DiscussMormonism.com

I recently got a message from an old friend of mine at my evangelical alma mater. It said in part,

I've actually been meaning to pick your brain (ew) on something, because [...] I remember you having some interesting thoughts on the subject... so I have some really out-of-left-field questions for ya.

I hope you don't mind!

It's just that I've been really wrestling with that whole "God breathed the Bible out of His holy nostrils and every single word is exactly as he intended it and must NEVER be questioned EVER" thing that I'm supposed to believe... and no one can seem to tell me why I'm supposed to believe it... and I'm not the kind of person who can blindly believe things without a reason... and I don't think I should feel bad about that.

[...]

And I'm pretty sure most of the people I ask about it are holding prayer vigils for the salvation of my heathen soul, and I don't like that at all.

[...]

So, I have been trying and figure out where I stand on the subject, and I figured it would be good to start out by asking smart people what they think, so that I don't have to figure things out by myself. And I'm pretty sure I remember you talking about the God-inspired thing on the message board a couple of years ago and being very interesting.

After a couple messages, it became quite evident that she is as much a damned theological liberal as I am. So I had to laugh at how she phrased her original question. Biblical infallibility is way out on the fundamentalist right wing. As liberal as she is, I kind of doubt that infallibility per se was really what she wanted to talk about. But she's right that even in questioning biblical infallibility you'll get a lot of evangelicals who think you're on the verge of terrible blasphemy. So I'd guess that she was testing the waters first, to see how I would react, before she let on just how far gone she is. I do the same thing, with gay marriage, for example. I'll say something like "I don't think gay marriage should be illegal," and how the person responds to that says volumes about how they will respond if I explain the reason behind my unevangelical opinion. (No, it's not just because I think people should have the right to sin so long as they don't hurt anybody!)

It's sad that those of us who use our minds live in such fear of discovery that we tiptoe our way around everyone we love and care about!

-Chris

I wish I had that problem. I end up offending people all the time.

The other day, my good friend was looking at a house and was struggling with the decision whether to buy it or not. He said that he and his wife hadn't prayed about it yet.

I told him that if he based his decision to buy this house on an answer from a prayer that I was going to kick his ass!!! He wasn't too pleased by that.

Scottie wrote:I told him that if he based his decision to buy this house on an answer from a prayer that I was going to kick his ass!!!

I have a Russian friend who always talks about kicking gay people's asses. Now that is when I stop mincing words.

CaliforniaKid wrote:

Scottie wrote:I told him that if he based his decision to buy this house on an answer from a prayer that I was going to kick his ass!!!

I have a Russian friend who always talks about kicking gay people's asses. Now that is when I stop mincing words.

I agree with Ivo Shandor from Ghostbusters...society is too sick to survive.

CaliforniaKid wrote:I do the same thing, with gay marriage, for example. I'll say something like "I don't think gay marriage should be illegal," and how the person responds to that says volumes about how they will respond if I explain the reason behind my unevangelical opinion. (No, it's not just because I think people should have the right to sin so long as they don't hurt anybody!)

I bring coffee and mention that it would be wrong for us to outlaw coffee just because we feel that God doesn't want us to drink coffee. Of course, that's not very effective. They're quick to point out that Sodom wasn't destroyed over coffee. Some of my views are so complex that I'm not even sure I know what they are, but I know that whatver they are can offend most people on that issue.

By the way, I wonder what your reasoning is. I think sinning should be legal so long as it doesn't hurt others, but that's just me I suppose. Of course, I see a difference between behavior that isn't illegal and behavior that the law specially recognizes, but that's a different topic.

asbestosman wrote:Of course, I see a difference between behavior that isn't illegal and behavior that the law specially recognizes, but that's a different topic.

We can talk ethics Vs morals anytime bro.

:)

asbestosman wrote:I bring coffee and mention that it would be wrong for us to outlaw coffee just because we feel that God doesn't want us to drink coffee. Of course, that's not very effective. They're quick to point out that Sodom wasn't destroyed over coffee. Some of my views are so complex that I'm not even sure I know what they are, but I know that whatver they are can offend most people on that issue.

Sorry, to whom do you bring coffee? I can see bringing coffee to a work thing where you are expected to provide refreshments (this happens at my work), but then how do you get into a churchy discussion about why coffee is doctrinally "okay"? Not getting the sequitur. :)

The Dude wrote:

asbestosman wrote:I bring coffee and mention that it would be wrong for us to outlaw coffee just because we feel that God doesn't want us to drink coffee. Of course, that's not very effective. They're quick to point out that Sodom wasn't destroyed over coffee. Some of my views are so complex that I'm not even sure I know what they are, but I know that whatver they are can offend most people on that issue.

Sorry, to whom do you bring coffee? I can see bringing coffee to a work thing where you are expected to provide refreshments (this happens at my work), but then how do you get into a churchy discussion about why coffee is doctrinally "okay"? Not getting the sequitur. :)

Its the northwest. Even the Mormons have runs to Starbucks for a steaming Venti frap.

Am I right or am I right?

asbestosman wrote:I bring coffee and mention that it would be wrong for us to outlaw coffee just because we feel that God doesn't want us to drink coffee.

Please show me where in the LDS canon that god forbids the consumption of coffee.

Mercury wrote:Its the northwest. Even the Mormons have runs to Starbucks for a steaming Venti frap.

Am I right or am I right?

My wife loves their carmel apple cider. I also approve of the Starbucks machines at work by the water cooler.