Why so many LDS threads?

08-May-2008 | Grig

[Grig]

I am posting this on behalf of many LDS freepers. They will post their own 'signature' to this in the comments below. --- Some of you have noticed lately a lot of LDS (ie: Mormon) threads here on FR. I'm going to tell you why.

For many years there have been several active LDS freepers here. We post to all the forums on relevant issues, and were happy to have a site where conservative values were so openly welcomed.

Those conservative values include faith in God, and freedom of religion. We fully respect the rights of all posters to express their opinions and views on religious matters, even when people choose to use those rights to express criticism of our own faith. We also support the ideas embodied in FR rules against religion bashing. There is no need for hostility and there should be no room for bigotry on FR. Every religion has it's miracles and mysteries. Every faith has things in it that are not or can not be proven, and things that run contrary to what secular science would have us believe. Someone mature and confident in their own faith generally doesn't feel the need to belittle the faith of others.

We have, to the best of our ability, conducted ourselves with civility and dignity. We do not feel that that respect has been returned by some posters (putting it mildly).

When Mormon missionaries were murdered, the moderators were kept busy pulling jubilant posts off the thread. When Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home, we contended for months with posters who appeared to be motivated by religious bigotry doing all they could to smear the family and accuse the father. Several posters openly admitted their religious motivation in opposing Mitt Romney and confessed that no matter how conservative any Mormon was, they would never vote for one for President of the USA. When the Pope died, I don't think any Mormon poster posted anything unkind, yet the thread about the passing of our President recently needed many comments removed.

Nearly every thread having any connection with Mormons, or Utah winds up being hijacked by anti-Mormon activists who copy and paste the same false accusations over and over even when it has been clearly and factually pointed out to them on multiple occasions that they are bearing false witness against our faith. Everything possible is done by these activists to make FR a hostile place for Mormons, and for at least some of them, bashing Mormonism is all they do here. Their most recent project is trying to blur the fact that the polygamous FLDS is a separate and distinct religion from ours, just as Lutherans are a separate and distinct religion from Catholicism.

In our opinion, such poster do a great disservice to FR and to their fellow freepers by spreading disinformation and promoting hostility towards a people known for walking the walk of conservative values.

Why the moderators here don't see the behavior of these anti-Mormon activists as religion bashing is a mystery to us, but it is the moderators call to make and we respect their right to do so. That doesn't mean we have to be passive however. We have all spent many hours refuting the accusations leveled at our faith, but these wind up buried deep in a flood of comments, effectively shouting us down.

Recently some of us have decided to take a more proactive approach. Rather than try to wrestle the pig into taking a bath, we are just going to hose it down. We will actively define our faith here rather than just respond to accusations.

So expect to see lots of Mormon threads, now and for as long as we see fit to keep posting them (although probably not as many as there are Catholic threads). They will be about our basic doctrines and responses to common accusations. If you want to know what our faith is about, read the articles we post. We will post them as open threads and I encourage you to compare the difference in tone and spirit between what we post and what our critics say.

[MrEdd]

Are they not started by Mormons? Many of the Catholic and Anglican threads are started by Catholics and Anglicans.

[JRochelle]

I recall some thread called “They shoot Mormons don’t they?”

[CharlesWayneCT]

I would object to claims that a person who is a Mormon is not a Christian, because only God can know who is one of his own, and just as one can belong to a true Christian church but not be a Christian, I believe the opposite can be true as well.

As to the general claim, I think we get too sensitive when others claim our religion is false, because it seems so obvious to me that that must be what most people think. After all, if everybody thought the PCA church had the best adherance to biblical principles, we would ALL join the PCA church. Since we do not, there must be Christians out their who disagree with my assessment.

Those who I know personally who are Mormon are clear that they do not believe I am practicing the appropriate faith — and they do not like me less because I make the same claim to them. We are respectful, but religion is rather tepid if it is one which doesn’t assert it’s superiority.

I have only a little respect for religions which teach that all religions are equally good. Why would I ever believe such a thing — according to that philosophy, I might was well choose a religion that thinks they are the only way, since then I’m saved if EITHER group is right.

Of course, as a Presbyterian, I believe I’m saved no matter WHAT group is right or what church I’m going to :-)

[Gondring]

Muslims revere Jesus too. Can I get a big Halleluja?

You're not bashing Muslims, are you?

If so, I'm going to have to start posting threads that clearly outline their beliefs. ;-)

[Elsie]

X

[sevenbak]

I used to live in SE Missouri. Trust me, there was plenty of Mormon bashing around. I was one of 2 Mormons in our school. It wasn’t easy.

