Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- The Example of Joseph Smith

A Principle of Tolerance)

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and as such, have been instilled with the principles of religious liberty and mutual respect that our founders so strongly espoused. I do not know if many outsiders understand how deeply that principle is ingrained within our church. I would like to give two quotes that demonstrate the sort of teaching that we were given on the matter by our founder, Joseph Smith.

First, when asked by newspaper editor John Wentworth to give a description of our beliefs Joseph Smith detailed our 13 most fundamental tenets, now canonized as our 13 Articles of Faith. Number 11 reads as follows: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”

Even more emphatically, Joseph Smith declared the following to a gathered congregation of the church in Nauvoo, “If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a ‘Mormon,’ I am bold to declare before heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves.”

Further Context)

It should be noted that Joseph penned the first quote in 1842, he spoke the second quote in 1843, and he was murdered in 1844. Before making either of those quotes, Joseph Smith had already been disparaged, tortured, and nearly killed many times over. His people had had their homes burned, their women raped, and their men slaughtered. Since 1838 the state of Missouri had had a standing order permitting the killing of any member of the church.

It is certain that some of those who oppressed and killed Joseph Smith and his people were of the same denominations that he spoke in defense of the rights of in 1843. He made that declaration knowing full well who his attackers were, apparently able to separate the devilish nature of the individual from the respectable faith of the whole.

Of course, the doctrines he restored stood in disagreement to doctrines in those other churches. And yes, he taught that these other churches had adopted false creeds which were an abomination to God. But those doctrinal disagreements did not mean that he reviled the sincere holders of those beliefs or wanted their churches to be crushed. Indeed, his words show quite the opposite. Joseph Smith is arguably one of the most perfect examples of both having utmost respect for the beliefs of others, while also disagreeing profoundly with them. He knew that people have the right to their faith, and that changing the beliefs of another was to be done only by loving invitation, not by decimation of their doctrine. I will finish with just a few more quotes from him that illustrate this clearly.

“If I esteem mankind to be in error shall I bear them down? No! I will lift them up… If I cannot persuade him my way is better, I will ask no man to believe as I do,” (Joseph Smith Papers).

“In relation to the power…which I hold, I would say it is in consequence of the power of truth in the doctrines which I have been an instrument in the hands of God of presenting unto them and not because of any compulsion on my part… I ask, did I ever exercise any compulsion over any man? Did I not give him the liberty of disbelieving any doctrine I have preached if he saw fit?” (Joseph Smith Papers).

“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained… only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned,” (D&C 121:41).

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- The Folly of Condemning

Illogical Condemnation)

It is a strange experience listening to the predominant criticisms of my faith, the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most critics make it a point to express that we are not sinful or selfish people. They acknowledge that we tend to be a kind, caring, sacrificing, serving, and loving community. In statistical studies we regularly rank at the top for charitable giving, family cohesion, Biblical knowledge, and clean living. When our own people of Grand Blanc, Michigan were slaughtered in their pews for their faith last year, our community contributed heavily to the family of the shooter who also died in the tragedy. Everyone seems to agree that our behavior is exemplary, that our attitude is in great alignment with what Christ exemplified.

So, what then is our great evil that requires such a drastic intervention of evangelists coming to break our faith and convict us of our damnable state? Wrong-think.

Our loudest critics respect the sort of people our beliefs have cultivated us to be, but they still intend to crush those beliefs so we can finally be saved. They want to chop down the “evil” tree, even as they admit to it bearing good fruit. It is a paradox that they cannot reasonably explain, they only know that they want to kill this tree regardless of the good it serves. They do not consider whether the fruit will wither if the tree is dead.

In the end, their intention is the same as Thomas Sanford, that shooter who slaughtered our congregants in Grand Blanc, Michigan. It may be a quieter version of that spirit, but they still hold that same intention to destroy. They show a complete ignorance and utter lack of respect for the thing they want to kill, but kill it they must.

