30 replies to this topic

[Wants2know]

Some background, she is a member, has been inactive for a while.  Husband is not a member.  Recently back from a deployment, I'm her visiting teacher.  Long story short, she attended a large baptist church before moving to this area and deciding to become active again.  She received a facebook message from her former pastor's son, and forwarded them to me…. wanted the opinions from you folk….  

Ugh... just had the Pastor's son of the previous church we attended, literally attack our family at the jugular.
The typical remarks people make towards the Mormon faith... I am so disgusted. I'll send you what he sent me this morning...

Pastors Son:  
Hey, I noticed on your timeline that you "LIKED" Mormon. Do you know who they are?

March 11
Her:  
Do you?

52 minutes ago
Him:  
Wow, I never wrote back. Sorry about that...

I am not sure if I offended you by asking you this question, but I noticed we are no longer friends. If I did, I am sorry.

It is just that the Mormons, if it The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, is a cult. They do not believe in the ortodox, biblical view of who Jesus is, and how one is to be saved. I am not sure if you have left the Christian faith, or what. I did not mean to offend you in any way shape or form, I was just simply asking.

• 
  
  
  
  Praying you guys are doing well!
  ~Pastor's Son
  
  Are you KIDDING ME!? I really feel in my heart that people attack so much because they're jealous or intimidated by our Church. How do you handle people like this!? In your heart, not just what you would say back. I feel so angry with him. And he just planted his own Baptist church in ------. I feel so terrible for the people he is 'leading'. ugh

[thesometimesaint]

Give it all the attention it deserves. IOW none at all. Life is too short to worry about comments left on a facebook page.

[bluebell]

Maybe she could respond by saying something like "you couldn't be more wrong about the mormon faith or what it teaches.  If you ever want to learn for yourself so that you are able to righteously judge whether or not it is of God, then i'll be more than happy to help you with that.  Otherwise, I wish you well and good luck in life."

Could be an option.

[LeSellers]

Mouw addressed this. Something along the lines of "We have born false witness against you."

In this case, as in nearly all others I've seen, highly critical people are bearing false witness, and deserve to be told they are. However, gentleness, persuasiveness, love unfeigned along with long suffering are probably the keys.

Lehi

[blueadept]

If he left off the 'is a cult' portion, his message would have been at least reasonable and at least leave a door open for dialogue.  My comeback statement for those who make such a comment is that they are not being very Christ-like especially for someone who is leading others and leave it at that.

My 2 cents

[Doctrine 612]

To much time and and effort these days is being spent trying to change others opinions and ideas, i find this to be fruitlless, we should spend more time building up our own faith and testamonies so that when a little comment is spoken it just pings our armor and falls to the ground.
i find that most antis, not all but most will throw in there conversations a little dart just to get the other upset. lets not fall for there tactics.
yyour friend that was once gone but is now found should do all she can to gain back her old testamonis that got her in to the church in the first place but who am i to say so.

[blackstrap]

Those statements are not highly critical.I have seen much worse,even from some here on the board. He appears to be misinformed but not a raging critic.

[MorningStar]

I would just write back that they're a pretty awesome cult.    And then I would block him.

[Buzzard]

How about this-"I have been LDS since birth (or if a convert, since her baptism date). For a while, I attended your church and did enjoy it.  Now I am attending my local LDS congregation.  I am the same person you observed when you saw me in your church.  Does the fact that I both am and was at that time LDS change your opinion about my character?  If so, I am sorry to hear that.  Perhaps you might reflect on why that would make you change your perception of someone."

[Garden Girl]

Wants2know, on 03 April 2012 - 05:24 AM, said:

Some background, she is a member, has been inactive for a while.  Husband is not a member.  Recently back from a deployment, I'm her visiting teacher.  Long story short, she attended a large baptist church before moving to this area and deciding to become active again.  She received a facebook message from her former pastor's son, and forwarded them to me…. wanted the opinions from you folk….  

Ugh... just had the Pastor's son of the previous church we attended, literally attack our family at the jugular.
The typical remarks people make towards the Mormon faith... I am so disgusted. I'll send you what he sent me this morning...


It is just that the Mormons, if it The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, is a cult. They do not believe in the ortodox, biblical view of who Jesus is, and how one is to be saved. I am not sure if you have left the Christian faith, or what. I did not mean to offend you in any way shape or form, I was just simply asking.



