|
|
Line 4: |
Line 4: |
| | class="MainPageBG" style="width:85%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top"| | | | class="MainPageBG" style="width:85%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top"| |
| {| width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff" | | {| width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff" |
− | ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;color:#000;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">A press release from the DVD's producers appeared on 30 March 2007. This version of the letter has comments added in <font color="blue">blue</font> by FAIR. Click [http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/3/emw515522.htm here] to see the original.</h2> | + | ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;color:#000;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">This letter was provided to those who were to distribute the DVD. It provides a glimpse of their attitudes toward the Church of Jesus Christ, and the members whom they claim to be treating with "love." This version of the letter has comments added in <font color="blue">blue</font> by FAIR. Click [[Search_for_the_Truth_DVD:letter|here]] to see the letter without comments.</h2> |
| |- | | |- |
| | style="color:#000"| | | | style="color:#000"| |
| | | |
− | Jesus Christ / Joseph Smith DVD Distribution Conceived and Carried out by a Broad Consortium of Churches, Ministries and Non-Profit Organizations
| + | Main TEXT |
− | | |
− | Salt Lake City, UT (PRWeb) March 30, 2007 -- Since its founding in 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has insisted that it alone represents true Christianity and that all other churches professing the name of Christ are part of a "Great Apostasy," that has incorporated corrupt doctrine and practices. (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith 2:19)
| |
− | | |
− | <font color=blue> This statement misunderstands the LDS doctrine of the Great Apostasy. Latter-day Saints see the apostasy as a very early event in Christian history (probably within the first 1-2 centuries of the Christian era. The lack of agreement among modern Christian denominations is evidence that modern Christians are ''victims'' of the Apostasy; they are not responsible for its occurance, or the mistakes made by earlier leaders in response to it. The Latter-day Saints do not believe that the effects of apostasy can be overcome by human efforts, no matter how well-intentioned, and so no fault lies with any modern Christian group or leader.
| |
− | | |
− | '''To read more:'''
| |
− | * [[Template:EarlyChristianityPortal|Apostasy and early Christianity]]
| |
− | * {{tg|url=http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai014.html|topic=Apostasy and restoration}}
| |
− | * {{disarray1|start=1}}
| |
− | </font>
| |
− | | |
− | Numerous churches, ministries and para-church organizations have now come together as part of a consortium ("Good News for LDS") to produce and distribute a DVD presentation that answers this accusation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
| |
− | | |
− | <font color=blue> The consortium here tries to pretend that they have been accused or attacked by the Latter-day Saints. The Saints do not attack other faiths—they share their own beliefs.
| |
− | | |
− | The DVD contains no analysis of early Christianity, or the evidence for an apostasy as understood by the LDS. Instead, they merely describe their ''own'' version of Christianity, assume this represents the only original, "true" Christianity, and contrast it with a caricatured view of LDS belief in order to condemn. The LDS position and data are never engaged by the video, and it is disingenuous to claim otherwise.</font>
| |
− | | |
− | Members of the consortium frequently receive questions about the differences between Biblical Christianity and Mormonism. This DVD was created to inform people with questions about the differences between the two faiths.
| |
− | | |
− | <font color=blue> The press release again tries to pretend that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not Christians. The DVD only succeeds in comparing the producer's version of Christianity with a caricature of LDS beliefs.</font>
| |
− | | |
− | The groups standing behind this DVD are well aware that members of the LDS Church are sincere about their beliefs. "It is not our desire to belittle those beliefs. In fact, we would be the first to defend the right of every Latter-day Saint to share their faith with others and we hope that they will allow us the same courtesy to clarify our beliefs," said Randy Gavin, spokesman for GoodNewsForLDS.org.
| |
− | | |
− | <font color=blue> Latter-day Saints do not object to Mr. Gavin or anyone else sharing their beliefs. They do object to Mr. Gavin's group presenting itself as the ones to explain what ''others'' beliefs are. Mr. Gavin and the others responsible for the DVD are not experts on Latter-day Saint beliefs. They are incapable of even ''describing'' those beliefs in a way which is acceptable and recognizable to a Latter-day Saint.
