DaveH wrote: > Do you always go around thinking the worst of > folks? Don't you think some people with smiles > on their faces just may be reflecting that which is >inside?
Most of the time I take people at face value and think no ill of them. But through experience, I have found that most people play a political game whereby they do not truly tell you what they think. I'm not talking just about Mormons, but Protestants and virtually everyone on the face of the planet. It seems to be a human nature thing to project a certain image of oneself regardless of what one thinks inside. What has bothered me is that if I think they might be thinking otherwise and call them on it, they deny it... or on further inquiry, simply refuse to say what they really think. I don't like that and consider it a form of evil. Therefore, I try not to be too na�ve about those who use feigned words, but at the same time I try to think the best of people. DaveH wrote: > I've tried my best not to offend folks in TT..... > yet that is exactly what has happened. I'm rapidly > coming to the conclusion that anything to do with > Mormonism biases some people. That's part of the problem. If someone believes a priori that you are in a cult, they are looking for something to happen. Either you will get uncomfortable here and leave, or you will convert away from the cult. If you are still around, then there must be some demonic motivation for it, such as you are gathering information to use to deceive other Protestants into becoming Mormons. I have been accused by some via private email of aiding and abetting you by giving you ammunition to use against other Protestants. I guess they think you are some kind of secret intelligence agent for Mormons. LOL. DaveH wrote: > When you do it, you are being sensitive. > When a Mormon does it.....he is 'harping'. No... I don't think you see this correctly. Your statement becomes harping because it is a one-liner that you always fall back on. Kind of like the way you fall back on, "the Bible is the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly." When people fall back on the same phrase, and especially when that phrase does not truly seem to portray reality, then I think it is appropriate to use the term "harping" to talk about it. DAVEH: > Then, were you shocked to hear me state (several times) > that I am not in TT to learn truth? No, I'm not shocked at that because whether you ever say that or not, I have learned that about you. However, when you tell a Protestant that you are here to learn what Protestant's believe, they hear that as saying that you are here to learn truth. Why? Because they believe that Protestants have the truth, so if you want to learn what they believe, then you want to learn truth. DAVEH: > I'm not sure why, but when you use that word several > times it strikes me as a negative conotation..... > did you mean it that way? No, I'm not trying to be negative. DaveH wrote: > What (or how) can I do to make my intentions > any clearer? If I repeat myself numerous times, > I'm 'harping'. If I don't explain my intentions, > then will I be accused of being sneaky and hiding > something? I think this idea that you need to repeat yourself is what has led to "harping" rather than communication. I would say that you should try to express yourself using different words if your message isn't being communicated. For example, suppose you said something like, "I'm not here to spread my Mormon beliefs, nor am I here to learn truth. I believe I have the truth. However, I enjoy hearing Protestants try and explain their beliefs, like their ludicrous idea of the Trinity. That's why I'm here. To listen to Protestants babble." Now, I realize that my wording is not polite enough for someone of your refinement, but if you edited this to have wording that was polite enough for you, but still communicated the same idea, then that would be more likely to effectively communicate why you are here, rather than just saying, "I'm here to learn what Protestants believe." DaveH wrote: > We try not to see an adversarial relationship between men > and differing theologies. We view all men as being spiritual > brothers who have differing paths in their journey of eternal > progression. For someone to force another to walk a specific > path detracts from the free agency aspect of the plan of salvation. > So I don't think it is of benefit to twist somebody's arm to make > them believe like we do. IMO, it is better to let them come to > that conclusion on their own. I see some spin in what you are saying here. It seems to me that you have a kind of "universal salvation" belief. This creates a very different kind of concern for others. From my perspective, most people are going to suffer eternal damnation unless they become persuaded to repent of their sins and find the salvation from sin that comes through Jesus Christ. You have the luxury of not caring too much about someone who goes the wrong way, because even if they get it wrong in this life, they can get it right in the next life. For example, if they aren't baptized now, they can get baptized later by proxy. For me, its kind of like the building is on fire and they don't know it. Unless I yell at them about the fire, they will perish in the burning building. DAVEH: > To me, that is unfathomable! But as I think about it, > I've seen it elsewhere in different situations. Does > it ever happen to you, when you are ministering to the > disadvantaged? Are they uncomfortable that you have > your act together, and they don't? Yes! I see this all the time. DaveH wrote: > To summarize, most of us prefer to avoid confrontation > to maintain that reverence that pervades our realm. Actually, most Protestants are like this too. It is the natural effect of institutions. However, the early Protestants were not like this, and neither were the early Mormons. Peace be with you. David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
