Submitted by Megan, Aug 31, 2007 08:18

I have given considerable thought to why there is so much anti-mormon sentiment, and anti-so many other religions as well, pouring out of the mouths, churches, and websites of so many 'main stream' religions. I can't find a single negative word about any other religion on any official mormon websites, yet there is plenty of anti-mormon and as well as anti-Catholic and anti-other religions coming from high up and down low (some of these official sites have been graciously provided by Dena). Why all the bashing of these religions? Religions that do a tremendous amount of charitable and personal good to so many people. Religions that teach peace, personal accountability, love, true charity, self-esteem, self worth, PEACE! Sound familiar? Like maybe something out of the New Testament? Christ didn't run around bashing other's beliefs. Instead, he dined with them, taught them truth whether attacked or asked for guidance. He never apologized for what he believed. And many of his beliefs were considered shocking. But he never tried to gain a following or to build himself up by criticising others. So to these people who are obsessed with tearing down the precious beliefs of others (like the Pharacees were) and who tout the Bible as the only true word of God, have you read it? Of course, you can Bible bash with the best of them, but what about the 'greatest commandment'? "The first great commandment is to love God, and the second is like unto it, to love your brother as you love yourself." (Quoting from memory, not reading the scripture right now so I'm not 100% sure of the wording - but I am 100% sure of the meaning).

You see, when the early Christians had a question, they wrote to the Apostles and the Apostles answered with inspired guidance, creating with their answers the scripture that we all so love - the New Testament. Today, people (contrary to commandment) interpret the scriptures for themselves (as the Jews were doing at the time of Christ) and try to figure out what they believe based on words that are 2 millenias old and given for the specific use of people and cultures that are also 2 millenias old. With that kind of distance culturally from what is being taught in the Bible, not to mention the thousands of re-writes by monks copying it by hand over and over before the invention of the printing press - ever heard of Chinese whispers? - is it any wonder that the truths taught in the Bible can be interpreted so differently by so many learned men? And as good and wise and guided by the best intentions as most of these men and women are, is it any wonder that the majority of main stream churches are determining doctrine by debate? And in a world where doctrine is determined by debate, can anyone be truly unified in their beliefs? Won't there always be those who debate, for ONE example: If accepting Christ were truly necessary for salvation, then what about all of those people throughout history who never had a chance to be even learn about Christ? Are they just not loved? Don't they count? Or is accepting Christ not an actual requirement for salvation? Or whatever your answers are to whatever questions you may be bold enough to ask - and they will be asked among the drowning and screaming voices of "LORD, LORD, listen to me I've read the Bible and have figured out all of the answers miraculously without personal interpretation because I went to college and therefore it would, I suppose, be counted as 'group' interpretation which is obviously much much different and not at all what was warned about in the scriptures or else I have read the Bible and understood most of what I think I read and have been told what the rest means by said college graduates - well, hopefully you get the point. Which is that most 'main stream' churches are actually determining doctrine by debate. And, in a religion that determines doctrine by debate, you can never be united in what you believe... so... let's be united in what we don't believe! Let's spend a ton of time and resources dissing other religions, especially the ones who ARE united in their beliefs (like Mormons and Catholics) because they follow leaders that they have the gall to believe are being led by Christ to help them to understand scripture and answer questions just like the Apostles in the New Testament that created the original versions of the Bible. Let's unite in bashing and tearing down the religions that have what we don't, unity and answers. And in that 'oh so unchristlike way', we can shine by stepping on every person who has a major difference (including the Jews who gave us our precious Bible - do we acknowledge their tremendous founding of our essential beliefs? - oh yeah... NO! We bash them and persecute them too cause it's so much more rewarding!) until we soar on their squashed heads and get our dog day in the sun. And maybe our light, kept burning bright by our incredible efforts at destroying the faiths of others, will blind our own followers to the fact that we don't really know what we're talking about.

Ok. That felt good. I know it's wrong to bash other churches, even if they are attacking what I hold most dear. I know that because that is what MY church taught me. That you turn the other cheek. That you teach others with love and never by destroying the precious truths they already have. So I know that it is wrong of me to post this little rant.

Thank God for the Atonement!

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