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 ...
A touch skin or a hard heart?
tough
If they could deal with truth (or reality) they wouldn’t be Mormons...
***
It is you ELISE who continue whinning about the counsel of the Lord Jesus Christ the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!!
Jesus said join none of them!
18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join.
No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that:
“they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time.
When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.”
I then said to my mother, I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.”
It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?
AGAIN, for the thousandth time you ignore the ACTUAL question...
No one disputes that Smith was told or the Presbyterianism is untrue, that is a given. The question is WHAT is untrue about it.
That is what no one can answer, and that is very telling.
Maybe you could be the first?
It is you ELISE who continue whinning about the counsel of the Lord Jesus Christ the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!!
Jesus said join none of them!
______________________________________________
When did Jesus say that ???
and which Jesus ???
the mormon jesus who was created amd made or the LORD Jesus Christ of the Christian Bible who is God and therefore the Creator and begotten not made.....
If it was the LORD Jesus Christ of the Christian Bible ...
Then wheres your source ???
Wheres the quote and book/verse from the Bible ???
then said to my mother, I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.”
__________________________________________
Yes well this was after the Smith family had been excommunicated from the Presbyterian Church in Palmyra NY in March 1830...
So it was just sour grapes on Joey Smiths part and not from any point of virtue or innocence..
Just a guilty heart speaking...
If he said it at all to his mother...
You talk ugly about the Presbyterian church that you once belonged to also...
Were you also excommunicated ???
Why did you leave the Presbyterian Church ???
What was your sin ???
Why did you apostate ???
How cute, I'm so impressed with your juvenile attempts to read minds and ridicule posters [not really].
"...and decide to address my example...let me know..."
When you decide to honor others by heeding your own words, let me know. I remind you that as soon as I disagreed with your position on the topic, you decided to make attempts at getting personal.
Yet, I detect an air of, shall I say, hubris? Yes, that's it. Hubris combined with arrogance, deceit, petulance and ignorance. All the behaviors that I've become so accustomed to seeing demonstrated by those on the losing end of an argument.
As for humor, well, it's all relative.
The supercilious behavior evident in your replies is not humor, it's childish.
When you're taking flak, you're over the target.
So predictable.
Which Christ, the murderous, destructive, vengeful christ from the BoM or the peaceful Christ from the Bible?
When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.”
__________________________________________________
Strong booze will do it to ya every time...
What was he doing when he got home that his mother objected to ???
Leaning up to the fireplace...
Was that a source of “matter” in those days ???
Or was he doing some type of drunken NONO into the fire hearth ???
We used to stand near the fireplace when we were kids but Mom never commented that there was some problem...
Maybe its time to examine the nuances of this incident...
There is either some points accidently or intentionally left out or covered up or the conversation never took place or the words were different...
Now I can see Joey Smith being angry about the excommunication however justified it was...
(he had a reputation as a violent quick tempered guy...)
and it would be natural for the Smiths to discuss the “matter”
although the Smiths would have blamed everyone else but themselves...
There does not appear to have been much soul searching or self examination amongst that family...
And Joey Smiths writings are full of his personal “virtues” and none of his failings...
(For instance cheating on your wife is a sin whatever a tomcat like Joey Smith wants to call it...polygamy, everlasting covenant, the first principal are just mormon code words for adultery..)
We know Joey Smith had a huge ego because nobody writes themselves into the Bible without some aberrant deviance of personality...
Name anyone else who ever did that ???
So did Joey Smith up chuck or worse into his mothers fireplace and she berated him ???
What did Joey Smith do when he finally dragged his drunken or dugged carcuss home from his mushroom grove ???
I dont see any apology to his Mom so qwe can rule that out...
Joey Smith was a law unto himself...
The theories of the main character in Crime and Punishment comes to mind...
Now here too was a guy who thought he was above the law, other men...
He too thought himself a superior human being with permission of the Cosmos to commit any crime and get away with it...His entitlement ran to murder and robbery..
Joey Smith also deliberately broke every one of the 10 Commandments...He was entitled..The Super Id among mere mortals..
I do not imagine however that Lucy Mack Smith sat him down and pulled his boots off and brought him his kept warm supper by the fire when he got home...Joey Smith never said she did..
Rather, Lucy smacked him a good one and said something like
“Whats the matter with you, you drunken lazy sod. Why dont you get a job and stop wasting your days hanging out with your trashy friends”
to which Joey Smith answered his Mom
“Ive learnt that that Presbyterian Church has told everone the truth about me and now I cant get a job in this town even if i wanted one. Any way I’m well off. I’ve still got you and Dad to support me”
(You will notice I supplied the answers to my queries myself. So you dont have to, even if you wanted to)
Thats ok resty, i know your trudge on with your bloody rags
hard work earning your salvation
too bad you won’t accept that Jesus has already done it all
too bad you don’t recognize Jesus for who He is
too bad you don’t recognize smith for who he was.
And then she went right out and joined the Presbyterian church.
I have no clue what you are talking about or has to do with your stinky hands!
I have no clue what you are talking about or has to do with your stinky hands!
Talking about your self again!
so how well are your works of righteousness going over to earn your way to heaven resty?
Still what does this have to do with your natural man stinky hands?
Maybe instead of trying to use Jesus you should go to your sink and wash them!
Reminder
Jesus washes souls not your smelly hands!
that was accomplished over 40 years ago resty. You should try it too, instead of the works of your natural (wo)man trying to be righteous and earning your salvation. Keeping your convenants perfectly and without sin?
Maybe instead of trying to use Jesus you should go to your sink and wash them!
Reminder
Jesus washes souls not your smelly hands!
You have natural man stinky hands? I thought that you were a giant lizard. The only way that you'd have natural man stinky hands is if you picked natural stinky men up before you ate them. Have you been eating Mormons and not washing up afterwards?
Or I will tell your mother that what you learned about hygiene is not true.
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