Sinful Condemnation)

If it wasn’t clear already, I’m pretty fired up about this topic. I believe that the disrespect for the sincere beliefs of another is a grave stain in our society, especially when the subject of that disrespect is otherwise a commendable citizen and neighbor. The sin that is being performed here is playing God.

At the end of the day, even the best of us are idiots, and idiots have no place condemning a brother. That is rightfully only the Lord’s position, and the rest of us should leave judgment to Him. Playing God is wrong, no matter which of us do it, but when the people doing it are condemning those who are statistically more moral, it is particularly backwards and infuriating.

It is infuriating when I do it. It is infuriating when you do it. And worse than infuriating, it is a sin. Jesus explicitly forbade it in Matthew 7:1-2. “Condemn not, that ye be not condemned. For with what condemnation ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Those who love to tell me how stupid I am for believing Joseph Smith is a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and most importantly who tell me that I’m going to hell because of these beliefs, are condemning me where they have no right to do so. Their condemnation of me has no effect on the state of my soul, that remains strictly between me and God, but as Jesus explained in those verses, their condemnation does have an effect on the state of their own future judgment. I pray that they will seek forgiveness for their condemning spirit.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- Can You Change?

Follower of Truth)

Yesterday I spoke about how each of us not only require faith that God is real, but that we are following Him in the right way. Personally, I do believe in receiving spiritual witnesses from God, and I have received them myself, but even those still leave me in a place of faith and trust, not perfect knowledge.

In the end, this means that I have to accept that I could be wrong. I could be in the right church, but wrong in my conception of it. Or I could be in the right family of faith, Christianity, but wrong in the specific denomination I attend. Or I could be right about there being a God, but wrong about following Christ. Or I could be wrong about there even being a God. All of these are possible. At each deeper level, I feel more certain of my belief. I feel so certain of many of them that it would take a divine intervention to unseat me…but even so, I could still be wrong.

When it comes to the church that I am baptized in, the leaders that I listen to, the spiritual rituals that I observe, and the standard of life I try to live, I do these things because I think they are right and I am trying to follow the Truth. My first and foremost commitment is to the Truth, and I am trying to follow it wherever it leads me. It has led me to change some aspects of my discipleship, and it has reinforced others, and I expect it to continue to do so until I meet it face-to-face.

Willingness to Change)

I frankly do not believe that it is the same with many who come to accuse me of false beliefs. In conversations with them I have tried to express this shared foundation of uncertainty, the fact that both of us are operating on faith, the mutual possibility of being wrong, and the humility with which we should therefore approach one another…only to have them refuse to meet me on this common ground. They express that they know their creeds are divinely authored. They know their interpretations are correct. They know that I am wrong and going to hell.

I found this unjustifiable certainty very confusing, and I described a theoretical to make sure I was understanding them correctly: “Let’s suppose you and I both die tomorrow, and we meet at the gates to heaven, and Jesus is there to welcome us, and he informs me that I was misguided in my faith. He says that I should have belonged to your church all along and not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this situation, I genuinely believe that I would accept his word. I would accept your position as being the correct one and mine as being wrong. What’s more, I would accept whatever judgment Christ has for me given that I went astray. Whatever his judgment is, it is, by definition, just and right. Or, if I would not be so gracious in correction, then I here admit it would be because I was proud, and arrogant, and more in love with my own conceptions than with my Savior.” And then, having given this theoretical and my personal feelings about it, my follow-up question to the person attacking my faith is very simple: “What about for you if the situation was reversed? If Jesus told you that you were wrong, would you renounce your faith and accept ‘Mormonism?'”

What I found very telling was how uncomfortable everyone became when I asked this question. They would not give me straight answers. They would tell me that what I was asking was a logical impossibility, and therefore pointless to engage with. They would say that Mormonism is false as an absolute fact, and that therefore the mental exercise was absurd. They would tell me that in my half of the theoretical it would be too late for me to accept the true faith after I had died, focusing on that aspect rather than addressing their half of the theoretical. One way or another, they simply would not entertain the possibility of receiving correction in their faith, even as a thought experiment. They were closed-minded and closed-hearted, and there really was no point in continuing a conversation with them.

