Mormon411: A Paradox

Thursday, April 14, 2011

A Paradox

One story is a lie. The other story is true. Yet they are both the same story. How can this be?

Child of God provided me with a link to a video of a Muslim man who was sent to America to convert everyone to Islam. A series of events led to his seeing a vision of God. He became a Christian. He now seeks to convert Muslims to Christianity. Child of God believes that this story is true.

There was a young boy who wanted to know god. He was confused about religion. He prayed and god appeared to him. This boy became a prophet and did many mighty miracles to further the cause of the risen lord. This boys name was Joseph Smith. Child of God does not believe that this story is true.

The first story is true. The second story is false. How can this be if they are the same: a person seeking god and finding him?

I have no idea...

Go ask Child of God.

6 comments:

Andrew Hall said...: I wonder if the now Christian-once-Muslim fellow were to travel to India would he convert to Hindusim?; April 15, 2011 at 5:05 AM
Dinahsoar said...: My reply to you is there is one true God and the rest are false or lesser gods.

We are all capable of being deceived. For example, we fall in love, believe the other person loves us too. Then we discover they did/do not love us.

There is no test that can prove love--it is something we 'feel' in our heart and the truth of it is revealed by the behavior of the object of our love-- just as there is no test that can prove which God is the true god or if there is even any such thing as a supreme God.

It requires faith. Some of us place our faith in the god of the Jews: Yahweh. That is who I worship.

Others choose the gods of Hinduism.

Others choose the gods of the Mormon cult/faith, and on and on.

All of these gods cannot be the supreme god.

And others who believe there is no god at all believe that by faith too, since they cannot prove there is no god.

We all walk by faith.

I respect your choice to be an atheist, just as I respect the choices of others to choose whom they serve.

And I respect the fact that a person can believe one way, and later believe himself to be wrong and change his belief.

When we die it will all be revealed. But while we live we must live according to the dictate of our conscience.; April 15, 2011 at 6:27 AM
Mormon411 said...: Great question, Andy.

@?Dinahsoar, love is a very powerful emotion. I never felt that way about god, ever. Not even as a believer. If someone claims to feel that strongly about god, I can't deny that they do.

I agree with almost everything you said. The only part I would correct you on is the part about atheists having faith. I don't believe, so therefore, no faith is required. Do you have faith that the Flying Spaghetti Monster is not real? Of course not. That is the same way I don't have faith that god exists.

If you are both religious and tolerant, then thumbs up to you!; April 15, 2011 at 7:34 AM
Dinahsoar said...: Re: the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM)

I guess we'd have to define faith. Simply put, to me faith is a strong belief, i.e. confidence.

I am confident that the FSM is not real.

I place my confidence, my faith in that belief that he is not real.

Hence, that is what I mean when I say it takes faith to believe there is no god just as much as it takes faith to believe there is a god.

I am confident God is and that he is Yahweh. You are confident that god does not exist.

I have no problem with that.

And I believe we each should be allowed to examine the choices and decide for ourselves what we believe, what we will place our confidence in.

I find your blog very interesting.

I've never had any faith/confidence in the Mormon teachings. Nor in many other teachings/beliefs that I have examined.

The one I do have confidence in and follow is what I practice.

I am glad we all have the free will and the freedom to choose.

It is bondage otherwise. I refuse to be in bondage to anything or anyone.

I love what Jesus proclaimed:

'you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'.

As a follower of Jesus, anytime another who claims to follow him and tries to put me into the bondage of their interpretation of his teachings I reject what they say.

As well, those who would try to put me into bondage and force me to believe what they believe I will rebuff as well.

Free will to believe as I choose is an inalienable right.

And it follows I have no right to force another to believe as I believe.; April 15, 2011 at 8:44 AM
Exhalted Outcast said...: Interesting....

I do have one question though; since we cannot prove or disprove the existence of a supreme being. And, since all teachings, etc. are all the writings of fallible men, how can one honestly have faith in something that is obviously fictional?

The equivalent would be to have faith in Darth Vader as the true savior of the world. He was created and only exists in literature and media. Therefore his existence is something we should put our faith in?

Not sure I can get behind that logic...; April 18, 2011 at 12:06 PM
Mormon411 said...: My fictional being of choice to compare "god" to is Peter Pan. Captain Hook is Satan. How can you know, for 100% sure, that Peter Pan isn't the saviour of the world? He has touched my heart and I know he is. You can know him too. Just let his spirit touch your heart. I promise you will find him.; April 18, 2011 at 3:16 PM

