Wednesday, May 17, 2006

The Spectrum peddles religiously intolerant nonsense

I have written letters to my local paper (The Daily Spectrum) in recent months questioning why the Mormons of this area appear to be such ardent supporters of warfare and a government that deliberately poisoned them with nuclear radiation in the past, and then proceeded to cover it up with lies. I also brought into question the whole doctrine of the LDS Church's 12th Article of Faith (which stresses respect and obedience to secular leaders and institutions) as it applies to principles and causes that both Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith would have thoroughly abhorred. For some reason I just can't see them arm in arm with Dick Cheney. My queries were intended to stimulate discussion and debate and were written in a respectful manner.

I was politely told that I would never get a letter published in The Spectrum that contained such questions and that in the future it would be wise for me to leave out any references to Mormons and to further refrain from questioning the worthiness or reasons why local boys and girls are dying in the sands of Mesopotamia.

Well it was with some degree of shock that I read yesterday's letter from a man in Sun River who basically said that Islam was a plot by Satan. It showed me to what extent this whole sordid mess has become entwined with the more idiotic aspects of organized religion and how totally biased the local media has allowed itself to become against another religion it has no fear of offending. Read on.....

Satan's plan is to rob God of his glory


One day an ordinary young man went to a private place to pray. While in prayer he received a supernatural visitation. The fruit of his vision led to a revealing of new "scripture" intended to correct errors and omissions in the Bible. The new scripture, and subsequent revelations, became the foundation and doctrine of a new religion.

The young man's name was Mohammed. While in a cave praying the "angel Gabriel' imparted to this "prophet" the text of the Koran, the foundation of the Islamic faith. Additional doctrines and teachings have been "supernaturally" imparted to Muslim leaders over the years.

God in His omniscience warns us of supernatural deceptions in 2 Cor 11:14, where He reveals that Satan can transform himself into an "angel of light" to deceive us. And again in Gal 1:8, God warns that men, and even "angels," will try to preach a false gospel.

My friend, Satan doesn't care about you. His "master passion" is to rob God of His Glory and trample on the blood of Jesus by luring you into placing your faith in a false prophet, a false God, a false Jesus and a false gospel. Friends, please don't buy into Satan's lies.

Joe Slobig

SunRiver

I'm convinced.

7 comments:

Monkey's Max said...

Hooray for the free press and the intellect of the people!

Audie said...

You reckon anyone -- ANYONE -- down there catches the irony of this letter? It's so blatant, it makes me wonder if maybe it is an intentional act of subversion. Surely, SOME folks (NOT including the Spectrum's editors) are smart enough to catch the (surely intended) suggestion that the "ordinary man" who got a "supernatural vision" and a "new scripture" was Joseph Smith? And the "original" Bible, the letter-writer says, warns us against a disguised Satan who can transform himself into (just such) an angel of light, and deceive us? It's gotta make you think.

Just maybe, Joe Slobig is a very crafty fellow, an anti-Mormon who has written the only kind of letter the Spectrum will print -- one that is ostensibly anti-Islam and pro-Christian -- but which may have the subliminal effect of putting important questions, healthy doubt and skepticism into the minds of staid southern-Utah fundamentalists.

Bravo, Mr. Slobig! You have succeeded with your wits where the estimable wits of our dear Bemis have not.

aud

P.S. Bemis, have you tried the SL Tribune? It has a lot of readers down south there, doesn't it? And if they won't print you, either, how about Salt lake's version of The Austin Chronicle, Denver's Westword, Phoenix's New Times, etc. -- surely SLC has an alternative newsweekly that will welcome your writing. Let 'em have it, I say!

Monkey's Max said...

Audie, I had thought the same thing immediately upon reading the letter. It reminded me of this girl I had a run-in with before a class at university. It was a religion in America class and we had been learning about the Mormons. I got to class early (once in my entire academic career) and this girl started talking about how ridiculous the whole premise was, how could people believe that an angel had come to Joseph Smith, etc (you can imagine). And I said, well, faith is a strong thing. I'm not a Christian and people believing that Jesus was born of a virgin and then rose from the dead seems pretty strange to me. And that girl, a Christian, jumped down my throat, claiming archaeological evidence, etc. People are mostly just intolerant and ridiculous.

Devastatin' Dave said...

"Slobig" spelled backwards is "Gibols," which is eerily close to "Goebbels." I suspect foul play.

beamis said...

I noticed the parallel paths of the two prophets as well but did not make the larger connections that Audie did. I think his speculations to the writers motivations could be very probable. That the Spectrum would print such tripe as thoughtful analysis still chaps my ass.

beamis said...

The Tribune won't print it either.

Audie said...

Oh, my Lord, that is some funny shit!