I need less love. Less love from some of the alleged Christians who passionately love me but just hate who I am and what I say, think, feel, believe, and do. Less schizophrenic love from zealots who feel that godly love justifies every insult, even profanity, and brings divine approval to any tactic they can devise in the holy war on Mormonism. Imagine a gang with torches in hand telling the family inside that they love them deeply, but just hate the home they live in. That’s not the kind of love we need in this world.
Fortunately, much of the angry, burning love expressed by so-called Christians today is not the tangible, 3rd-degree-burns kind of love, but the kind that is delivered via media and speech. It is a virtual jihad with loving Christian suicide bombers blowing themselves up mentally to take out a few hated Mormons. So sad. A Christian mind is a terrible thing to waste, sacrificed in the name of angry love.
Here are some of the remains from the attacks of one such warrior, a Mr. T., who tried to take me with him to paradise. In his first outreach of mercy, his unsolicited email lovingly told me what an idiot I must be for defending Mormon beliefs:
Mormons are the most ignorant of people when it comes to interpreting the Bible…. For some dumb reason Mormons just don’t get it. Like all cults though, they try to tell people the Bible foretells about their books. That way they can convince people their religion is from God…. I feel dumb even debating with someone with such ignorance as yours when it comes to scripture interpretation.
In response, I simply asked if he always began conversations with strangers by telling them how stupid they are. I then wished him well and closed. No interest in debating him, of course.
There was a glimmer of hope when he replied and admitted that he was a rude in his email and promised that it wouldn’t happen again. Then over the coming week he began a barrage of attacks on Mormon doctrine with links to questionable videos and other sources I was not interested in. I explained I was not interested in this and could he please take me off his distribution list. I’ve made three four five six requests now. May need to make several more, I suppose, or just have his email be blocked with a spam filter.
His following emails have been peppered with statements that I find impolite, though perhaps Christians more spiritually advanced than I may have a more enlightened definition of “rude.” For example, after a long list of arguments that were supposedly enough to turn me away from my faith, he said:
If that’s not enough, your [sic] a hopeless case. Just stay Bible dumb then! A 5 year old child interprets scripture better than you. My preacher laughs at your ignorance.
Sounds like he’s got a pretty jovial preacher. Keep those laughs coming.
Another email salvo contained profanity, using the s-word to express his loving views on my faith, and his most recently launched missive took the Lord’s name in vain, in my opinion, in expressing his shock over Mormonism. Nothing but good Christian profanity, of course.
“WAR!!!!” was the subject line for another round of incoming fire directed to me and another Mormon defender wherein our Christian friend declared a most holy war. Not a war driven by hate, of course, but fueled by sincere love for us. Love was the reason he would be recruiting many other warriors to join him in his jihad against Mormonism:
I will keep attacking back, in defence [sic] of my Lord Jesus whom you are calling a liar, and teaching blasphemous doctrines which are straight from the pit of Hell!
I have a righteous anger, not a hateful one. I love YOU but hate how the enemy has got you so trapped and convinced that the garbage your spreading is of God. Your spreading lies on you tube [sic]. The Bible talks about people who lead others away, woe to them who lead others into sin, more than the ones who sin. As far as YouTube is concerned, I’m raising an army of friends to post against your trash. Let the war begin!!!
Well, Mr. T., I am flattered by your love, but I am really not your type and need a little less of your love right now. A lot less, if possible. Your angry love of Mormons is misguided and overblown, or perhaps over blown up.
Loved this, Jeff. Well done.
Sounds remarkably similar to comments I have read from LDS people regarding homosexuality.
Too bad they forget these parts. ..By this shall men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Show me thy faith without thy works and i will show thee my faith by my works…..Jeff I'm sure they are just following what they learned in the bible from the Pharisees and Sadducees. They basically loved Jesus to death in the same manner.
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Anon @ 9:13 PM, I'm sorry if you've seen actual LDS people call homosexuals names and insult them and their intelligence. That is inappropriate and contrary to LDS religion. Having different views on sexuality, marriage, and social issues can lead to tensions, but both sides need to recognize that there is plenty of room for debate and for other good people to see things differently, without resorting to hate and name calling when others disagree.
