NOM

They sometimes speak of the empty cross as symbolic of Jesus victory over death. That makes more sense for the empty tomb IMHO. The empty cross would still be for a dead jesus it seems. Most of the home crucifixes I saw in Germany displayed a tortured suffering Christ on the cross. In Neal Stephenso...

My mission messed with my head. Even though my sister said on my return it wasn't like I had gone at all. It didn't change me. I certainly didn't and don't value the religious study and practice habits she adopted on her mission. But even then I had nightmares for years about being on a mission or f...

In their imagination

The church's declaration that god is the same through time and the Gospel doesn't change traps them. They have to retcon the scriptures and modern era prophet declarations to make them look superficially consistent. Any mid depth or deeper analysis reveals the holes in the story and the crazy apolog...

You have to establish unambiguous right v wrong. Humanity hasn't achieved that yet. Objective morality doesn't exist so far as I can tell.

This is a path that lets members reject any belief they choose leading to universal cafeteria mormonism.

It is at its core a rejection of Divine Command Theory which is simultaneously the only claim to "Truth" the church has. They are rejecting their own authority to make authoritative claims.

IMHO it's a mistake to say more than no. Any explanation or excuse you offer is just something for the mormon to overcome. If you offer nothing, they have nothing to comeback with. We want to justify it, but it's a mistake.

Detaching from Mormonism. The saying 'not my Circus not my monkeys' is the idea here. You don't have to own the problems of Mormonism, they're not yours. You don't have to fix them. Indeed you don't want to fix them. They belong to somebody else. If they ask you for your opinion then you can offer s...

We could play dueling links, but just for contrast, Brain damage https://www.forbes.com/sites/elvaramirez/2021/06/01/study-no-amount-of-drinking-alcohol-is-safe-for-brain-health/?sh=7c93142e7eaa cancer risks override other claimed benefits https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/just-in-time-for-the-...

Generally alcohol tastes bad. People pursue it for other reasons related to it's psychological and physical reactions. It might just be individuation and exploring. If it's the euphoria, relaxation effects, then some form of meditation might be something they would find meaningful in addition to the...

The bible unearthed is starting to show some age I think. It's very documentary hypothesis based and the archaeology results havent been as supportive of that view since publication. The Elohist claims have been particularly challenged. If you're brand new to the topic, it's a fine starting point. E...

I plan to resign when my dad dies.

It's not intended as historic fiction, but it might as well be, imo. Aslan is simple and approachable, but not really scholarly. Again, my opinion. Books on this topic I would recommend. The History of God by Karen Armstrong. She too has a belief of sorts she is directing the reader towards, but wit...

I didn't like Zealot. It struck me as sloppy scholarship that was written to justify to himself why he left Islam, became a Christian and then reverted to Islam.

No one can see what you have seen. You never saw it either. You do not directly apprehend anything. All your sensory input is converted to nerve impulses that the brain translates and then constructs a model we use to navigate through whatever the real world may be. Smell might be the closest thing ...

"The thinking has been done" lives on.

There may be a few violent responses down the line. I expect they'll be small, short and fail terribly for the perpetrators and supporters.

I have no interest in it nor alcohol.

You're forgetting that this, like all church instructions, are for a one way street where all benefits flow towards the interests of the church. If you're ever confused about the direction, check the flow of benefits and you'll know how the church wants you to proceed.

FOAF

Friend of a Friend. Classic sign of an urban legend.

Now yes, I think the q15 knows. But it is only my opinion.