A healthy dialogue of differences can only be had between two people who are both seeking the truth. But to be a seeker of truth, by definition, means not yet having it fully. When one of the people in the conversation is not a seeker, when they insist upon already being the haver and the other person being the not-haver, then they hold a fundamental air of superiority and have closed themselves to one direction of dialogue only: them telling you what is right, and you accepting it or staying wrong. There can be no back-and-forth, no mutual understanding, no lifting each other to greater clarity. This is a pattern of domineering and abuse, and it is not how Christ meant for us to reason with one another. Once a person shows that they will insist on such a dynamic, I will not continue to participate any further. I insist on better than “perfect” knowers. I insist on flawed seekers of truth.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- Admission of Uncertainty

Admission of Faith)

Today I wanted to cover one more example I frequently see of un-Christlike and ineffective doctrinal critique. An attitude that once it manifests, I conclude that the critic is acting in bad faith, more interested in winning a debate than convincing a brother.

And that is when they show absolute certainty of their position.

I believe this bad-faith approach is an extension of our debate culture. In a formal debate, there is no room for uncertainty and nuance. A debater must show absolute confidence in his opinion, and his only aim is to prove that position is correct. I find it very tiring that so much of online discourse falls into this same mindset, that people cannot merely share different views, or disagree, or even argue like real people anymore.

Because real people actually know very little and believe very much. And real people are able to admit that.

As I have said all throughout this series, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I believe that my church is true. I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, I believe that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, I believe that this church is uniquely endowed with the priesthood authority of Christ, I believe that the path to fulness of union with God is through the principles and ordinances of the gospel, I believe the unique teachings of the premortal existence and afterlife and the potential to become like God are true. I believe all of these points, some of them extremely strongly, and also…I could be wrong on all of them.

I admit to true and sincere faith, not to sure and certain knowing. I am an active member of my church because I genuinely believe in its divine mission, but I cannot claim that there is zero chance that I have been deceived. I genuinely think that I am both rational and well-attuned to the spirit and conscience within me, but I have been wrong about some things in the past, and I can be wrong about more.

I am willing to admit all this because it is honest. One might think this admission might present a weak and vulnerable point, but not really, because I know that any critic of my beliefs is also operating by faith in areas of uncertainty, just like me. Just as I cannot perfectly know my position is right, you cannot perfectly know that it is wrong. Yet there are many critics that pretend that they do know perfectly, and once they make that arrogance clear I have no interest in listening to them any further, because they are liars, deluded by their own pride.

Gaps in Every Faith)

The fact is that every single one of us has gaps in our knowledge of the truth. Gaps that have to be filled with faith. When we pretend to have no gaps, that is when we are truly deceived.

Every Christian has faith that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of the world, but even beyond that they have faith that their own church is in alignment with that Lord and Savior. Because, if we are being honest, every Christian church in the world today has a gap between them and Jesus, and that gap has to be filled with faith.

When we look at the earliest Christian churches, there is a gap of decades between the end of the New Testament, and the next Christian writers. And among those writers (Ignatius, Clement, Didache, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, etc.) we see disagreements and division. Thus, there is a gap of certainty to be filled with faith on which, if any, of the second wave Christian writers were correct. Eventually these doctrinal divisions led to the establishment of formal creeds to settle the disputes. This is another gap of certainty as to whether the conclusions of those creeds were correct, or whether the oppositions to them were. Eventually major schisms occurred, such as the separation of the Roman and Eastern Orthodox churches, and this is another gap of certainty as to which side, if either, was correct. Later, some would accuse the church of having lost its way. Another gap of uncertainty. Reformers would attempt to correct the orthodoxy through the formation of new churches. Another gap. And in some cases, such as with my faith, it is believed the true authority had been lost long before, and had to be entirely restored, not just reformed. Another gap, to be sure.

