If anyone would be able to claim that they are going to die when it is God’s will, and further would be guaranteed a quick trip to the Celestial Kingdom, it would be the current prophet.
Did Jesus have bodyguards?
Similairly, the apostles all have security details when they travel as well and I wonder why.
:)
But do all those missionaries tell you you are wrong and an idiot because you don’t believe what they believe? Or that they are amazed you are not a member? That’s what gets me. Not that he doesn’t believe (I frankly don’t care what he believes) but that he cares what I believe and is willing to write me off as being wholly deluded because I don’t agree with him.
I also don’t have a problem with any religious group proselytizing, people learn about other beliefs through missionary work of all sorts. I respect that right. I don’t have to agree with it, to be completely respectful of their choices and not think they are so totally mistaken. The main problem with people the world over is believing they have the monopoly on what to think instead of allowing people to think for themselves. And despite what many think, we are encouraged to think for ourselves in the church.
They do tell me that I’m wrong, but I quote them the 11th article of faith and it goes swimmingly after that. lol
As long as they respect your right to not agree with them, that’s fine. That’s all people need to do. Have respect for one another. Well not all, but much of what people need to do.
How do you know God’s imaginary, Benjamin?
There is no evidence. Period. Books written by perverse old men doesn’t constitute evidence. A burning in your bosom is not evidence. I find it a bit odd that you think that missionaries don’t tell people they are wrong. By them even approaching someone with the intent to convert (which is their goal) is telling them their current faith is wrong for if it wasn’t wrong then why would they need Mormonism? If being a Catholic wasn’t enough in the LDS eyes or Jewish, or whatever, then they are saying they are wrong. Something about all their creeds are an abomination ect ect…. Oh and the whole their is two churches church of god and the devil…(obviously they mean the LDS faith is the church of god making ALL OTHERS THE CHURCH OF THE DEVIL AND WRONG)
I didn’t say missionaries don’t tell people they are wrong, I am saying they should be respectful of other’s choices to believe differently even if they don’t agree.
For someone who is so convinced of his rightness, you sound rather agitated. You honestly aren’t saying anything new.
By that same token then, Benjamin, I assume you have evidence that God is imaginary.
Mary Siever said: :)
But do all those missionaries tell you you are wrong and an idiot because you don’t believe what they believe?
But to what you said about me being agitated– that’s kind of silly to say. I didn’t say anything to imply a shakiness in my beliefs but rather a passsion for them which you misconstrue as agitation. On the other hand yes I am agitated by the many many LDS members around me but that’s only because of where I live. And you clearly think that it’s some stretch of the imagination or me being pious in someway to say that you ALL are wrong but not really. If you saw millions of people with their head buried in dirt you’d think what they were doing was silly and you could clearly see the harm in doing it. Likewise for Mormonism. Besides, the LDS are NOT a major religion, more of a fringe gathering. But I’m done talking with you as you clearly are lost to your delusion . . . and before you say that I too am lost to a delusion, stop and ask youself why my delusion is shared with the vast majority of the world when at least considering the LDS? Mormons are a doomsday religion waiting for the second coming and are wasting their time.
I’m not waiting for the second coming…I have too much to do now. Ah Benjamin, I feel for you, living among people who you see as deluded. I would suggest you find a new place to live. Honestly, instead of trying to focus on something that you find so negative, why don’t you focus on accentuating the positives in your life and in your beliefs. To focus on the ‘joy’ of your beliefs rather than cutting down something you are obviously so much against? It’s much more productive to build, rather than tear down.
I didn’t say you ‘were’ agitated, only that you seem so. And you haven’t answered Kim’s question. Perhaps you can’t?
I chose to ignore Kim’s strawman argument. But for the sake of this blog I’ll play along, though before I say anything on this topic, I must tell you that when people are deluded they can create srawmen arguments and not even know it. It’s a defense mechanism. To the topic at hand: “My evidence that God is imaginary.”
I have none. But I also have no evidence that unicorns, mentioned in countless tales of old, aren’t either. I suppose what I would call evidence is more like common sense. Look around and say to yourself, wow, what an unusual number of religions! So many of them are screaming they are the ONLY church (slight cough, gestures toward nearest Mormon) More still, what about the numerous similarities among stories of crucifixtions, rising fromt he dead after several days DEAD, ascending to heaven after rising, all of these things are told in stories long before Jesus is supposedly suppose to have come along.
The world is far grander a place to live in when you think of how fragile the time we have alive is. Besides, why would anyone wanna be watched around the clock by god? or judged by him for things this “god” supposedly made them feel such as lust least that’s how it.
And to be honest with you, had you been born in the middle east what do you think the odds of you being Mormon are or thinking it’s correct….slim to zero, so really it’s all in where you are brought up or what religion is crammed into your noodle when you were too young to know the difference.
for some reason my pc wigged out for a few seconds while writing that piece. I meant to say, “least that’s how it is in religions”
I don’t think you understand what a strawman argument is, Benjamin. If you do, perhaps you can show me where I misinterpret your arguement.
So basically, your claim that God is imaginary is simply a belief since it is unsubstantiated by evidence. Which of course means you are taking an odd position: tearing down others’ beliefs while trying to present your opinions as fact.
If that really were the case, the LDS Church would see growth only among children in Utah.
There are more converts under 18 than any other age so yeah I’d say there is an increase in children or youth.
I understand a strawman argument. ANY arguement that draws attention away from what is the true matter. You’re beliefs are based on stories and myth, mine science and reason. How is that difficult to understand?
“your claim that God is imaginary is simply a belief since it is unsubstantiated by evidence. “
Whereas a statement like,”God is irrelevant” holds much the same spirit, but is not a case of belief and is a fact.
The only way to disprove the statement would be to assemble correlations etc. and in the end would be a waste of time.
Assuming that’s true, that doesn’t establish that the majority of converts are under 18 and located in Utah, which is what would have to be the case for your previous assertion to be true.
That’s a red herring. A prime example of this is your first comment on this thread.
A strawman is when one person misinterprets the argument of another person and then bases his response on that misinterpretation.
Really? So in which scientific journal can I read empirical evidence that God is imaginary?
I don’t know that it’s that easy to say, Rick. Without being able to reliably determine his existence (or lack thereof), how can one say absolutely (or as fact) that such an existence is irrelevant. I would think that in order for your statement to be fact, we would need to be able to establish whether he exists.
“we would need to be able to establish whether he exists.”
Precisely. Which reverses the onus of the burden of proof, etc. Rather than arguing from the side requiring the proof you can argue from the side for which proof must be shown.
It’s a device of rhetoric, but useful nonetheless.