Like many New Yorkers, my initial reaction to hearing that a large Mosque was to be built 2 blocks from the World Trade Center site was one of shock and opposition. I wouldn’t characterize my opposition as strident or terribly passionate; I didn’t attend any anti-Mosque rallies downtown nor did I make my [...]
I have been involved in the Mormon community online since 2006 or so when I began to study ex-Mormon narratives as part of my studies at Yale Divinity School. A simple Google search will demonstrate that Mormonism on the internet is presented, discussed, analyzed, and debated in a variety of ways. I have been a [...]
Without reservation I can state that Matthew 11:28-30 are my favorite verses in all the Christian canon. The King James Version (KJV) reads: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and [...]
One of the unfortunate consequences of the marginalization of Mormonism in American culture is the persistence of an “us vs. them” attitude that is pervasive throughout Mormon culture. From its beginnings, Mormonism faced tremendous religious criticism (as does any new religious tradition) from mainstream Christianity. This religious criticism subsided (but did not disappear) when [...]
For my one or two (thanks Mom) loyal readers I must apologize for the delay in putting this post together. A paper which I recently presented at the American Academy of Religion’s Mid-Atlantic regional meeting has taken up most of my free time between school and work. For those of you who have an interest in learning [...]
Tomorrow I will be presenting a paper at the American Academy of Religion’s Mid-Atlantic regional meeting. The topic is Mormonism’s unique theology of gender. In my paper, I offer up a perspective on Joseph Smith’s teachings regarding exaltation and sexuality which may seem foreign to some “modern” Latter-day Saints. Essentially, I argue that Joseph Smith’s [...]
Please see my earlier posts (here and here). Also, To provide context for the brief discussion that follows, please keep in mind the question posed by CARM’s Theo1689 to Mormons who may make the dire mistake of visiting CARM’s discussion forums: 1) Why do you believe in “plural gods”, when the Bible teaches monotheism (Deut. [...]
If you have not read my previous post on Theo1689, it may be helpful for you to browse what I have written there to provide context for what I discuss here. Before seeking to answer Theo1689’s questions about Mormon doctrine and dogma as it relates to the Biblical text, it is important to put a [...]
In my previous post I discussed my general impressions of Matt Slick and CARM. (Incidentally, if you would like to read an “insiders” perspective on the goings-on at CARM, read here and here.) Within the context of that discussion I briefly mentioned the CARM discussion forums. These forums are heavily moderated and cover a wide [...]
I have had a long-standing interest in Mormon apologetics which began when I was a teenager. Many of my friends were devout evangelical Christians who, on more than one occasion, “witnessed” to me about the error of Mormon beliefs. Given that at the time I was also quite zealous, such conversations generally involved long discussions [...]