On the other hand, I've seen some very nasty and rather aggressive behavior from some angry with the LDS position on the family and same-sex marriage. I hope you don't feel that such behavior is justified.
I always think about how surprised people like this will be in the next life. I'm also impressed by the devotion some people have in their attacks against Mormonism. The fact that they devote so much time and energy to trying to right us "poor deluded Mormons" is flattering.
I second what Jeff said in reply to Anonymous and add that the interaction sounds nothing like comments the vast majority of LDS people would make regarding homosexuality. While there are no documented acts of vandalism or violence (or threats of violence) against individual opponents of Prop 8 (just for example), there are many documented acts and threats against supporters of Prop 8 (e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_against_Proposition_8_supporters). Many of the protests were peaceful and respectful but a number were not.
The LDS critics use the Bible to justify their language, tactics, and tone. What bothers me is that many counter cult ministries make very good money attacking LDS, then complain how much money the LDS church makes from duped members. And the counter cult folks never attack the other "cults" the way they attack the LDS church.
What makes me angry is they have the audacity to say they know LDS doctrine better than any LDS member. What is humerous to me is they really can not handle that we believe in continuing revelation and that God can change what ever God sees fit to change.
I admit I was almost taken in by some critics but after researching sources it was plain to see how the critics misrepresent all things LDS. They also love to use shock tactics. It must be the latter day as many members are leaving the church over the lies the critics put out for all to see.
I have issues with many things the church leadership has done over the years. But I have searched the doctrine and it agrees with ancient Christianity. The only way Joseph Smith could have known and taught what he did had to come from Divine Beings, as Joseph Smith could not have had access to many things, and did not have access to many things. LDS members conflate the church with doctrine. Culture has taken over. The church is not true, the Restored Doctrine is the truth
The fact that the anti-Mormons are switching from measured tactics such as logical debate and stooping down to more base and primitive tactics shows the desperation of their cause and only strengthens our positions. As far as I'm concerned, once someone tells me how stupid I am for what I believe, they've lost the debate and the conversation is over.
Jeff, to be fair, he accused you of being ignorant, not stupid, in the quotes portion of his email.
However, I wonder if such anti-Mormons have the intestinal fortitude to address radical Islamists in the same language, and berate them for not believing in their particular brand of Christianity.
Anyone remember Weston Krogstadt? He's an LDS guy who got in the face of anti-Mormons with the same tenacity that they showed him. I think he finally realized that fighting contention with contention didn't work, and he deleted his blog.
I don't think there is any benefit to engaging the vituperative type of antis. They are so filled with hate and contention, the Spirit just can't get through to them. You have to wait until they calm down or get tired of maintaining those high adrenalin levels that their hate-filled ranting generates.
I think the best strategy is to ignore them, the hate-filled ones, that is.
And even when confronted with attempts at rational discourse from well-behaved people who disagree with us, there are already so many pro-LDS resources on the web, I'm lazy enough to just refer them to those online sources, because just about all the issues have already been addressed. Why reinvent the wheel?
And then there is my favorite retort, that if they are so concerned with people being in the wrong religions they ought to go visit Muslim mosques and Hindu temples and try to talk to them about their beliefs.
Sigh. I think I've made 7 requests to stop sending me junk and he just keeps the drivel coming, day after day. He's making videos about me and trying to stir people up, sending large mindless chunks of anti-texts. I think he's possessed.
If his kind won't even notice or understand direct, simple requests like "quit sending me stuff; I'm not interested", then no wonder they are unable to process more complex issues like fine points of history, theology, Bible scholarship, archaeology, etc. It's a total waste of time to attempt a discussion of any kind with this flavor of anti. He and his preacher will just laugh their ears off as they mock you endlessly, no matter what you say.
I used to shake my head and wonder what possesses these people. But I think I know now what, or who, it is. Possessed. That's the best explanation I have for this crazy behavior.
Nice post. And do I detect a deliberate four-word match to the Princess Bride Script? Very clever, and a slick follow up on your "Great War" post.
Why not try just think of him as a missionary.
A spam filter should be easy enough, though the assertions in the post are to be taken with a grain of salt, especially given the history of how the anti-Pluralists Bookslinger and Mormanity have used the term anti-Mormon.