Watch out, "crackpots" - new Mormon Defense League to "go after" you.

[Sapphocrat]

Mormon Defense League launched

. . .

The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research is announcing at 9 a.m. this morning the formation of the Mormon Defense League and the new website MDL.org. FAIR is a volunteer organization that attempts to answer criticism and questions about LDS Church doctrine and history.

. . .

In addition to having articles on the MDL.org website that address common misconceptions like "magic underwear," "Jesus is the brother of Satan," and "Mormons practice polygamy," Gordon hopes journalists will contact MDL for interviews and to answer questions.

MDL will be staffed by a small group of volunteers who will update the website, field questions from journalists and keep an eye on the news for when they think Mormons or doctrines of the LDS Church are misrepresented. "If somebody writes something — whether a journalist or even a politician — that is egregiously bad, we will correct them," Gordon said.

John Lynch is FAIR's Chairman of the Board. He thinks the Mormon Defense League is a type of anti-defamation league. "Except with Mormon nice. We bite, but we are polite," Lynch said, then added, "And afterwards we show an increase in love."

. . .

More from the LDS Church-owned Deseret News, with a few reasoned comments peppering the expected replies from Mormon TBMs:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700168258/Mormon-Defense-League-launched.html

But the Mormon church does teach that Jesus and Satan are brothers, that "magic underwear" protects the wearer from harm, and that Mormons must practice polygamy, at least in the afterlife, so their many wives can pop out spirit babies for all eternity, with which to populate the planets their masters control in the Celestial Kingdom.

I guess what the MDL really means is that they're going to try to publicly humiliate and intimidate anyone who doesn't agree with them -- which should be fun to watch, since the LDS church does its best to distance itself from the FAIR apologists. (Of course, I suspect the LDS church is behind the MDL, so church leaders won't have to dirty their own hands -- any more than they already do).

I can't wait to see -- when they're speaking outside the confines of their own little insular world -- how they're going to defend Mormonism's claims about the Garden of Eden being in Missouri, how Native Americans are the lost tribe of Israel, and how dark-skinned Indians turned "white and delightsome" after accepting the "restored gospel" of teenage con man/adulterer/child-bride-taker Joseph Smith.

The article with the "go after the writer" quote and Joanna Brooks's "crackpot" remark (which I won't quote here, because the Salt Lake Trib is a MediaNews Group site, and Skinner doesn't need another lawsuit):

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/faith/52329295-142/church-fair-mdl-defense.html.csp

By the way, if you hit the MDL.org Web site, what's the first featured article on the front page? The dread HOMOSEXUALITY -- with more sucking fail in a few short paragraphs than you can imagine.

Oh, and those gay-Mormon suicides? Such talk is just "malicious and unfair"... no matter how many penises were shocked with electrodes, and no matter how "comforted" Stuart Matis's parents were that Stuart killed himself rather than live this life as a gay man. Of course, the MDL doesn't mention those things... but I will, always.

[Goblinmonger]

1. So Mormon is OK to attack?

I am amazed at the amount of panties that would have gotten twisted if I had posted anything similar about mainstream christianity but those same people will not come in here to the defense of Mormons.

If this forum is supposed to be about respect, I should see the usual suspects coming in here...but I know that won't happen.

[Sapphocrat]

3. No, the point is that they're trying to pretend...

...that telling the truth about Mormon beliefs (e.g., Jesus and Satan are brothers) is lying -- while pretending that criticism of beliefs such as those about dark-skinned "Lamanites," etc., is either misinterpretation or outright maliciousness on the part of us "gentiles" (non-Mormons).

I don't give a hoot what they believe -- but trying to paint critics as a bunch of malicious liars by going on the attack themselves and claiming "defense" -- is ludicrous.

Did you hit the MDL.org site? How about this: "Eternal life in heaven requires entering and keeping the covenant of marriage..." yet "Same-sex attraction is another impediment to entering a heterosexual marriage."

When they start spreading that garbage publicly, outside the confines of their own temples and meeting houses, they're going after me.

And I'm supposed to respect that?

[Goblinmonger]

4. I don't give my respect to any religion.

The religious I will give respect if they earn it same as anyone else. But they say they believe something. I give them the benefit of the doubt. Just like the "liberal christians" in here always tell me that what they believe is different from all the other not-real christians.

If you are going to go after religions that don't like marriage for homosexuals, you have very few sects that you WON'T be going after.

[Sapphocrat]

8. Oh, I believe they believe all that stuff...

...and I don't care what they believe -- as long as it doesn't encroach on anyone else's life.

That's the problem -- they're going on the attack against people who put forth legitimate criticism -- and not even mockery, but legitimate criticism of the holes in the Mormon story. To counter that criticism, they don't use facts -- they can't! -- so they're attacking the messengers.

And for what purpose? Why now? The answers to those questions are very clear to me.

Heh-heh... The "not-real christianity" is a frequent discussion in our home. It's understandable to want to distance oneself from the crazies, and while I certainly recognize, and respect, the more Christ-like attributes of liberal christians, christianity is christianity, as long as one subscribes to (some version of) the Nicene creed. Or, as so many Protestants like to sum it up, whether you're a christian or not comes down to nothing but faith, not works.

To hear anyone say, for example, the Norway shooter isn't a real christian, because he sure wasn't emulating Jesus, would be like me saying Andrew Cunanan or Jeffrey Dahmer wasn't a "real gay," because gay men love other gay men -- they don't kill them.

Every time I'm tempted to reach into the True Scotsman bag, I remember that.

[LiberalFighter]

18. So us single people are worthless in the eyes of the Mormons

And some that enter into their heaven become servants to them.