| |
− | | |
− | If Mr. Gavin does not wish to belittle Latter-day Saint beliefs, he should take better care not to present reenactments of LDS temple ceremonies, which any informed person knows Latter-day Saints will find deeply offensive. He should refrain from telling Mormons they are not Christians.
| |
− | </font>
| |
− | | |
− | Why Mormonism? Many of those involved with this project were once members of the LDS Church. At one time, they believed very strongly that Joseph Smith was a true prophet sent by God to restore Christianity to the earth. When they realized that their presuppositions were not true they had to make some extremely difficult life-changing decisions. This product includes many of those difficult issues with which they had to wrestle.
| |
− | | |
− | It is easy for some to automatically assume that those who disagree with the premises of the LDS Church are motivated by hatred and are therefore "anti-Mormon;"
| |
− | | |
− | <font color=blue> The term "anti-Mormon" does not mean that a person hates Mormons. "Anti-" simply means that they are opposed to the Church, and attack its teachings, leaders, and goals.
| |
− | | |
− | The ''Anti-Defamation League'' is not a Mormon group, and they clearly understand that the DVD is an anti-Mormon work—it is designed to attack the Church and its beliefs:
| |
− | | |
− | :The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned the distribution of an anti-Mormon DVD...This is the same kind of plain, old-fashioned Mormon-bashing that Jim Robertson and his group have been spewing for over a quarter-of-a-century....It was wrong then, and it's wrong now. {{link|url=http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ChJew_31/5013_31.htm}}</font>
| |
− | | |
− | however, "It is our hope that thoughtful people will look beyond the name-calling to carefully examine the areas of belief that separate the LDS Church from the biblical norm," said Pastor Floyd McElveen, a member of the consortium,
| |
− | | |
− | <font color=blue>It is not name calling to label anti-Mormon activity for what it is. Pastor McElveen continues to label the LDS Church as beyond "the biblical norm"—does he believe this is name calling, or merely a descriptive term? Pastor McElveen employs a double standard when he refuses to acknowledge that his work is anti-Mormon, while in the same breath insisting that Mormonism is non-biblical.
| |
− | | |
− | '''To read more:'''
| |
− | * [[Anti-Mormon]]</font>
| |
− | | |
− | "In our experience, we have found that many people have a very limited understanding of what Mormon leaders have actually taught. Because this is true even within the LDS Church, some Mormons might feel that much of what this DVD contains is fabricated. For this reason great pains have been made to document the statements it contains." The historical statements in the video Jesus Christ / Joseph Smith are taken directly from LDS publications, Joseph Smith's teachings, and speeches given by those who are recognized as authorities in the LDS Church.
| |
− | | |
− | The making of this DVD is an act of love and has been placed into peoples' hands so that they too can carefully examine the truth claims of the LDS Church. Just as we respect the right of Mormon missionaries to come to our doors and share what they believe to be true with us, we hope that members of the LDS Church will respect the right of their neighbors to come to their door through this medium and share what they have found to be true.
| |
− | | |
− | About GoodNewsForLDS.org
| |
− | GoodNewsForLDS.org is a consortium of churches, para-church ministries and non-profit organizations dedicated to discovering, promoting and disseminating knowledge. Good News for LDS - (888) 261-0222
| |
− | | |
− | About LaBarge Media
| |
− | LaBarge Media is a creative services agency in New York specializing in digital video production, multimedia design and duplication. LaBarge delivers cost-effective and high quality multimedia productions to a wide range of corporate and non-profit clients. LaBarge Media - (888) 394-2850
| |
− | | |
− | GoodNewsForLDS.org Media Contact
| |
− | Randy Gavin
| |
− | Good News for LDS
| |
− | (315) 789-0143
| |
− | | |
| |- | | |- |
| |} | | |} |