[Colofornian]

This portion is about a four-and-half-minute clip from a PowerPoint presentation by internal Mormon critic John Dehlin...specifically critiquing the LDS apologetics group, FAIR.

This one comment from a survey respondent to Dehlin I believe is the most telling, for it "indicts" not simply FAIR, but the Mormon church itself: "FAIR...answers have done more to destroy...testimonies than any 'anti-Mormon' sources could. For many members, the fact that the LDS Church is officially silent on many of these problems is a testament in itself that the church does not have any answers and are hiding behind unofficial apologists like FAIR for plausible deniability."

At about the 31 and a half-minute mark, Dehlin talks about how problematic FAIR apologists and apologetics has become...seemingly chasing away more disaffected Mormons to the point of disassociating from the church.

[Hoodat]

Just what we need - yet another thread criticizing Mormonism. I was beginning to think a whole Sunday might go by without someone posting a new one.

[Colofornian]

For one Mormon apologist's excerpted response to the 2012 Utah fiasco that included BYU, see: Of 'Mormon Studies' and Apologetics [Mormon apologist recounts his firing by BYU]

For yet another article on a 2012 Summer Conference featuring John Dehlin that provides some additional indicators of where he is coming from theologically, see: Sunstone 2012 Recap [Focus on internal Lds critic Dehlin's presentation on why some Mormons stay]

[teppe]

Coloronian

Try the Christianity of love .... instead of yours of hatred.

[Zakeet]

... how problematic FAIR apologists and apologetics has become...

Some of their stuff is really quite amusing.

One of my favorites was a Mormon apologist's attempt to explain Joseph's account of pre-Columbian Native Americans riding horseback as proclaimed in the Book of Mormon.

His response, citing a FAIR article, was that the Indians were actually riding deer, which from a distance resembled horses. After a laugh, I asked if it were not more likely for the Indians to be mounted on an animal that could better withstand their weight ... like, say, a buffalo. I never heard back.

[Alex Murphy]

"I watched FARMS and FAIR apologists treat people horribly. For example, [one apologist] used to lurk on the Recovery from Mormonism site so that he could snatch up quotes from the people posting there, in order to humiliate them. This, coupled with the way apologists tend to treat critics (i.e., with ad hominen attack), was the lynchpin...I think they are the worst aspect of the current Church."

Sounds like a certain trolling FAIR writer I know of, who used to use the online name "Julianne"....

[circlecity]

I bet one common reason people leave the mormon church is that they actually get saved.