Roger Morrison wrote:
I think the 'bold' request could quite legitimately be asked of the Old Testament. And, of the New Testament as it's based on the Old. Does doing so nullify any 'good' that might come by applying any "sound doctrine" (read, sensible ideas) in either the O or the N?
It seems to me, many are quick to spot Joseph Smith's active imagination, and excitedly/calmly reject the Book of Mormon as something less than it is claimed to be.
At the same time however, they accept with little question the "Christian-Doctrine-Theology", whether LDS or nonLDS, of the "Fall", "Redemption", "After-life" and "Heaven"!
Please folks, "...I ask for something more than unsubstantiated claims" of the whole-holiness Judeo-Christian movement. Warm regards, Roger
Don't you find that most (the majority) of exmormons who post on the net, do not turn to Christianity as a replacement? My impression from reading RFM is that when a Mormon puts it all together and comes to a realization that the claims by the Mormon church are absurd, they then apply that same critical thinking to the Bible and Christianity in general.
It seems to me that even though a group may refer to itself as Christian, the vast number of various Christian groups vary greatly in the degree of irrationality taught and in expectations from members. Mormonism for example is extreme in its expectations of members and in its aggressiveness in seeking out new membership. Because it is so involved in member's lives it becomes much more difficult to leave (barriers to exit are high) than other more liberal type Christian groups. But when Mormons leave they aren't anxious to jump into something else.
One of the reasons I enjoyed reading RFM over the last 5 years (off and on) was due to the active critical thinking typically employed by its posters.