Sorry it took me awhile to get back to you – busy weekend! Let’s start here because from my experience this idea that LDS are under siege is where most breakdowns in communications start and why we never get very far talking with each other. If you enter this forum to defend yourself and your faith you’ll usually come across simply as defensive. Most of the LDS posts I read, and I don’t spend a lot of time here, show that they’re so closed minded and disrespectful of what others tell them that the only thing to do is pray for them. Not mean disrespectful, but in that they don’t at all listen. They’re so stuck on hearing and seeing things only thru an LDS filter that they’re just waiting to respond with THEIR thoughts instead of ever having a discussion.
You can tell yourself you’re under siege if you must but it’s just bogus. Compared to what? Christians, not Mormons, are jailed in many countries, killed in others - that’s truly being under siege. If you approach all those people thinking you have to defend yourself you’re never going to sway anyone because your very approach puts them on the defensive too. This kind of attitude and behavior is why many think the LDS Church is a cult. Its not, but this ‘under siege’ attitude plays right into that perception. With all the love in my heart Dianaiad GET OVER IT!
This is twice now you got off the topic by responding to a point with “hey, well, they attack me too! They’re mean to me.” Yes, and what’s your point? How many non-LDS do you think really understand LDS? Do you really think you’ll change anyone’s mind coming from a defensive position instead of one where it’s evident you want to truly discuss things?
I know no one who’s objective, and that’s the key, who would take many statements I’ve read by LDS leaders as anything but insulting – it has nothing to do with them being Mormon - mean and insulting is mean and insulting. Again you’re trying to twist things around to “It doesn’t matter that what they said is about as unchristian as can be – it’s about you and your biases.” Right. It’s about your attitude/biases Dianaiad, not mine. Catholics have said some insulting things too - I would never try to defend it by saying it’s about the person reading the statement and not the statement itself.
Then you have a very unconventional and, I daresay, unconvincing way, of expressing hope. Just like McConkie and Young, you said what you said and I think you meant what you said - why not just stick to it? It doesn’t make me mad - it does lead me to believe you want to preach at me the way you keep going on about others preaching at you. I’ll be happy to listen to your explanations and discuss points with you. But I may not take your word as THE word on some point simply because you’re LDS any more than you’d take my word on something Catholic simply because I am one.
First, this question wasn’t directed to you anyway. Your strong need to answer it says more to me about you than them. Let ex-LDS answer and then let’s discuss. I have my reasons for asking for their (name removed by moderator)ut. Your need to jump in and cut off all discussion makes me question your motives.
Second, your attitude about ex-LDS having no ability to be fair or accurate and being, by definition it appears, as ‘hostile’ to the faith many grew up in is just bogus. Will they now have a different “take” on LDS than you – of course. Does that mean they can’t accurately state beliefs and practices and by definition are all out to get you – only in your mind Dianaiad – not in mine. It seems that this attitude is so a part of LDS dna that you are oblivious to it when you say it. And by doing so you back yourself into the illogical corner that only LDS have anything truthful and valid to say about the LDS faith.
I grew up Baptist and know the faith very well - I don’t hate it, don’t say bad things about it, don’t run it down. I’d gladly/truthfully tell someone what I know about it. I didn’t forget what I knew and experienced when I became Catholic. And I didn’t suddenly turn into a liar about my old faith and turn hostile toward it.
The by-line from too many ex-LDS both in books and that I’ve talked to in our church is that they learned things about the LDS faith as they looked more deeply into it that simply didn’t ring true to them anymore. As they compared it to Christianity it raised too many questions that couldn’t be answered with much more than “…that’s the faith, that was the revelation, you need to believe it” and they couldn’t anymore - theologically, logically, historically, etc. Some of these people are hostile and inaccurate in their portrayals. Many, many are not. They don’t hate LDS, didn’t suddenly forget all they learned and experienced, it wasn’t an easy decision for them and they have every right to speak about the LDS faith. When you protest SO loudly that they don’t have a right to say anything about their old faith it casts doubt on you, not them. If you’d bother to listen to what some of these folks say maybe you’d learn something from them.
I’m praying for you - hope you are for me too
I still pray for him but I am better off without him.