[NMMNG]

21. Pretty much

If you're not spawning copiously for the Lord (which you can only righteously do within the bonds of opposite-genital marriage) you're not fulfilling your divine mandate as a human being. Of course Mormons aren't the only ones who push this meme. Most of the RRRWers think this way.

[NMMNG]

14. You do have a point

Some faiths are more equal than others in America. The First Amendment guarantees Freedom of Religion but we all know that people can criticize, even make fun of, Mormons and Scientologists with near impunity. Meanwhile posting a factual story of crime committed by a Catholic or a Baptist will bring hellfire down on you.

That being said, the problem with this "FAIR" situation is not that Mormons are being unfairly targeted in any way. It's that they're forming their own goon squad to go around the Internet and bully into submission anybody they think is painting them in an unfavorable light. It's not the facts that matter to them, it's the appearances. Granted, they've been doing all along as individuals (my wife and I have both experienced it on our own blogs, and we've seen it elsewhere) but it will now be done as an organized effort. It won't matter if the information printed is true . They will relentlessly badger the author of the piece just the same in the name of making it "fair" to Mormons.

[Sapphocrat]

15. I understand what you're saying now.

Something wasn't sitting right with me, so I asked my wife, NMMNG, to take a look at our exchange and explain to me what I might have missed -- and she did, and now I get it.

And I'm convinced that I was talking past you without realizing it (my apologies for that) -- and that we're actually on the same page. Bottom line: I agree with you.

[Goblinmonger]

19. Been away from the computer for a bit, sorry

Yes, I agree that we agree. We're on the same page.

[_ed_]

17. Why would anyone defend Mormons?

Their beliefs are indefensible, and they use their religious business to try to take rights away from others.

People deserve respect. Their beliefs are due respect to the extent that they can be proven.

[Goblinmonger]

20. I can say that about almost every other Christian sect

but if I do that, then I am a bigot and a fundamentalist atheist. Personally, I think that all religions are open to criticism. But the group think here in R/T is often that you can't say anything bad about Christianity. Just trying to figure out where the lines are.

Actually, I'm trying to point out the hypocrisy of many people in this forum. They want their brand of Christianity protected and not talked about negatively, but they feel free to hop on other sects pretty easily.

[_ed_]

22. Oh, I see

If the fact that I don't accept the truth claims of Mormonism (preseneted, of course, without evidence) makes me a bigot, then I'm a bigot toward astrology, divining, and alchemy as well.

It's not bigotry. It's assessing the world and truth claims with reason and on evidence alone.

[Goblinmonger]

26. Do you accept the truth claims of Catholicism?

Because a people who do rail at anyone who claims it is what you call Mormonism above. If you don't, fine. If you accept the truth claims of ANY religion and rail at Mormonism, you may want to re-examine your thought process.

I'm an atheist; I don't give two shits about any truth claims of any religion. Just trying to point out the hypocrisy of many here in R/T that wad up their panties when their religion is questioned but who feel free to pile on Mormonism.

[_ed_]

27. Also an atheist

Catholicism and Mormonism rest on the same unreasonable types of claims. I guess I wasn't clear -- you could put any religion where I put Mormonism, and my statement would not change.

Catholicism is just older and has more adherents, but if it was invented when Joseph Smith invented Mormonism, people would probably treat it the same. I mean the central tenets: drinking blood, eating flesh, the fact that it's really polytheistic with the god, father, son, spirit, and Mary, etc, etc. I don't think it would go over too well in the modern world, but it's been around so long that no one questions ritualized cannibalism anymore.

[darkstar3]

25. What cracks me up about your observation is that, technically, Mormons ARE Christians.

Apparently some Christians are more Christian than others...wait...I think I already knew that...

[tularetom]

2. They spent 100 years isolating themselves from the rest of America

And all of a sudden they want us to know everything abut them? Bullshit. It ain't a religion, it's a fucking CULT.

I think we can all figure out why they've decided to be so informative all of a sudden.

[Goblinmonger]

5. They're all cults.

We just don't call the ones we like "cults" though.

[Sapphocrat]

6. That's why I suspect the LDS church is behind this...

...as the church just released a very clear announcement that it takes no official stand on either Romney or Huntsman -- and (no link, just read this at an ex-mo site) reportedly has ordered its 40,000 employees not to make any donations to 2012 presidential candidates.

So, how else can the LDS leadership appear to remain neutral (and even neutered) yet get its political message out in the run-up to 2012, especially in the wake of the ongoing P.R. disaster that is Proposition 8, and without losing its tax-exempt status?

A front group would come in mighty handy.

[laconicsax]

7. LDS is no more a cult than any other religion. n/t

[Iggo]

24. I'l take "Audio Recordings Of Pre-Teen Rape" for a thousand, Allex. (n/t)

[_ed_]

28. Every religion is a cult

Mormonism seems more silly just because it's more new.

[Ian David]

9. NO ONE expects The Mormon Defense League!

Our chief weapon is surprise, fear and surprise; two chief weapons, fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency! Er, among our chief weapons are: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, and near fanatical devotion to the Joseph Smith!

[saras]

11. Priceless. Or worthless. I'm not sure which

...but this skit has been going on for far too long. Where's the knight in armor with the rubber chicken when you need him?

[Sapphocrat]

12. LOL

:D

[NMMNG]

16. Some of us do

A few years ago I wouldn't have, but now I know better.

[madmom]

10. I call them all cults.

[NMMNG]

13. Will they do anything to combat all the falshoods the Mormons spread?

:rofl:

Right. As if. Doing that would be "anti-Mormon" since Lying for the Lord is part and parcel of their faith.

[Iggo]

23. Prop 8 funding, you fuckwads.

Ready? Set.

DEFEND!