[Deus Ex Malcontent] New comment on The Sectarian Candidate.

Ryan has left a new comment on the post "The Sectarian Candidate":

Hello Chez,

As a Mormon I have to say I think your comedy above is extremely unfair. While you've made several factual assertions that just don't hold up, the larger problem with your thoughts is how much they rely on the now ubiquitous anti-Mormon trope that "Mormonism is demonstrably false, and there's no thinking informed person who could ever believe any of this stuff."

Well, no one is arguing that Mormonism is absolutely logically compelling in the sense that every thinking person MUST believe it, but I'm here to tell you that there are hundreds of thousands of brilliant, successful, well-adapted people that do. I don't take that as proof of Mormonism's religious claims. I do take it as a conclusive rebuttal to the idea that no intelligent person could ever believe in it.

You claim to be informed. I take your recommendation of the truly sloppy Krakauer book (as well as that of Southpark, by one of the commenters here) as evidence to the contrary. Which is fine- no one has a duty to investigate every argument and nuance of a religion they'd rather dismiss as weird. But I think it would be fairer if you didn't make fun of things you don't appear to understand.

So my accusation of your ignorance may be a defense mechanism. You may be informed, but seem only to be informed of the arguments against Mormonism, rather than those in its defense, which always surprise people with their strength, when given due attention. Feel free to continue to deride Mormonism. But unless you think you've honestly investigated the myriad logical defenses and prolific scholarship put forth by its adherents, I don't think it's fair for you to act like a knowledgeable critic.

If you're interested in more detailed discussions of these ideas, feel free to visit my blog responding to anti-Mormon propaganda, www.romneyexperience.com

Best,

Ryan

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Posted by Ryan to Deus Ex Malcontent at 12:25 PM