Comments on: A Little More Poking Around The Internet http://www.article6blog.com/2008/04/22/a-little-more-poking-around-the-internet/ Religion in the 2008 Presidential Campaign: Commentary by an Evangelical Christian and a Mormon Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:42:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: K.G. http://www.article6blog.com/2008/04/22/a-little-more-poking-around-the-internet/#comment-12540 K.G. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:12:46 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2008/04/22/a-little-more-poking-around-the-internet/#comment-12540 Several of us have done just that over on the blog following Rich Lowry's article entitled "The Wages of Polygamy," an article on the FLDS in Texas. Not surprisingly, disparging and inaccurate comments directed toward the LDS Church began to appear almost immediately. It seems any blogs dealing with Mitt or polygamy open the door for the usual suspects. I believe we have an obligation to our faith to set the record straight in an accurate, friendly manner. Our comments will not change the minds of those who post such attacks, but they may help other readers understand Mormonism from a believer's point of view. As for John's recommendation to "engage," the problem comes when evangelical friends and neighbors have been taught disinformation by their pastors. I have found that religious discussions, tho interesting, do little to disabuse people of the erroneous notions planted by their pastors. Several of us have done just that over on the blog following Rich Lowry’s article entitled “The Wages of Polygamy,” an article on the FLDS in Texas. Not surprisingly, disparging and inaccurate comments directed toward the LDS Church began to appear almost immediately.

It seems any blogs dealing with Mitt or polygamy open the door for the usual suspects. I believe we have an obligation to our faith to set the record straight in an accurate, friendly manner. Our comments will not change the minds of those who post such attacks, but they may help other readers understand Mormonism from a believer’s point of view.

As for John’s recommendation to “engage,” the problem comes when evangelical friends and neighbors have been taught disinformation by their pastors. I have found that religious discussions, tho interesting, do little to disabuse people of the erroneous notions planted by their pastors.

]]> By: ncultra http://www.article6blog.com/2008/04/22/a-little-more-poking-around-the-internet/#comment-12539 ncultra Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:53:41 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2008/04/22/a-little-more-poking-around-the-internet/#comment-12539 John's comments are valuable, but I disagree that we should not address misstatements in the traditional and new media. We must be the ones to define our doctrine, which means that we must engage those misstatements in the medium where they originate. Any religion has the right (which must be maintained through action) to define its own doctrine. "Maintained" through action means that we don't cede that right by remaining silent in the face of organized mischaracterization. That was a key part of Elder Ballard's address. John’s comments are valuable, but I disagree that we should not address misstatements in the traditional and new media. We must be the ones to define our doctrine, which means that we must engage those misstatements in the medium where they originate. Any religion has the right (which must be maintained through action) to define its own doctrine. “Maintained” through action means that we don’t cede that right by remaining silent in the face of organized mischaracterization. That was a key part of Elder Ballard’s address.

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