Hello, Mormon Here!

[the_last_gunslinger]

Okay, just so it's out there in the open, I am hereby declaring my affiliation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ie Mormon. That being said, rest assured, I have no desire whatsoever to promulgate my faith or seek to convince others of its veracity. I have come here in the spirit of interfaith dialogue and understanding. I have found myself embroiled of late in various discussions with 'mainstream' Christians, and though I believe there is much more we have in common than we might think, our differing philosophies often lead us to talk past one another. Therefore, I feel it would be a benefit to me to seek insight and information from other Christians so that I might increase my understanding of your faith.

I am primarily interested in how Christians view certain scriptures and general overviews of primary theologies for which there is no corollary in my church. I understand the rules and I will do my best to keep from promoting my beliefs, and will rarely comment on them unless asked by another, or in order to explain my reasons for a particular inquiry. I hope that is alright.

Anyways, this place looks active, and its members, knowledgeable. I am looking forward to my time here and hope it is both prosperous and pleasurable.

 

[JesusMyOnly]

Hello, I think I'm kinda curious about the Mormon faith (not looking to convert) and I'd be willing to start a discussion.

 

[maxwel]

Okay, just so it's out there in the open, I am hereby declaring my affiliation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ie Mormon. That being said, rest assured, I have no desire whatsoever to promulgate my faith or seek to convince others of its veracity. I have come here in the spirit of interfaith dialogue and understanding. I have found myself embroiled of late in various discussions with 'mainstream' Christians, and though I believe there is much more we have in common than we might think, our differing philosophies often lead us to talk past one another. Therefore, I feel it would be a benefit to me to seek insight and information from other Christians so that I might increase my understanding of your faith.

I am primarily interested in how Christians view certain scriptures and general overviews of primary theologies for which there is no corollary in my church. I understand the rules and I will do my best to keep from promoting my beliefs, and will rarely comment on them unless asked by another, or in order to explain my reasons for a particular inquiry. I hope that is alright.

Anyways, this place looks active, and its members, knowledgeable. I am looking forward to my time here and hope it is both prosperous and pleasurable.

Did you really just come in here and say that with a straight face?
: )

 

[the_last_gunslinger]

Did you really just come in here and say that with a straight face?
: )

Yep. I meant it too. i know how things work on these forums. I'm a member on a primarily Evangelical forum and I'm nearing 700 posts on there. Granted, they actually have a specific forum for discussing LDS issues, but they have similar rules about spreading "false doctrines."

 

[cmarieh]

Yep. I meant it too. i know how things work on these forums. I'm a member on a primarily Evangelical forum and I'm nearing 700 posts on there. Granted, they actually have a specific forum for discussing LDS issues, but they have similar rules about spreading "false doctrines."

Welcome to the site. I do appreciate you being straightforward and honest about being a member of LDS. I do hope you learn a lot here.

 

[VioletReigns]

..........

 

[maxwel]

Yep. I meant it too. i know how things work on these forums. I'm a member on a primarily Evangelical forum and I'm nearing 700 posts on there. Granted, they actually have a specific forum for discussing LDS issues, but they have similar rules about spreading "false doctrines."

Ah... so realizing you can be banned for spreading false doctrine, before you begin your apologetics you start with the caveat that you aren't doing any apologetics.

Sounds reasonable to me.

I mean, it's a pretty thin veneer... but hey... I get it, lol.


Oh, and I was in the Mormon church before becoming a Christian, so I'm perfectly familiar with their heretical beliefs, how often they try to change or obfuscate their beliefs, and all of their apologetic and evangelistic tactics.

 

[the_last_gunslinger]

Ah... so realizing you can be banned for spreading false doctrine, before you begin your apologetics you start with the caveat that you aren't doing any apologetics.

Sounds reasonable to me.

I mean, it's a pretty thin veneer... but hey... I get it, lol.


Oh, and I was in the Mormon church before becoming a Christian, so I'm perfectly familiar with their heretical beliefs, how often they try to change or obfuscate their beliefs, and all of their apologetic and evangelistic tactics.

Okay...seems we've gotten off on the wrong foot already. Unintentional on my part, to be sure. But can we at least hold off on any preconceived notions about the type of poster I am going to be?

 

[kennethcadwell]

Welcome to the site, and there are some here who will converse with you in a respectful manner as Christians should do and are called to do. Yet this is a forum and we do have those on here as well who will belittle other Christians outright even those not of the Mormon faith that you are, or the Catholic faith.
You will always have a group of individuals that misuse how we are to treat each other, as they use examples like Jesus speaking to the Pharisees to defend their right to constantly belittle others.

