Why do you attack my beliefs?

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend of mine regarding religion and our differing beliefs. He didn't understand why non-LDS leaders or churches would offer classes, have conferences and write books about the LDS Church. The statement he made was, "We don't attack your church. Why do you attack ours?"

I think this is a valid question and should be addressed.

As is the standard we will look first to the Bible. In 1 Peter 3:15 it says,

If we break this verse apart there are several key points, first is to set apart Christ as Lord. In some translations, this word is sanctify. The simplest way to look at this is to realize that God is a person and must be respected as such.

The next section says, we need to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks. This is a key statement. First, we must be ready to give an answer always. Always means at any moment we are presented with a challenge. An answer means, something reasonable. It is not reasonable just to give our opinions. Although opinions are widely accepted, they are not reliable. Let me give you an example.

Many of us have spent years in school. The purpose of going to school is to have a foundation in several elementary disciplines like reading, writing and arithmetic. These fundamentals help prepare us for later in life. Often times people achieve advanced degrees in specific disciplines, for example I studied accounting in school and later went on to earn my CPA license. Through studying, I developed and learned many things which have proven useful in life. When presented with a question, I do not rely on my opinion, rather I go back to what I learned through my years of study and practice.

While in school I had a very wise Tax Professor. Although I had no interest in pursuing a career in tax preparation, as the old adage goes, there are two absolutes in life, death and taxes. I imagine like many people, because I pay taxes, I was always interested in what this teacher had to say and how it might apply to reducing my tax liability. In fact, when many of my friends and family learned I was getting an accounting degree, they began to ask me tax related questions.

The majority of the questions they would ask me, I did not know the answer.  Largely because I'd not been faced with that situation, and second because the Federal Tax manual is like memorizing an encyclopedia. What a lot of people don't realize is that few people really know everything about the Federal Tax code.  And even if they knew all there is to know today, wait a couple of days and their knowledge will be outdated, since congress has the habit of rewriting tax laws frequently.

After college, I worked at and Accounting Firm, but I did not do taxes.  One of the things I learned, was that the professional advice accounting firms offer is largely derived from research and experience. This is part of the reason they'll charge you $275/hr.  The other thing I learned was that things are not always black and white, rather they fall into many shades of grey.

Most of the time when someone would ask me a tax question, I'd give my opinion, which often times turned out to be wrong.  Although I knew the answers may not always be accurate, I never felt bad about giving the wrong answer, since I thought the answer was probably right and I was sincere.  But regardless of my sincerity, since I'd not taken a single tax class since 1993, my knowledge was outdated at best.  But I'll go back to what my professor always told us, my friends didn't pay anything for the answer, so they have no expectation of a correct answer.  They got what they paid for.  If they wanted the correct answer, pay me $275/hr and I'll do the research and give you an answer I will back in a court of law.   Needless to say, rarely does anyone ask me a tax related question.

The next part of that passage says, "to give a reason". Reason means logic. Are my beliefs reasonable? Can I provide a reasonable response when asked a question? If I can't provide a reasonable answer, then maybe my beliefs are not reasonable and I'm a fool.  But if I can provide a reasonable answer, it should be logical.  It should be something that can be substantiated.  Although we each have faith, our faith is based off of study and experience; rarely do any of us operate completely by blind faith.

The LDS Church is a very dominate expression as to what many people believe is Christianity, especially in this area or the United States. Most LDS people believe that they have a responsibility to spread the true gospel. So if I am a Latter Day Saint, and believe what Joseph Smith taught based off of his first vision, then I have a responsibility to share that truth. If I do not believe what the LDS Church teaches, it is not acceptable to sit back and say, "I disagree with your belief, but can't really tell you why. I just know it is wrong." If this is what someone says, they are a fool. Since if you can't reasonably explain why Christianity is not an apostate form of Christ's church, you should be a Mormon. However, if there is a good reason why Christianity is not apostate, I should be able to provide a reason, one that is logically for my belief.  Anything less is not an expression of love, but one of apathy.  Nothing could be more unloving then to know the truth, and to sit by and do nothing, letting those around you perish while following a lie.  

Each one of us should be seeking truth. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father but by Me". If what Jesus said is true, that by testing our beliefs to determine truth should lead us closer to God, not farther away.

A logical way I like to approach a situation when I'm meeting with someone of differing beliefs is to explore the outcomes.  Simply if we have differing beliefs there are three possibilities:

1) I am right and you are wrong.

2) You are right and I am wrong.

3) We are both wrong.

Now, if you have a way to get to God, because you have developed a relationship with Him, then you should be able to explain it. If you can’t explain it, then you most likely are unable to share it; and surely if you know there’s a way to God you ought to be able to tell somebody, because look at all the people who don’t know.

The problem is that so many people develop their views based off of their reason, not off of God's revelation. God's revelation is truth from God, that can not be know any other way.

In the Bible, we are told that, the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.(1 Cor. 2:14)

Much is the same with man's reason, you can not find God by your own reason, or by a feeling. Spiritual truth, is truth revealed by God, to man, through the reading of scripture.(2 Timothy 3:16)

Finally this passage instructs us to give our answer with gentleness and respect. I think this is common sense, but not intuitive. Usually when people give an answer they feel defensive. Defensiveness results in hostility, rather than love. Nobody likes to have their sincerely held beliefs disrespected; there must truth and love in our response.

The challenge for most of us is that we think we are right. Many a day, am I reminded that I am not perfect and do not know all things. Regardless of my sincerity, I have been sincerely wrong. But when I am wrong, I don't want harsh criticism, I desire gentleness.  I want someone to care enough, to patiently come along side me and gently show me the truth.  When I become frustrated, they will care enough to step back and lovingly guide me to the truth. They do this become they know that wide is the gate and broad is the way which leads to destruction, but narrow is the path and straight is the way that leads to life, and few find it. (Matthew 7:14)

So to answer the question, why do we attack your church?  Maybe the problem is not with the answer, but with the question.  Much like the LDS church prepares its missionaries to go and share the LDS faith, we too prepare to provide a reason for the hope that is within us, so that when presented with a question, we can provide a gentle loving answer.  Our desire is that God will grant repentance to all men, leading them to a knowledge of the truth, so that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:25-26)

If you do not find this answer acceptable, and you still think that it is an attack, you might want to read the many quotes by LDS leaders regarding other faiths; You might reconsider your position.