Comments on: Dealing with the “gray areas” of belief http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/ Defending Mormonism Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:08:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Scattered thoughts on CES, nuance, gray areas, and teaching Institute « Faith Promoting Rumor http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1254 Scattered thoughts on CES, nuance, gray areas, and teaching Institute « Faith Promoting Rumor Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:25:46 +0000 http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1254 [...] Posted by Nitsav on March 10, 2008 This post is a response of sorts to posts and comments here, here, and here. [...] [...] Posted by Nitsav on March 10, 2008 This post is a response of sorts to posts and comments here, here, and here. [...]

]]> By: Robert Fields http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1193 Robert Fields Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:54:17 +0000 http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1193 To me the law and its rules have been abolished. So judging a prophet on the Deut. 18:21,22 is to strict of a test. I do not think people should be told even official doctrine of any denomination is beyond question. Prophetic leaders after all are human and have to give an explanation or interpretation of what they find in scripture. It is a futile hunt to look for perfection. Somebody who feels that everything is perfect will be dissapointed if they look to close. This is an unrealistic expectation that a church must be 100% true in everything taught, or that is not true enough for belief. People who have that unrealistic expectation can have a weaker all or nothing kind of testimony. To me the law and its rules have been abolished. So judging a prophet on the Deut. 18:21,22 is to strict of a test. I do not think people should be told even official doctrine of any denomination is beyond question. Prophetic leaders after all are human and have to give an explanation or interpretation of what they find in scripture.

It is a futile hunt to look for perfection. Somebody who feels that everything is perfect will be dissapointed if they look to close. This is an unrealistic expectation that a church must be 100% true in everything taught, or that is not true enough for belief. People who have that unrealistic expectation can have a weaker all or nothing kind of testimony.

]]> By: Kevin Hinckley http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1172 Kevin Hinckley Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:58:12 +0000 http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1172 Elder Bruce Hafen talks about a 3 tiered spiritual growth: 1) Overly optimistic (see the "I am appalled" letters to the editor at BYU). They are very black and white in their thinking and troubled by the least suggestion of grey. 2)Overly pessimistic. Question everything. Many ExMo's fit in this catagory. Use rhetoric to attack any "faith" idea. Full of pride 3) Open Heart/Open eyes. We're not blind to human faults of our leaders, but we love them and the church and strive to help them improve. Elder Bruce Hafen talks about a 3 tiered spiritual growth:
1) Overly optimistic (see the “I am appalled” letters to the editor at BYU). They are very black and white in their thinking and troubled by the least suggestion of grey.
2)Overly pessimistic. Question everything. Many ExMo’s fit in this catagory. Use rhetoric to attack any “faith” idea. Full of pride
3) Open Heart/Open eyes. We’re not blind to human faults of our leaders, but we love them and the church and strive to help them improve.

]]> By: Bryce Haymond http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1169 Bryce Haymond Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:49:56 +0000 http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1169 I agree. I think is it rigidity, or fundamentalism, that leads many away from the Church. They believe, heart and soul, that the prophet and apostles are infallible, for instance, and when they see or read of one that made a mistake the whole world comes crashing down. Rigidity leads to a closed mind, whereas we've been taught to ask questions, be curious, read more, educate ourselves, and constantly strive for greater light and knowledge. I agree. I think is it rigidity, or fundamentalism, that leads many away from the Church. They believe, heart and soul, that the prophet and apostles are infallible, for instance, and when they see or read of one that made a mistake the whole world comes crashing down. Rigidity leads to a closed mind, whereas we’ve been taught to ask questions, be curious, read more, educate ourselves, and constantly strive for greater light and knowledge.

]]> By: Scott Gordon http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1164 Scott Gordon Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:37:25 +0000 http://www.fairblog.org/2008/03/05/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-belief/#comment-1164 Very interesting thoughts. Very interesting thoughts.

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