And then, even after all that, even if a specific Christian church is the true embodiment of our Lord’s gospel today, an individual within that church will still need to correctly understand and interpret that church’s doctrine, which is yet another gap of certainty.

The reality is that each and every one of us has many gaps that we fill with faith to hold the beliefs that we do, and anyone who claims otherwise is deceived. If there were not these points of uncertainty, there could be no honest disagreement about what Christ’s truth was, and clearly that is not the world we live in. Ideally each of us would say that even though we believe we have found the truth that is most consistent, most justifiable, most supported by the evidence…that we can still acknowledge that others who disagree may have sincere and valid reasons for doing so.

On top of our faith in Christ, there is faith that we are also in his correct church, and there is faith that we understand the doctrines of that correct church correctly. And so, we believe and express that belief sincerely, but we also couple that conviction with the humble admission that our knowledge is imperfect, and that other people have good reasons for thinking something different.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- Making Up Beliefs

Defining My Faith)

I am in the middle of describing patterns of un-Christlike and ineffective evangelism. These are ways that people show that they are coming to the table in bad faith, more interested in owning their “opponent” than convincing a “brother.”

Today I will be highlighting the practice of defining another person’s beliefs for them. This is a theological strawman argument, where you assert beliefs that another church holds, and show why those beliefs are ridiculous. The only problem, though, is that the people in that faith doesn’t actually hold those beliefs!

Recently I saw this video of Jonathan Pageau expressing this exact experience in critics of his Eastern Orthodox faith, and it was interesting to see that his church is experiencing the same sort of misrepresentation that mine does. This is not a limited experience, rather it seems to be a common technique of spiritual bigotry.

One of the most common ways this is used against my faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is to find an outlandish quote of a long-since past church leader and demanding that we defend the doctrinal views expressed there. It doesn’t matter that neither I, nor any members of my faith actually hold that position, we’re told that we are required to. A requirement that actually goes against our fundamental understanding of authority, as we explicitly claim to not view our leaders as infallible!

Another common critique is our worship of Joseph Smith. Something that we simply never have done and never will! He has only ever been held in the same esteem as any other prophet or leader of God’s people. The same that any other Christian would view Moses or Peter, that is how the Saints have viewed Joseph from 1820 until now. He is extremely important, an essential character in the history of the faith, deserving of our respect and study…but never worshipped. Worship is limited to our God and Jesus and no one else. But you cannot imagine the number of times I have told that to people, only to have them smile, shake their heads, and inform me that that’s not what I really believe.

Speak For Yourself)

One of my favorite experiences while serving as a missionary for my church was when we came across a Pandit of the Hindu faith. We sat down with him for probably about an hour and heard him explain his faith in his own terms. It was beautiful. I really learned a great deal in a short amount of time, saw parallels between our beliefs that I never expected, and left realizing that Hinduism was far less “weird” than I had been led to assume. Did I leave as a Hindu? No. But I left as a better person for having let a person define his own faith to me, rather than trying to force him into the box of my misconceptions.

So it should be in all of these conversations. Unless you have spent extensive time studying the beliefs of a faith from the actual practitioners, you do not understand their faith and cannot debate its merits with accuracy. And obviously, most critics of a faith will have instead only learned about it from its detractors, and there cannot be a worse method of education than that!

But even if you do learn the church’s theology in a genuine manner, that still tells you nothing about the idiosyncrasies in the faith of the individual within that system. Some people are orthodox and some people are lax. Some people put more emphasis on what the scripture says, some people prefer the teachings of their modern leaders, and some people are guided by their own conscience. Even when all the same doctrines are shared by a people, different lenses and perspectives will result in a broad array of diverse interpretations of those doctrines. Thus, after you have done the genuine work to understand the faith as a whole, then you still must learn the faith of the individual that you are actually speaking to.

