Comments on: This Week: Mormonism

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:29:00 +0000

Tad,
Thank you for the clarifications. At the same time, I want us to be clear. You say:
“1.) John Divito does not represent Mormonism or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Without being nitpicky here, I believe that we need to be clear here on what we mean when we say “represent.” If we mean that I am not a leader or member of the LDS church and that I do not write as one who believes its teachings, then this is most certainly correct. I do not represent the LDS church.
At the same time, if “represent” means that I present the teachings and beliefs of the LDS church, then I do believe that I can represent the LDS church. Are insiders the only ones that can accurately summarize and teach what they believe? Or can outsiders, through accuracy and fidelity, also summarize and teach what others believe?
I actually fit into an in-between category–a former insider who is now an outsider. Some would say that I have the best of both worlds. Regardless, my main point is that I do not believe it is necessary to have an adherent of the LDS faith here in order to properly teach and interact with what Mormons believe.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:13:00 +0000

Exactly!
Let's continue to use the Kerry/Bush analogy (even though I still find such a comparison problematic). For the sake of argument, let us assume that Kerry has just found a genuine truth about a policy of President Bush. As a result, he publicly tells us of this truth.
Now, should we automatically dismiss his claim just because he ran against Bush in 2004? Should we only listen to a member of Bush's staff for the truth? Or should we take the claim that Kerry makes and establish its validity based upon the evidence?
In the same way, I realize that I am not a neutral observer when writing on Mormonism (is anyone truly neutral?). Nevertheless, I strive to accurately portray and interact with the beliefs of the LDS church. I hope that people will find what I write convincing based upon my careful and fair evaluation of LDS doctrine.
I have no problems with inviting a Latter-day Saint to guest blog with us. At the same time, I also do not believe that this would be necessary for a helpful discussion on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 18:59:00 +0000

Hello again Roger,
You don

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 06:46:00 +0000

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 04:48:00 +0000

John Divito

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 21:00:00 +0000

Thank you for your kind thoughts! At the same time, I wanted to bring up a few points from my perspective: 1) Is Mormonism Research Ministry an "anti-Mormon" organization? I suggest that you read Eric Johnson's article, "Is Mormonism Research Ministry 'Anti-Mormon'?" It is easier to dismiss our arguments as "anti-Mormon" than it is to see whether or not we are telling the truth. 2) Am I qualified as a critic to write on Mormonism? Please remember that I was raised in the LDS church. I still have temple worthy family members. Should I really be compared with Kerry talking about the Bush administration? 3) Are we not allowing LDS representatives to respond? Of course we are! That is what the comment section is all about. I hope that you and other Latter-day Saints will continue to read over and interact with what we have to say. Actually, I would be surprised if Latter-day Saints would disagree with much of what I plan on posting. My posts will be more introductory and informational. Let's see what you think!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 20:31:00 +0000

Greetings A-Team,
I think you should all be commended for your willingness and efforts to address Mormonism in light of the 200th Anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith. That is a very admirable gesture and it is something that your readers should be aware of. Good call and very relevant- regardless of which side of the issue one stands.
If the point of your theme is

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 18:06:00 +0000

Roger, Thanks for posting this. I had an interesting exchange with some local Mormon missionaries this past fall. If I have time I always engage with them because A) I think they need to know the Truth, and that the LDS church is not teaching it, and B) The longer they talk to me, the less time they can talk to someone else. I blogged on my encounter HERE. I really think our churches need to be teaching people how to address LDS and Jehova's Witness when they come knocking. Big Chris Because I said so blog