A Public Apology

[_Jersey Girl]

Jussec...

Wow, don't be so sensative

Could you point to any part of my comments to you that indicates "sensitivity"?

[_ludwigm]

We can know some things about Him. It's up to God.

Yes, I have heard it before... God chooses those special folks....and all that! :-)

And I have heard that there are only 144000 so we must do our utmost to supersede the all others :-)

[_Gadianton]

Yes, when you used the Holiday season as an opportunity to minimize and deride the faith of others by claiming they will die and that will be the end of them and their silly religious ideals.

Could you please be careful throwing around the "Holiday season"'s, Coggins's PC-dar is going to go off and he'll be be screaming in here any second with a long rant on how the liberals are trying to undermine society by redefining words.

This is an inference you made, I did not specifically tell everyone they were nothing. I felt like nothing after reading "The Miracle of Forgiveness", but that doesn't mean the book specifically says that I'm nothing (it actually might, though!).

Yes, but a speck with potential.

I think people have potential too.

We all know how hard it is to be a Mormon. Some of us haven't completely given up, however.

This is myth #1 in Mormonism. It's actually easy to be a Mormon, even a "good" Mormon, especially if you live in an area with a normal sized ward.

by the way, did you know that the office of a Bishop is one within the confines of the Aaronic priesthood? That the Bishop presides over the Priest's Quorum, and that because the tribe of Levi rightfully officiates within matters of the Aaronic priesthood, if someone has a patriarchal blessing declaring them of the lineage of Levi, he can take the place of Bishop without being ordained (though he probably would be anyway under modern forms of "best practices")? In fact, on some accounts, a Bishop should only be chosen if there first are no Levites found to take the position.

[_The Nehor]

This is myth #1 in Mormonism. It's actually easy to be a Mormon, even a "good" Mormon, especially if you live in an area with a normal sized ward.

If by good Mormon you mean keep up public appearances in Church I agree. Any idiot can do that.

My definition involves a relentless search for communion with God, direct revelation, discipline, and the willingness to accept what God gives and commands of you (some of which will be much more difficult than obeying what you heard in Conference). That's much harder.

[_guy sajer]

I know for a fact that there is a God. This will be proven to you one way or another.

And we're the arrogant one?

I'm at least honest enough to say that I don't know for a fact that there is no God. I find the evidence against God, however, pretty damn presuasive.

If you don't believe in God and spend your remaining days of your puny mortality on this puny earth rebelling against Him, then you are a fool. Don't be so narcissistic as to think you have everything figured out when it comes to the existence of God.

Let's see, the person who just claimed to "know for a fact" that there is a God is lambasting atheists who think they "have everything figures out when it comes to the existence of God." Wow! I'm going out a limb here and saying that consistency isn't one of mledbetter's strong suits.

Before you condescend to your fellow mortals and amuse yourself by pointing out their supposed gullibility and ignorance, remember this. You are nothing. You are a speck of nothing on a speck of a planet circling a speck of a star circling in a speck of a galaxy drifting in a universe of countless galaxies and uncountable light years of space and nothingness/somethingness.

Agreed. I think many, if not most, atheists would probably readily concede this point.

But then, so are you, and yet that hasn't kept you from making bold affirmatory declarations--the same kind that you denounce atheists for presumably making.

Oh, and as far as the visiting you in the lower kingdom thing. We'll probably be in the same one, so I hope to get to know you better and become good friends.

I could probably use a few friends down under as well.

[_Gadianton]

My definition involves a relentless search for communion with God, direct revelation, discipline, and the willingness to accept what God gives and commands of you (some of which will be much more difficult than obeying what you heard in Conference). That's much harder.

Oh I don't know Nehor, for the surprising level of personal revelation you've been given, nothing you've said about yourself here at least in addition to factoring in the amount of disposable time you appear to have for message boards, leads me to believe you're suffering the trials of Job or have ever been called to pull a handcart across the plains.

[_The Nehor]

My definition involves a relentless search for communion with God, direct revelation, discipline, and the willingness to accept what God gives and commands of you (some of which will be much more difficult than obeying what you heard in Conference). That's much harder.

Oh I don't know Nehor, for the surprising level of personal revelation you've been given, nothing you've said about yourself here at least in addition to factoring in the amount of disposable time you appear to have for message boards, leads me to believe you're suffering the trials of Job or have ever been called to pull a handcart across the plains.

Nope, others do far more. One of the things I'm working on actually. Note that I also said that was my definition of a 'good' Mormon. I didn't claim the title. I'm trying to.

[_mledbetter]

This is myth #1 in Mormonism. It's actually easy to be a Mormon, even a "good" Mormon, especially if you live in an area with a normal sized ward.

If by good Mormon you mean keep up public appearances in Church I agree. Any idiot can do that.

My definition involves a relentless search for communion with God, direct revelation, discipline, and the willingness to accept what God gives and commands of you (some of which will be much more difficult than obeying what you heard in Conference). That's much harder.

That's what I meant, too. It's difficult. I'm trying, though.

[_mledbetter]

I know for a fact that there is a God. This will be proven to you one way or another.

And we're the arrogant one?

I'm at least honest enough to say that I don't know for a fact that there is no God. I find the evidence against God, however, pretty damn presuasive.

If you don't believe in God and spend your remaining days of your puny mortality on this puny earth rebelling against Him, then you are a fool. Don't be so narcissistic as to think you have everything figured out when it comes to the existence of God.

Let's see, the person who just claimed to "know for a fact" that there is a God is lambasting atheists who think they "have everything figures out when it comes to the existence of God." Wow! I'm going out a limb here and saying that consistency isn't one of mledbetter's strong suits.

Before you condescend to your fellow mortals and amuse yourself by pointing out their supposed gullibility and ignorance, remember this. You are nothing. You are a speck of nothing on a speck of a planet circling a speck of a star circling in a speck of a galaxy drifting in a universe of countless galaxies and uncountable light years of space and nothingness/somethingness.

Agreed. I think many, if not most, atheists would probably readily concede this point.

But then, so are you, and yet that hasn't kept you from making bold affirmatory declarations--the same kind that you denounce atheists for presumably making.

Oh, and as far as the visiting you in the lower kingdom thing. We'll probably be in the same one, so I hope to get to know you better and become good friends.

I could probably use a few friends down under as well.

I already responded to all of your points which others raised before you.

[_mledbetter]

... in addition to factoring in the amount of disposable time you appear to have for message boards, leads me to believe you're suffering the trials of Job or have ever been called to pull a handcart across the plains.

I see you here just as much as I see Nehor. The difference is, he is defending his beliefs. You on the other hand...what are you here for? Oh, that's right, just hanging out on heaven knows how many religious message boards tearing down the faith of others. That's noble of you.