Are you KIDDING ME!? I really feel in my heart that people attack so much because they're jealous or intimidated by our Church. How do you handle people like this!? In your heart, not just what you would say back. I feel so angry with him. And he just planted his own Baptist church in ------. I feel so terrible for the people he is 'leading'. ugh

Hello W2K...
I completely understand your frustration with these types of comments... I've been reactivated for almost 17 years and they still bother me because they are such a misrepresentation of what we actually believe, and are so unfair and inaccurate.  If you do respond to him, I'd be sure and point out that... No you have not left the Christian faith, which Mormonism is a part of... and that Mormons adhere to the King James version of the Bible as part of our canon... and the Pastor is mistaken about the Church being a cult...  Then, I'd suggest that they might want to educate themselves on what the Church really teaches before offering such a inaccurate statement regarding Mormonism, particularly to you.

Hope you're doing well W2K.  Were you able to watch any of General Conference?  I don't know how non-members can listen to conference and still hold some of the same old, tired, anti views of the Church.  It continues to baffle me...

I hope you will continue to urge your friend to start to attend Church again... you may cite my experience of being inactive for so many years, and then returning and starting all over again, and how my testimony came back stronger than ever, and here I am today.  Good luck...

GG

[The Nehor]

The correct response is:

Dear Pastor's Son,

So you don't know who they are then. I am sorry to hear that. Would you be interested in learning more?

[Messenger]

Its really not offensive in my opinion, but someone that kept posting knee-jerk feedback of my religion on my facebook page would be de-friended pretty quickly after 3 or 4 of those.  Just like people that are friends that keep trying to sell me something and that's the only time they comment.  Just too much negative after a while that's all.   I certainly wouldn't dramatize it in an email to somebody else, just de-friend!

[rpn]

Suggested responses?

Can you show me in the scriptures where authority is given individuals to decide whether others they know are square with God?

Do you know in real life any LDS members, and if so how?   Have you read the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ?   Have you listened to the current prophet Thomas S. Monson?   Have you studied the Mormon faith?   So what is the basis for your declaration of whom LDS are or follow?

How does 4th century Nicean creedal Christianity get identified as "biblical" Christianity?  Wasn't most of the bible written before the Counsel of Nice?

I think LDS would agree with you that they do not believe in the trinity as taught by historical Christianity.  They believe that Jesus Christ returned and restored the Church He set up in His ministry --- as Mormons practice.  How does that make LDS a "cult"?

[JosephSmithJr]

rpn, on 06 April 2012 - 09:51 AM, said:

Wasn't most of the bible written before the Counsel of Nice?

No parts of the bible were "written" there  - rather, with all of the variagetad texts floating around a few were picked to become the canon and some basic questions regarding the divinity of christ/parts of the doctrine were resolved.   The volume of "apochryphal" texts is way larger than the size of the bible-  at one point I wanted to read them all, but I soon realised that this task was close to impossible

[JosephSmithJr]

Quote

How does that make LDS a "cult"?

cult is a derivative phrase that big religions use to describe smaller religions. Christianity was also considered a "cult" in the early days

[bluebell]

JosephSmithJr, on 07 April 2012 - 12:52 AM, said:

cult is a derivative phrase that big religions use to describe smaller religions. Christianity was also considered a "cult" in the early days

A pyromaniac, incestuous, cannibal cult.

Most Christians seem to forget that that though.

[JosephSmithJr]

bluebell, on 07 April 2012 - 07:36 AM, said:

A pyromaniac, incestuous, cannibal cult.

Most Christians seem to forget that that though.

hey dude when you diss Christianity you diss yourself

[The Nehor]

JosephSmithJr, on 07 April 2012 - 06:34 PM, said:

hey dude when you diss Christianity you diss yourself

I'm pretty sure that was a diss on anti-Mormons comparing them to the crackpot anti-Christian liars of the ancient world. An apt comparison.

I can't read the anti-Jesus literature of the time without chuckling about how well it lines up with what the nutters of this generation say about Joseph Smith. Nothing new under the sun and all that.

[oats]

The guy who messaged her is just ignorant of the matter. He's probably only saying what he has been told since he was a child and what he figures is a given.

People everywhere repeat false ideas that they've heard so many times that they assume a correctness. Be understanding, reasonable and charitable in any reactions.

[LDS_RM]

Anger will not help the situation. People say dumb things everyday. Some dumb things are said out of a sincere belief the statement is correct. Some religions, have taken it upon them to define words, one such word is cult. All religions are cults according to the dictionary.

Strenghten the person you visit teach with the Spirit of love, compassion, and the goodness of the Gospel; Bible bashing will not provide this.