Thus, if your first interaction with me is to speak against my faith, you are a fool. You don’t even know anything about what my faith even is, and if you don’t know anything about what it is, then what is your justification in speaking against it?

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- Sharing the Good News

What Good News?)

I am in the middle of describing patterns of un-Christlike and ineffective evangelism, methods that are used by those approaching the conversation in bad faith, who want to own their “opponent” rather than convince a “brother.”

I want to start off today by pointing out the self-defeating approach of wanting to convince someone of the beauty of your faith…by trying to tear down theirs. I have heard many say that they come to share “the good news” with me, only to then spend all their time regurgitating tired accusations against Joseph Smith. That’s the good news you have to share?

This humorous anecdote captures the same spirit as this sort of evangelism: I just got married to the love of my life! She is beautiful, she is kind, she is everything I ever wanted, and I just have to share my love for her with the world! So, I walk up to my neighbor and proceed to tell him what an ugly cow his own wife is!

It is an insecure people who try to establish the superiority of their faith by tearing down another’s. When I see this approach so frequently used against my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it makes me wonder what it is about our faith that makes others feel so threatened in their own beliefs. Is it perhaps that our “good news” is one of the most liberally gracious gospels of them all? That we testify that we are literal children of God, with the potential to become full divinity? I cannot say for sure, but I find it telling that so much emphasis is put on trying to color our “good news” as wrong, rather than testifying to the superior beauty of their own.

Speak From Beauty)

True evangelism speaks from beauty and hope, not fear and accusation. As a missionary, I learned to approach others by sharing the good that we had, not by trying to make their own faith sound bad. Since I genuinely had something exciting and hopeful to share, it was quite effective, and there were many who were drawn to our message and wanted to learn more of it.

Of course, our good news means nothing if it isn’t true, and I am proud of our missionary program that we emphasize a spiritual confirmation from God as being the only evidence of truth that matters. Don’t take my word for it, don’t let your own emotions cloud your judgment, take it to God and let Him be the final word.

I find that this method of sharing beauty and letting God confirm it is so much better, so much enlightened, than trying to tear down another’s faith. If you actually have a beautiful message to share, focus just on that, and the shortcomings in any other ideology will become self-apparent. We do not need the evangelism of cutting away another’s foundation and dropping them into a pit, then offering them your hand out of it. That is the definition of a toxic, abusive relationship, with forced dependency and manufactured helplessness. That is how cults operate, and it is a devilish and evil method indeed.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- Hostile Tone

Words of Mockery)

As I said in my last post, I am going to spend the rest of this series describing the patterns of un-Christlike and ineffective evangelism, the sort of preaching that drives people away from your message, as it carries a dark spirit, not the Light of the World. In my last post I brought up the importance of the underlying intention in one’s message. People can pretend to pure intentions at first, but over the course of the conversation, it becomes extremely obvious whether someone truly has the welfare of the other’s soul at heart, or simply the desire to decimate his beliefs.

But while intention may take some time to pin down, today we will look at the discussion element that is often the earliest indicator of one’s sincerity: their tone. Tone, of course, meaning the words and voice you choose to describe another’s faith and your disagreements with it.

Mockery, insults, disparagement…these are all tones I frequently see people adopt against my beliefs, and unsurprisingly they have put a very bad taste in my mouth, rather than convincing me of the error of my ways. I am sick of people deriding us members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by talking about us having “magic underwear,” and speculating as to “how many wives” I am married to, and saying we are “part of a cult,” and that we have all been “brainwashed by a conman.”

The moment you approach me with those sorts of sentiments, you have already lost any possibility of a genuine, heartfelt conversation. You are beating the sheep, and they are only going to run from you. And referring back to yesterday’s conversation on intentions, anyone who approaches like this never intended to save anyone. They only seek to hurt.

