Converting LDS into "Christians" using "Historical Flaws"

[_sleepyhead]

Doesn't trying to convert Mormons to your flavor of Christianity using flaws in the historical accuracy of the Book of Mormon/Book of Abraham present a problem?

Many events in the Bible have come under severe scrutiny over the years, especially with no evidence of a slave uprising in Egypt or a flee into a desert for 40 years, or even settling afterwards. Battles and wars in cities that may have not even existed at the time and all sorts of other flaws.

Isn't that creating new converts into your faith with a dangerous disposition to eventually flee when an Atheist, for example, attacks the Bible itself using the same tactics??

JMS

Hello JMS,

People are free to believe in things that aren't true and no one will attempt to convince them otherwise unless that belief is causing (or perceived to be causing) a problem in the individuals life. People can believe in a flat earth, space aliens, or the loch ness monster without anyone coming around attempting to enlighten them.
If an individual believes in the Bible he is still free to join any number of churches or none at all. With regards to the Book of Mormon there are numerous Mormon branches one can become involved with, however, through some twisted logic, the claim is being made that if the Book of Mormon is true then the individual must do this and that. If after an individual chooses to believe in the Book of Mormon he was free to make life decisions without missionaries with their own agenda telling him what God wants then deprograming individuals with regards to the Book of Mormon.

[_moksha]

I was wondering about a parallel thread, "The Conversion of LDS into Republicans using Flawed History".

[_madeleine]

The Book of Mormon was heavily edited and pulled from the records of the Nephites. It was never meant as a comprehensive guide on the culture, language, religious rites, etc of the Nephite people. The aim of the Book of Mormon is to clearly get people to speak directly with God. I believe the events around the Book of Mormon was contrived by God for just this purpose.

You'd have to convince me first that there is such a thing as Nephites.

The Bible suffers the same historical problems. There just is no evidence of a historical Adam and Eve, Moses, great flood, Abraham, and so on. People who claim the Bible is historical and the Book of Mormon isn't are just being hypocritical. A book of fiction set in historical situations doesn't make that book non-fiction.

Myth is a genre of book in the Bible. Meaning, stories that convey truth but aren't to be taken literally. The five books of the Pentateuch are myth. It's only Mormons, Evangelicals and some atheists that insist these books are literal histories.

I've never heard the Book of Mormon described as anything by Joseph Smith, it's author (translator if you must in order maintain a semblance of dialogue), as history. I've never seen the LDS church teach that the Book of Mormon books are not to be taken literally.

The Book of Mormon is as authentic as the Bible. Its claim is God will tell you that it is from him. That is easy to verify in fact. All you have to do is ask and if God doesn't show up and tell you it is true, it isn't. The same can be said of the Bible. Without a real God to back it up, it is just fiction.

Mormons are the only people who I know of that think God is going to show up when you pray about a book. I have never met a Catholic or mainline Protestant who has prayed, asking if the Bible is true. Catholics, in particular, are not sola scripture.

[_Albion]

I think you are painting evangelicals with a very broad brush relative to these books. I think you might be surprised at the viewpoint of many who worship under the evangelical umbrella.

[_Tobin]

Mormons are the only people who I know of that think God is going to show up when you pray about a book. I have never met a Catholic or mainline Protestant who has prayed, asking if the Bible is true. Catholics, in particular, are not sola scripture.

Well, that is where we differ. I don't believe in a God that doesn't show up at all and that you can't see or talk to. And I also didn't say Mormons were praying over a book. A book is just a thing and doesn't matter. Your relationship with God is what matters. The book is just an instrument to get you to seek and speak with and follow God. That's the point of the scriptures after all.

[_gdemetz]

You are right Tobin! Albion is hypocritically clinging to the Bible now even though he rejects every quote I give him from it due to his brainwashing!!!

[_Albion]

gdemetz, you really are something. I do not reject the Bible verses you quote, only your misinterpretation of them...an interpretation designed to prop up the false premises established by Joseph Smith. Swallow the big lie and its easier to swallow all the little ones that follow.

[_gdemetz]

You absolutely are rejecting them, Albion! When you tell me something like "You are gods" does not mean "You are gods," then you are rejecting what the Bible is plainly and clearly stating, and if you can't see it now due to spiritual blindness (which appears to be contagious here), then you will clearly see it in the day of judgement!!!

[_Albion]

gdemetz, does God have wings? The scriptures make allusion to that all the time. It's got to be so, right? Jacob blessed his son Judah: "You are a lion's cub." Gen., 49:9 It says right there he is a lion's cub...got to be, right? Of course not...he was no more the cub of a lion than the Judges of Israel were really gods....their role/office gave them position and power over the people like "gods"...they were stand-in for god if you will. Aren't you tired of continually raising this issue. Please don't throw the rattle out of the pram again.

[_gdemetz]

That has got to be one of the dumbest arguments that I have ever heard!!! Christ also quoted that scripture, remember?! The New Testament also clearly states that we can become partakers of the DIVINE nature! It also states that we can, being immortal in the resurrection, even become joint heirs with Christ, and even sit on Gods throne, just as Christ did!! Do you think that is just a courtesy seating?!? Wake up Albion! You are way over your head on this site! Please don't give me any more of your dumb evangelical twistings of the scriptures! Every verse I quote to you, you try to say that it doesn't mean what it says! Why don't you just rewrite the whole Bible and call it the Perverted Evangelical Version!!!