The Consiglieris Must Be Crazy!

[_Ceeboo]

Hey Consig,

Last evening while mowing the lawn, I felt impressed that I should take steps to begin a community dialogue about Mormonism.

Accordingly, I have drafted the following letter and am mailing it out today to about sixty local churches.

Thoughts?

Great idea!

I would think that out of 60 prospects, you'll probably get about 10 positive responses (Of those 10, I would guess about 6 would see this as an opportunity to engage/minister and "save" you)

Also, in case these discussions do not go as you have anticipated, I would bring along several rolls of duct tape (kinda like having a personal traveling "Nemesis" at your side) should you need to cover any particular pie hole/holes along the way.

Anyway, I would love to hear how this goes!
Please report back.

Peace,
Ceeboo

June 20, 2012

Dear Pastor or Minister,

2012 may see the election of the first Mormon president in US history. Public interest in Mormonism is at an all-time high. Your congregants know Mormons in their community, at their jobs and in their schools. I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) for 34-years, served a mission in Japan, and have been married in the temple. I am also an attorney and have been practicing in Hancock County since 1990.

God has placed it upon my heart to reach out in fellowship to local churches with the open invitation to have me speak with your congregation on the subject of Mormonism. This is not an attempt to convert members of your church to Mormonism, nor is it an attempt to persuade anyone that Mormonism is superior your faith. I am not a missionary. I have not received a call by an LDS church leader to issue this invitation. I am acting solely upon the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

I am well qualified to engage in such a public conversation, having studied Mormonism in depth for over three decades, and being quite familiar with all its many aspects. Once again, my purpose is not to convert but to converse.

This discussion would be presented in any manner you deem fit and at the place and time of your choosing. Regardless of the format, I think Q&A is an essential component. The main point is to answer questions your people may have regarding Mormonism, whether about its history, its scriptures or its leaders. I will not shy away from difficult questions, but will answer them frankly, fully and forthrightly. No dodging, no spinning, and no whitewashing.

Many traditional Christians harbor suspicion of Mormons and their motives. I understand this. But I reiterate there is nothing here but an offer to discuss the subject of Mormonism in an open and relaxed atmosphere. There is no hidden plan, no ulterior motive, no strings attached. What I have proposed is all there is. Should you be interested in hosting such a meeting, I guarantee you and your congregation a faithful, honest, respectful and fascinating experience. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours in the bonds of Christ,


Consiglieri

[/quote]

[_consiglieri]

(Of those 10, I would guess about 6 would see this as an opportunity to engage/minister and "save" you)

Thanks, Ceeboo!

I am of all men most in need of saving.

[_Tobin]

(Of those 10, I would guess about 6 would see this as an opportunity to engage/minister and "save" you)

Thanks, Ceeboo!

I am of all men most in need of saving.

Just make sure they don't hit delete by mistake.

[_why me]

Otherwise I would have hung in there with him like I've done with droopy, bcspace, gmetz & why me.[/color]

I knew that my quotations from the witnesses would get to you. You made a claim and I answered it by challenging it. The witnesses' and what they claimed throughout their lives stand for all to read.

[_why me]

And what makes you qualified for this new job that you have assigned yourself? Most pastors and priests have a theological background.

LUCIFER: . . . Are you a preacher?

SECTARIAN MINISTER: I am.

LUCIFER: Have you been to college and received training for the ministry?

SECTARIAN MINISTER: Certainly! A man cannot preach unless has been trained for the ministry.

I am sure that if Harry the catholic wished to explain his faith to protestant pastors and jewish rabbis they would be thrilled.

[_why me]

Aah, if those pastors and priests with academic theological degrees think Consiglieri has something to add to the discussion, that's not good enough for you.

I don't know. Would these pastors, rabbis and theological scholars want to hear Harry O' Malley, the catholic explain his faith for dialogue and discussion?

I doubt it.

[_consiglieri]

I don't know. Would these pastors, rabbis and theological scholars want to hear Harry O' Malley, the catholic explain his faith for dialogue and discussion?

