From: psyrobtw@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Robert Weiss)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: re: Satan persecutes Mormons
Date: 24 Dec 92 02:09:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

John Redelfs wrote:

jr> The widespread persecution of Mormons is evidence that Jesus Christ did
jr> indeed organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and leads
jr> it today.
jr>
jr> Those who persecute Mormons do so because they are deceived by Satan.
jr>
jr> There are many humble followers of Christ outside the Mormon church.
jr> They do not rail against the Mormon church.  Those who do are not humble
jr> followers of Christ.
jr>
jr> It's not real complicated.

I responded with:

rw> Let me get this straight.
rw>
rw> Those who were persecuted by the Danites, for instance, were real
rw> followers of Christ, and those who `employed' the murdering, pillaging
rw> gangs of Danites were deceived by Satan.
rw>
rw> Is this right?

John Redelfs then responded with:

jr> This post from Robert Weiss is just one of many that demonstrate how
jr> anti-Mormon religious bigotry can cause otherwise intelligent people to
jr> become confused in their thinking.
jr>
jr> From these posts one would suppose I had said that if a person or group
jr> were persecuted, they must be true followers of Christ.  I said no such
jr> thing.  I said Mormons were persecuted because they were true followers
jr> of Jesus Christ.  Anyone having difficulty comprehending the difference,
jr> needs to learn some basic reasoning skills.
jr>
jr> Saying that Mormons are persecuted because they are the "true" church of
jr> Jesus Christ is not the same as saying that all who are persecuted are
jr> true followers of Christ.
jr>
jr> I can't imagine how any intelligent person could make such a mistake.

John,

     I never claimed to be intelligent.

     If there is something that I misunderstood in what you wrote, you have
     my apologies.

     However, I think that there would be some benefit to explain why I came
     to my understanding of what you said. When you said:

    jr> The widespread persecution of Mormons is evidence that Jesus Christ
    jr> did indeed organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
    jr> and leads it today.

     I took it to mean that you were saying that persecution of Mormons was
     evidence that they were the real followers of Christ.

     In your further amplification, you said that when you said:

    jr> The widespread persecution of Mormons is evidence that Jesus Christ
    jr> did indeed organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
    jr> and leads it today.

     That it really means:

    jr> I said Mormons were persecuted because they were true followers
    jr> of Jesus Christ.

     I think that this is where my faulty reasoning kicked in. When you said
     that "widespread persecution of Mormons is evidence," I presumed that
     you meant that widespread persecution of Mormons was evidence. Thanks
     for the clarification. I know am informed that when you say that
     "widespread persecution of Mormons is evidence," that I should know
     that this clause means that Mormons are persecuted because they are
     true followers of Christ.

     Thanks for the illustration in basic reasoning skills. I am ever in 
     your service.


=============================
Robert Weiss
psyrobtw@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,alt.atheism