On Representation of the 3 Witnesses in the Media

[Buckwheat]

1 hour ago, Truth Teller said:

Dario_M, you have made a terrible mistake. The Mormon church is a cult. 

If you're saying, well, I feel the Holy Ghost inside me and I know the Lord has spoken to me, you need to fight that feeling and understand that anyone who joins a new religion feels that way, it's not just people who join the Mormon church that feel the "spirit." The Jehovah Witness feel the same feeling, Scientologist feel the same feeling, the same spirit. Churches such as the Mormons and Jehovah Witness surch for people who feel like they need comfort in their life, maybe a friend or friends, then they love bomb you for a while until you're fully indoctrinated into the religion and you're at a point in your life that you feel as if you can't leave the church. You're scared to leave because you know you'll go to HELL if you leave and dishonor your baptismal covenant. It's all by design Dario_M. The Jehovah Witness manipulate their new members in the exact same way. 

So, after reading this, you're thinking to yourself, but everyone I've met is so nice, what you're saying can't be true! Well, of course they're nice! Nice people are everywhere. 

Dario_M! I was molested at the age of 12 inside my church by a priesthood leader. I never told anyone for over 39 years. During my journey out of Mormonism I spent over $2000 in books trying to understand Mormonism an why I felt like I was doomed and going to live eternity in HELL because of what I was indoctrinated with while growing up in the Mormon Church. I'm telling you, study the church! Study the Jehovah Witness, the seventh day Adventist church, study Scientology, and you'll see just how similar mormonism is to the other churches I listed. They all preach the end of the world and they all promise that their teachings will get you to the highest heaven. 

Dario, now many members of this board are going to private message you to tell you that I don't know what I'm talking about and they're going to say I'm a mean antimormon. Don't listen to them! 

 

 

I'll be the first to say that when I was raised under the influence of Mormonism, I often had the impression that I was a better person than all of my other friends because I had the complete truth and they only had a portion of it. When I was a young child raised in the LDS church, I frequently felt sorry for my classmates and pondered the possibility that they had committed some sort of sin in heaven that prevented Heavenly Father from sending them to earth to preach the gospel. I would be curious about whether or not they committed sins in heaven. It makes me embarrassed that I ever thought or felt that way, especially now that I'm older.

[Hamilton Porter]

I bet you Henry, Truth Teller, and Buckwheat are the same person. 🤣

[MiserereNobis]

 

1 hour ago, Truth Teller said:

The reason Mormons baptize their children so early is for the benefit of the parents not the child, it's incredibly narcissistic when you think about it.

Boy, you must love us Catholics when we baptize infants  

1 hour ago, Truth Teller said:

Dario! As a mormon missionary we are taught to look for people who are in a state of despair of some sort because people that are going through a difficult time or people that are lonely are more likely to accept the message we are selling. Mormon missionaries are specifically looking or these people. 

You're kinda acting the way you accuse LDS missionaries of acting. I'm teaching Hamlet to my honors sophomore classes, and last week we had a discussion about Queen Gertrude's response to the player queen's speech. Gertrude said, "the lady doth protest too much, methinks." It was cool seeing the kids come up with examples where someone goes on and on in excess about one topic because they're subconsciously trying to convince themselves of it. Even your name "Truth Teller" fits into this pattern.

[MiserereNobis]

1 minute ago, Truth Teller said:

The second anointing tells you everything you need to know about mormonism. A ceremony where a man tells another man he is worthy to enter special vip heaven even though God isn't involved in the ceremony. The second anointing ceremony is about as unchristian as it gets!!!

So? I obviously don't believe in Mormonism, so what do I care about their practice of the second anointing? You, on the other hand, are fitting quite neatly into the stereotype of a disgruntled ex-member. If you look at it strictly from a rhetorical standpoint, you're failing miserably in your attempts to convince anyone and are actually strengthening the LDS view of the weakness of ex members arguments against the LDS church. You are protesting too much, methinks.

[MiserereNobis]

1 minute ago, Truth Teller said:

Because I've learned since leaving the church, that there's absolutely nothing that can be said to convince a mormon or a mmber of any other cult that they're in a cult. The fear of possibly going to hell if totally letting go of the religion you grew up in is so strong, there's nothing that can actually be said to convince most people they're in a cult. 

Yet, 1) here you are trying to convince people even though you say it's impossible, and 2) LDS people leave their church all the time, so I guess it's not impossible.

Dude, you need to chill out. You're the one who's acting like the crazy zealot here.

[CA Steve]

3 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

Because I've learned since leaving the church, that there's absolutely nothing that can be said to convince a mormon or a mmber of any other cult that they're in a cult. The fear of possibly going to hell if totally letting go of the religion you grew up in is so strong, there's nothing that can actually be said to convince most people they're in a cult. 

Clearly, you're the exception, right? I mean something convinced you to leave. Are you just smarter than everyone else?

