Mormon Persecution?

[_Bond...James Bond]

I think most of the time, if people have any reaction at all for the Mormons, it's to roll their eyes.

I agree (or at best a mild sense of irritation when the missionaries come knocking).

[_maklelan]

LDS want to show that they can successfully refute "anti-mormon" arguments. People who have devoted a lot of time to reading and responding to these arguments, ie, apologists, in particular want to show the LDS masses, ie, the non-apologists, that really smart people have studied these anti-mormon claims and can tell you with academic authority that the anti-mormon claims are not only bunk, but bunk created by non-academic dunces you can safely ignore. So you can feel really good about continuing to believe in Mormonism, despite the criticisms made against it by outsiders. They are not only non-academic dunces who don't know what they're talking about, but they are bigots to boot.

I'm a little surprised at this remark, beastie. First off, I've never been a bigot in my life. My family are not members of the church (very much so) and I have never had a problem with them, even when they came and sat outside the temple at my wedding. If by bigot your refer to racism then I vehemently disagree with that as well, but I'm not even going to get in to that. If it's about differences of opinion I still disagree. I know for a fact that I've had far more training in biblical languages and culture than anyone on this board, and yet you call me a non-academic dunce who doesn't know what I'm talking about. I am editor in chief of a student journal for the study of the ancient world, and I do not allow openly faith-promoting papers. I have organized a conference for apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature that will take place on Nov. 2 that will include papers from five BYU professors and will be published in the Occasional Papers, and I will not allow any openly faith-promoting papers in that conference. In addition to that, I work full time as an illustrator and a massage therapist and take 18 credit hours and still maintain an A average. My friend Avram was just accepted to Oxford to study Judaism. My friend Mike was just accepted to the University of Chicago with a full ride and a fellowship to study early Christianity. My friend Jon was accepted to Duke with a full ride to study New Testament. My friends Don Parry and Stephen Ricks happen to be two of the most respected Dead Sea Scrolls scholars on the planet. I heartily disagree with your statement and ask you to back it up or apologize.

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

LDS want to show that they can successfully refute "anti-mormon" arguments. People who have devoted a lot of time to reading and responding to these arguments, ie, apologists, in particular want to show the LDS masses, ie, the non-apologists, that really smart people have studied these anti-mormon claims and can tell you with academic authority that the anti-mormon claims are not only bunk, but bunk created by non-academic dunces you can safely ignore. So you can feel really good about continuing to believe in Mormonism, despite the criticisms made against it by outsiders. They are not only non-academic dunces who don't know what they're talking about, but they are bigots to boot.

I'm a little surprised at this remark, beastie. First off, I've never been a bigot in my life. My family are not members of the church (very much so) and I have never had a problem with them, even when they came and sat outside the temple at my wedding. If by bigot your refer to racism then I vehemently disagree with that as well, but I'm not even going to get in to that. If it's about differences of opinion I still disagree. I know for a fact that I've had far more training in biblical languages and culture than anyone on this board, and yet you call me a non-academic dunce who doesn't know what I'm talking about. I am editor in chief of a student journal for the study of the ancient world, and I do not allow openly faith-promoting papers. I have organized a conference for apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature that will take place on Nov. 2 that will include papers from five BYU professors and will be published in the Occasional Papers, and I will not allow any openly faith-promoting papers in that conference. In addition to that, I work full time as an illustrator and a massage therapist and take 18 credit hours and still maintain an A average. My friend Avram was just accepted to Oxford to study Judaism. My friend Mike was just accepted to the University of Chicago with a full ride and a fellowship to study early Christianity. My friend Jon was accepted to Duke with a full ride to study New Testament. My friends Don Parry and Stephen Ricks happen to be two of the most respected Dead Sea Scrolls scholars on the planet. I heartily disagree with your statement and ask you to back it up or apologize.

Mak, why are you taking this so personally?

