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

Addressing the issue of "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. My opponent starts off with argument ad populum. Because 14 million people believe it exists then it must be true. Millions of people believe that santa claus exists 1 in 5 Adult Americans believe that the sun revolves around the earth Source: http://www.nytimes.com... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Every Religion is invalid therefore Mormonism is valid Does not logically follow. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eyewitness Testimony "the view set forth by people much better acquainted with him and less biased. Writing in personal diaries and letters, unmotivated by bitterness or the prospect of publication, close observers left detailed descriptions that give an understanding of the Prophet more consistent with his own religious pretensions and more factually accurate than the observations of his critics." You could enter a mental hospital and ask a mental patient if another mental patient was sane and I'm sure you'd hear all about how that person is perfectly sane. Plus you could also argue that the mental patient is better acquainted with the patient than doctors as he spends more of his time with the patient. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. The Mormon religion promotes doing well B. Insane people would not promote doing well C. Therefore Joseph Smith was not insane. Not even getting into the discussion of morals as your definition of "doing well" and my definition of "doing well" are completely different. Plus there are numerous cults who claim to be "doing well". The Salem which trials were all done by people who claimed to be "doing well". Hitler, I'm sure, thought he was "doing well" by murdering the jews. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rebutals of the 15 Points 1. It was common for people to dig for treasure with stones in those times. In those times insanity was not treated or recognized so it logically follows that digging for treasure with seer stones would be more common. Regardless of whether magic was practiced doesn't make it any less insane 2. No Rebuttal 3. My opponent is supposedly negating every non-mormon scholar. Using a quotation from the book of mormon. Sorry dude that source doesn't hold water. 4. No Rebuttal 5. No Rebuttal 6. No Rebuttal 7. Exaggerating evidence "Even so, Smith and Cowdery had to flee Colesville to escape a gathering mob. Probably referring to this period of flight, Smith told years later of hearing the voices of Peter, James, and John who he said gave Smith and Cowdery an apostolic authority. When Oliver Cowdery and other church members attempted to exercise independent authority—as when Book of Mormon witness Hiram Page used his seer stone to locate the American New Jerusalem prophesied by the Book of Mormon—Smith responded by establishing himself as the sole prophet. Sources: Quinn (1994, pp. 24–26); (Bushman 2005, p. 118). Bushman (2005, p. 120) ("Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmer family began to conceive of themselves as independent authorities with the right to correct Joseph and receive revelation."). Roberts (1902, pp. 109–110). Bushman (2005, p. 121); Phelps (1833, p. 67) ("[N]o one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church, excepting my servant Joseph, for he receiveth them even as Moses."). 8. No Rebuttal 9. No negation except to term this "priesthood" 10. No Negation 11. No Rebuttal 12 & 13 - Asking for Sources "Though Smith hated violence, his experiences led him to believe that his faith's survival required greater militancy against anti-Mormons and Mormon traitors.With his knowledge and at least partial approval, recent convert Sampson Avard formed a covert organization called the Danites to intimidate Mormon dissenters and oppose anti-Mormon militia units.Sidney Rigdon was working to restore the United Order, but lawsuits by Oliver Cowdery and other dissenters threatened that plan. After Rigdon's "Salt Sermon" ordered Mormons to "trample [the dissenters] into the earth," the Danites expelled these dissenters from the county with Smith's approval. In a keynote speech at the town's Fourth of July celebration, Rigdon issued similar threats against non-Mormons, promising a "war of extermination" should Mormons be attacked. After Rigdon's oration, Smith shouted "Hosannah!" and allowed the speech to be published as a pamphlet." Sources: Quinn (1994, p. 92); (Brodie 1971, p. 213) ("From the bottom of his heart Joseph hated violence, but his people were demanding something more than meekness and compromise. It was common gossip among the old settlers that the Mormons would never fight; and Joseph came to realize that in a country where a man's gun spoke faster than his wits, to be known as a pacifist was to invite plundering."); (Bushman 2005, p. 355) Quinn (1994, p. 93) (arguing that Smith and Rigdon were aware of the Danite organization and sanctioned their activities); Brodie (1971, pp. 215–16) (arguing that Sampson Avard had Smith's sanction); Hill (1977, p. 225) (concluding that Smith had at least peripheral involvement and gave early approval to Danite activities); Bushman 2005, pp. 346–51) (Danites were under oath to be "completely submissive" to the First Presidency.) There are two explanations for the name: (1) that it was a reference to the vision of Daniel of a stone cut out of a mountain in Dan. 2:44–45 (Quinn (1994, p. 93); Brodie (1097, p. 215) (quoting Smith)), and (2) that it was a reference to the biblical Danites of Judges 18 (Brodie 1971, p. 216) (quoting Smith). Quinn (1994, p. 93); Brodie (1971, p. 213) ("They would not only defend the Saints against aggression from the old settlers, but also act as a bodyguard for the presidency and as a secret police for ferreting out dissenters."); Remini (2002, p. 129). Brodie (1971, p. 217). Brodie (1971, pp. 217–18); Quinn (1994, p. 94). Brodie (1971, pp. 218–19) (Danites issued a written death threat, and when that didn't work they surrounded the dissenters' homes and "ordered their wives to pack their blankets and leave the county immediately"); Quinn (1994, pp. 94–95). Bushman (2005, p. 352) ("Joseph certainly favored evicting dissenters..."). Brodie (1971, pp. 222–23); Remini (2002, pp. 131–33). Remini (2002, pp. 133). Brodie (1971, pp. 223); Quinn (1994, p. 96) (noting that Smith also advertised the speech in the church periodical). 14. No Negation 15. No Negation. I have negated all of my opponents points and have proven all of my points successfully. Joseph Smith was clearly insane and thus Mormonism is invalid.