“The worst religious text I have ever read.”

[malkie]

I think it's worth noting, in passing, that CS Lewis also wrote a Sci-fi trilogy, described nicely on its wikipedia page: The Space Trilogy

Like much sci-fi, and much of Lewis' works, The Space Trilogy is intended to provoke thought about moral issues, and the dangers of science/technology in the wrong hands.

Ah, that brings back memories! I found it interesting that he fully stopped writing about religion after "he had been forced to realize that his philosophical understanding was outmoded.."

On the other hand, his fantasy and sci fi fiction have stood the test of time! I put the Screwtape Letters in that category.

I don't know how often I've read The Screwtape Letters, but I still get a few pricks of conscience when I recognize some of my personal failings ...

[Gadianton]

The Book of Mormon and Dianetics are not , by any stretch, comparable in their testimony and witness of Jesus Christ. Not even close.

Nobody said they were. Dianetics doesn't talk about Christ. But Scientologists do have beliefs about Jesus that aren't reflected in your AI response.

But again, you're engaged in a protracted case of circular reasoning here, MG, making unique Mormon claims the standard for evaluating the beliefs of any other religion.

Did Hubbard consider himself to be a Christian?

Possibly more so than any other Christian.

I voted for Harris.

That's certainly to your credit. Though you are possibly the most pro-Trump Harris voter ever.

I assume you think your calling out "liar" is productive? Civil even?

Was it productive and civil when you called me one?

[MG 2.0]

The Book of Mormon and Dianetics are not , by any stretch, comparable in their testimony and witness of Jesus Christ. Not even close.

Nobody said they were. Dianetics doesn't talk about Christ. But Scientologists do have beliefs about Jesus that aren't reflected in your A.I. response.

But again, you're engaged in a protracted case of circular reasoning here, MG, making unique Mormon claims the standard for evaluating the beliefs of any other religion.

Did Hubbard consider himself to be a Christian?

Possibly more so than any other Christian.

I voted for Harris.

That's certainly to your credit. Though you are possibly the most pro-Trump Harris voter ever.

I assume you think your calling out "liar" is productive? Civil even?

Was it productive and civil when you called me one?

I think you need to show us the goods that Scientology is a Christian religion that offers hope in Jesus Christ.

Everything I've seen witnesses to the contrary.

If we compare the message of Scientology to the teachings and mission of the CofJCofLDS we see that they have very little in common.

Feel free to show us otherwise.

Dianetics is not a witness of Jesus Christ.

Regards,
MG

[Marcus]

Ah, that brings back memories! I found it interesting that he fully stopped writing about religion after "he had been forced to realize that his philosophical understanding was outmoded.."

On the other hand, his fantasy and sci fi fiction have stood the test of time! I put the Screwtape Letters in that category.

I don't know how often I've read The Screwtape Letters, but I still get a few pricks of conscience when I recognize some of my personal failings ...

I know what you mean. I was pretty young when I stumbled upon it, and given that my Mormon dad already disapproved of me reading the Narnia books, I kept my very enjoyable experience of the Screwtape letters to myself. And I was delighted to recognize a definite Screwtape influence in both the Good Omens book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and the bbc production based on the book!

[I Have Questions]

I thought this was a new take on The Book of Mormon

Mette Harrison has written a fanfic version of the Book of Mormon from the perspective of its mostly unnamed female characters. It reminds us of two things: 1) that the Book of Mormon is a total unapologetic sausage fest, and 2) that we are really missing out on something when we never hear from women. The story is at times quite moving, particularly as we explore the life of Nephi’s unnamed sister Miri for whom there is no husband among the sons and daughters of Ishmael. She helps build the boat, but is not recognized for her work. Later, when she later tries to kill herself, Nephi shrugs because he really sees no value in her (go ahead and say that’s overstating his views on women, but I’ve read what he wrote, and you can’t convince me he is even aware women exist), but her mother Sariah performs a miracle to save her. This is a bit heavy handed, but for the love of all that is holy, there’s nothing so heavy handed as Nephi’s self-justification and self-aggrandizement in the original, and instead of seeing him as insufferable, he’s lauded like a Heisman trophy winning quarterback every time anyone at Church opens their mouth. So I get it. I totally get where Mette is coming from.

I hadn’t heard of Mette Harrison

Mette Ivie Harrison (born September 13, 1970) is an American novelist. She writes young adult fiction and in 2014 began publishing an adult mystery series. Her background as a Mormon has influenced her topics of interest as a writer, especially in the A Linda Wallheim Mystery series which focuses on a Mormon woman within her religious community. Her novel, Mira, Mirror won the Utah Letters About Literature award in 2006, and three other novels were finalists for the AML Awards in 2007, 2014 and 2015.

Link to Amazon Book Page for “The Women’s Book of Mormon: Volume One”