The Heavens are Shut

Image by: cjohnson7 at http://flickr.com/photos/72621973@N00/1460568819

Please see Rob's excellent post and remembrance of Stuart Matis at Scrum Central.

I think it fitting to once again point out the lack of such desperately needed "modern revelation" amongst the Mormon church in regards to the issue of homosexuality. As Rob very astutely points out, the church has been swinging back and forth over this issue for decades.  In consideration of the church's posturing amongst other Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christian groups so as to attain some degree of political clout, it is clear to see the church leadership is unwilling to officially pick a side and stick to it.

My devout LDS readers may be further offended, but one with eyes to see and ears to hear can see that in this issue alone the modern revelation channel the church subscribes to does not seem to be working. If it is the Lord's "one and only true church on the face of the earth" why is he not speaking to Mr. Monson, who is charged with speaking to the Lord on this important topic? How many more need to die needlessly before a convenient revelation comes? The heavens were never open to the leaders of the church. This is but another sad chapter in the history of Mormonism.  The charisma of Joseph Smith with his quick and creative intellect to generate "revelation" at just the right time are but faded pages in the history of the church.

Scripture and intellectual dishonesty

In reading another fellow moho's blog the following topic came to mind.  While no disrespect is intended to those still trying to reconcile with the church I find the mental gymnastics some go thru rather fascinating.  The poster was commenting about a BYU professor who was of course a faithful member yet a thorough archaeologist.  When of course having a discussion about the lack of archaeological evidence around the BoM it was asked of the professor how do you remain faithful when the "proof" doesn't exist.  The professor's response was "I wear two hats."

The blogger went on to explain how they rationalized being in the church when it's keystone is not a book that may or may not be fiction, but solely upon faith, truth and evidence being irrelevant to that faith.

I find myself getting in to regular verbal sparring matches on Youtube with the blindly devout members and self proclaimed experts (aka "apologists") on the various vagaries of Mormonism.  It is really quite amazing the intellectual tail chasing such people do to find the most unsubstantial "proof" they can and qualify it buy being fact and  legitimate evidence.  Such things by these apologists are usually only quotes of some other member or apologist working at one of the fiction mills associated with not proving the credibility of Mormonism and all its claims, but trying to poke wholes in legitimate and reliable science practices that disprove overwhelmingly the church.  Really the whole thing and all the flows from it is nothing but one large and relentless ad hominem attack.

But the resulting issue remains.  If the church is in fact true why does it need so many people running around shoring up the dam and putting out doctrinal fires of the past?  I would think the church would not allow any defensive organizations to be "unofficially" spreading confusion through illogical and inconclusive findings and publishings.  But of course the church has said official doctrine comes from the First Presidency with a *wink wink and a nudge to the apologists and general authorities.  If Mormonism is true why the intellectual dishonesty?  Are we not to be honest in thought, word, and deed?  Wouldn't God have given some small scrap of something tangible to support faith?  We still have existing cultures and places from Old and New Testament times but yet not a shred of anything from Book of Mormon history has ever been found or will ever likely to be.

I'm sure in due course we will be hearing from the faith promoting justification leagues of people (that get a biased BYU education to lend credibility to their unscientific garbage) who shall still go unnamed as I don't want them to get any publicity on my watch, will start rationalizing the spiritual customs of early american civilizations.  Some how "The Great Spirit" is going to end up an apologist publication with more even more of the mental razzle dazzle saying "see Christ did come to the Americas - that's what the native cultures mean. This proves the church is true and why we need to give the remnants of the Lamanites the gospel again." Mark my words it's heading that way.

I'll use my favorite line again... "Truth needs no buttress."