On Defending your religion on the internet.

[Starberry]

If I see someone bashing the LDS faith, or spreading falsehood about jesus, should I try to defend it or just keep away from it?

This is what confuses me, I know that I'll neer really change most of their minds but I just dont know what to do when I come into this situation. I'm a heavy internet surfer and I spend hors on it and I see a lot of crap about our religion, and / or jesus. Sometimes I feel like I should defend it and sometimes I feel like I should just keep away, get away from it as soon as possible.

Is it more harm than good to defend what I believe in on the internet? I know just reading someones anti-mormom thoughts can have bad cnsequences but I just get so angry and disturbed when I read stuff like that.

[RanMan]

Speaking as one of several LDS that participated in a religious debate forum that came over here to escape the conflict and hatred that results from it, I would advise to avoid it. It may start out as a need to educate or defend our doctrines, but I think it too easily draws a person into conflict and leaves them feeling the incredible negativity that goes with it.

Those who I have seen most successfully seen participate and not get dragged into the pit participate infrequently. Although I would counsel against any participation at all.

:)

[pam]

The majority of the time I would avoid. I've learned many will post things just to get the reaction out of you. When you react, that's exactly what they have wanted.

[Starberry]

I'm glad I asked, looks like my instincts were correct.

[Mahone]

On the other side of the coin, if someone posts fictitious or misleading information, if no-one tried to correct this information in a place where they could have done so, they may take the fictitious information to be true. Unfortunately when a person looks up a company or organisation online, they are usually looking for negative information; therefore this holds more weight than any positive information they may find. I'm not saying it's necessarily right to argue, just playing devils advocate for a second.

[sleepless3977]

Mahone makes a valid point. I'd say that the scriptures give us some excellent guidance on contentious matters:

3 Nephi 11:29

For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

it might be wise to say your piece, correct the doctrine where it is seen to be untrue and then leave it at that and allow the people to seek out the truth for themselves through the spirit if they so wish to.

[dazed-and-confused]

let's not forget that we ARE engaged in warfare..........good (the love and salvation of Jesus and HF's plan) and the efforts of the opponent to disrupt that plan (evil).

the battlelines are not always clearly defined (we must all interpret and live out and learn from experience what might constitute a line of defense).

sometimes a direct confrontation is needed....and sometimes it is best to ignore nonsense.

where that line exists will differ from person to person.

for my own perspective...i like what sleepless quoted.....3Nephi 11:29.

it's one thing to question from a point of learning.....and another to question from a point of distraction or disruption.

lol...and there again we are presented with a lesson to grow from....

it is still warfare..........the trail is ladened with all sorts of traps .......and we all need to navigate them for the greater good...truth of spirit...however you wish to interpret it.

[pam]

I would agree that it would be best to correct the incorrect information and move on if the other side only wants to continue to debate.

[OmahaLDS]

There are several things to consider...

1. Prejudice is the refuge of the ignorant. Most of the time ignorance is the preferred position to knowledge. There is no point arguing with someone who has no interest in education, and likely has the intellectual capacity of a cabbage anyway.

2. It has already been done. LDS Apologetics is actually a very developed field. People who are actually interested in learning would be open to reading many of these books and articles.

I would recommend familiarizing yourself with LDS apologetics, and simply referring someone to one of those books or articles if they have a question.

[Hemidakota]

If I see someone bashing the LDS faith, or spreading falsehood about jesus, should I try to defend it or just keep away from it?

This is what confuses me, I know that I'll neer really change most of their minds but I just dont know what to do when I come into this situation. I'm a heavy internet surfer and I spend hors on it and I see a lot of crap about our religion, and / or jesus. Sometimes I feel like I should defend it and sometimes I feel like I should just keep away, get away from it as soon as possible.

Is it more harm than good to defend what I believe in on the internet? I know just reading someones anti-mormom thoughts can have bad cnsequences but I just get so angry and disturbed when I read stuff like that.

Yes! It is human nature for us to defend something if we know it is right. Even the Savior in His own ministry would laboured among those who seek the same contentious spirit. What did He do? I think you know the answer.

State your case and if the Spirit commands it, leave a testimony. It would be damnation to the false bearer and those who have a contentious spirit unless they return with a repented heart as the Savior spoke of in 3rd Nephi. Your testimony will be recorded in the Book of Life and will be remembered here after.

