The lds church should stop proselytizing missions and just do service missions

Reasons to agree

1. Proselytizing missions are not working any more. 


2. Pure religion, is helping others. 


3. Missionaries could still baptize, but they wouldn't proselytizing . 

Reasons to disagree

1.  It wouldn't work. The book of Mormon doesn't have Christ setting up service missions when he visited the Americas in 3rd Nephi: he told them to go and baptize. 

Scriptures that agree

1. By this shall men know ye are my disciples, if you have love one for another.

Scriptures that disagree

1.  

Interest of those who agree

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Interest of those who disagree

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Common Interest

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Opposing Interest

1. 
   
   

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree: -0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 0

Total Idea Score: 0

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All things are done by common consent in the LDS church

Reasons to agree

1. The church has to vote to have things included as doctrine. ie the 1979 addition to the D&C about the black and the preisthood.

Reasons to disagree

1.  The brothern tell us how things are, and we either have to do it or leave. 


2. When I hear the words "by common consent" I think of everyone voting. Nothing like this has ever happened in the Church. 


3. One or two "votes" in a period of 150 years of history of the Church History doesn't qualify for "ALL things being done by common consent". The Church really could do all things by common consent, now that we have the internet. Should we have built the new mall in salt lake? Should women get the priesthood? Should Bishops have to have a degree in theology? Should we have gay marriage? Does anyone know if the website "by common consent" actually advocates restructuring the way decisions are made, or do they just want individuals to pay more attention to the wise decisions of our superiors? 

Scriptures that agree

1. all things shall be done by common consent in the church, by much prayer and faith, for all things you shall receive by faith.

Scriptures that disagree

1.  

Interest of those who agree

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Interest of those who disagree

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Common Interest

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Opposing Interest

1. 
   
   

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree: -0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 0

Total Idea Score: 0

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All things shall be done by common consent in the church

Reasons to agree

1. The raising of the right hand, as done in the LDS church, does not result in a church being led by common consent. 

Reasons to disagree

1.  It would be impractical to allow everyone to vote.


2. It is better to just have common consent among the 12


3. We have common consent, when everyone raises their right hand

Scriptures that agree

1. 
   
   

Scriptures that disagree

1.  

Interest of those who agree

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Interest of those who disagree

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Common Interest

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Opposing Interest

1. 
   
   

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree: -0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 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

Doubting and questioning is a factor of personality not intelligence or righteousness

Reasons to agree

1. There are smart people inside and outside of every church. 


2. Doubting and questioning is a factor of integrity, or the ability to tell yourself that you won't push down and ignore doubt. 

Reasons to disagree

1.  Some stories are not logical. It takes some intelligence to see error in logic. 


2. Stupid people are more easily led. 

Scriptures that agree

1. 
   
   

Scriptures that disagree

1.  

Interest of those who agree

1. Wanting to think they are smart even though they believe. 

Interest of those who disagree

1. Wanting to think they are smart because they doubt. 

Common Interest

1. 
   
   

Opposing Interest

1. 
   
   

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree: -0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 0

Total Idea Score: 0

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There is more than one way to be a good Mormon

Reasons to agree

1. 
   
   

Reasons to disagree

1.  There are a lot of OK ways to be a good Mormon, but Christ was the only good example. 

Scriptures that agree

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Scriptures that disagree

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Interest of those who agree

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Interest of those who disagree

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Common Interest

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Opposing Interest

1. 
   
   

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree: -0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 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

Educational material prepaired by the LDS church for potential converts should address negative aspects of the Church's history

Reasons to agree

1. Churches should not tell a sanitized version of their history. 


2. The ends do not Justify the means.


3. If the Church is beautiful, people should be able to recognize its beauty without liposuction, implants, or masks. If the Church has warts, it should accept them, like Cindy Crawford did.  Beuty is in the eye of the behold. Churches shouldn't try to change their past, they should just be honest about it and move forward. 

Reasons to disagree

1. All complete stories are too long. Everyone has to pick and chose which stories to tell, and people with faith are going to pick the faith promoting aspects of history. Mormons know that Anti Mormons are going to tell all the negative aspects. If anyone is going to tell the positive story, the only people to do it is the Mormons. Mormons believe that not being a Member leads to more sin and suffering in the world, and so they justify themselves, which makes sense from that perspective. 


2. It is OK for Churches to tell a sanitized version of their history. Everyone has their bias, and so when you hear someone from a Church you know they are going to be telling a biased version of history. 

Scriptures that agree

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Scriptures that disagree

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Interest of those who agree

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Interest of those who disagree

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Common Interest

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Opposing Interest

1. 
   
