As you might already know, Bro. Michael Otterson is representing the church on the "On Faith" forum presented by Newsweek and the Washington Post since November. Due to the format, anyone may respond to Bro. Otterson's posts, without fear of moderation. An interesting trend has developed. There seem to be an equal number of exmos, TBMs, and non-members participating in the comments. The TBMs appear very defensive, while the non-members and exmos present ample evidence and counter-arguments to many of the points made by Bro. Otterson. It is funny to watch TBMs scramble and insult, and generally appear infantile in comparison with the well measured posts of most of the exmos and nevermos. It seems to be a PR disaster for the church, as Bro. Otterson has not even responded once to 157 comments in the current topic "God is Grander than even Believers Know" which has generated quite a discussion about the cosmic nature of Mormonism.
Overall I think the Otterson blog is a PR black-eye for the church. Not only do many TBMs who post comments appear confused, defensive, combative, and immature, but Bro. Otterson's non-participation is a clear signal that the church only wants a monologue and not an actual dialogue with the public. It appears the church only wants to discuss the gospel on its own terms, sending a massive group of free-laborers worldwide to talk to people on their doorstep, rather than chatting with the public on the internet, and addressing their concerns. That's why I think this blog is a PR blunder for the church. Here's the link: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/michael_otterson/2006/12/god_is_much_bigger_than_you_think.html#comments
Bro. Otterson's Newsweek/Washington Post Blog
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