[Gondring]

After all, if everybody thought the PCA church had the best adherance to biblical principles, we would ALL join the PCA church.

Nope. Not everyone believes in Christianity.

[Elsie]

 

It’s not rude to call a lie a lie.

 

 

 

And here we have #4...

                       Standard LDS responses to data put to them:

 

Shorthand	Reference:
1. How you interpret it is wrong...	(Need a source)
2. You are too ignorant to really understand it because you are not a member....	(Need a source)
3. You're not qualified to judge because you're no LONGER a member...	(Need a source)
4. You are just a bigot for bringing the whole ugly truth to light ...	(Need a source)
5. So’s yer Mama!	(Need a source)
6. Laugh it all off and post some silly image.	(Need a source)
7. Jump down the rabbit hole; Alice!	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1982682/posts?page=683#683
8. Bait & Switch	(Need a source)
9. The OTHER 'half' of the truth is what we are avoiding.	(Need a source)
10. "I Know It When I See It"	(Need a source)
11. Hand waving...	(Need a source)
12. YOU play defense for a while.	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1982682/posts?page=944#944
13. HEE Hee hee... let's get the Calvinists and the Armenians fighting!	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1994515/posts?page=15#15
14. GREAT FUN! Let's get the Catholics and the Protestants fighting!	(Need a source)
15. Huh? Did you say something?	(Need a source)
16. If I repeat this enough times some folks will be fooled into thinking it's true.	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1997522/posts?page=2252#2252
17. Playing dumb.	(Need a source)
18. Refusing to answer because your ATTITUDE offends them.	(Need a source)
19. (Let's see if they'll fall for the 'Defend a freak' ploy.)	(Need a source)
20. And the MOST used...  IGNORE what they posted and answer the question that SHOULD have been asked.	http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=UMJvqBq_Qa8
21. Threatening other FReepers with legal action because they annoy you with facts. (E-Danite-ism)	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2008967/posts?page=335#335

 

 

 

 

 

" The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success

unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly -

- it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over."

[netmilsmom]

>>Of course, as a Presbyterian, I believe I’m saved no matter WHAT group is right or what church I’m going to<<

Atta Boy!!!

[Elsie]

See my page by clicking my name to see refutations that were so common I just made a page at FR to address them.

Wow!

You could get a job at FAIRLDS!

[JRochelle]

I go to a church with a lady that lived in Bountiful Utah for a few years during her childhood.

She wasn’t Mormon and she had no friends. She said they were so mean to her. She does not like Mormons to this day.

Whoever is the minority gets treated like crap.

[CharlesWayneCT]

That’s why I stay out of the religion forums. It’s a public forum, and people are going to use lots of false logic and flat-out tricks to win their arguments. Others will argue forcefully, accurately, and with respect and civility — but you have to wade through the first for the second.

I don’t think your approach to the “problem” is a good one. Your intent will not be acheived, and you are likely to sour people who up until now have been willing to defend your religion against extraneous attacks in non-religious forums.

[Elsie]

I sometimes read LDS Caucus posts and find inspiration.

What does that say about the REST of the times?

[netmilsmom]

Do you have any other hobbies?

[Petronski]

There was a tendency to smear all of Willard’s opponents as anti-Mormon, regardless of evidence or reality.

[netmilsmom]

>>”I sometimes read LDS Caucus posts and find inspiration.”
What does that say about the REST of the times?<<

Ah-hem. It means that sometimes she reads them and sometimes she doesn’t. She’s Catholic and doesn’t go to all of them.

Now do you understand?

[Elsie]

But I have never seen a Mormon voice a disagreement with their church.

You need to hang out at some LDS chat rooms!

OFFICIALLY they are taught NEVER to criticize leadership; even if it is WRONG!

 

 

 Remember fellow Christians: 

the Mormon's criticize US because they've been taught that they CAN'T criticize ANY of their leaders; so they HAVE to vent somehow!

 

 

 

Don't criticize?

 

Dallin H. Oaks, Mormon Apostle

 

 

 

Oh, they can say that their leaders were NOT speaking for GOD when they said ___________ but that's NOT the same as criticizing!

[netmilsmom]

Wow, have you ever been to one of these parties before?

[Elsie]

Like that Apostle Paul, who was obviously immature and insecure in his faith!

There you go again!

"Quoting" from your 'bible' that OBVIOSULY has places in it that are NOT translated correctly!!

--MormonDude(Checkout our creed: the AoF)

[sevenbak]

Mods, please do not pull this post, as it is a prime example of the very reason for this thread.

Thanks,

Sevenbak