Difference between revisions of "Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101"

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|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101
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|H=Response to claims made in "Mormonism 101" by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson
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|L1=Introduction to Mormonism 101: Back to School by David Waltz
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|L2=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 1: God the Father"
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|L3=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 2: Jesus"
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|L4=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 3: The Trinity"
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|L5=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 4: Preexistence and the Second Estate"
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|L6=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 5: The Fall"
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|L7=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 6: Apostasy"
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|L8=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 7: The Bible"
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|L9=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 8: The Book of Mormon"
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|L10=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 9: The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price"
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|L11=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 10: The Atonement"
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|L12=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 11: Grace and Works"
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|L13=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 12: Heaven and Hell"
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|L14=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 13: Communion and Baptism"
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|L15=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 14: The Word of Wisdom"
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|L16=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 15: The Temple"
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|L17=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 16: Lamanites, Seed of Cain, and Polygamy"
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|L18=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 17: Joseph Smith"
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|L19=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 18: The Church and Its Leadership"
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|L20=Response to Mormonism 101, Quote mining
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|L21=About this work
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Introduction}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 1}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 5}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 6}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 13}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 15}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 16}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 17}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 18}}
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{{:Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Quote mining}}
  
 
==About this work==
 
==About this work==
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{{Epigraph|When students enroll in a class called "101" they expect a comprehensive and sympathetic introduction to the subject at hand. For example, if you signed up for a university course called Astronomy 101, you'd expect an introduction to the principles of astronomy, including how the study of astronomy has improved our lives. You'd be shocked if your professor taught that astronomy was wrong, and that, say, astrology was a better way to understand the physical universe. It is a sign of the fundamental flaws in Mormonism 101 that it does exactly that-presents itself as a religious primer when it is polemics; a more honest title would have been Anti-Mormonism 101.<br>
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Authors: Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson
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&mdash;Marc Schindler
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}}
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==Quote mining, selective quotation and distortion==
 
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{{QuoteDisclaimer}}
 
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{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
 
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!Quote used...!!The rest of the story...
 
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| style="width:50%" valign="top"| You may inquire of the intelligent of the world whether they can tell why the aborigines of this country are dark, loathsome, ignorant, and sunken into the depths of degradation...When the Lord has a people, he makes covenants with them and gives unto them promises: then, if they transgress his law, change his ordinances, and break the covenants he has made with them, he will put a mark upon them, as in the case of the Lamanites and other portions of the house of Israel; but by-and-by they will become a white and delightsome people
 
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You may inquire of the intelligent of the world whether they can tell why the aborigines of this country are dark, loathsome, ignorant, and sunken into the depths of degradation; ''and they cannot tell. I can tell you in a few words: They are the seed of Joseph, and belong to the household of God; and he will afflict them in this world, and save every one of them hereafter, even though they previously go into hell.'' When the Lord has a people, he makes covenants with them and gives unto them promises: then, if they transgress his law, change his ordinances, and break the covenants he has made with them, he will put a mark upon them, as in the case of the Lamanites and other portions of the house of Israel; but by-and-by they will become a white and delightsome people
 
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* McKeever and Johnson, ''Mormonism 101,'' (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books), 235. ISBN 0801063353
 
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* {{JDfairwiki|author=Brigham Young|title=Re-Organization of the High Council, Etc.|date=October 8, 1859|vol=7|disc=53|start=336|end=336}}
 
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'''Commentary'''
 
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*Trying to paint this as a racist statement, the authors excise the portion that points to Brigham's exalted long-term view of Amerindians (which contrast very favorably with other attitudes of the day).
 
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| style="width:50%" valign="top"| Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species and put them on a national equalization.
 
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''At five went to Mr. Sollars' with Elders Hyde and Richards. Elder Hyde inquired the situation of the negro. I replied, they came into the world slaves, mentally and physically. Change their situation with the whites, and they would be like them. They have souls, and are subjects of salvation. Go into Cincinnati or any city, and find an educated negro, who rides in his carriage, and you will see a man who has risen by the powers of his own mind to his exalted state of respectability. The slaves in Washington are more refined than many in high places, and the black boys will take the shine off many of those they brush and wait on. <br><br> Elder Hyde remarked, "Put them on the level, and they will rise above me." I replied, if I raised you to be my equal, and then attempted to oppress you, would you not be indignant and try to rise above me, as did Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, and many others, who said I was a fallen Prophet, and they were capable of leading the people, although I never attempted to oppress them, but had always been lifting them up?'' Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization.
 
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*McKeever and Johnson, ''Mormonism 101,'' (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books), 238. ISBN 0801063353
 
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* {{HoC|vol=5|start=217|end=218}}  
 
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*The authors hide Joseph's true feelings about the sources of blacks' current 'inferiority' (i.e. cultural and situational, not inherent) and try to make him appear 'racist,' when his views are far more liberal.
 
