It is acceptable to define true as inspiring +0

Reasons to agree

1. Mat 7:15  ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Mt. 12.33


2. If you believe the Book of Mormon is a standard of truth than Moroni 7:17 supports this idea. It says: "But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil..." With this logic anything that persuadeth someone not to "serve" God is of the devil. This is very black and white logic, but it says that things that are true, can also be of the devil, depending on what they cause to happen in people's lives. This results in problems...
   
   
   
   

Reasons to disagree

1.  Some things are real some things are not. Some things really happened and some things did not. We can't fix our problems if we are not living in the real world.


2. At some point you have to stop believing in Santa, even if a literal belief in Santa might result in "Good". 

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 2

# of reasons to disagree: -2

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to disagree: -0

Total Idea Score: 0

Don't like the score? It is easy to change the score. Just post a reason to agree or disagree with the overall idea, or any of the reasons and the score will change

Images That agree

1.   

Images That disagree

1. 
   
   

Scriptures that agree

1. 
   
   

Scriptures that disagree

1.  

Interest of those who agree

1. 
   
   

Interest of those who disagree

1.  

Common Interest

1. 
   
   

Opposing Interest

1.  

Videos That agree

1.  

Videos That disagree

1.  

Website that agree

1. 
   
   

Websites that disagree

1.  

Related arguments:

1. 
   
   

We should not begrudge faithful Mormon their desire to preserve faith by focusing on the good bits

Reasons to disagree

1. Some people need faith

Reasons to disagree

1. Following the spirit is problematic, because if all your family, and your upbringing tells you the Church is true, then of course when you doubt you are going to feel uncomfortable. The church tells you this uncomfortable feeling is the spirit leaving you, and so you get stuck never knowing the truth.

We should avoid conflating "the good" with "the true"

Reasons to agree

1. Whatever is good is true.


2. It is better to be good than right.

Reasons to disagree

1. Whatever is good, is not necessarily true.


2. Being right is good.


3. We can't face the real problems unless we live in reality.

It is moral not to hold on to implausible claims when they support a problematical construal of God

Reasons to agree

1. I'm not sure I get this right, but it sounded like he was saying that believing in "the God of 3 Nephi 9, D&C 132, Abraham 1" is immoral. Or at least not believing in them is Moral.


2. If God exists, perhaps He will forgive our stitching together models of goodness from “this-worldly” expressions untethered to extraordinary Mormon claims.


3. This stance seems to avoid conflating "the good" with "the true" while leaving one open to both.

Reasons to disagree

1. Just because a construct of God is problematic, does not make it immoral.


2. This is all just a mater of semantics. Sure, from a worldly standpoint it is moral to believe whatever you want. This does not mean it is true. Both believing and not believing can be moral. I'm not sure Bushman's point of view was accurately represented, but I assume Bushman feels that Josoph Smith was a Moral guy, and that Mormonism helps make Bushman a better guy. Much like what Peter said to Jesus, when he asked if Peter was also going to leave. Peter said, but where would we go for the worlds of Eternal life. I assume that is what Bushman meant, that he is still getting something out of Mormonism, and that he sticks with it because he thinks it makes him a more moral person.

Leaving the Church can be a moral choice.

Reasons to agree:

1. It is moral not to hold on to implausible claims when they support a problematical construal of God

It is important to analyze unbiased history around Joseph Smith

Reasons to agree

1. All truth is important.


2. Historical truth is important.

Reasons to disagree

1. Whatever problems have emerged in his story are not really to be examined because they are of God and so the explanation for them lies in the mystery of God.