razzmatazz. You and yours have been told repeatedly that all of us, especially the former Mormons, have been very familiar with the “evidence” and such, from the “testimonies" about non existent places and things” to the “archaeological evidence” to the DNA and yes even prayer, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt spiritually and logically that it is all a con.
As far as extended courtesy, even with you arrogance out right misrepresentations of Christian ideas and the Savior himself as well as purposful misdirection and game playing we all try, to a very great extent, to engage you openly and as straightforward as possible given the subject, ask you questions (that you often ignore or obfuscate on) and respond to your question candidly with all the facts one can bear. So if you think playing the victim works for you great, it's LDS SOP anyways so you are following procedure and tradition. But that is even starting to wear a little thin with the masses, the digital age and all I guess.
Eagerly awaiting your posting the proof from the Bible that baptism for the dead is "Jesus' way of doing things"....
Jesus didn't come up with the scam that would keep mormon church coffers full by requiring "busy work" that "incidentally" was only allowed to be done by those who paid to buy the temple entry ticket.
Rather than a "way to get out of damnation", it's a pitiful example of how brain-washing affects Biblically ignorant folks.
"The Test" is simple, you can't believe what I say, for I may be wrong, you can't believe what Mormon detractors say for again they might be wrong, or lying. So who can we trust? We can trust the Bible, we can trust God, for God is "a God of truth and canst not lie."you give us 2 Corinthians 11:14 as a test...
The test is contained in First John 4:1-31 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.We are supposed to look for Gods messages by trying the spirits, and we will know which is of God because it will testify of Jesus. I have tried the Spirits to know if they would testify of Jesus and the Book of Mormon, and I have received an answer, yes the Book of Mormon is of God and Jesus is the Christ, my Savior, my Lord, my God. I wish that everyone could have this experience, thus, I offer to all a Free Book of Mormon and if you don't already have one, a Free Bible Too. I invite you to cut through all the yea and nay arguments with a simple prayer, I invite you to come unto Jesus Christ my master. The formula is simple, Get a Book of Mormon, Get a Bible. Read both, pray about both, ask God to testify of Jesus and ask God to reveal errors for what they are, and truth for what it is and listen for God's response. The response should contain a testimony of Jesus, or it may not be from God.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
There may be those who will encourage you not to pray, they will use various methods to do this, I used to list the many scriptures from the Bible that command us to pray, but I am now only going to quote from the Book of Mormon: Second Nephi 32:88 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.The Bible teaches man to Pray, the Book of Mormon teaches men to pray, anyone who teaches something else is not of God.
Friends, brethren, beware of those who teach that God will not answer a sincere prayer from the heart. Seek God. Seek to do good continually, Do good to those who persecute you and despitefully use you. In the end you will in no wise lose your reward for seeking to follow the scriptures.
Amen.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.By which quotation you obviously, since this is a drum you bang regardless of how out of step it is with the actual context it was said in...
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.And what is Paul talking about here? Go read the whole chapter, he's talking to those who would set themselves up to teach and get glory, those who would lead others for money, those who would call themselves to the work, and not wait for God to tell them what to do, boasters, proud and falsely righteous.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Just because the FLDS, and the Catholics are my brothers, does not mean they can enter the temple.
The Muslims are also my brothers, but I will not be allowed into their temples.
The members of the moose-lodge are my brothers, but that does not grant me entrance to their meetings either.
The “Brotherhood of Man” is by virtue of the fact that we are all god's children.
Delph
Are you that illiterate that you cannot follow a standard reference citation, or just too lazy?
Nary a link in the bunch, and accept for the D&C quotation on the church being the only true church, nothing is from the Cannon of the church...
Ah, I see that you are going to endorse the documented statements of your prophets. And yes, your DOCTRINE denegrates other religions - as a matter of doctrine. As you said The important question is: What does it do to a man's soul to denigrate another man's faith? You are endorsing these documented statements. They have the endorsement of one of your prophets DU - “The Journal of Discourses deservedly ranks as one of the standard works of the Church, and every rightminded Saint will certainly welcome with joy every number (issue) as it comes forth.“ (President George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, Preface, Volume 8.) Are you GREATER than a prophet of your church DU.
But then the issue ISN'T mormon doctrine on this point - the issue is your whipping horse of denegrating another man's faith - my my and the double standard on mormonism's part (and their defenders here) if exponentially demonistrated here. THANK YOU DU FOR SUSTAINING YOUR LEADERSHIP'S DENEGRATION OF CHRISTIANITY
I could quote Fred Phelps and go after the Baptists, but that would be just as disingenuous as your quotations, I could go back and talk about the sale of indulgences and the Catholic church, but that would also be disingenuous, your list of private comments by men in the church who often were later elevated to positions in the church,
Big difference here DU - phelps, indulgences and 'private' comments are not in the same category as apostles and prophets of the mormon church - or are you going to lower your prophets to that level now? The citations from JoD are "General Conference Sermons and other talks by Presidents of the LDS Church and members of the Quorum of Twelve. These are not you 'joe nobodies' DU, and it is disingeneous for their statements to so glibly discounted. Whether or not their words were "doctrine", their words were denegrating.
The link also talks about how the church was embarrassed by the book and asked Bruce R McConkie not to reprint it as it was "full of errors and misstatements, and it is most unfortunate that it has received such wide circulation." Bruce R McConkie edited the book to take out a lot of statements that "Orthodox Christians" found objectionable.
Yet he was sustained to be an Apostle inspite of it hmmmmmm. Truth is DU, the quotation is present in the 1966 edition - the second edition with the approved text. So it appears that you are still sustaining McConkie's statements.
Clearly, it is the documented record that the highest leaders of the mormon church have historically denigrated, demeaned and put down the religion of others.
There is a path left for all to get out of Damnation, that is Jesus way of doing things.
Ordinances, necro dunks, bla bla bla. Really DU, apparently smith didn't believe the bom on this matter (you know the book that is to be the most perfect book, etc). Show me where in the bom that necrodunking is a necessary ordinance. Oh, and doctrine from Alma 34:35-36 and 2 Nephi 9:15 contradicts the practice.
So now I am responsible for everything anyone said you didn't like? I need to go on an apology tour like some Democrat president?
Not responsible - but do you sustain their words? Apparently from your response so far you have not repudiated any except your distant relative McConkie - except that the citation I used was from the APPROVED second edition of MD. There they are DU - do you need more citation to show that your highest leadership has historically denegrated other religions - specifically Christianity. Or is it too much for you to recognize the double standard of your position to do so.
Now out with the name calling personally by you calling me a cry baby?
Only if you choose to personify the matra.
You are right about one thing, your post was educational about double standards!
You have furthered my post's goals greatly by refusing to answer your own question in light of the documented historical statements of your churches highest leadership. Take a good wiff DU, that odor is coming from your diapers.
You stick with the tearful testimonies flying in the face of Biblical truth. At least the pictures give folks a laugh now and then, while the testimonies just cause Christians to shake their heads in disbelief at the evidence that some folks will believe ANYTHING.
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