Today, in Kaduna, Nigeria, a Catholic Church was bombed by Muslims during Mass, killing 7 and wounding 100. Perhaps Nigerian Catholics should create a “forum” to debate Muslims about the error in their ways, and molly-coddle and gently and lovingly persuade them to become Catholics.
There comes a time when kindness and goodwill doesn’t pay off, and when the Church Militant must defend herself against her enemies as she has always done.
The LDS cult is also a duplicitous and devious enemy of the Catholic Church. They don’t bomb, but they lie and distort the facts about Catholics. They scoff and sneer at our symbols and icons, including our Crucifix. They belittle our sacred teachings and rites, includng our Rosary. They say our Holy Father is the “Anti-Christ”. They insist that our Bible is false and misleading, assembled by the founders of our “apostate” religion. They argue that the “Book of Mormon” is the true scripture inspired by God up on the planet Kolob., “translated” and written by the “prophet”, Joseph Smith, a proven con-man, sociopath, and pedophile. Read UCLA Professor Fawn Brodie’s prize-winning biography of Smith, “No Man Knows My History” for which she was ex-communicated from the cult.
When it serves their purpose, cult members will adopt an air of friendliness and coooperative spirit. This is most always an unscrupulous ruse to gain our confidence, and is particularly true of Mormon politicians pandering for the Catholic vote.
I lived three years in a Mormon cult community in the mountains of Central Arizona. There was a sprinkling of other faiths including Catholics. Mass was held in a private home by a priest who drove 60 miles from another community. The town government was altogether Mormon. My landlord was a “bishop” who robbed graves on a nearby sacred Indian burial ground. He sold the relics in Phoenix for a handsome profit. So much for respectng other people’s faith. This was a bona fide Mormon community, not some “splinter group” that some LDS cult members might contend.
In spite of the continuous harrassment to become a cult member, my life among the Mormons was interesting and a solid education. I have debated with LDS cult members, in person and not in a “forum”, in defense of my Catholic faith. I have been ganged up on, but most always with some degree of civility. However, as RebeccaJ has experienced, there have been some instances of snarling belligerance, bordering on threats. I am a former U. S. Marine and held my ground.