Respect for Faith)

Now one might say, “but I genuinely do believe that Joseph Smith was a conman, and I really am worried that members of the church have been brainwashed.” Let’s look at the second half of that. Assuming that we are all brainwashed is incredibly patronizing and starts the whole conversation by putting us on a lower level than our accuser. What is more, the claim is impossible to justify given the global and high population nature of the church. Cults and brainwashing consistently require small, isolated, controlled environments, where the leaders are able to cut off outside communication and maintain a single, consistent message. It goes against all research of the phenomenon to say that 18 million LDS worldwide are in such a state, and minimizes the plight of l those who genuinely are victims of brainwashing.

Now let us look at the first bit, about Joseph Smith being a conman. Obviously, I don’t expect hardly anyone outside of my faith to believe that Joseph Smith was a genuine prophet, and if you don’t think he was a genuine prophet, then it’s hard to see how he could have been anything other than a deceiver. I do not begrudge anyone outside of our faith for viewing him unfavorably.

That being said, it seems our culture has lost any sense of respect for the beliefs of others. Even if you don’t believe that Joseph Smith is a prophet, I do. Even if you don’t believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God, I do. And I would expect you to have reverence for the seriousness of my faith. The sincere faith of one’s heart is sacred ground, and you should put off your rough shoes before you tread on it! You don’t have to pretend to agree with me, but coming and making insults towards the things which I hold sacred is a sign of immaturity, and of a lack of human understanding, and perhaps indicates an absence of sacred feeling in your own life.

Because I hold my beliefs as sacred, I respect the sanctity of other’s beliefs as well, even those I don’t agree with. I am not a follower of Islam, and by extension I am not a believer in the Quran or Muhammad. But I respect the very real belief that Muslims do have in those things and that man, and I think that that belief matters. I have no interest in disparaging and insulting them. Let me express my different viewpoints with civility and brotherly-kindliness or not at all.

I will not drag your beliefs through the mud. I believe sacred feelings are sacred. I will not cheapen the depth of your feelings by treating them like a subject for a debate club to squabble over, and I will certainly never refer to them in mockery. I will trust the sincerity of your belief and only proceed with a reverence for that faith that lives in your heart. If the detractors of the LDS faith are mature, they will approach us in the same manner.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- Signs of Bad Faith Arguments

Different Approaches)

I have spent the last couple days denouncing the aggressive approach that some take towards my faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, how they seek to crush the good beliefs that I hold, how they make very apparent their anger and hatred; and I have also spoken in favor of establishing a relationship, of honoring the faith of one another, of having opening an honest dialogue over differences of belief.

We can have interfaith dialogue. We can strongly disagree. We can even say, “I believe that my church is the one, true church, and I hope you come to see that for yourself.” And we can do all of it in a manner of brotherlykindness.

For the rest of this series, I want to flesh out the definition of unproductive, un-Christlike “evangelism.” In the past two posts I tried to give some examples of both good and of bad, but now I want to call out specific attitudes and practices that I have only ever seen be used by those possessed with a destroying spirit. These approaches are wrong, whether employed by others towards my faith, by members of my faith towards others, or by me towards anyone.

What Are Your Intentions?)

Intent is what matters first. Even before considering the substance of what is said, why it is said is what actually determines whether a critic comes in good faith or not. Intent means the reason behind the approach. Everything good or bad that follows in the conversation will directly stem from that underlying reason. Determining the intent of a critic is the first thing that every person seeks to understand, evaluating it subconsciously and then changing their entire posture according to what they perceive.

Sadly, having a person tell you their intent is the least reliable method of knowing what it is, as everyone will of course profess a sincere and worthy one. Most deceptive of all, they might even believe their stated intent themselves, but then the following conversation can betray other motives. Because, at the end of the day, intent does not lie. Over time, it always manifests its true form, and that true form always shapes the overall conversation, whether to good or evil.

Every critic of another’s faith will say it is their intent is to bring back to the fold those who have gone astray. They love the lost sheep, and the idea of their eternal torment compels the critic to come and save who they can. Very well, but how do you intend to save the lost soul? As we explored in the last posts, not all approaches are conducive to the convincing of others. Do you intend to win souls through sacrifice and service, through establishing a relationship and being genuinely curious to know another’s heart, through speaking from the place of a friend? Or do you intend to save souls by crushing what beliefs they have so that all that remains are yours? Because if that is what you intend, then you do not intend to save anyone at all.

