The Big Questions , Sunday 2 August 2009, third question. A growing number of Britons say they are certain there is no God - but how do they know? Professor John Adams of the North Yorkshire Humanist Association begins by asking theists what evidence they have for their beliefs. Paul Woolley of Theos continues by pointing out Richard Dawkins description of faith as a 'virus', and the appalling track record of atheism in the 20th Century, as spearheaded by Pol Pot and Stalin. Chloe Clifford-Frith of the Humanist and Secular Students Society contends that Stalin did not do the things he did because he was an atheist, but because he was evil. Paul Woolley rejoins that atheists are trying to have it both ways when they claim that religion is the cause of evil, but refuse to acknowledge the ideological impetus of atheism when it comes to many evil acts. Mao and Stalin both replaced God with the State - a 'religious' manoeuvre. Rev Alistair Rycroft of St Michael Le Belfrey Ch...
Comments
You write that "Mormon Christians" (an oxymorn itself) display the highest virtues you describe but consider the following:
“All their (the Christian churches) creeds were an abomination in [God’s] sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof’” Joseph Smith, Mormonism’s founding prophet
“If the Catholic religion is a false, religion how can any true religion come out of it? If the Catholic Church is bad how can any good thing come out of it? The character of the old churches have always been slandered by all apostates since the world began" Joseph Smith, Mormonism’s founding prophet
“We talk about Christianity but it is a perfect pack of nonsense...Myself and hundreds of the Elders around me have seen its pomp, parade and glory; and what is it? It is a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol; it is as corrupt as hell; and the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century” John Taylor, Mormon prophet
If you wish to see for yourself a fine example of this charitable and uncritical approach you advocate you could do no better than read the words of John Taylor, the late 19th century Mormon prophet, in an address entitled, "On the Incompetency of the Means Made Use Of by Man to Regenerate the World".
It is a splendid address and more to be admired than the mealy-mouthed words of more recent prophets, notably Gordon B Hinckley. You can read it here:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3be0945bd384b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
It seems that these virtuous and noble Mormons consider my church apostate and abominable, my leaders corrupt, and the lot of us the best engine to do the work of the devil. Frankly, I don't find this particularly insulting, indeed it seems inevitable given that Mormonism "restores" what we have allegedly lost. What does cause insult is the sanctimonious way Mormons insist that it is otherwise and we can all be chums for the kindgdom.
This blog, as well as its partner web site, www.reachouttrust.org, is dedicated, as Mormonism once was, to telling the truth about these differences and encouraging folk to consider the implications of these differences. It seems to me that this is more honest and "Christian" than pretending those differences don't exist or signify.