Rivers Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 From reading mormon apologist material, I've noticed a few very common points that they love to make.1. Prophets are not infallible. Not every thing that prophets say are true and binding upon the church. They make mistakes. They don't know everything.2. Events in the scriptures can take place in a smaller scope than we might assume. Condensed Book of Mormon setting, local Noah's flood, local tower of Babel, local garden of Eden. etc.3. Some things are symbolic. Not everything is literal.4. Words in ancient scripture can mean different things than what we think.I often hear apologists being mocked for resorting to these kinds of defenses. Many critics say that a lot of the apologists are in apostasy from their own church because they reject a lot of things commonly taught in the chapels. Critics will say that we have to believe every single thing we hear in church or not believe any of it. I simply don't think that it is that simple. While these points I listed might seem like convenient loopholes to everything, but we can't be thinking in black and white all the time either. Link to comment
Mola Ram Suda Ram Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 From reading mormon apologist material, I've noticed a few very common points that they love to make.1. Prophets are not infallible. Not every thing that prophets say are true and binding upon the church. They make mistakes. They don't know everything.2. Events in the scriptures can take place in a smaller scope than we might assume. Condensed Book of Mormon setting, local Noah's flood, local tower of Babel, local garden of Eden. etc.3. Some things are symbolic. Not everything is literal.4. Words in ancient scripture can mean different things than what we think.I often hear apologists being mocked for resorting to these kinds of defenses. Many critics say that a lot of the apologists are in apostasy from their own church because they reject a lot of things commonly taught in the chapels. Critics will say that we have to believe every single thing we hear in church or not believe any of it. I simply don't think that it is that simple. While these points I listed might seem like convenient loopholes to everything, but we can't be thinking in black and white all the time either.I don't think any of these are cop-outs. They are just different points of view. the interesting thing is that if any critic thinks they are cop-outs and that "apologists are in apostasy from their own church because they reject a lot of things commonly taught in the chapels." I would like to see this demonstrated.That would mean that the church really does teach that prophets are infalliable, ect, ect. Link to comment
BCSpace Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 1. Prophets are not infallible.Not every thing that prophets say are true and binding upon the church. They make mistakes. They don't know everything.This cannot possibly be a cop out. The LDS Church itself has stated that it does not consider everything said by indiviudal apostles and prophets to be doctrine. What identifies doctrine is official publication.2. Events in the scriptures can take place in a smaller scope than we might assume.Condensed Book of Mormon setting, local Noah's flood, local tower of Babel, local garden of Eden. etc.Travel times in the BoM necessitate an LGT. The OT Flood can be interpreted as local. So?3. Some things are symbolic. Not everything is literal.Why would that be a cop out if the LDS Church defines something that way? Apologists would merely be expressing doctrine.4. Words in ancient scripture can mean different things than what we think.Depends on your examples, if any. Link to comment
Jason Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 "Though your sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be white as snow" is obviously symbolic, since sins don't generally have a color. So 3 isn't a copout. Link to comment
mfbukowski Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Critics will say that we have to believe every single thing we hear in church or not believe any of it. I simply don't think that it is that simple. While these points I listed might seem like convenient loopholes to everything, but we can't be thinking in black and white all the time either.Uh, yeah, so what's your point? It seems you are presenting both sides and not taking one yourself.Do you have any questions or anything? Link to comment
LeSellers Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I keep wondering who had the time to count all the commandments and then announce that we Saints have to obey all 8,416 of them completely or we will not be worthy of the Celestial Kingdom. Then, too, there's this "other Jesus" we're supposed to worship. Oh, but only along side of Joseph Smith. It's also tiresome to have to refute that endless claims that we believe we're Gods right now, too. First, we can't make it to the Celestial, then we believe we're already there. I wish they'd make up my mind. I suffer from Evangelical-induced whiplash. Lehi Link to comment
mfbukowski Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Then, too, there's this "other Jesus" we're supposed to worship. Oh, but only along side of Joseph Smith. Hey wait a minute- if they think we worship "another Jesus" does that then make them polytheists?I mean if we worship him he must exist, right....? Link to comment
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