Quotes & Thoughts

New Rule: Churches don't get to offer their commentary on political matters until they start paying taxes!
"...reading the Bible is what has made me an Atheist." ~ The Citizen Atheist
Faith is just gullibility. ~ The Atheist Experience
Don't teach creationism in my school and I won't preach evolution in your church!
In your fiction book, your fiction god did a fiction miracle and that's all the proof you need!
"It's called FAITH because it is not KNOWLEDGE" ~ Christopher Hitchens
"...faith, by definition, is believing in things without evidence and, personally, I don't do that because I'm not an idiot." ~Kate Smurthwaite
"If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people." ~House
"Developing a critical mind and having your own view of the world takes education, reflection and time. Having faith is much easier. People prefer to be deceived." ~Michael Shermer
"It's hard to free fools from the chains they revere." ~ Voltaire
"Just because you don't understand something, it doesn't mean it's wrong." Arthur, Sword in the Stone
A diety who remains silent and invisible should not be angry or surprised when its existance is doubted.
Intelligent Design: Because it's so much easier to just invent an answer.
99% of people who DENY evolution can't even DEFINE it!
If money is the root of all evil, why do churches want it?
The Bible was written by the same people who said the earth was flat.
When you don't see the truth, it's easy to accept the illusion.
What most anti-evolution supporters don’t realize is that to nearly anyone educated in biological sciences, an anti-evolution world view today is almost equal to holding a position that the Earth is flat, and the sun revolves around the Earth.
There once was a time when all people believed in God and the church ruled. This time was called the Dark Ages.
"Does religion work? It brings some of us solace, impels some to do good (and others to fly planes into buildings), and buttresses the same moral truths embraced by atheists, but does it help us better understand our world or our universe? Hardly." ~ USA Today
Mormonism is enforced religion.
"What's so merciful about a god who punishes Adam and Eve and all of their descendants over a stupid piece of fruit?" ~ Khalid Thalib
"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for a reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed" ~ Albert Einstein
Isn't it ironic that both you and your god hate the same things?
"Santa Claus never asked for 10% and I still got everything I wanted. And I wasn't good all the time either. I paid the Mormon church 10% and got zip." ~ Let Go
"For god was such a cowardly chicken shit, that he had to send someone else to do the hard stuff." Mormon411
"The good thing about Atheists is they wont knock on your door and they wont blow you up!" ~ Bumper Sticker
"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." ~ Stephen Roberts
"You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?" ~ Dan Barker, Losing Faith in Faith
"Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte
"Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned." ~ Unknown
"To the simple mind everything can be explained with one three letter word." ~ Michael Pain
"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." ~John Adams, 2nd President of the United States
A watered down long island iced tea: $7.00. A lap dance from your favorite girl: $20.00. Feeling absolutely no guilt for any of it: Priceless!
"I have a hard time with historians, because historians idolize the truth." ~ Boyd K. Packer
"...if God told us to brush our teeth with mud I would do it." ~ Anon TBM
Some of you are probably thinking, "Why don't you just leave them (the Mormons) alone?" So I ask you, if you saw a thirsty man drinking water from a well you knew to be poisoned, would you let him continue to drink or would you guide him to a safe well? ~ Christopher Miller
"Just as you can always tell sea water because it tastes salty, you can always recognize enlightenment because it tastes like freedom." ~ The Buddah
"What have I got to lose? My family? No. They are already gone. They were gone as soon as I was gone from their "family oriented" church." ~ ex-Mormon
"He (Joseph Smith) may get drunk every day of his life, sleep with his neighbor's wife every night, run horses and gamble... but the doctrine he has produced will save you and me and the whole world." ~ Will Jarvis
"My most painful Mormon experience was learning that having faith in something does not necessarily make it true." ~ Anon
"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction." ~Richard Dawkins
"If a faith will not bear to be investigated; if its preachers and professors are afraid to have it examined, their foundation must be very weak." ~George Albert Smith
Prayer: How to do nothing and still think you're helping.
"Being an atheist means you've been able to see through the social pressure, black balling, guilt trips, propaganda, threats against your eternal soul, etc. and be a rational person in an otherwise irrational age. We think that's something to be proud of." ~The Arrogant Atheist
"Every member a missionary? Every member a revenue generator" ~Brian, ex-Mormon
"I love god. He's so deliciously evil!" ~Stewie Griffin
"We met in a little place called the MTC... If you don't know what the MTC is, then you're not cool." ~April Fenn, LDS church member
"This is our most devastating problem... retention." ~Sister "Nana" Barker, LDS Missionary
"Each of us has to face the matter—either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground. It is the Church and kingdom of God, or it is nothing." ~Gordon B. Hinckley
What's the difference between a teenager and a Mormon? Eventually the teenager will realize that he doesn't know everything.
"How we treat others is a measure of what we think of ourselves" ~Sharon Bower
Atheists have morals too.
If complexity necessitates a creator, wouldn't our creator also need a creator?
Santa Clause is to children as Jesus Christ is to adults.
"If you are truly searching for the truth, then you must be prepared to admit that you don't already have it." ~Myself as a former LDS missionary
"It's impossible to reach good conclusions with bad information...We're all entitled to our own opinions, but none of us can afford to be wrong in our facts." ~Mort Crim
"...it's not a lie if you believe it." ~George Castanza