Can I ask a question about the members here?

[LilyBelle00]

I haven't posted anything in a while, mostly just come to the forum every week or so to read through some of the posts. :)

Every since I first joined the forum I have wanted to ask: Why are there so many non Mormons here? It seems like there are several atheists, agnostics, and other denominations. Why? This is an LDS forum, correct? I don't mind of course, everyone should be welcome here and I'm glad they are. I'm sure some members like the back and forth and different perspectives from non members.

I can definitely see someone of a different faith (or no faith) coming here to learn more about the LDS church but I do find it a little odd that so many choose to join the forum and stick around just to occasionally say "I don't agree with you".

I would never feel the urge to join a Catholic forum just to argue with Catholics.

I want to add that I know there are several well respected non LDS members here. Certainly more well known and respected than myself! I promise that I'm not trying to cause any offense to them. I'm just genuinely curious. :)

[selek]

You might ask the same question about ANY particular forum where there are differences of opinion a/o belief.

I know there are some people stick around just for the fireworks.

That having been said, there are good people here, and some good friendships; how does one choose one's friends?

For my own part, there are a lot of people I respect more while yelling at them at the top of my lungs than who generally agree with me.

In my mind, it boils down to: people are wierd, and entertainment is where you find it.

[skippy740]

It's easier to debate anonymously than with those you know in real life.

It's easier to investigate the Church anonymously than in real life... at times.

I'm not sure if there is the same 'enthusiasm' for debating Catholics as there is in debating LDS. (I genuinely don't know as I don't visit Catholic forums, but LDS are quite peculiar, even amongst ourselves.)

We're friendly and we encourage polite debate, so why not?

[LilyBelle00]

Yeah, I don't mind it... I just think it's odd. I do understand about making friendships online. I have a group of online friends who I've known longer than my husband. In the group there are people of all different backgrounds and beliefs....but we met on a common interest forum and got to know each other there.

I'll freely admit that I join a lot of forums. My husband makes fun of me for it. He even tried to sign me into a forum for people addicted to forums. One of my dogs is a Havanese so I'm a member of a Havanese forum, my other dog is an Olde English Bulldogge so I'm a member of a bully breeds forum. I recently adopted two parakeets so of course I joined a small bird forum... Then there's the tropical fish forum. Not to mention a couple of parenting forums......a crochet forum.... This is probably why I fall into just being an annoying lurker, because I don't have the time or energy to keep up with all my forums.

Anyway, my point is that I have never before seen a forum that people joined just to disagree with the members. No one who hates dogs joins a dog forum.

[pam]

You might be interested to know LilBelle00 that one of our moderators is not LDS.

[skippy740]

If you know about a forum for those who are addicted to forums... well, let's just say that a few of us could form our own self-help group!

I've been on forums for well over 10 years: 4 or so related to credit management, 2 for bankers, 5 for investments/insurance/financial planning, 4 LDS and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. Oh and don't forget Facebook and the few groups I belong to on there!

[bytebear]

Just curious, is LilyBelle a reference to Disneyland?

[viannqueen3]

I like that this forum has a decent mix of various religious views. I only wish church meetings were the same. Might make things a bit more lively and interesting.

[selek]

I like that this forum has a decent mix of various religious views. I only wish church meetings were the same. Might make things a bit more lively and interesting.

True, but the property insurance deductibles would be insane with three sacrament meetings and at least two brawls in each building each week.

On a more serious note, however, the purpose of our Sunday meetings is to teach the truths of the Kingdom of Heaven, not indulge every crackpot with a half-formed opinion and a sense of entitlement.

That's what the internet is for!

[prisonchaplain]

You might be interested to know LilBelle00 that one of our moderators is not LDS.

Shocking!

In seriousness, Lily, LDS.net is one of the few sites that offers intelligent discussion of faith that, while from a mostly LDS perspective, is respectful, open, grounded in morality, and yes, is friendly. When we stay within our own communities we either "amen" everything, or we moan and complain about the jots and tittles of church life we don't like. Much better to engage "the other," and flesh out our agreements, differences, and fine tune our individual relationships with God in the process.

Edited June 14, 2013 by prisonchaplain

[norah63]

This forum is always helpful for those who are not LDS to learn more about that faith, and in doing so we grow in our own. PC says it better than I can, his posts always encourage me anyway.

I appreciate the honesty and openness of all who share .

[LilyBelle00]

LilyBelle is my daughter's nickname. My name (Leah) was taken. :)

I really was just curious about what made non members seek out and join a Mormon forum. I can see coming to read the posts to learn more and even logging in to ask some questions, it's just odd to me that so many stick around and stay. Not odd in a bad way, just something that I don't really understand. It makes me wonder what response I'd get if I joined a cat forum with the introductory post "Don't care much for cats but I have a couple of dogs..." Lol. :)

PC, you were that main person I was worried about offending! I knew you were a moderator and a well respected poster here. I enjoy reading your posts.

[pam]

It makes me wonder what response I'd get if I joined a cat forum with the introductory post "Don't care much for cats but I have a couple of dogs..." Lol. :)

Actually right there is a big comment. One thing we've learned as moderators is that those that come here who aren't LDS but start right off the bat and say, "I'm not here to argue or debate what you all believe" usually are here to argue and debate what we believe. They usually don't last long on the site.

But those that can come here and discuss the differences in beliefs with a mutual respect on both sides, tend to stick around.

[prisonchaplain]

One of the best books I've read on comparing LDS and Evangelical doctrine was recommended to me by a highly intelligent LDS poster here. It was a book co-written by a BYU professor and an Evangelical seminary professor. They disagreed sincerely, but with friendship and love. The book is now 15 years old, and remains the one I would give to LDS inmates, Evangelical ones--even missionaries, if they were interested. The last one I ordered used ($5 better than $12 on an older book like this) came to me with a Deseret sticker on it. The title is: How Wide the Divide: A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation. Seeing how those two remained true and yet were able to share such God-talk has spurred me to try to do the same in this venue.

http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4907370540959470&pid=15.1

Edited June 14, 2013 by prisonchaplain

[Maureen]

...Anyway, my point is that I have never before seen a forum that people joined just to disagree with the members....

LDS.net is set up with a lot of sub-forums, so not all the conversations here are about religion. And even though posters here might have different religious beliefs we have other interests that are common and mutual. I'm sure you could find a lot of threads where LDS and non-LDS do agree.

M.

[Jamie123]

I've been fascinated with the LDS church ever since the missionaries visited my over 20 years ago. Though I've sported various anti-mormon arguments over the years, the real reason I never joined was because I never felt comfortable with the church as a whole.

There are some big differences between the way I think and the way an average Mormon thinks, and these clashes of ideas on this site have often helped me to clarify my own thinking. For one thing my own religious background has led me to see "sin" as primarily an attitude of mind rather than comprising of specific sinful acts, but a lot of people here take the opposing view and the exchanges have sometimes been enlightening.

Also (to be perfectly honest) I've occasionally used this site an outlet for some of my more perverse humour, which not everyone appreciates (certainly not my wife). I seem to have some kindred spirits amongst the Mormons!