If you come to convert by dismantling, then it is a destroying spirit behind your intentions. You have deemed a belief as unworthy, and your intention is to purge it. You do not intend to save a brother; you intend to damn an enemy. You do not come to save the world, but that the world through your judgment might be condemned.

And as I said earlier, when those are your intentions, that shapes all the conversation that follows.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- A Better Method

Critique Welcome)

In my last post I went very hard against the “Bible bashing,” faith crushing, spiritual demoralization I see in
“Christian” media today. Having expressed such emphatic condemnation of this method, I want to be clear that I do not feel that all critique of faith falls under this category. There actually is such a thing as pointing out the mote in another believer’s eye, but only if one has removed the beam of his own ego and pride. This approach looks very different from disparagement, insult, and mockery. It looks like thoughtful, respectful discourse.

Thankfully, there are examples of this more Christlike discourse today. One of the best examples I know of is Pastor Jeff on YouTube, who has spent years being curious about my faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint. He talks to us to understand where we are coming from, he shows great respect for our beliefs, and he still expresses where his views are different from us and why. He also mentions times when our own language becomes hurtful towards people with his background, and how we could do better. He remains a conduit for those in our faith who may want to know more about his.

And that sort of sincere critique and open dialogue is something that I believe every church needs. Even my church, which I consider to be Jesus’s restored kingdom on the Earth today, is still susceptible to human error, and benefits from the disagreement of well-meaning voices, be they from within its ranks or from outside denominations.

And as I mentioned at the end of my last post, this is the sort of evangelizing that actually works, whereas a visceral, combative approach never does. An aggressive stance only drives people further away from your perspective. They feel your hate, and they want nothing to do with you. At its core, true evangelism is an act of relationship, and genuine relationship is built on respect and trust. It is the only way it works.

Respect for All)

I have personal experience with this. I was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spending every day of two years serving and loving the people of the West Indies. I shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with all that were interested, teaching Hindus, Muslims, and other-denomination Christians alike.

In my last post I admitted that sometimes I, myself, would descend into “Bible bashing” with representatives from other faiths. I did not seek those debates out myself, but when my faith was misrepresented, I would go past merely setting the record straight and went into to a prideful state of having to prove that my position was right. I’m not proud of it, but it is something that I have repented for, and I do believe that I have changed. In the lifetime of this blog, I have written over 750,000 words of my daily faith study, and I would challenge anyone to find a single instance of me saying anything that could be considered an insult of another faith.

Going back to my mission, even though I had some instances of spiritual ego, there were also many other experiences where I felt the joy in having a genuine respect and reverence for the faith of others. I learned that whatever faith a person already had was a good thing. It was a common ground, a shared belief in something bigger than ourselves. From that unified foundation, we could each share the particulars of our faith, and if what I had to share would resonate with them, I would invite them to pursue it further. And if it didn’t, I would leave them with the faith that they already had. No ill will. No trying to destroy their own theology. Just gratitude for the time we got to share and wishing us both continued growth in the future.

Do I think Hinduism is the path to eternal life with our creator? No, not in its entirety.

Islam? No.

Judaism? No.

Buddhism? No.

Catholicism? No.

Eastern Orthodox? No.

Protestantism? No.

But do I think that Hinduism is beautiful? Yes, absolutely. I think it is full of fascinating truths, and a faith worth having, and a cause of good in the world. And the same for Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, Protestantism, and on and on.

And I expect no more and ask no less of others towards my faith. I know you don’t believe that the LDS faith is the true path to eternal life with our creator. But I expect you to respect that I do, and to appreciate the beauty and value that is in that faith, and the good that it has led me to. If you sincerely wanted to “save” me, you would come with respect and sincere appreciation for what I already do have. You would establish common ground. You would seek to add to what I already have, not to tear it down.

