Jason's point (and yours too) is spot on. No one approaches a text cleanly. We bring our experiences, expectations, and biases to our reading, so an Evangelical will always read the Bible differently than a Mormon, a Catholic, or a Jehovah's Witness. Each will think their reading is the correct one, whereas the others are biased. Except they all are.
I'm not taking Brian on because of his beliefs. I'm taking him on because he is calling Mormon's mindless and dim-witted.
Exactly. Do you have any of this criticism for your atheist/humanist/agnostic brethren? I've never seen it if so. From you or anyone else.
As I mentioned before, I think it's perfectly acceptable to be critical of LDS theology, history, and culture; I think it's reprehensible to degrade people because of belief. When I see that happening, I speak up.
Oh please. no you don't. Don't misunderstand me, that's perfectly fine with me, but I've heard on this thread the tired old criticism of hypocrisy by people of faith. It's ridiculous on it's face, really.
My point is that Brian calls people dim and mindless for suggesting Joseph Smith may have been a seer. Yet he claims to believe in supernatural gifts. I suppose I could call him dim and mindless for believing in supernatural gifts, but I don't feel that way about people. I think there are perfectly valid reasons for rejecting the notion of supernatural gifts, but I don't reject that notion for Evangelicals and Catholics, but allow them for Mormons and Pentecostals.
I don't expect you to. BrianH may, but he deserves a hearing first, I would think.
Hoops, if you feel Brian has been reasonable and hospitable during his short time here, that's an opinion I'll have to disagree with.
My criticism has little to do with BrianH. It has mostly to do with the hyporcrisy on this thread from the old stand-bys.
I don't think most of us have dedicated years to attacking something we know little about.
Well, I don't have a timeline for when folks have begun their criticism of whatever, but I find a lot of misunderstanding of - at least - my element of Christianity.
Some Schmo wrote:He was referring to his own posts. At least, that's what makes the most sense.
Good one, little fella.
It must have really taxed all the brain power at your disposal to come up with this one "insult" that you reuse over and over, huh? Or did you even steal that one from someone else?
Yeah, probably.
*points and laughs*
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
Some Schmo wrote:It must have really taxed all the brain power at your disposal to come up with this one "insult" that you reuse over and over, huh? Or did you even steal that one from someone else?
Yeah, probably.
*points and laughs*
Maybe when you go through puberty you will get a little taller. Hang in there, tiny one!!
I'm not taking Brian on because of his beliefs. I'm taking him on because he is calling Mormon's mindless and dim-witted.
Exactly. Do you have any of this criticism for your atheist/humanist/agnostic brethren? I've never seen it if so. From you or anyone else.
Are my atheistic/humanistic/agnostic brethren calling Mormons names around here *because* they are Mormon? If so, how about pointing it out. Oh, Stemelbow is off the table - despite his mantra, "You pick on me because I'm LDS" - he was never picked on because he was a Mormon.
Hoops wrote:
LDSToronto wrote:As I mentioned before, I think it's perfectly acceptable to be critical of LDS theology, history, and culture; I think it's reprehensible to degrade people because of belief. When I see that happening, I speak up.
Oh please. no you don't. Don't misunderstand me, that's perfectly fine with me, but I've heard on this thread the tired old criticism of hypocrisy by people of faith. It's ridiculous on it's face, really.
Hoops, don't descend into "I can read your mind" territory.
hoops wrote:
LDSToronto wrote:My point is that Brian calls people dim and mindless for suggesting Joseph Smith may have been a seer. Yet he claims to believe in supernatural gifts. I suppose I could call him dim and mindless for believing in supernatural gifts, but I don't feel that way about people. I think there are perfectly valid reasons for rejecting the notion of supernatural gifts, but I don't reject that notion for Evangelicals and Catholics, but allow them for Mormons and Pentecostals.
I don't expect you to. BrianH may, but he deserves a hearing first, I would think.
Have you read his threads, Hoops? If not, please read them. If you feel he hasn't had a fair hearing, please jump to his defense in one of the threads he's created. I'm really curious to see how you feel he has been treated unfairly.
H.
"Others cannot endure their own littleness unless they can translate it into meaningfulness on the largest possible level." ~ Ernest Becker "Whether you think of it as heavenly or as earthly, if you love life immortality is no consolation for death." ~ Simone de Beauvoir