Should God And His Prophets Be Protected From Insult?

[Avatar4321]

Jesus gets insulted all the time. I don't see why we should expect His prophets to be protected from insults. Are they greater than Jesus? Nope.

[teddyaware]

You're missing the depth of the statement. Jesus was essentially saying what all believers will endure at some point. It was a moment of admonition that is not exclusively applied. Asserting such undermines the the broader intent of his statement.

And asserting that at that specific moment He wasn't directly warning His Apostles of coming days of persecution is to ignore the context. Of course, if we liken the scripture unto ourselves, believers also have reason to be prepared for persecution as well, but in that verse He was speaking to His Apostles privately and directly.

[Palerider]

 

I don't think it's OK to insult them whether ancient or modern.

I agree. And if I come to know of any modern ones, I promise I won't insult them.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Palerider

[Storm Rider]

I think of lot of how we are judged by God is by our actions relative to the knowledge we have been given. Sin and insulting or disrespecting others is not always the same thing when it comes to how we treat others.  

 

Those who profess to follow Jesus Christ are assured that they will be persecuted; at times harshly persecuted.  It has always been so for the people of God and it will continue to be so in the future. I appreciate the earlier entry that talked about pride and taking insult by what others say. If others say less than respectful things about God, his prophets, leaders of other churches, or those that seek to follow God, that is their business and their own problem. It does not change my knowledge or testimony of what is true. In time every knee shall bow and know the error of their ways. 

 

We need to allow God to handle things without feeling compelled to right the wrongs of others.  Being wrong is only a step to learning how to be right when given time to see the consequences of their actions. 

[Stone holm]

We try to do that within the Church already, course stifling questioning policy sometimes leads to bad policy lingering longer.

[teddyaware]

I think of lot of how we are judged by God is by our actions relative to the knowledge we have been given. Sin and insulting or disrespecting others is not always the same thing when it comes to how we treat others.  

 

Those who profess to follow Jesus Christ are assured that they will be persecuted; at times harshly persecuted.  It has always been so for the people of God and it will continue to be so in the future. I appreciate the earlier entry that talked about pride and taking insult by what others say. If others say less than respectful things about God, his prophets, leaders of other churches, or those that seek to follow God, that is their business and their own problem. It does not change my knowledge or testimony of what is true. In time every knee shall bow and know the error of their ways. 

 

We need to allow God to handle things without feeling compelled to right the wrongs of others.  Being wrong is only a step to learning how to be right when given time to see the consequences of their actions.

Brilliant insights.

[Scott Lloyd]

 

I agree. And if I come to know of any modern ones, I promise I won't insult them.

How about, as a show of respect, you forebear from insulting them, whether you think they are prophets or not?

Edited February 10, 2014 by Scott Lloyd

[EllenMaksoud]

interesting debate on australian tv on this issue.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/bigideas/stories/2014/01/31/3934900.htm

 

Is one insulting you if one argues that Joseph Smith was a fraud. Whats the best position to follow, Bushman or Vogel?

 

I did not now much about Muhammad so I made it my business to at least read Karen Armstrong's book on the man. 

I'm nursing a dreadful cold, so please pardon me should I not write with clarity.

 

Neither Joseph Smith, nor King David were perfect people but they were used by Heavenly father. All through the Bible and th BOM Prophets and others were repeatedly insulted and often murdered for their faith in God. While insulting JS gets my hackles up, there is really nothing I can do to stop these people, though I often do respond to them if they name the name of Jesus Christ. The rest will have to face God on their own.

 

As to Muhammad PBUH, I was Muslim for 7 years and still am in many ways, though I will freely admit that present day Islam is a sham in comparison to what the prophet envisioned. He was one of the authors of the Constitution of Medina, the first recorded time that rights fort women wast put in writing. And Muslim women historically had fair rights up until the mid 1800's when something dreadful happened, and my friends and I have never agreed as to what it was.  And, like Christianity, Islam quickly departed from the vision of Muhammad PBUH after the Shia/Sunni/Sufi split.

 

There is a fault in logic, I think, in Islamic history because it is implied that Makkah is the center of Islam, but in the time of the Ottomans it seemed to move to Turkey and in fact it was the Turkish Ottomans that cut off access to Jerusalem to the rest of the world and started the crusades.

 

Please do not take my statement as gospel as there are several on the board who will soon be pointing out my errors.

[Gray]

Prophets deserve the same courtesy as any other person. Of course that kind of thing can't be forced. 

[Dan Vogel]

It takes a great deal of arrogance to even pose such a question. First prove there is a God. Next, prove God has prophets. Then, prove a specific person is a prophet and not lying. Once you can do that, then pose the question.

[stemelbow]

It takes a great deal of arrogance to even pose such a question. First prove there is a God. Next, prove God has prophets. Then, prove a specific person is a prophet and not lying. Once you can do that, then pose the question.

 

say what?  Did you just accuse someone of being arrogant because they asked a question?  The question assumes God and prophets. 

 

you mean Dan Vogel thinks another is arrogant?  What's really going on here? 

[Robert F. Smith]

You KNOW what they were doing in the woods, urroner. This speaks to the changing arboreal climate in those days.

Even more to the point, the entire region was then well-forested and well-populated by all types of game animals, including many found in Africa: Elephants, Hippos, Lions, Bears, Aurochs, Camels, Antelopes, Gazelles, Onagers, Ostriches, Flamingoes, Wild Boars, etc., the Jordan Valley having a year-round tropical climate (part of the Great Rift Valley which extends into Africa).  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animals_in_the_Bible .

[Robert F. Smith]

 ................................

I agree. And if I come to know of any modern ones, I promise I won't insult them.

How about, as a show of respect, you forebear from insulting them, whether you think they are prophets or not?

I do not consider the Pope a prophet, even though the sacred deposit of the RC faith grants him that power.  Yet I show him respect and do not condemn him.  A courtesy which I expect him (and his followers) to show to leaders of other religions.

 

However, when some young upstart condemns him or Thomas Monson, or some other, I do not take umbrage.  They are grown men and are certainly capable of taking an insult.  Many of the insults directed at LDS leaders are gauche and childish and tell us more about the people making those insults than about the person to whom they are directed.

 

Finally, there is no place for insults coming from those who are oath-bound not to utter them.  Those who are endowed LDS members have sworn not to criticize the Brethren.  To break that vow carries with it great potential to harm the Body of Christ, just as surely as faithlessness in a marriage is damaging to that union, leaving excommunication/divorce as a possible outcome.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Robert F. Smith

[Deborah]

Jesus gets insulted all the time. I don't see why we should expect His prophets to be protected from insults. Are they greater than Jesus? Nope.

 

I was going to say that.

 

I have an issue with anyone who assassinates someone's character because they disagree with that person or don't believe in him. This is especially egregious when people accuse others of fraud or other maliciousness with no proof but their own bias.

[pogi]

What good ever came from insulting someone?

 

It's not that prophets should be protected from insult, it's just that people should not intentionally insult other people in general.

[coolrok7]

God needs to be protected?