The bible makes it clear that we are to love, pray for, and even do good to those that would go as far as persecute us.


I hope your time here is informing and you enjoy it, but as a sign of warning there are still those who abuse the faith on this site as well. Thread lightly....................

 

[maxwel]

Okay...seems we've gotten off on the wrong foot already. Unintentional on my part, to be sure. But can we at least hold off on any preconceived notions about the type of poster I am going to be?

Well... you're here to talk about Mormonism.
By all Orthodox Christian standards, Mormonism qualifies as a cult.

We get off on the wrong foot at the moment you come here to talk about Mormonism...
NOT when I speak up about it.

 

[the_last_gunslinger]

We get off on the wrong foot at the moment you come here to talk about Mormonism...
NOT when I speak up about it

But since I didn't come here to talk about Mormonism...

All I'm asking is that you take me at my word until I give your reason to doubt my sincerity.

 

[maxwel]

We should take you at your "word"?

Really?

But you started off by giving all kinds of contradictions right in your opening post.

What kind of "word" is that?



If we look at your opening statement, we could find enough logical or theological contradictions to question your "word".


You are here in the "spirit of interfaith dialogue and understanding"
because you "think we have much more in common than we might think",
and you are "interested in how christians view certain scriptures".

So...by your own words, you are here to discuss controversial scriptures in order to convince us that mormonism is just fine.

That is called apologetics.

Othodox Christians do NOT believe Mormonism is just fine, and you are aware of that... you admit you are aware of that by admitting the controversial nature of things in your opening post.
You are also aware of EXACTLY WHICH scriptures are issues, and WHY...
because you admit you are here intentionally to discuss only "certain scriptures".

You aren't seeking to align yourself with orthdoxy, or you would have said that.
You are clearly seeking to align us to YOUR points of view, because that is the only option left.

People come in here every day, from all kinds of religions, and loudly proclaim they are NOT here to do apologetics or evangelism for their beliefs... and then... within a few days that's what they're doing.
BECAUSE... THAT IS THE ONLY REASON FOR THEM TO BE HERE.

This isn't rocket science

People do this every day.

It isn't new.

 

[kennethcadwell]

Ah... so realizing you can be banned for spreading false doctrine, before you begin your apologetics you start with the caveat that you aren't doing any apologetics.

Sounds reasonable to me.

I mean, it's a pretty thin veneer... but hey... I get it, lol.


Oh, and I was in the Mormon church before becoming a Christian, so I'm perfectly familiar with their heretical beliefs, how often they try to change or obfuscate their beliefs, and all of their apologetic and evangelistic tactics.

Let him speak before jumping on him about his faith, as we are called to love others including those from denominations or faiths we don't agree with. We are called to love and do good toward them, not belittle them before they even speak. He said in his opening that he was not going to discuss his faith in Mormonism unless asked.

He is just wanting to seek out others opinions on scriptures, and for those of us who do not agree with Mormonism this is a chance to win one over to the true teachings of Christ. Not just drive them away from minute one.........

 

[cmarieh]

Let him speak before jumping on him about his faith, as we are called to love others including those from denominations or faiths we don't agree with. We are called to love and do good toward them, not belittle them before they even speak. He said in his opening that he was not going to discuss his faith in Mormonism unless asked.

He is just wanting to seek out others opinions on scriptures, and for those of us who do not agree with Mormonism this is a chance to win one over to the true teachings of Christ. Not just drive them away from minute one.........

Amen. Thank You for speaking the truth.

 

[the_last_gunslinger]

You are here in the "spirit of interfaith dialogue and understanding"
because you "think we have much more in common than we might think",
and you are "interested in how christians view certain scriptures".

You are really misconstruing my words here. I enjoy interfaith dialogue because it is interesting and it helps me understand others better. I think we have more in common than we might think...but I didn't claim that was the reason for me being here, only that similarities are often lost on one another because we have different worldviews. And by certain scriptures, I did not mean controversial. I mean there are verses that I have only ever looked at through an LDS lense and I have no idea how other Christians interpret them.

So again, please do not judge me for actions I haven't committed.

 

[maxwel]

Let him speak before jumping on him about his faith, as we are called to love others including those from denominations or faiths we don't agree with. We are called to love and do good toward them, not belittle them before they even speak. He said in his opening that he was not going to discuss his faith in Mormonism unless asked.

