The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Plausible Religion

argumentum ad nauseam Proof: My opponent repeats the phrase: "LDS is just as likely as any religion." 8 times as if this affirms his resolution or is some proof of it? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Your correct Satanism and Scientology are religions. Lord of The Rings has a fan club, but is not a religion. A religion is a group of people with the same set of beliefs about the universe." My opponent has claimed that Lord of the Rings is not a fan club because they do not share "the same set of beliefs about the universe" This criterion was never present in my opponents definition of religion. Therefore based on my opponents own definition, LOTR is a religion and is as plausible as the LDS I have described how all tenants of my opponents definition of religion relate to LOTR and my opponent has not even challenged these statements. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LDS is not a cult "you didn’t provide a source for what you believe a cult is" I not only provided a source for what a cult is but clearly defined what a cult was. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "If you’re going to call LDS a cult every religion is a cult" Logically does not follow unless you prove that other religions leaders are insane which you have and did not. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Red Herring "Read above posts don’t have enough room to address issue. Con clearly used a Red Herring." Argument ad nauseam. Saying its a red herring does not make it a red herring. Calling the prophet and the person who both found and translated the religious texts upon which Mormonism is built insane is not a Red Herring and clearly is crucial in determining whether or not Mormonism is True. Any reader can clearly understand this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You don’t use sources once again. I am not the one trying to proport the validity of eyewitness testimony by a bunch of crazy mormons (crazy because they were following an insane man) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pro has not refuted any of the 15 points and has not even questioned some of them. I have provided sources for most but will address the others as ASB had questions. 5 - Quinn (1994, pp. 15–20) (noting that Mormon records and publications contain no mention of any angelic conferral of authority until 1834); Bushman (2005, p. 75). 6 - Quinn (1994, pp. 15–20) (noting that Mormon records and publications contain no mention of any angelic conferral of authority until 1834); Bushman (2005, p. 75). 8 - Roberts (1902, pp. 109–110). 10 - Brodie (1971, pp. 170–75). 11 - Quinn (1998, pp. 261–64); Brodie (1971, p. 192); Bushman (2005, p. 328). Roberts (1904, pp. 465–66) (text of the revelation). Bushman (2005, p. 328); Brodie (1971, p. 193). Bushman (2005, p. 328). Bushman (2005, p. 328) (Smith "had bought more stock than eighty-five percent of the investors."). Brodie (1971, pp. 195–96); Bushman (2005, p. 334). Bushman (2005, p. 330) (noting that business started on 2 January 1837, business was floundering within three weeks, and payment stopped on 23 January 1837). 14 Compton (1997, p. 11); Remini (2002, p. 154); Brodie (1971, pp. 334–43). Bushman (2005, p. 491). Bushman (2005, p. 439); Hill (1977, p. 355). Bushman (2005, p. 439). Bushman (2005, p. 438) (Smith approached Joseph Bates Noble about marrying his wife's sister, Smith asked Bates to "keep quiet": "In revealing this to you I have placed my life in your hands, therefore do not in an evil hour betray me to my enemies." Noble performed the ceremony "in a grove near Main Street with Louisa in man's clothing.") Brodie (1971, pp. 311–12); Bushman (2005, p. 460) (Bennett told women he was seducing that illicit sex was acceptable among the Saints so long as it was kept secret). Bennett, a minimally trained doctor, also promised abortions to any who might became pregnant. Ostling & Ostling (1999, p. 12); Bushman (2005, pp. 461–62); Brodie (1971, p. 314). 15 Quinn (1994, p. 119) -------------------------------------------------- In conclusion I have proven that Joseph Smith is crazy, that the LDS is a cult and is not plausible whether religion is the standard or not. My opponent has put Satanism, Scientology, and LOTR in the same plausibility of being valid as a religion as the LDS. If this does not warrant a victory I do not know what does.