[MiserereNobis]

1 minute ago, CA Steve said:

Clearly, you're the exception, right? I mean something convinced you to leave. Are you just smarter than everyone else?

He's just trolling. I guess I'm enjoying feeding him because I'm administering the SAT and have nothing else to do (well, there is that homework about Polonius's epistemology, but man, it's easy for me to find other things to do when I've got a stack of papers to grade...)

[CA Steve]

Just now, Truth Teller said:

It's not about being smart, not at all. It's about understanding the fear the church uses to keep you so scared of leaving its virtually impossible to do without losing your mind. It's a psychological game that many church's use, not just mormonism.

So, you are not smarter than everyone else, just psychologically better off? Got it. How did you get that way while you were still a member?

[CA Steve]

1 minute ago, Truth Teller said:

No, I'm not a smart person, just honest, brutally honest. And the Mormon church is not true! It uses fear to keep you in the church. 

So how did you overcome the psychological game you say the church plays, when others can't?

[MiserereNobis]

9 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

You complain about me being on here while 60,000 Mormons are trying to convince your fellow catholics that catholics are an apostate religion. 

I'm not complaining about you being on here. I'm saying that 1) your method is dumb and ineffective, so 2) you're either dumb or trolling. I took the charitable view that you are trolling and decided to play along because I'm bored and want to avoid grading papers.

(hey, @The Nehor, you could probably word this with more wit than I, but I did imagine you saying something like this while I typed)

[CA Steve]

3 minutes ago, MiserereNobis said:

you're either dumb or trolling

why "either"?

[MiserereNobis]

1 minute ago, Truth Teller said:

There is no effective way to tell someone who is in a cult they're in a cult.

So then why are you doing it?

1 minute ago, Truth Teller said:

while thinking Mormons actually think catholics are good people

Let's see, so I have to choose between believing you when you say this or believing all the LDS I've met who say good Catholics are good people. Hmmm, tough choice.

3 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

If we thought you were true Christians then the missionaries wouldn't try to convert catholics to mormonism.

"We"?? You're still in the cult??

Oh, and Catholics try to bring protestants and Orthodox back to Rome, but we still believe they are true Christians. It's not an either/or proposition.

[Navidad]

19 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

There is no effective way to tell someone who is in a cult they're in a cult. Yo want me to be nice and talk all fluffy almost like we're floating on pillows in heaven so you can feel all warm and fuzzy inside while thinking Mormons actually think catholics are good people. That's not what Mormons feel. If we thought you were true Christians then the missionaries wouldn't try to convert catholics to mormonism. 

I am completely lost reading your posts. You haven't mentioned one aspect of the beliefs of the LDS church that has anything to do with salvation. No church provides salvation to anyone. Not the one you belonged to or the next one you join. Salvation is a decision, commitment, and covenant between an individual and the risen Savior. It will then be confirmed by the Savior at His judgment seat because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father but by Him - not by any specific church, but by His mercy combined with His justice. I am not LDS, have never been, and most likely will never be. However I am convinced that many LDS folks as individuals are Christians, just as I am convinced of the same thing of many Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, and Pentecostals, and members of no church at all. Their Christianity has nothing to do with what they think of me, my faith, or my church. If you would like to debate that point with me, tell me where you live and when I am in your area, I will happily buy you breakfast. Best wishes, but as we say in Spanish - cálmate!

Edited May 6, 2023 by Navidad

[MiserereNobis]

3 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

Growing up I saw Christians both protestants and catholics as tools of the devil, children of God that have been deceived, and the only way they could make it back to God is to become mormon. Now no one else on this board is willing to tell you that I guarantee you, but that's how we all grew up, believing catholics screwed up the Bible and took out many precious truths. Obviously Mormons won't tell you that anymore because the internet has made the church soften its views. But no matter how much Mormons call themselves Christian, missionaries still try to convert Christians to mormonism becaderp down Mormons know the only true gospel of Christianity can be found in mormonism. We believe a twelve year old mormon boy has more authority from God in his pinky finger than the catholic pope has in his entire body, in fact, we believe no other so called Christian church gas not even 1% authority from God. No what so ever! We hold all the power for God.

LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN!! MORMONS BELIEVE ALL POWER FROM GOD IS FOUND WITHIN MORMONISM. ALL OTHER PRIESTHOODSOUTSIDE THE MORMON CHURCH, ALL OTHER RELIGOUS LEADERS OUTIDE MORMONISM HOLD NO AUTHORITY FROM GOD. 

Catholics believe this about non-Catholics (except for the pesky schismatic Orthodox). Heck, we used to fight wars over it. We softened up, too, I guess, but it was before the internet.

I see you're still using "we." Is this to strengthen your position that no one, not even you, can leave the cult?

[MiserereNobis]

1 minute ago, Truth Teller said:

They'll tell you they believe you're a Christian, but deep down Mormons think and know Mormons are the only true Christians.

