From: dali@milton.u.washington.edu (David A. Lee)
Subject: Re: No more temple discussion
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 06:35:27 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.133327.1305@hellgate.utah.edu> jwindley%asylum.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Jay Windley) writes:
>This concludes my contribution to the discussion on LDS temple
>ceremonies.  I do not propose to continue for the following reasons:
>
>1.  It is a topic most sacred to Mormons.  They do not discuss it
>    casually in public.  I feel it is inappropriate to continue
>    discussing it in this or any other newsgroup.
>
>2.  My contribution on this subject has already exceeded what I
>    consider to be my share of the bandwidth.
>
>3.  Readers have communicated to me desires that the thread be
>    dropped.
>
>4.  John Muelhausen has adequately demonstrated his unwillingness
>    to consider the merit of my arguments in previous posts.  He
>    seems more devoted to propagating his own interpretation of
>    Mormonism than in hearing how practicing Mormons believe.  His
>    name is in my kill file, and I will be responding to no more
>    of his posts.
>
>5.  I have in the past few days spent more time reading and posting
>    news than work, school, and sleep combined.
>
>Sincere apologies to Michael Bushnell, to whom I promised a study of
>hidden knowledge lost to early Christianity.  I don't foresee
>completing it soon, since real and pressing duties demand my time
>elsewhere.  If you email me, I will send you what I have, plus
>pointers to possibly helpful references.
>--------------------------------+---------------------------------------
>Jay Windley                     | jwindley@asylum.utah.edu
>Department of Computer Science  +---------------------------------------
>Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City   | "I have detailed files."  -- T2

Sorry Jay, but you, nor anyone else for that matter, are not the 
moderator of this group.  Unmoderated groups are unmoderated to
facilitate the FREE EXCHANGE of information about any topic that
the particular person wishes to discuss.  

I am fascinated by the posts of the "secret ceremonies", and wonder
why the absolute terror that LDS members have about non-LDS people
learning about it.  Sure, you take an oath.  But to who?  To God?
To Jesus?

I observe your efforts to defend the beliefs of the religious organization
that you belong, and I think we would all agree that your efforts 
have not been a waste.  But we Christians and non-Christians alike
do have serious problems with the way your organization behaves in
terms of attitude about the Bible and the definition of a Christian.

Now, when I wrote that paper that I compiled from many sources, I was
motivated by my deep love for a friend who had just joined the 
Mormon church.  I was trying to show her that she had made a mistake
by giving in to their constant pressures on her.  And I am not 
exagerrating this at all.  The Mormon missionaries exert tremendous
pressure on their prey.   

But after exerting all that time (2 months to compile the letter that
ended up 19 pages long) and effort, I decided to just pray that she
would accept Christ for what He is, and what He wants her to be.  And
decided that we (man), are not the ones who judge who is a "true
Christian" and who is not.  Only Jesus can do that, and he will when that
time comes.  And believe me folks, it could come any time.  

So I guess what I am saying here, is that I want to stop the hate
that is being displayed between Christians and Mormons, and instead
just try to show more respect for the fact that yes, we both think 
the other is mislead.  I don't think that we here on earth will ever
be able, either Mormon or Christian, to say "Ha! Told you so!"  Because
we are human, and not gifted with all knowledge.  I believe that we should
allow each other to express their views without rudeness, and in Jay's 
case, he has done very well to be cordial in his posts.  

I think we would all benefit from trying to learn more about what the
Mormon believes, and what the Christian believes.  And I also mean
Catholic and Jew.  We shouldn't have so much fear about listening to
each other.  We can only do our best to serve God the best way we can.

I guess that's all I will say.

In His name,

David L.
 
 


-- 
"There are hundreds of tiny balls in every machine, and hundreds of machines
in every pachinko parlour, and a pachinko parlour on every block in every
town in Japan; so there are billions of little balls falling forever, like a
chromium-plated hailstorm that never melts."  - from "Clive James in Japan"