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Mormonism 101 contributes absolutely nothing new to the body of anti-Mormonism-there is nothing in the book that hasn't been written about elsewhere. It is simply another example of modern-day professional anti-Mormonism&mdash;attacking the Restored Gospel for money.<ref>{{CriticalWork:McKeeverJohnson:Mormonism 101}} Bill McKeever is a professional anti-Mormon, being the founder of Mormonism Research Ministry in El Cajon, CA; Eric Johnson is an employee of the Mormonism Research Ministry.</ref> The authors insist on basing their arguments on their own preconceived assumptions, rather than trying to show how the Restored Gospel (which they refer to as "Mormonism") supposedly has inconsistencies or failures based on its assumptions. One may well ask, since the book's authors are not LDS, why they should be expected to accept our assumptions?
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| style="width:50%" valign="top"| Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so.
 
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Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so...''If the Government of the United States, in Congress assembled, had the right to pass an anti-polygamy bill, they had also the right to pass a law that slaves should not be abused as they have been; they had also a right to make a law that negroes should be used like human beings, and not worse than dumb brutes. For their abuse of that race, the whites will be cursed, unless they repent.''
 
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* McKeever and Johnson, ''Mormonism 101,'' (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books), 241. ISBN 0801063353
 
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* {{JDfairwiki|author=Brigham Young|title=The Persecutions of the Saints, Etc.|date=8 March 1863|vol=10|disc=25|start=110|end=111}}
 
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*Brigham's insistence on death for whites having sexual relationships with blacks should be understood in its historical context. The only time such relationships would occur in a slave-holding society was under duress&mdash;when the white forced the black.  Brigham's basic humanity and compassion for the suffering in this case, despite views which strike us as racist, are omitted by the authors.
 
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==Endnotes==
 
  
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==Reviews of this work==
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Marc Schindler notes,
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<blockquote>
 +
The reason is that even if you don't accept an opponent's assumptions, you have to at least understand them and deal with them or you'll discredit yourself with neutral inquirers, and possibly even with your target audience, which in the case of Mormonism 101 is "Biblicists" who try to "witness" to Latter-day Saints. This is because, as will be shown time and again in this review, what McKeever and Johnson are actually criticizing are caricatures of the teachings of the Restored Gospel-teachings that they interpret on the basis of their own assumptions, rather than on ours. When the truth is examined, rather than caricatures or straw man arguments,<ref>A [[Logical_fallacies/Page_4#Straw_man|straw man argument]] is when a person misrepresents another person's views, and argues against the misrepresentation instead of against the genuine view. It's called "straw man" because it's easier to do battle with a "scarecrow" of one's own devising than with a real, life enemy.</ref> works like Mormonism 101 lose their credibility. A polemical book that tries to ridicule the Restored Gospel-which is what Mormonism 101 is at heart-cannot afford to provide balanced arguments or it risks confusing the rather narrow world view of its intended audience of anti-Mormon "witnessers."<ref>For an example of why this assertion makes sense, see the second quotation-from the book's editorial description on Amazon.com-under the section entitled Weak Scholarship.</ref>
 +
<br><br>
 +
Mormonism 101's failings can be summarized in terms of two very common errors, and the reader is encouraged to be on the lookout for them in each of the individual chapter reviews: The first error is what I call "preaching to the choir." Metaphorically speaking, if you think that a mirror is a window, your view of the "world" will be what you yourself already perceive, and you will be unable to see other points of view. Your logic will be circular, your thinking will merely confirm your preconceived notions, and your arguments will make sense only to those who already share your preconceived ideas. An example of this first type of error is if a person speaks only English, and reads the word gift, and then assumes that the English word is the only possible meaning; they could be making a grave error. For example, in German the word actually means poison! Of course this is a trivial example, but this type of error is made in Mormonism 101 time and time again with respect to both simple and obvious concepts, as well as regards more complex and subtle philosophical arguments-as readers will see.
 +
<br><br>
 +
The second common error I call "co-opting of Christianity;" the incorrect assumption that one particular viewpoint can be applied to a wider audience, thereby deliberately excluding others on that near-sighted basis. An example of the second type of error is assuming that a very narrow and specific movement within Christendom, such as Biblicism (which I'll define shortly), constitutes "orthodox Christianity," thereby excluding 99% of all other Christians-not just Latter-day Saints, but also Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, mainstream Protestants and so on. This is the error one encounters most often in Mormonism 101-the assumption that the authors alone know what constitutes "real" Christianity.
 +
</blockquote>
  
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==Further reading==
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{{Endnotes label}}
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''See also: FAIR Resources:'' [http://www.fairlds.org/apol/morm201/index.html Mormonism 201] (a response)
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<references />
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{{SpecificAuthorsAndWorks}}
 

Latest revision as of 22:48, 11 May 2024

Contents


To learn more about responses to: McKeever and Johnson
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Response to "Mormonism 101"



A FAIR Analysis of: Mormonism 101, a work by author: Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson

Response to claims made in "Mormonism 101" by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson


Jump to details:


Introduction to Mormonism 101: Back to School by David Waltz

Summary: I have been an ardent student of Mormonism since 1987. It has been my intent, from the beginning of my studies, to be as objective as humanly possible in my examination. I have seriously studied Mormonism from many different angles. In the process, I have accumulated more than 1,700 books on Mormonism, including more than 150 anti-Mormon books. Add to this my collection of BYU Studies, Dialogue, Sunstone, and the vast majority of FARMS publications, and one could say I have a fairly substantial Mormon collection. I guess word of my studies has "gotten around," and I have been asked to contribute to FAIR's review of McKeever and Johnson's Mormonism 101.



Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 1: God the Father"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 2: Jesus"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 3: The Trinity"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 4: Preexistence and the Second Estate"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 5: The Fall"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 6: Apostasy"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 7: The Bible"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 8: The Book of Mormon"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 9: The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 10: The Atonement"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 11: Grace and Works"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 12: Heaven and Hell"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 13: Communion and Baptism"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 14: The Word of Wisdom"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 15: The Temple"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 16: Lamanites, Seed of Cain, and Polygamy"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 17: Joseph Smith"


Jump to details:


Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 18: The Church and Its Leadership"


Jump to details:


Response to Mormonism 101, Quote mining

Summary: The authors mine their sources by extracting quotes from their context in order to make the statement imply something other that what it was originally intended to mean.



About this work

When students enroll in a class called "101" they expect a comprehensive and sympathetic introduction to the subject at hand. For example, if you signed up for a university course called Astronomy 101, you'd expect an introduction to the principles of astronomy, including how the study of astronomy has improved our lives. You'd be shocked if your professor taught that astronomy was wrong, and that, say, astrology was a better way to understand the physical universe. It is a sign of the fundamental flaws in Mormonism 101 that it does exactly that-presents itself as a religious primer when it is polemics; a more honest title would have been Anti-Mormonism 101.

—Marc Schindler

∗       ∗       ∗

Mormonism 101 contributes absolutely nothing new to the body of anti-Mormonism-there is nothing in the book that hasn't been written about elsewhere. It is simply another example of modern-day professional anti-Mormonism—attacking the Restored Gospel for money.[1] The authors insist on basing their arguments on their own preconceived assumptions, rather than trying to show how the Restored Gospel (which they refer to as "Mormonism") supposedly has inconsistencies or failures based on its assumptions. One may well ask, since the book's authors are not LDS, why they should be expected to accept our assumptions?

Marc Schindler notes,

The reason is that even if you don't accept an opponent's assumptions, you have to at least understand them and deal with them or you'll discredit yourself with neutral inquirers, and possibly even with your target audience, which in the case of Mormonism 101 is "Biblicists" who try to "witness" to Latter-day Saints. This is because, as will be shown time and again in this review, what McKeever and Johnson are actually criticizing are caricatures of the teachings of the Restored Gospel-teachings that they interpret on the basis of their own assumptions, rather than on ours. When the truth is examined, rather than caricatures or straw man arguments,[2] works like Mormonism 101 lose their credibility. A polemical book that tries to ridicule the Restored Gospel-which is what Mormonism 101 is at heart-cannot afford to provide balanced arguments or it risks confusing the rather narrow world view of its intended audience of anti-Mormon "witnessers."[3]

Mormonism 101's failings can be summarized in terms of two very common errors, and the reader is encouraged to be on the lookout for them in each of the individual chapter reviews: The first error is what I call "preaching to the choir." Metaphorically speaking, if you think that a mirror is a window, your view of the "world" will be what you yourself already perceive, and you will be unable to see other points of view. Your logic will be circular, your thinking will merely confirm your preconceived notions, and your arguments will make sense only to those who already share your preconceived ideas. An example of this first type of error is if a person speaks only English, and reads the word gift, and then assumes that the English word is the only possible meaning; they could be making a grave error. For example, in German the word actually means poison! Of course this is a trivial example, but this type of error is made in Mormonism 101 time and time again with respect to both simple and obvious concepts, as well as regards more complex and subtle philosophical arguments-as readers will see.

The second common error I call "co-opting of Christianity;" the incorrect assumption that one particular viewpoint can be applied to a wider audience, thereby deliberately excluding others on that near-sighted basis. An example of the second type of error is assuming that a very narrow and specific movement within Christendom, such as Biblicism (which I'll define shortly), constitutes "orthodox Christianity," thereby excluding 99% of all other Christians-not just Latter-day Saints, but also Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, mainstream Protestants and so on. This is the error one encounters most often in Mormonism 101-the assumption that the authors alone know what constitutes "real" Christianity.


Notes

  1. ↑ Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson, Mormonism 101. Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2000). ( Index of claims ) Bill McKeever is a professional anti-Mormon, being the founder of Mormonism Research Ministry in El Cajon, CA; Eric Johnson is an employee of the Mormonism Research Ministry.
  2. ↑ A straw man argument is when a person misrepresents another person's views, and argues against the misrepresentation instead of against the genuine view. It's called "straw man" because it's easier to do battle with a "scarecrow" of one's own devising than with a real, life enemy.
  3. ↑ For an example of why this assertion makes sense, see the second quotation-from the book's editorial description on Amazon.com-under the section entitled Weak Scholarship.
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