Not only would this approach be kinder, not only would it show genuine love, not only would it actually be Christian, but it would also be the only thing that could ever possibly work.

It would not work on everyone. Not everyone is open to a change of faith. That is something else that I learned on my mission, and something that I also had to have sincere respect for. But for those who are already seeking, this is the approach would let them consider whether you have what they are looking for.

In short, people do not value the perspectives of those who despise them. They do value the perspectives of those who show them that they sincerely care. Evangelizing is about establishing genuine and loving relationships, with mutual dignity and respect, and then sharing one’s testimony with only an invitation, not compulsion, for the other to accept it. This approach may not be flashy or fast, but it is true and holy communion.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Criticizing Another’s Faith- Motives Behind Attack

Satanic Evangelism)

I think the most important question when one starts criticizing another’s faith is, “why are you doing this?” What compels one to just start going off with all the things they see as wrong in another religion? To disparage something that they know others hold as sacred?

The answer that I always hear is the same: “I’m trying to help you to see what that you’ve been misguided, so you can be saved. I’m doing this because I love you.”

Which is about as sensible as when a man strikes his wife and says he does so because of how much he loves her. Berating people for their sincerely held beliefs and insulting that which they hold sacred is abusive. It is not loving. It is not caring. It comes from a desire to tear down and not to build up. It does not seek to save. It seeks to condemn. It is not Christian. It is devilish.

Dabbling in the Dark)

I know this, because I participated in it on my mission. Back in 2009 I left on a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On that mission, I often came across evangelists from other faiths, and I am sorry to say that we would occasionally get into lively sparring sessions on why we believed in our church…and why they shouldn’t believe in theirs. “Bible bashing” is the common term.

Now, when we were trained as missionaries, the potential for these Bible bashes came up, and the guidance we were given for what to do in such situations was always consistent and clear: “just don’t.” Don’t look for scriptures to prove the other side wrong. Don’t criticize or demoralize. Don’t try to win. Just don’t.

Unfortunately, pride and ego are very strong, and at times I did enter into these verbal mud-wrestling matches. And from that experience, I can attest to the motives and the feelings that are behind the dismantling of another person’s faith. It is not love, it is not charity, and it is not a desire to help them. It is cruelty. It is wanting to beat them, to make them lose. It is hoping for their damnation and rubbing their faces in it.

It is evil, pure and simple, and I repent that I ever participated in it to any degree.

The Pleasure of Domination)

The instruction of our missionary trainers was absolutely correct. No one should ever descend into Bible bashing another person’s faith.

Does that mean to never discuss spiritual differences and never respond to attacks against your faith? No. I do think there is a place for defending oneself and clarifying one’s position. I do think one ought to correct the record when his faith is misrepresented in public forums. I do think there can even be value in structured and civil debate. But if one cannot see the difference between these and disparaging and insulting another’s faith, then they cannot see the difference between righteous defense and devilish destruction. Or he is willfully ignoring the distinction because he still wants the pleasure of breaking what another has.

Because, at the end of the day, insulting someone else’s beliefs does feel “good.” It feels powerful and addicting. It rewards the carnal sensibilities within. It both satisfies and deepens one’s hunger for contention.

A person who ridicules another for their sincere beliefs does not want to save that person. He wants to dominate that person and feel superior to them. He is lashing out from a place of insecurity. I know this because I sadly experimented with those behaviors myself. I know the genuine darkness that I felt in my heart when I gave in to this temptation, and now I recognize that same darkness in those who disparage my faith. I know the ill will that it is behind it, so I do not excuse it. Not in myself and not in them.

Not only is this sort of theological bullying evil, it is also ineffective. If a person actually did sincerely wish to save a brother or a sister, then this would never be the method that they should use. We’ll take a look at what that better method would look like next time, and even consider the example of a skeptic of the LDS faith who uses it correctly.