So all the LDS who tell me I'm a Christian are two-faced hypocrites lying directly to my face?

And of course you're the one willing to tell me the truth. I know because of your name!!

(and yes, I know LDS have exclusive claims on the priesthood)

[bluebell]

1 hour ago, Truth Teller said:

Nope! I'm good ol Atlanticmike!!! 

When you were posting before as a believing member (a misogynistic one that wasn't that well received on here even then if I'm remembering correctly), was that true, and you've changed your mind since then? 

Or were you always just trolling?  You can help settle a debate a few of us have had since you first showed up.

[bluebell]

1 minute ago, Truth Teller said:

Let me put it this way. Every mormon reading this that's over 35 years old understands exactly what I'm explaining to you and deep down they agree.

I'm 46 and of course I don't agree.  Most of the posters here didn't agree with you when you claimed to be believing.  You've always tried to push a warped view of our doctrine.  

[MiserereNobis]

5 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

Every mormon reading this grew up believing we were reserved in heaven because we were rock stars in the war in heaven. God needed us to come yo earth in the last days so we could stand up to the apostate church's like the catholic church.

Shoot, if you were rock star warriors, God should have sent you down in the 1600s to fight for the protestants! Alas, we lost England forever. Well, maybe not forever. Now that Charles is the head of the Church of England maybe some Brits will take a closer look at Catholicism  

[MiserereNobis]

11 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

So if Mormons think they're Christians lie every other Christian denomination,  why do they still believe they hold all the power from God in the Mormon church? If catholics are Christians, why don't the missionaries say, "sorry for knocking on your door my catholic friend, we didn't know you're Christian, well walk away?" Because they still want yo convert you because deep down mormonism stills think we are the only true Christians.

This is a dumb argument. Your evidence hardly supports your claim (which means you're having a problem with logic). For example: Catholics believe that only we hold the power from God, but we also recognize that other people who do not have Holy Orders can also be Christian. We believe protestants are Christian, but we'd still love to see them convert to Catholicism, just like LDS missionaries would love to see Catholics convert to being LDS.

And the fact that you keep saying that all Mormons "deep down" believe one thing but then lie about it takes me back to one of my earliest posts. You are the stereotype of a disgruntled ex-Mormon.

[bluebell]

12 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

It's mormon doctrine! The gospel of christ was taken back to heaven to be protected from apostate church's, church's like the catholic church. In other words, Christianity was taken from earth and all that was left was apostate church's. Anyone on this forum over 35 years old believes this to be 100% truth, that's the truth! And yes, they will not admit it now that the internet saves everything. 

That's not our doctrine.  

[bluebell]

10 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

Was the gospel taken from earth so it could be protected from apostate church's? Can u answer that truthfully? 

No, the gospel wasn't taken from the earth so it could be protected.  I've never personally even heard that before.

[mfbukowski]

2 hours ago, Truth Teller said:

Because the second anointing ceremony is not Christian at all. You really need to study about the second anointing in my opinion,  Dario_M. It will teach you everything you need to know about the church. 

Self contradictory.

IF anything in the temple is secret, how can one get RELIABLE evidence about it to "study" it?

If someone is so far "indoctrinated" into Mormonism to KNOW  the alleged secret, why would they "risk hell" according to you to provide DISPASSIONATE evidence regarding it?

It's self contradictory.

Just logically such "true" evidence would not be available, except from crackpots, and obviously prejudiced against the church.  

Why accept those people as reliable sources?

To even get that far in their alleged progression they would have to believe already in outer darkness and actually desire it.

Not good sources.

[mfbukowski]

1 minute ago, bluebell said:

No, the gospel wasn't taken from the earth so it could be protected.  I've never personally even heard that before.

It doesn't even make sense. It assumes a true gospel from God designed to help people was withdrawn so people could NOT hear it so they could not be helped.

Why would it have existed in the first place if it was withdrawn to protect itself?  

Withdrawing it defeats its whole purpose for existence!

[Rain]

On 5/4/2023 at 10:32 PM, Hamilton Porter said:

It's also consistent with someone in Portugal time.

I noticed that as well.  It was even more noticeable when I was there in March.  Unfortunately, while I wanted to visit Fatima and considered going to Dario's ward they were just not a priority in our short time there.

[Navidad]

58 minutes ago, Truth Teller said:

I'm in Virginia Beach. 

 

Mormons believe salvation is a free gift. We're not concerned about salvation, we're concerned about exaltation, exaltation is what we desire. 

OK. In addition to salvation. I desire sanctification. No belief on the part of any other group can prevent me from sanctification as I grow in my spiritual life. Only I can do that. I haven't quite figured out the whole exaltation thing yet, but one thing I know - whatever it is for the LDS has no bearing on my own spiritual growth - anymore than my particular thinking about sanctification has on their concept of exaltation.

Edited May 6, 2023 by Navidad