Nationalities other than Irish have been known to be Catholic.

[_MrStakhanovite]

I don't know. Would these pastors, rabbis and theological scholars want to hear Harry O' Malley, the catholic explain his faith for dialogue and discussion?

I doubt it.

If you want to rate someone’s ability to engage in successful interfaith dialogue by their post-secondary and professional education in their respective religion, how many Mormons are qualified? 20 people? 35?

[_thews]

You take lying to a new level. You squelch your knowledge to believers who think the Urim and Thummim were not seer stones, keeping the truth from them, and now your selective lying now wishes to "educate" Christians? Which parts will you leave out in your concocted hogwash? How a teacher to itching ears sleeps at night is beyond me, but somehow you've rationalized when to lie and how to lie as a productive thing.

I am a wolf in sheep's clothing. I will leave out anything that might put the LDS Church in a bad light. I will lie my ass off in order to promote the LDS Church and, with any luck, I will draw away some of the sheep from the folds of these other Christian churches and lure them into Mormonism.

Luring them into Mormonism isn't you're objective... your objective is to deceive them. A case in point would be your question regarding how "dark" can be interpreted in Mormon lore to mean soul. You have many data points that specifically state skin was being referenced, yet you find one reference to "dark" that doesn't specify skin and make a case that it could be the soul that was being referenced... when you know it isn't. Your minions can go to bat for you, but you are nothing more than a human who is excellent at deception. If someone takes you up on your willingness to "educate" (deceive) them on Mormonism, maybe you should reference these facts:

1) There never was an "Urim and Thummim" in Mormon history. There was the Nephite Spectacles which were taken back, but every single word of the Book of Mormon was "translated" using Joseph smith's seer stones. You know this, yet you don't share this information with TBM's who don't. Who are you protecting?

2) Mormonism is a racist doctrine. The priesthood ban from its inception until 1978 should easily define this, along with the many references to "Dark and loathsome" skin color vs. "White and delightsome" skin. You won't mention this little factoid will you?

3) All Christian faiths were an abomination in the Lord's eyes according to Joseph Smith's tall tales, which is why the Lord needed to intorduce a new monotheistic religion. It then changed to henotheistic with the Book of Abraham, but you'll skip over that. You'll also skip over that Joseph Smith incorrectly translated the pagan book of the dead to translate it.

4) Joseph Smith saw flaws in the Bible so he revised it. You use the KJV with the JST footnotes, but since the KJV is the "official" Bible of the Mormon faith, that's what you'll tell them. Why isn't the JST the official Bible of the LDS faith? Don't worry... you don't have to explain what they don't ask about.

5) Joseph Smith, when threatened with a flaming sword by God for failing to disobey the seventh commandment, married 14 year-old girls when he was 38. You won't acknowledge this factoid either, but "answer" it (respond) by stating one of the usual tactics you've been taught to use. Let me answer this by asking you (insert parallel argument that doesn't correlate here).... In the Bible, Abraham bla bla bla... Don't worry consig, when the time comes you'll know exactly which words to choose to deceive them and fail to answer the question.

In the end you are a teacher to itching ears. You know about the stove-pipe hat and occult seer stones, and at this point you're too pot committed to walk away. Your choice (and it's a conscious one) is to use your craft in deception to distort the truth. Those poor pie-eyed missionaries need people like you to teach them. They need people they trust to withhold the truth from them to protect them. In 20 years, if they're still Mormon, they can swallow what doesn't make sense and teach the new crop. Years of cognitive dissonance has a way of balancing the scales doesn't it? What does it feel like when you deceive someone by choosing your words carefully in order to intentionally deceive them?

And there's nothing you can do about it.

Yes there is... read above and sleep well.

[_why me]

I don't know. Would these pastors, rabbis and theological scholars want to hear Harry O' Malley, the catholic explain his faith for dialogue and discussion?

Nationalities other than Irish have been known to be Catholic.

I don't know. Would these pastors, rabbis and theological scholars want to hear Witold Dumbrowski, the catholic explain his faith for dialogue and discussion?