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?
Follow a FALSE christ and you get a FALSE salvation.
Whoa yourself, i did not say you were a Catholic, and read it again, the only harsh words came from you.
Actually, the harsh words came from Vigilanteman, warning us against those dangerous Calvinists. I pointed out that out as being a diversionary tactic, just like your comments about Catholicism. Perhaps you should read the title of the thread again.
...in the case of Mormonism so many lies are being told...
Invisible ones; no doubt
...in my view Mormons are just as good as any one else...
Oprah should be proud.
And, of course, Jeff, the post (along with all references made by others to "the post") was removed...thereby showing how flagrantly bad and inflammatory it was.
I never called you or anyone else a Nazi. There was no inference that you or Christians are Nazis... (Jeff Head to Szonian)
Pray tell, then, Jeff, please tell us why post #27 and all references to it were removed then?
...I will still hold and stand by EVERY WORD of what I wrote in response to that accusation. [Jeff Head, post #81, "stand[ing] by EVERY WORD" of what he uttered in the removed post of #27 -- where he accused Svcw of being the equivalent of a Nazi concentration camp worker!]
Jeff, as the concentration camps were being liberated late during WWII...even if there had been German guards & others there new on the scene & had not yet been involved in killing Jews via being gassed...that is the equivalent of what you labeled SVCW in post #27...as one so intending to gas Mormons.
The fact that you stood by that comment makes you a pathetic person in which all it took was one comment -- and one ensuing comment of reinforcement by you -- to forever lose your credibility on this site!
Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
- - - -
What does that mean to you Tara? Does it mean just saying the words? Does WHAT you believe about Christ matter at all?
I thought it was appropriate for this thread. ;)
I have a neighborhood full of Mormons and they are the most stuck up people I’ve ever seen.
- - - -
My neigborhood in Provo was like that and I was one of the Mormons. It bothered me that no one tried to talk to the Evangelical family (only one) in the neighborhood and kept trying to convert the Catholic family. When they realized that Catholics wouldn’t convert, everyone quit talking to them too.
Worth a repost...
That’s funny coming from a person who stands up in front of other Mormons stating “ they believe in the truthfulness of the book of Mormon” but refuses to look into actual historical documents that would disprove that book.
I asked what the LDS taught about exalted Mormons becoming gods over their own planets. I haven't heard from you.
Two days ago, your website, mormonvoices,org, wrote this for the media:
"There is no Mormon doctrine that says we will become “gods of our own planets.” A search of LDS.org, which includes all of the church lesson manuals, all talks given in church conferences, and all magazines published by the LDS church shows that there are no instances—zero—where it is taught that we will be “gods of our own planets.”
I won't argue with you about the validity of the theology, but earlier on this thread, I pointed out that I had already cited eighteen of the at least eighteen places at www.lds.org where this is, indeed, taught. Including Church Educational System books for children, high schoolers, and college students. And a Doctrinal Exposition by the First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose] and the Twelve.
Could you take a detour from this post. I'm politely asking again, eight weeks later, because the website you're promoting has been sorely confused with this "no instances—zero—" language. Is your website right? Did I misread all of those lds.org materials? I don't want to argue theology, I just want to know how you interpret all of the things I've read.
What does the LDS church teach about exalted Mormons becoming gods over their own planets, Saundra?
That would be interesting scoutmaster - references she used to support what she hears would be interesting as well.
Give it UP, Dude!
She knows NOTHING about MORMONism; but LOTS about JESUS!
Like any church, TaraP, in many ways, but with some influences. There are Mormons who love their children and those who rape them. There are Mormons who follow the Words of Wisdom and Mormons who are drunkards and prescription drugs addicts. There are Mormons who would give you the shirt off their backs and Mormons who would steal your last penny.
There are Mormons who would shoot you and Mormons who would give their lives for you, a stranger.
There are Mormons who tell the truth and Mormons who tell lies.
I assumed you were talking about Mormons as individuals? That's the way I view them and that's the way my best friend views them (he's not a Jack-Mormon - much more devout than that - but he and his wife don't have Temple Recommends).
I believe every one is wrong, including myself for partaking of this nonsense, protestants bashing the Catholic and Mormon Religion, Mormons and Catholics bashing the protestant religion and i bash all of the religions in general because i think they love religion and not Christ.
Jesus said do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
But of course we all have to get the last word don,t we, well as far as i am concerned some one else can have the last word but if we are not careful there is going to be a lot of room in heaven.
I can plainly see my short comings so i am getting off of this bashing contest. and no i am not mad just realizing how stupid this is.
WHY?
Because she's "quackers" about Mormonism.
And a commandment I give unto you, that you should fill all these offices and aapprove of those names which I have mentioned, or else disapprove of them at my general conference;
- - - - -
The last couple of years, I’m not sure if SZ or Sentinel gave me the idea, I’ve wanted to go to conference and raise my hand in opposition during the ‘sustain’ part.
Let's remember this. Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians have a common view as regards to the bible, that Jesus being the Son of God, that God has always been God..etc.
Mormons do not have the same belief. They believe in a celestial marriages, They believe God was once man, Mary had sex with " " , Satan is brother with Jesus, Jesus was in a polygamist marriage, etc....
You said "how stupid this is....." I guess this would be if you don't believe in Jesus and don't believe in God.
If you believed in Jesus, you would not be getting us to accept a false prophet and false gospel. The bible warns us of this .. Galatians 1: 6-9
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Of course it is about knowing the Risen Christ and what it means to accept the gift of eternal salvation....
So let me ask you this question:
What do you think the difference is between someone like yourself who was once LDS and now isn’t than a Catholic who also gave up on his faith?
Is this about individuals and Organized religion who leave there faith to pursue another religion? or to pursue none at all?
Are these majority of ex Mormons becoming Atheists or Agnostics like many ex Catholics are or what?
I assumed you were talking about Mormons as individuals?
Yes...
Exactly what I was speaking about....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.