An honest quiz

[Mudcat]

see poll

feel free to comment.

[Scott26.2]

Hey Mudcat...

I enjoy very much the spirited discussion (respectful of course) of my faith and frankly, of faith in general. On the other hand, I find more and more that I have little or zero patience to discuss false propaganda claims from our detractors (those who are anything but honest).

Scott26.2

[ebeddoulos]

I frankly enjoy both, though I most enjoy explaining the gospel to the honest inquirer. The enjoyment of the debate pails rapidly when the anti-Mormon realizes that what he has mined from an anti-Mormon web site and has attempted to pass off as his own original scholarship and research is nothing more than worthless tripe. So he shotguns the topic with false propaganda, misleading innuendo, prevarication and personal attacks on the leadership of the church and acts like he is being treated quite unfairly when he is questioned on it.

[Freedom]

I am here to be entertained so the rediculously obserd arguemtns are the ones I gravitate towards.

[Rincewind]

I can neither confirm nor deny the state of my enjoyment, nor reveal what may or may not cause it.

[Brenda]

I will do both, but I enjoy teaching about my faith. I think this is typical of most. Ask about our beliefs and we will talk your ear off.

[annewandering]

Attacks on the church tend to be so silly and repetitive that the only real interest in them is how completely nuts, or is the 'correct' word "misled", people can be.

[mledbetter]

see poll

feel free to comment.

I'm slightly amused by many things on this forum.

[annewandering]

Mudcat, do you know why people on this board like and respect you? I am going to make a strong guess it's because you are a person who is interested in discussing religion, not bashing it.

Most on here seem very willing to discuss about anything with you, including the common bash questions, because you actually want to know.

The point being, it's the attitude not the question that is important.

If we are feeling less than Christian we might want to fight with the bashers for fun. Mostly, I think and hope, we prefer to discuss.

[Garden Girl]

You are right about Mudcat, anne... even when he disagrees with our position, he does not mock but respectfully states his view.

I get weary of the critics that do the bashing vs respectful discussion and "agreeing to disagree"...

GG

[emeliza]

I prefer honest inquiries of my faith the most. However most honest inquiries have false assumptions behind them.

[johndoe]

I like to have discussions where both parties listen to each other, and contribute significantly without "winning the argument" being the most important motivation. I don't really come here to defend the church, but rather to have thoughtful discussion about things that interest me. I do like to learn more about the faiths and beliefs of others, and have often found myself in the position of defending those whose beliefs differ from my own when they are not present to defend themselves (mostly Calvinists and atheists).

I've been coming to this forum, off and on, for a long time. I find that I have less patience with it than I once had. I am much more likely now to become frustrated with a poster who doesn't seem to be interested in a truly open and respectful discussion. I keep trying to convince myself that I should just leave and not come back, but there's always something that pulls me back every now and then.

[Mudcat]

Thanks for the responses so far everyone. As well as the poll responses.

I don't intend to vote in the poll, since I don't qualify for it.

However, I suppose I like both options.

I enjoy the opportunity to correct a misconception some may have of Evangelicals. At least when they are willing to listen. I think there may be a few who would rather hold to a misconception as a useful arguing point though. Sometimes that can be a little nerve grating.

I also enjoy addressing an honest inquiry, where people start with an attempted willingness to listen, share and discuss belief.

I suppose I find myself in the mood for honest discussion more than the other, so it would have been my selection. But I frankly enjoy both.

[blueadept]

I prefer honest inquiries of my faith the most. However most honest inquiries have false assumptions behind them.

The problem is 99%, IMO, have some type of misconception of the faith going into the conversation. It's the apologists duty to be patient enough to not jump to conclusions about the one asking the questions and at least wait until it's obvious that the questioner has no intentions of listening to the point of agreeing to disagree.

IMO, honest inquiries by an individual having no false assumptions IS unrealistic for a member to expect.

[cjcampbell]

I love honest inquiry. The reason some people think I am grumpy is because I detest dishonest inquiry and do not conceal it well.

[Scott Lloyd]

Though apparently in the minority, I picked the first option, not just because it is low-hanging fruit, as it were, easily refuted, but because I see an urgency to protect the innocently uninformed lurker from blatant falsehood. I will also make the observation that it is often the case that what masquerades as "honest inquiry" turns out to be a preamble to false propaganda.

As to the other option, I do have a spirit of missionary work, but I do not see a forum such as this as an optimal arena for it.

[blueadept]

As to the other option, I do have a spirit of missionary work, but I do not see a forum such as this as an optimal arena for it.

But it is the way that many investigators are going like it or not.

[Scott Lloyd]

But it is the way that many investigators are going like it or not.

Which is why I see the urgency I spoke of earlier to protect them from falsehood.

But a message board such as this cannot â?? must not â?? be the only setting they have for learning about the restored gospel. The optimal setting is one where the Spirit can be present unimpeded by acrimony, such as lessons taught by missionaries, supplemented by worship services and classes at church.

[ACW]

I would rather do the second...have an honest nonconfrontational discussion but I find the majority of my discussions tend to be correcting the misconceptions.

[ERayR]

I love honest inquiry. The reason some people think I am grumpy is because I detest dishonest inquiry and do not conceal it well.

I am the same way.

[The Nehor]

I like both but I only like the false propaganda claims when either they are funny or there is a funny way to ridicule them.

[LoudmouthMormon]

I frankly enjoy both, though I most enjoy explaining the gospel to the honest inquirer.

Ditto. Please, nobody assume that just because I spend 95% of my online apologetic time contending with folks with a critical agenda, that I don't prize the 5% most highly.

LM

[Garden Girl]

I love honest inquiry. The reason some people think I am grumpy is because I detest dishonest inquiry and do not conceal it well.

Some people think you're grumpy?

GG

(Did you get the wind Saturday afternoon/evening?)

[Somebodyz]

Some people think you're grumpy?

GG

(Did you get the wind Saturday afternoon/evening?)

Why? What's he been eating?

[mfbukowski]

#2. Nothing you can do about people's ability to make up lies, so why not just deal with those who are honest inquirers?