He is just wanting to seek out others opinions on scriptures, and for those of us who do not agree with Mormonism this is a chance to win one over to the true teachings of Christ. Not just drive them away from minute one.........

1. if you read my post above, I go over a few things in his opening post, and show clearly he is NOT, by his own admission, genuinely here to understand another point of view.

2. I also point out he is, by his own kind of circuitous admissions, only here to conduct Mormon apologetics... therefore.. you are not going to "win him over" because he isn't listening... he is only here to win YOU over.

This is a serious problem Christians have.
People talk, and we don't even LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY.

This guy has clearly, given us plenty of evidence, right in his opening post, of EXACTLY why he is REALLY here.
And yet... we want to PRETEND he's here for some other reason... because pretending things are lovely is better than just dealing with reality.

Goodness.

Come on guys.
Let's just deal with reality.

 

[kennethcadwell]

Amen. Thank You for speaking the truth.

That is what we are called to do is speak God's truth through us.
I do not agree with Mormonism and I have heard some things about the religion that is very contradictory to the bible, yet I am not going to just badger another because they are part of it. We are called to show them the truth from the God's word.

I was in the Catholic church for 5 years which is also another denomination that catches flake on here by some, yet I stand up for those Catholic's that come on here to seeking to discuss and seek out His knowledge from the word. I give them a chance to speak and as long as it is respectable then all is good, but if they get hateful and try to force their understanding on others that is when they need to go as they have then veered from the path of discipleship....

I am now non-denominational because I believe denominations just bring division and not togetherness in the faith as they should. That and I have found that there are bad branches of every denominations that do not teach the full word of God. The non-denominational movement started by those who want to return to the full Word of God, and not a picking and choosing what scriptures they want to use that denominations are guilty of.....

 

[cmarieh]

1. if you read my post above, I go over a few things in his opening post, and show clearly he is NOT, by his own admission, genuinely here to understand another point of view.

2. I also point out he is, by his own kind of circuitous admissions, only here to conduct Mormon apologetics... therefore.. you are not going to "win him over" because he isn't listening... he is only here to win YOU over.

This is a serious problem Christians have.
People talk, and we don't even LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY.

This guy has clearly, given us plenty of evidence, right in his opening post, of EXACTLY why he is REALLY here.
And yet... we want to PRETEND he's here for some other reason... because pretending things are lovely is better than just dealing with reality.

Goodness.

Come on guys.
Let's just deal with reality.

I think it would be better to leave this guy alone and move on. What does being Christian mean anyway? It means to be like Christ. Do you think Jesus would attack someone for believing different then he would? No, Jesus would love on them and encourage them and welcome him with open arms. Something I remember from Sunday School WWJD.

 

[kennethcadwell]

1. if you read my post above, I go over a few things in his opening post, and show clearly he is NOT, by his own admission, genuinely here to understand another point of view.

2. I also point out he is, by his own kind of circuitous admissions, only here to conduct Mormon apologetics... therefore.. you are not going to "win him over" because he isn't listening... he is only here to win YOU over.

This is a serious problem Christians have.
People talk, and we don't even LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY.

This guy has clearly, given us plenty of evidence, right in his opening post, of EXACTLY why he is REALLY here.
And yet... we want to PRETEND he's here for some other reason... because pretending things are lovely is better than just dealing with reality.

Goodness.

Come on guys.
Let's just deal with reality.

Well give him the chance to speak first, and if he starts trying to win others over to Mormonism or trying to force his belief system down others throats then he needs to go but not tell then.

I am secure in my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and can and will not be swayed by any who teach things if it does not line up with the bible. Just like some who say one can be disobedient to the Lords teachings and still have salvation, as the bible completely disagrees with that. Yet I seen a few make that claim.

 

[maxwel]

I think it would be better to leave this guy alone and move on. What does being Christian mean anyway? It means to be like Christ. Do you think Jesus would attack someone for believing different then he would? No, Jesus would love on them and encourage them and welcome him with open arms. Something I remember from Sunday School WWJD.

Jesus said he was God.
Mormons believe he was not God incarnate, that he was just a man.

Jesus would have a HUGE problem with that.

The pharisees said Jesus wasn't God, and Jesus was always attacking the Pharisees.

So... instead of getting mad at me... lets just use the scripture to assess things.


I'm not "hating" on this guy... I'm just saying that he essentially admits he's here under false pretenses to do Mormon apologetics. Do whatever you want with that.