Posted on 01/06/2012 8:46:23 AM PST by colorcountry
A crusade (of sorts) is moving across Facebook. It is targeting pages that are critical of Mormonism. Who the crusaders are is unknown, but it seems reasonable to suggest that they may be Latter-day Saints.
The crusade is aimed at silencing those who disagree with Mormonism. In a broad sense (and from the perspective of many Mormons), this has some biblical support:
“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” (1 Peter 2:15)
The Facebook crusader’s strategy, however, does not involve “doing good,” nor does it seek to expose what some Mormons would call “the ignorance of foolish people.” The Facebook crusade instead is employing oppressive tactics in order to have critical discussion shut down and/or removed from public view.
Though a bit more complicated than I’ll describe here, the program goes something like this: A site critical of Mormonism is identified by the crusaders; this group of people begin a flurry of reporting, flagging the page’s status updates, videos and comments as “hate speech”; Facebook’s automated response sends warnings to the page owners and Admins, removes flagged “offensive” content, and eventually disables (temporarily) the personal accounts of those who receive sufficient warnings.
Trying to look at things from a Mormon perspective, I can acknowledge how some things posted may be reasonably understood as offensive to a Mormon (e.g., a discussion about sex; namely, the physically sexual relationship between Heavenly Father and Mary. In fact, this Mormon teaching is offensive to me, too!). Due to “one or more reports,” Aaron received a Facebook warning at Christmastime related to his audio series on the Virgin Birth:
But most of the things that have been flagged in this crusade (that I am aware of) reflect mere disagreements between Christians and Mormons regarding spiritual issues. For example, this (subsequently flagged) Facebook comment was posted on December 9, 2011 as part of an ongoing conversation:
“God has provided these tools to validate His truth. While there is an element of faith, I’d say that faith is based on things that are unseen, BUT NOT PROVEN false. Science and history have definitively proved the Book of Mormon not to be [of] God. The Bible holds its own.”
Two more examples, these removed by Facebook:
“Which Jesus, Elizabeth? The created brother of satan or the Un-Creator of all things? God?”
“oh! but one last thing Bobbi…how did you check to make sure that the answer to your prayer was truth?”
According to Facebook policy, the use of a person’s name in comments, even in a response to a comment that person may have previously posted, can be construed as “harassment.” That explains Facebook deleting some of the comments, but it does not explain the initial reporting of these conversational comments. Only a crusade designed to itself harass and silence Mormonism’s critics makes sense.
On December 26th a Christian friend received a warning from Facebook for posting a link to Aaron’s video project, God Never Sinned – Do Mormons Agree? Facebook removed the entire post and threatened the owner of the page with possible loss of his Facebook account. Facebook stated that the video link had been reported, and anything that is “hateful, threatening, or obscene” is not allowed. Yet the God Never Sinned video consists entirely of Mormons responding to a question that clarifies their own individual beliefs. Why flag that as hateful?
All of this sounds a bit un-American, or at least unlike the America envisioned by her Founding Fathers, who placed a premium on freedom of speech and the lively, open exchange of ideas. In fact, as others have noted elsewhere, these crusaders on Facebook seem to be following in the footsteps of Mormonism’s founder. When Joseph Smith was confronted with dissident voices in Nauvoo, Illinois, rather than answer them, he did his best to silence them by destroying the newspaper and press that gave the critics a platform.
Yet another aspect of this crusade is equally troubling. Assuming that the crusaders are Mormons, it must be noted that Mormons expend a lot of energy trying to convince the world that they are Christians (that is, followers of Jesus Christ). But their disregard for biblical teaching regarding how to deal with critics demonstrates a different spirit.
The Bible, recognized by Christians to be the very Word of God, does not tell followers of Christ to silence critics by taking away their voices.
The Bible tells us of the benefits of a “soft answer.” It proclaims, “To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!” It teaches that the righteous think about how to answer, as opposed to the evil responses of the wicked (Proverbs 15:1, 23, 28)
The apostle Paul talks about “persuading” people of the truth while being “able to answer those” who are mistaken in their spiritual focus. He says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (2 Corinthians 5:11-12; Colossians 4:6)
And, of course, there are the familiar instructions for God’s people to “contend” for the faith, be ready to “give a defense” of that faith, while “patiently enduring evil, correcting [spiritual] opponents.” (Jude 3; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:24-26)
Christians are not supposed to bully those who disagree with them by forcing them into silence. Christians are supposed to answer the objections and persuade opponents by speaking the truth, hoping that the lost and deceived will “come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil.”
This is what the Christians on Facebook (and here on Mormon Coffee) are endeavoring to do. What, then, is the aim of the crusaders?
It depends on who is the person in the wrong.
If it's a child, then it matters.
If it's someone I care about, family or friend, then it matters.
If it's a coworker trying to convince another coworker to have an abortion, then it matters.
The list could be longer if I thought more, but I'm tired.
It also depends on the subject.
If the subject is important, like abortion, then it matters.
If the subject is meat on Friday, who cares.
It also depends on the character of the wrong person.
If it's someone who might be open to discussion, then it matters.
If it's someone whose brain is shut tightern a drum, then it's useless and you are correct: it's enough that I am right.
SLC lds and muslims have been partnering for several decades now on various projects, including joint prayer meetings.
Remember Joseph Smith said he would be the next mohammad.
There are SO many people that do not believe what their lying eyes keep on showing them.
Placemark
One question.
Am I as a bible believing Christian going to go to the celestial level of heaven?
I am not sealed in any temple, I and not paying tithe to the LDS church, and I don’t even believe that Joseph Smith seen God and Jesus Christ.
Good one on adding to the argument. In the future add a “thus saith” it makes you sound more official.
