This analogy is perfectly apt except along the most important dimension: the Mormon Church is true, while evangelical churches are not, so it's perfectly reasonable to treat apostates from Mormonism different from apostates to man-made religions.
(I wonder how many LDS privately think this.)
In my estimation, it would be a lot of them privately think this.
How many will admit it? That is another story in itself.
I have the strength of my convictions. I don't see a need to 'play fair' on this point by assuming I'm wrong or putting everyone on equal footing. Apostates from the true Church are in more danger then apostates from Scientology or the Baptists. Most have had the Holy Ghost at some point and then turned against it. I don't think I'm alone in this. The atheists of this board have no problem telling me I'm deluded without equalizing our views first.
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
The Nehor wrote: Apostates from the true Church are in more danger then apostates from Scientology or the Baptists.
What are you using for scriptural foundation for this assertion?
Beings as I'm an apostate from the Baptist church, I'd like to know.
(Nevo, Jan 23) And the Melchizedek Priesthood may not have been restored until the summer of 1830, several months after the organization of the Church.
The Nehor wrote:Apostates from the true Church are in more danger then apostates from Scientology or the Baptists. Most have had the Holy Ghost at some point and then turned against it.
What's the matter with the Baptist Holy Ghost? Doesn't he have a Ph.D from Claremont yet?
As I've said before, views held by those like The Nehor are dangerous, since they dehumanize other people. The Nehor believes that LDS "apostates" are in greater "danger," and in fact he says that he feels a certain degree of "conviction" on this front. Well, this must therefore be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the apostates don't seem to be suffering enough, then the apologists feel that they are justified in meting out "punishments," including ill-intentioned emails. I think that The Nehor's frequently violent posts are further evidence for what I'm saying here.
"[I]f, while hoping that everybody else will be honest and so forth, I can personally prosper through unethical and immoral acts without being detected and without risk, why should I not?." --Daniel Peterson, 6/4/14
Doctor Scratch wrote:As I've said before, views held by those like The Nehor are dangerous, since they dehumanize other people. The Nehor believes that LDS "apostates" are in greater "danger," and in fact he says that he feels a certain degree of "conviction" on this front. Well, this must therefore be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the apostates don't seem to be suffering enough, then the apologists feel that they are justified in meting out "punishments," including ill-intentioned emails. I think that The Nehor's frequently violent posts are further evidence for what I'm saying here.
There's no doubt truth to what you're saying, Scratch. From the article Ray linked:
Michael Shermer wrote:Another guy actually said (I'm not exaggerating) that if he had not found God and believed in Jesus he would probably kill me after the debate (then he sort of snickered and said maybe he would have just beaten me up). There is nothing scarier than a monomaniacal religious fanatic with a mission to rid the world of perceived evil.
Doesn't this kind of god belief just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
Michael Shermer wrote:Another guy actually said (I'm not exaggerating) that if he had not found God and believed in Jesus he would probably kill me after the debate (then he sort of snickered and said maybe he would have just beaten me up). There is nothing scarier than a monomaniacal religious fanatic with a mission to rid the world of perceived evil.
William The Contentious wrote:So fill your cup while you can, Ray. Mark my words, your days are numbered.
Perfect match. Note to self: stay clear of Mr. Schryver.
Doctor Scratch wrote:As I've said before, views held by those like The Nehor are dangerous, since they dehumanize other people. The Nehor believes that LDS "apostates" are in greater "danger," and in fact he says that he feels a certain degree of "conviction" on this front. Well, this must therefore be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the apostates don't seem to be suffering enough, then the apologists feel that they are justified in meting out "punishments," including ill-intentioned emails. I think that The Nehor's frequently violent posts are further evidence for what I'm saying here.
There's no doubt truth to what you're saying, Scratch. From the article Ray linked:
Michael Shermer wrote:Another guy actually said (I'm not exaggerating) that if he had not found God and believed in Jesus he would probably kill me after the debate (then he sort of snickered and said maybe he would have just beaten me up). There is nothing scarier than a monomaniacal religious fanatic with a mission to rid the world of perceived evil.
Doesn't this kind of god belief just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
Here is the question, Schmo:
Do *all* of the apologists feel this way? Do all of the apologists feel that they are on a God-appointed mission to annihilate the apostates? Beastie, one of the most knowledgeable and scholarly posters in all of online Mormondom seems to think so. I know that DCP, the de facto leader of contemporary Mopologetics, has stated that he views his role in a divinely-sanctioned light. Also, I think it's worth pointing out that I have never, ever---in the entire history of Mopologetics, be it in print or online---have ever heard an apologist decry this sort of attitude. I have never seen an apologist openly oppose the sort of thing that both Shermer and Schryver have described. And it's chilling. One would hope that one---any---of the apologists would suggest that there is some kind of moral line that should not be crossed, even in defense of the Church, but I have never seen an apologist do this. Do you remember how many critics came out to decry WjExMo's threat to target DCP's family? Can you imagine the apologists rising up in a similar manner? Because I sure can't. The dehumanization just goes on and on and on.
"[I]f, while hoping that everybody else will be honest and so forth, I can personally prosper through unethical and immoral acts without being detected and without risk, why should I not?." --Daniel Peterson, 6/4/14