   

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree: -0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 0

Total Idea Score: 0

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God would not want a church to convert people with half-truths or omissions. +8

Reasons to agree

1. The Ninth Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Lie
   


2. "Only error needs to fear freedom of expression" Hugh B. Brown


3. "Now I have mentioned freedom to express your thoughts, but I caution you that your thoughts and expressions must meet competition in the market place of thought, and in that competition truth will emerge triumphant. Only error needs to fear freedom of expression. Seek truth in all fields, and in that search you will need at least three virtues; courage, zest, and modesty. The ancients put that thought in the form of a prayer. They said, 'From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with half truth, from the arrogance that thinks it has all truth—O God of truth deliver us'." ~ Hugh B. Brown


4. 1. Oh say, what is truth? ’Tis the fairest gem That the riches of worlds can produce, And priceless the value of truth will be when The proud monarch’s costliest diadem Is counted but dross and refuse. 2. Yes, say, what is truth? ’Tis the brightest prize To which mortals or Gods can aspire. Go search in the depths where it glittering lies, Or ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies: ’Tis an aim for the noblest desire. 3. The sceptre may fall from the despot’s grasp When with winds of stern justice he copes. But the pillar of truth will endure to the last, And its firm-rooted bulwarks outstand the rude blast And the wreck of the fell tyrant’s hopes. 4. Then say, what is truth? ’Tis the last and the first, For the limits of time it steps o’er. Tho the heavens depart and the earth’s fountains burst, Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst, Eternal, unchanged, evermore. Text: John Jaques, 1827–1900


5. According to LDS doctrine an uninformed choice is not a valid exercise of agency for which someone is held accountable or rewarded +3


6. Even if the Church is true, you have to choose the church knowing the truth about it, in order to be rewarded from the God of truth, or else your choice doesn't mean anything

Reasons to disagree

1. Jesus seemed to believe there was a difference between full immediate disclosure and telling half truths and omissions. Jesus seemed to argue for holding some things back, when he said to feed people milk at first, before meat. Maybe the real Jesus never said this, and so we still have to think about if we agree with it, or it fits in with other things that make up the fundamental core of Jesus's teaching. That being said I agree that there are certain things that the Church should teach, that they are not now, before someone gets baptized, including polyandry, blacks and the priesthood, etc. This is the ideal view, but are Catholics going to do the same thing? Scientology? Atheist? Does every atheist that tells puts you down for your belief, also tell you of the problems with atheism? The bad things atheist have done? Republicans tell their stories ignoring that the French Revolution was a nightmare extreme version of the extreme survival of the fittest system that allows uncontrolled aristocracy. Democrats will tell you their doctrines are bulletproof, but they ignore the nightmares of communism. I agree that the Church should confront, discuss, and disprove (if they can) criticisms or mistakes from the past, but the Church would be truly exceptional if it did. Almost every group thinks that the ends justify the means. But I don't think this issue is that extreme.

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 6

# of reasons to disagree: -1

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 3

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 0

Total Idea Score: 8

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. 
   
   

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

(+3) According to LDS doctrine an uninformed choice is not a valid exercise of agency for which someone is held accountable or rewarded

Reasons to agree

1. 7Thus came the ^avoice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died ^bwithout a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be ^cheirs of the celestial kingdom of God;


2. 8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who^awould have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;


3. 9For I, the Lord, will ^ajudge all men according to their ^bworks, according to the ^cdesire of their hearts.


4. 10 And I also beheld that all ^achildren who die before they arrive at the ^byears of accountability are ^csaved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.

Reasons to disagree

1. The LDS Church sort of believes this, but they also tell people they will be held accountable if they choose to be ignorant.  

Scriptures that agree

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Scriptures that disagree

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Interest of those who agree

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Interest of those who disagree

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Common Interest

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Opposing Interest

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Score:

# of reasons to agree: 4

# of reasons to disagree: -1

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 0

Total Idea Score: 3

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

The LDS church is more dishonest about its past than other Churches.

Reasons to agree

1. My mission president told me that Joseph Smith had never consummated any of his relationships outside of his marriage to Emma... this turns out to not be true.


2. Very few members have herd that their are multiple conflicting accounts of the first vision. 


3. A recent pope apologized for the Catholic church's complacency during the Holocaust. 

Reasons to disagree

1.  The Catholic church is not fully transparent about its complacency during the holocaust. 


2. Many Catholic churches have tried to cover up priest that have molested children. 


3. Most southern churches are not honest about their previous support of slavery. 


4. Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated a monument at the location of the mountain meadow massacre. 

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 3

# of reasons to disagree: -4

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 0

Total Idea Score: -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. 
   
   

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