If theological discussions intimidate you try not to interject peanut gallery comments. The adults are now talking.
What if they feel as strongly about it as you do, but they think you are wrong?
What if they feel as strongly about it as you do, but they think you are wrong?
After giving your post some thought...
Your post should not be removed as it is a perfect example of a strawman and although the offensive nature of the comments are immaterial to the discussion, they do much to substantiate but one of the many of tactics mormons use to silence the critics of mormonism.
Regardless of your efforts to substantiate or qualify them because you “inferred” something.
For someone who does a lot of research in other areas, I find it peculiar that your post demonstrates an extreme lack of knowledge about the islam v. mormonism similarities.
Can I infer that you are calling us NAZIS because of the references you used? Invoke Godwin’s Law? Would I then be excused to go on a rant and imply all kinds of preposterous accusations and claims?
The failure to accept responsibility for your words by projecting the blame of a potential zot on to GF says much.
GF wouldn’t be responsible for anything other than taking offense at your words, which you typed, which, instead of accepting responsibility, you blame GF for. Then you dig in and state that you stand by every word.
Accountability/responsibility fail.
As you say, it’s enough that you are right.
So if both or multiple parties believe that, then what does it really matter?
I think it is every ones business to tell the truth about any religion, if it can be proved by the Bible, but in the case of Mormonism so many lies are being told, polygamy for instance, it has happened but i do not know of any Mormon who has more than one wife.
I think the same bunch of lies have been told about the Catholic people because of some child molesting cases, again it is lies.
But the real problem is that Christianity is getting a bad name because of religion, in my view Mormons are just as good as any one else, but much of their doctrine does not fit the scriptures, and neither do the Catholics, who are also just as good as any one else and i believe the same can be said for about 95 percent of the different denominations to some extent.
A lie is a lie regardless the size of it, if we believe something to be so that is one thing, but to say the Bible means something that it does not exactly say is most likely a lie.
Insulting Calvinists, on the other hand, could once get you beheaded, burned at the stake, banished or hanged as a witch.
Once, yes. Are you saying that tourists (modern wagon trains) through Utah are in danger of being slaughtered (for being non-Mormon) today? Don’t pretend that Mormon history isn’t bloody.
Oh, and I’m not a Calvinist.
To the contrary...I did take responsibility for my words.
I did not blame GF for my words or the words of others...I simply noted that his reaction was to call down on me, moderators and the owner in an attempt to remove the post and get me banned for it, and pointed out that is was very similar to what this thread was talking about in reverse.
I never called you or anyone else a Nazi. There was no inference that you or Christians are Nazis. I am a Christian...whether you view my witness for Christ to be such or not is immaterial. I profess Jesus of Nazareth as my Savior, and He will be the judge.
My original post was directed at an individual regarding his post that Mormons were like Islamics...which I view as a direct attack on me, my family, my firends who belong to the LDS church.
We are at war with fundamental Islam...to call me something just like an Islamic infers that I am the enemey and I simply asked what was next for such “enemies”.
I find it amazing that on a thread that is about LDS people supposedly silenicng their critics (which I have condemned myself as wrong and should not happen...IOW if LDS people are doing that they should not)...anyhow, when on such a thread the LDS Church is compared to Islam who is the enemy of our rights and whose basic tennants are to convert or die or be insllaved...when I call a person on that, somehow I become the one who is trying to silence criticism, and then calls are made for that comment to be pulled and me to be banned.
If you cannot see the incrongruity of that...I feel bad for you.
I love Jesus Christ, I have always professed an affinity for and comrade for any others who profess Jesus Christ whether they believe the way I do or not. I ask for the same consideration...but there are those unwilling to grant it. Fine, that is their choice. But this had nothing to do with that or calling Christians anything. This had to do with one comment trying to compare Islam to the LDS Church.
That is wrong, plain and simple, whatever you may find to try and support it. We are not calling for a world wide Calliphate, we espouse freedom of will and conscience, and we espouse Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. All of which are in direct oppoisition and diametrically opposed to Islam’s sharia law and most basic tennants.
The fact that there are some Muslims who are good people and who are not living their own religious tennants and seeking such tyranny notwithstanding.
I stand by the fact that this comparisopn is not only wrong, but that it itself is motivated out of a desire to marginalize and demonize the LDS Church and I will call it out everytiome.
With that, I am off of this thread. The anger, and what I consider an almost underlying hatred for the LDS church is not something I want to be a part on this thread any longer. I have made my feelings clear and I am happy for people of good will and reason to judge for themselves.
I think it is every ones business to tell the truth about any religion, if it can be proved by the Bible, but in the case of Mormonism so many lies are being told, polygamy for instance, it has happened but i do not know of any Mormon who has more than one wife.
As far as mormons are concerned there are plenty of mormons with more than one wife. They are sealed to more than one person in their temple with whom they will live eternally in a polygamous relationship.
And I don't care. I do know you have been a great Freeper Friend, and a true conservative.
I think this whole thread is embarrassing and sad. To think FreeRepublic has come to this.
God bless you Jeff! Stay strong! And keep on Freeping!
As far as mormons are concerned there are plenty of mormons with more than one wife. They are sealed to more than one person in their temple with whom they will live eternally in a polygamous relationship.
Don’t bail just yet. :(
So if the comparisons to Islam are so awful then why did Joseph compare himself to Mohammad?
My opinion is that Joseph admired his ability to gather and organize men. Just like Joseph, Mohammad was not a man of God and used religion to accumulate power and influence. Neither really lived a life of wealth but vigorously enjoyed the power they wielded over others. I think that both would thoroughly enjoy the movements they created and the projected power they hold over people of the future.
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