[Maya]

Sometimes I just write my testimony on the thing. It is hard to attack a testimony without atttacking the person and luckily attacking a person is not seen as a good deed even on internett. Sometimes I dont get back to see what the others start talking about my input, as I just wanted to tell my point of view about it. Anyway debating is no use, I avoid that.

[talisyn]

I was going to say 'Avoid the *** religion forum' but then I thought if I said the name someone might go there and it would probably engender bad thoughts. My karma is bad enough without adding 'enticing to the dark side' to it. My advice is, if you have a bad feeling in a religious site/forum/blog then you should make your way speedily here, the little oasis in the desert of the Internet.

[Maya]

In an other forum that I wisit... I sometimes feel so bad I jsut decide to get out of there. I admitt it is a bad place as it is without modification... a mormon forum without modification... can you imagine how that looks like?? Well what ever you ar thinking yopu are right.

Well sometime zit just feels so stupid tah I have no wish to write or read anything... then i dont.

Other times I feel I need to correct the mistakes. Sometimes in new threads ... and how about that .... in a few days someone, who has been reading the froum, not participating in the debate... ends up investigating about LDS.... because my testimonials sounded right to that person and he got interested in the LDS consept.

Follow the spirit!

[GaySaint]

Star: I would suggest that if your “defense” would come from a place of anger, then it is probably best to walk away. However, having been involved in some rather heated discussions myself , I can honestly say that I appreciate honest dialog, especially when it helps me understand where people are coming from or how and why they think the way they do.

If you can answer out of love and respect, then I say go for it. You might not be able to change the minds of the people who are set against you, Christ, or the LDS church, but there might be another reader that you could touch, or another testimony you could be helping to reaffirm.

[Bini]

I would avoid situations that become hostile because at that point, whatever you say or do, will likely go into one ear and out the other.

[NeuroTypical]

If I see someone bashing the LDS faith, or spreading falsehood about jesus, should I try to defend it or just keep away from it?

My two cents - if there is an audience, go for it. In my experience, you probably will never change the mind of the person who is doing the spewing. However, if there are people who don't know anything about Mormons, and the only thing they hear is one side of the story, they might conclude that Mormons have no good answers to the criticisms.

And that is very much untrue, and very easily correctable (assuming you know why you believe what you believe.)

LM

[annamaureen]

I used to try to defend the church and educate people if they said something incorrect; but most of the time, they were combative and belligerent and very set in their own opinion. The whole thing was pointless and would just upset me. Now, I try to avoid it.

[Maya]

I used to try to defend the church and educate people if they said something incorrect; but most of the time, they were combative and belligerent and very set in their own opinion. The whole thing was pointless and would just upset me. Now, I try to avoid it.

That is good for them who like you get upset or who get angry... I dont ... I tell tehm the truth they can believe it or not , but I tell them. Then IF waht they say back at me has any sence anything I can hang an other good and kind post on or just thanking for the christian love the person directs at me.. anyway I try to keep my cool and usually manage in it. Some of these fights against the windmills make me laugh....

My skinn has grown pretty tough... I was going to write here some of the things they call me ot JS or BY.. but I think the board would probably crash.... anyway I really cant wait til these people get face to face with those two and learn the truth.

Well actually I feel sorry for them...

[pam]

Pretty much my only experiences are here at lds.net. I don't go to other sites and if I do it's for a brief moment.

But my experience here..most questions that immediately put us on the defensive..usually stay that way.

[Maya]

Pretty much my only experiences are here at lds.net. I don't go to other sites and if I do it's for a brief moment.

But my experience here..most questions that immediately put us on the defensive..usually stay that way.

Pam I am not so sure it is defensive we go.... but IF someone asks they shal recieve... an answer. It wont get defensive unless the one answering is feeling attaced and a simple question should never feel need of defence... but the problem is that the opponents often set the questions in the mode of an attac... and then you need the defece, weather it is to shoot back or just hide and pull the armor over you... maybe you send them a flower that explodes on their face... or you run for your life!

Or you may do as Abinadi and yell the truth from the walls and their piles are not able to hit you!

[Vanhin]

I say post the truth, bear your testimony, and be on your way if you have to. It is important that we don't let others define our faith, but we should avoid contention. I have had many opportunities to share the gospel and make good friends online, even in environments that appear to be hostile to my religion.

