Believing the Mormon doctrine is unreasnable.

I think my opponent for this debate and hope I can offer a respectable counter to his resolution. My opponent contends that Mormonism is not a reasonable religion. I believe that he, being a Christian, should not believe it is unreasonable. I hope reframing the debate this way is acceptable to my opponent, and I will thus open the debate. The BOP is upon my opponent to prove that Mormonism is unreasonable, though I will open the debate with a short opening, by showing Mormonism has a similar origin to all other religions and sects, and is as reasonable as any one of them, including Christianity in general and its various branches. Most religions come into being due to an act of "individual revelation". Individual revelation refers to the revelation of any religion, sect, or cult that was begun by the revelation of just one or two individuals, and spread from there. Let us take a look at religions containing strong elements of the "Individual revelation" characteristic. This is not to say that any of the following revelations or religions should not be believed, just that since most originate from very similar patterns, they are all equally reasonable. Buddhism: Buddhism begins with the experience of Siddhartha Gautama, born into wealth he abandoned on his search for truth. Siddhartha Gautama describes his experience and it's methodology as a way towards enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama "put him self into a trance, intent of discerning both the ultimate reality of all things and the final goal of existence." [1] While Siddhartha Gautama was alone, he was able to do the aforementioned, "He passed through the eight stages of transic Insight, and quickly reached their highest point…Then he had achieved correct knowledge of all there is to be known, and he stood out in the world as a Buddha. " [2] --While there are many more details that are important to the life and significance of Siddhartha Gautama, this is a story of one individual and his revelation of what leads to enlightenment. Islam: Islam finds its root from the experiences of Muhammad, whom, at the age of forty, "had an experience in which a message somehow became present in his mind; and eventually he came to believe that this was a message from G-d."[3] Muhammad would continue to receive messages that would be gathered into suras that make up the Koran. --Once again, there are more details that are important to understanding Muhammad specifically, and Islam in general, but the revelations that lead to Islam, is the revelation given to a single individual. Christianity: 30 years after the death of Jesus, Saul, a Jew, who was traveling alone on a road to Demascus, has a revelation when Jesus appears to him. Saul, changed by this revelation that was shared with him, changes his name to Paul, and converts to Christianity. --There is obviously more to Christianity than this (which I imagine will be the focus of the next couple rounds), but this is its origin as an organized religion, culminating in Paul's writing of 13 books of the New Testament. [4] Newer religions that also follow a similar individual revelation characteristic: Mormonism: Joseph smith has an individual revelation, and convinces others to believe him. Saint Germain Foundation: Guy Ballard has individual revelation when he is approached by the reincarnation of Comte De Saint Germain, while he is hiking alone near Mt. Shasta. The Unification Church: Based upon the individual revelation of Sun Myung Moon, whom Jesus came to when Moon was 16 and told him to proclaim himself as the new messiah. Eckancar: Begun by the individual revelation of John Paul Twitchell, who claims to be the 971st ECK Master and spiritual descendant "of an unbroken chain of Vaiargi Masters". All of the aforementioned groups have a significant number of members, and are similar in their origins, of one man, who convinces others, of their personal revelation.[5] I believe all of these religions are equally reasonable, I look forward to my opponents reply. [1] Asvaghosa, The Buddhacarita, (second century Buddhist narrative), reprinted in Ninian Smart and Richard D. Hecht, eds., Sacred Texts of the World: A Universal Anthology, New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1982, p. The Cros.road Publishing Company, 1982, p, 233-4. [2] Ibid., P. 234 [3] W. Montgomery Watt, "IsIam," in Ian Harris., Stuart Mew.. Paul Morris., and John Shepherd. Contemporary Religions: A World Guide. Essex, UK: Longman Group Ltd., 1992. p. 21. [4] http://www.vexen.co.uk... [5] http://www.simpletoremember.com...