The magic "twinkling" of Apostate Christendom

[_gdemetz]

Yes, there were.

[_Drifting]

No, the LDS is the restored church of Jesus Christ, and it has not fallen away from the things Christ taught or the things Christ revealed to Joseph Smith!

Polygamy perhaps?

[_subgenius]

fallen away or risen from?

So we can equally state Christianity rose from the Church of Christs day?

by what reasoning would it be "equal"?

[_subgenius]

gdemetz, you didn't really say there was "very little in common" did you...that it was like comparing a balloon with an airplane? Do virtually identical handshakes have anything in common

boy scouts have an eerily similar handshake too....hmm

...how about aprons

cooks, butchers, and french maids also use aprons....hmmmm

...how about the now defunct throat slashing and disembowelment motions accompanying oaths that were an integral part of the ritual till 1990.

like NFL players when they score a touchdown? or the one that directors use when they signal "stop broadcasting"?.....hmmmmmm

How about that new Masons are required to take an oath and a covenant promise when they are initiated. [/quote]
so are Presidents and police officers....hmmmmmmmmmmm

These are just a few of the things you say Mormon temple ritual does not have in common with Masonry.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Smith was definitely a Mason in New York and in the Nauvoo lodge where he was initiated into the highest degree of Masonry a very short time before he came up with the temple ritual. I think you owe it to yourself to do a little research which will clearly demonstrate that there is very much in common.

Since you are making the claim can you provide actual evidence which confirms Joseph Smith was "initiated into the highest degree of Masonry a very short time before he came up with the temple ritual"?....surely not to difficult for you to provide since it only takes a "little research".

[_subgenius]

Just for fun, gdemetz, google President Bush greets Gordon B. Hinckley.

this makes you seem rather...different....just for fun, do you even know what that handshake may/may not mean to either man?
Please, give specific meaning about the particular handshake and its meaning (a posted image or link would also be great)
you need to get outside more

[_gdemetz]

Sub, that's just evangelical trash talk. Whenever they are shown to be wrong, and don't know what else to say, they will do one of several things:

1- not respond

2- trash talk

3- rehearse many non related passages from the Bible

4- use the same argument that has already been shown to be wrong anyway

[_Albion]

Gdemetz. l. I have made every effort to respond to you on direct questions.

2. I guess is depends on what you term trash talk. If your idea of trash talk is putting up points of debate to get you think...guilty as charged. My idea of trash talk is the continuous stream of personal insults that you and other Mormons resort to with regularity.

3. Every passage I quote is related to the subject at hand. Just because you decide not to accept them doesn't make them non related no matter what you claim.
4. You haven't proven anything to me yet.

[_Albion]

PS: I'm still waiting for your definition of "justified"...I might ask also for a definition of the term "free gift".

[_gdemetz]

Hello Albion?!? I am the one who keeps quoting scripture! You are the one who keeps quoting evangelical (I better be careful here), er, doctrine!

[_Albion]

I think you need to put your reading glasses on, gdemetz. Are you going to answer the questions?