I think the same danger exists here among latter-day saints. If we are not careful, our conversations can easily become divisive and counter to the love that should prevail among disciples of Christ.

I haven't always been perfectly free of contention myself, but I think with practice we can learn to share our beliefs without putting down the faith of others, and without being drawn into confrontation with hecklers and antagonists (or without being a heckler/antagonist ourselves).

Regards,

Vanhin

[pam]

Pam I am not so sure it is defensive we go.... but IF someone asks they shal recieve... an answer. It wont get defensive unless the one answering is feeling attaced and a simple question should never feel need of defence... but the problem is that the opponents often set the questions in the mode of an attac... and then you need the defece, weather it is to shoot back or just hide and pull the armor over you... maybe you send them a flower that explodes on their face... or you run for your life!

Or you may do as Abinadi and yell the truth from the walls and their piles are not able to hit you!

I understand what you are saying Maya. But how many threads have been started by people who want to tell us what we believe instead of asking us if what we believe or if the way they understand it is correct. And then when we do explain it, they debate it by bringing up other points without even acknowledging any of the answers they are given.

That puts me on the defensive. One of those things I have to work on...unfortunately it's not one of my better virtues.

[Maya]

I understand what you are saying Maya. But how many threads have been started by people who want to tell us what we believe instead of asking us if what we believe or if the way they understand it is correct. And then when we do explain it, they debate it by bringing up other points without even acknowledging any of the answers they are given.

That puts me on the defensive. One of those things I have to work on...unfortunately it's not one of my better virtues.

Exacly and worst is that we cant get rid of that defensiveness ... we should... as there are people who see that way of "questioning" of our beliefs who really just want to ask... but instead came with accusitions.... and here we come shooting on the full by side...

And then there is the dilemma when you meet those who do that just to agitate, who do not want to ask, who are there to make trouble.. it is hard to notice who is who and to an outsider it is even harder. And then they go on other netsites playing hurt or realy beeing hurt and tell the world that there are questions we are not able to answer... I have started to educate those people, telling them excatly, what they said wrong in their "question" and HOW they are to ask a question... and how to leave away the unnessessary adjectives... every now ant then there is a person who notices that the start was wrong and changes the style... but not often and when you kick them out they go crying to am other forum telling how bad we are and how we dont endure a simple question.

There is this one type who uses adjectives that I decided to delete from his posts I also deleted an unnessessary statement of BYs multiplying powers. And the guy cant get it... ... I banned that person.

Vanhin know the person too. The irritating is that he goes around saying it is my "humming" site, even thpugh I only moderate. The sad thing is also that there are hardly anyone but me talking there... everyone else are rather talking on this badnetside. Looks like the Finnish talking dont want a LDS board after all... yet quite a lot of people come and read the stuff there.

[lydlou]

If I see someone bashing the LDS faith, or spreading falsehood about jesus, should I try to defend it or just keep away from it?

This is what confuses me, I know that I'll neer really change most of their minds but I just dont know what to do when I come into this situation. I'm a heavy internet surfer and I spend hors on it and I see a lot of crap about our religion, and / or jesus. Sometimes I feel like I should defend it and sometimes I feel like I should just keep away, get away from it as soon as possible.

Is it more harm than good to defend what I believe in on the internet? I know just reading someones anti-mormom thoughts can have bad cnsequences but I just get so angry and disturbed when I read stuff like that.

I think you answered yourself. sometimes you want to resopnd, sometimes you want to run as far and as fast as you can. I may be making an assumption, but i would think there are differences between the post that make you want to respond, and those that you instintivly avoid.

you should continue to avoid those post that make you uncomfortable. i would sugguest praying for the guidence of the holyspirt before responding to the others.

[zippy_do46]

I believe also that you need to listen to the Holy Spirit. I have been in a position where a person has asked me'" Do you know what you believe?" This was because I had gave them the missionaries' number when they started telling me about the church. I said a quick prayer and started talking. I do not know what I said. I know the Holy Ghost was with me though. lol I also realized that I needed to study harder :0) One of the reasons that I like this site. Some of the info I have seen before .... Sometimes the info you guys come up with gets me thinking and searching. But I will say sometimes I just want to shake some of you and say ...." because it is true" lolol so I am glad when some level headed moderator comes in and says... "play nice guys" lololol