sock puppet wrote: Yeah, why me, people having thinking and using reason for a long time now, even all the way back to 1830. Go figure.
Lets look at it this way. People in the frontier weren't known for their tolerance. And the political angle was used by communities to drive out the Mormons. And in this article we have the political angle rearing its head again. Amazing. And yet, we have the MormonThink person going to the press for some publicity! Yep, that will show the local leadership that the person is an upright guy and doesn't wish to harm the church.
I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. Joseph Smith We are “to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all…” Joseph Smith
why me wrote:And yet, we have the MormonThink person going to the press for some publicity! Yep, that will show the local leadership that the person is an upright guy and doesn't wish to harm the church.
The church uses social pressure when it's to their advantage. If this fellow can turn the tables on them the church has no right to complain. That's just someone beating them at their own game.
The Church has brought this on themselves. MormonThink was a small website only really known in the Mormon / Exmormon community. Now hundreds of thousands of people know about it and it will become a go to site for more information about the Church. There is nothing on that site that is not factually true that I am aware of.
I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo
Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man. - The Dude
Don't you know there ain't no devil, there's just god when he's drunk - Tom Waits
son of Ishmael wrote:The Church has brought this on themselves. MormonThink was a small website only really known in the Mormon / Exmormon community. Now hundreds of thousands of people know about it and it will become a go to site for more information about the Church. There is nothing on that site that is not factually true that I am aware of.
MormonThink is a site to lead people out of the church. Period. It is not faith promoting at all. It has many wouldas, couldas and shouldas in it. And this is well known by exmembers who love the site. The ex crowd would not like this site if it were faith promoting. Just the opposite.
Now will nonmembers read it. Sure. Will they get a good idea of what Mormonism is? No. But they will learn to dislike the LDS church by reading the site.
I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. Joseph Smith We are “to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all…” Joseph Smith
why me wrote: Now will nonmembers read it. Sure. Will they get a good idea of what Mormonism is? No. But they will learn to dislike the LDS church by reading the site.
It is a lot easier to learn to dislike the LDS Church just by reading http://www.mormondialogue.org/ but I don't see them holding a disciplinary court on any one who runs that site.
"Any over-ritualized religion since the dawn of time can make its priests say yes, we know, it is rotten, and hard luck, but just do as we say, keep at the ritual, stick it out, give us your money and you'll end up with the angels in heaven for evermore."
why me wrote: Now will nonmembers read it. Sure. Will they get a good idea of what Mormonism is? No. But they will learn to dislike the LDS church by reading the site.
It is a lot easier to learn to dislike the LDS Church just by reading http://www.mormondialogue.org/ but I don't see them holding a disciplinary court on any one who runs that site.
I disagree. The goal of MormonThink is to have members doubt the truth claims of the LDS church. There is no other purpose for that site. I have known no one who goes to that site and sees the LDS church in a positive light. And the purpose of the site is just the opposite. That is my opinion.
I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. Joseph Smith We are “to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all…” Joseph Smith
son of Ishmael wrote:The Church has brought this on themselves. MormonThink was a small website only really known in the Mormon / Exmormon community. Now hundreds of thousands of people know about it and it will become a go to site for more information about the Church. There is nothing on that site that is not factually true that I am aware of.
MormonThink is a site to lead people out of the church. Period. It is not faith promoting at all. It has many wouldas, couldas and shouldas in it. And this is well known by exmembers who love the site. The ex crowd would not like this site if it were faith promoting. Just the opposite.
Now will nonmembers read it. Sure. Will they get a good idea of what Mormonism is? No. But they will learn to dislike the LDS church by reading the site.
What information on the site is not true? How can the truth hurt the Church?
I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo
Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man. - The Dude
Don't you know there ain't no devil, there's just god when he's drunk - Tom Waits
why me wrote:I disagree. The goal of MormonThink is to have members doubt the truth claims of the LDS church. There is no other purpose for that site. I have known no one who goes to that site and sees the LDS church in a positive light. And the purpose of the site is just the opposite. That is my opinion.
MDD is proof positive that motives don't matter, words and behavior do. They can say they are supporting the church but they are making it look worse because of who and what they are. Some of those people need to go talk to their bishops.
"It doesn't seem fair, does it Norm--that I should have so much knowledge when there are people in the world that have to go to bed stupid every night." -- Clifford C. Clavin, USPS
"¡No contaban con mi astucia!" -- El Chapulin Colorado
why me wrote:I disagree. The goal of MormonThink is to have members doubt the truth claims of the LDS church. There is no other purpose for that site. I have known no one who goes to that site and sees the LDS church in a positive light. And the purpose of the site is just the opposite. That is my opinion.
The purposes of MDD has nothing to do with what it accomplishes. Based on the whimsical and arbitrary nature of its moderation, I'd say neither one of us know what its "purpose' actually is. Not long ago it had interesting discussions between intelligent thoughtful posters from all sides, much of which is still available in its archives. Now it seems to vacillate between a cheer leading camp for the Faithful, a blog spot for a few disgruntled BYU professors and extreme parallelamania. Anyone going there to ask a question that cast doubt on the official position of the Church is met with more hostility than Gay rights activist at a Tea party convention. In my opinion its negative affect on doubting members and non members is much more extreme than MormonThink.
"Any over-ritualized religion since the dawn of time can make its priests say yes, we know, it is rotten, and hard luck, but just do as we say, keep at the ritual, stick it out, give us your money and you'll end up with the angels in heaven for evermore."
Fence Sitter wrote: The purposes of MDD has nothing to do with what it accomplishes.
It is a discussion board, nothing more. It is not an apologetic discussion board. It just members both in and out of the church talking, discussing issues about the LDS church. Nothing more.
I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. Joseph Smith We are “to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all…” Joseph Smith