First, read the paragraph again. The bolded sentence is referring to Mormons' perception of the critics, not to Mormons.

Second, even if it meant what you suppose it to mean, why would you take it so personally? I hope you marked the box "yes" as to whether Mormons feel persecuted.

[_Mister Scratch]

I know for a fact that I've had far more training in biblical languages and culture than anyone on this board, and yet you call me a non-academic dunce who doesn't know what I'm talking about. I am editor in chief of a student journal for the study of the ancient world, and I do not allow openly faith-promoting papers. I have organized a conference for apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature that will take place on Nov. 2 that will include papers from five BYU professors and will be published in the Occasional Papers, and I will not allow any openly faith-promoting papers in that conference. In addition to that, I work full time as an illustrator and a massage therapist and take 18 credit hours and still maintain an A average. My friend Avram was just accepted to Oxford to study Judaism. My friend Mike was just accepted to the University of Chicago with a full ride and a fellowship to study early Christianity. My friend Jon was accepted to Duke with a full ride to study New Testament. My friends Don Parry and Stephen Ricks happen to be two of the most respected Dead Sea Scrolls scholars on the planet. I heartily disagree with your statement and ask you to back it up or apologize.

Pride is one of the great sins, Mak! Truly, you have been affected by the Adversary! Repent, Mak! Repent of your sins! If you do not cleanse yourself of your iniquities, on the Day of Judgment your head will be crushed!

[_beastie]

Mak,

Lucretia is correct. You totally inverted the meaning of my sentence. I was saying that the LDS apologetic line is that critics are non-academic dunces who are bigots.

[_maklelan]

Mak, why are you taking this so personally?

First, read the paragraph again. The bolded sentence is referring to Mormons' perception of the critics, not to Mormons.

The paragraph refers to how he perceives us over at MAD.

Second, even if it meant what you suppose it to mean, why would you take it so personally? I hope you marked the box "yes" as to whether Mormons feel persecuted.

I haven't felt persecuted since I moved out away from Dallas, but that's not what I'm doing here, I'm just pointing out that someone is being presumptuous and rude.

[_maklelan]

Pride is one of the great sins, Mak! Truly, you have been affected by the Adversary! Repent, Mak! Repent of your sins! If you do not cleanse yourself of your iniquities, on the Day of Judgment your head will be crushed!

Thank you for once again adding nothing to the discussion with your blatant ad hominem.

[_maklelan]

Mak,

Lucretia is correct. You totally inverted the meaning of my sentence. I was saying that the LDS apologetic line is that critics are non-academic dunces who are bigots.

Oh my gosh. I apologize. I read it too quickly. I was surprised because it seemed so out of character for you, and I guess I didn't pick up that it was an injection of sarcasm intended to be read from their point of view. Please forgive me.

[_Mister Scratch]

Pride is one of the great sins, Mak! Truly, you have been affected by the Adversary! Repent, Mak! Repent of your sins! If you do not cleanse yourself of your iniquities, on the Day of Judgment your head will be crushed!

Thank you for once again adding nothing to the discussion with your blatant ad hominem.

Uh, "blatant"? Were you not tooting your own horn in that paragraph, Mak, by trying to show us all what a smarty-pants you are? "adding nothing," imho, would be something like failing to produce evidence that one claims one has.... Such as Church financial information.... It's April, Mak, and I'm still waiting.

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

Mak,

Lucretia is correct. You totally inverted the meaning of my sentence. I was saying that the LDS apologetic line is that critics are non-academic dunces who are bigots.

Oh my gosh. I apologize. I read it too quickly. I was surprised because it seemed so out of character for you, and I guess I didn't pick up that it was an injection of sarcasm intended to be read from their point of view. Please forgive me.

You're wrong about something else, too. Beastie is a girl beast.

You say you don't feel persecuted? How else do you explain the rush to the defensiveness? Are you sure you didn't feel an acute pain of personal attack when you [mis]read that post?