Mormons are extremely sensitive anytime someone like myself comes along and starts poking gaping holes in their faith. Given the obviousness of these gaping holes, they undertake certain tactics to defend themselves like:
1. Quoting Farms and Fair articles verbatim which usually isn't difficult to refute at all since most of the articles have obscured other factual information or just reserted to wordsmithing in a last-ditch effort to keep testimonies intact.
2. Crying persecution. On a FB page, someone argued that its never right to change someone's belief out of one side of their mouth while claiming the missionaries are somehow justified because even though they do ultimately change belief, they're indirect in their approach and therefore its ok. They also blatantly ignore the sharp criticism Mormonism has always laid on other churches for years and years. (Church of the Devil, Protestant Ministers being bitches for Satan, etc.)
3. Go ad-hominem extreme. You are obviously an angry, evil anti-Mormon actively engaged in a religious circle-jerk with Satan and the rest of his minions and as such nothing you say can or should be regarded as true and factual. If they know anything about you personally, they won't hesitate for a moment to try to exploit it at a moment's notice. In my case, its my brother who is in a vegative state and slowly dying which someone brought up on a FB page after I mentioned how the church only gives around 1% to charity.
4. Pull the faith card. None of these criticisms matter because they've got the blinders on and nothing absolutely nothing will change their precious testimony. A diary entry of Joseph Smith about him and Fanny getting it on in the barn? Not important to their salvation (following a false prophet never is). No evidence to substantiate the Book of Mormon, not a requirement as faith trumps all.
5. Pull stuff out of their ass. When I pointed out how GA's are paid a salary someone who uses a hidden FB identity with more than one moderator for their account first asked for absolute evidence of this (despite a complete unwillingness to show anything for the BOM). When I provided that evidence, they then argued that while its offered, most GA's don't take it. When I asked the source for his claim he said he was happy to provide it so long as I first showed them proof that most in fact accept it. Rather than letting him turn the table and weasel out of his obvious lie. I pointed out that the only person who made any claim as to the number of GA's who take a salary was him and if he had concrete proof of this, he would have easily cited it rather than trying to flip the burden of proof on me. His response: Complete silence

What I point out to them that they never can seem to grasp is they're not their beliefs and as such a criticsm of their belief is not a criticism of them. That still doesn't prevent them from taking them as such. What makes them regard their beliefs as extremely personal I've found is the fact that rather than them defining their beliefs, they've let the beliefs of Mormonism define them and since Mormonism has so many beliefs, its always easier to swallow them all verbatim than individually analyze and assess each one. Their beliefs go even more personal when they are foundational in nature. A debate as to whether beer is actually a violation of the WOW wouldn't really bother them whereas a debate as to whether or not Joseph Smith was a prophet or mere con-man really immediatley gets their G's twisted (cognitive dissonance).

even if he or she has been there all the while, expounding effectively.

Now you know why we say it is a waste of time to hammer someone with facts who is basing their belief system on emotion.

Anagrammy

"rather than them defining their beliefs, they've let the beliefs of Mormonism define them and since Mormonism has so many beliefs, its always easier to swallow them all verbatim than individually analyze and assess each one."

But not only is it easier to take it all as is or leave it....members are encouraged to do so. They are told they have to accept it all or reject it all. Statements like the following draw some hard and fast lines.

“The Church stands or falls with Joseph Smith. Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground."

- Joseph Fielding Smith

You can't argue with a brick wall. Give it up. Move on. Live your life.

They'll never listen. If they do, they'll decide on their own to listen and learn.

Sorry. This is my take-away lesson.

As a 40/60 TBM and only still there because of my family. I have found that over the years of teaching the youth and other that you first have to get them to think for themselves before you can do anything else. If an idea appears to be their own idea it stands a much greater chance of taking root and growing. You can't hammer truth or the lack of truth into their heads, it has to be line upon line and so on or it will only go unheard. Pending on if you believe in a God or not, Christ the person was a great teacher, he didn't attack what others believed, he offered something different and better. Then he let the person think about it, and for most it was enough. If you really want to change the minds of TBM's then you need to use the example set by Christ and show them something better without tearing down the foundations of what they already believe. They will tear down their own foundations on their own when they are ready.

ablmu65

If you think Jesus didn't attack what others believed, your sadly mistaken. He was full of criticism to the scribes and pharisees, calling them fools, hypocrites, vipers, etc. If you think Jesus was always polite and low-key, you should really read the gospels again. Jesus constantly employed irony and sarcasm to show what he offered was far better than what they were.

Good Point, I should take a clearer look at those readings again. I appreciate being pointed in the correct direction. Sometimes getting old has a way of softening what was last read years ago.

having their faith challenged. It's just not acceptable.
I know I don't like it, so I don't see any reason to do it to anyone else.

The majority of mankind has a belief in some kind of religious belief that is generally part of their lives on some level, especially the celebratory rituals around birth,coming of age, marriage and death.

Religions are here to stay. They are not up for debate. They are part of our RIGHTS as human beings.
So I say: leave people's faith based beliefs alone. Accept people and love then unconditionally: as-is.
That's what we all want, right? Why not do the same for others.

I don't think we gain any points in bothering people about their religious beliefs and finding fault, challenging them, or belittling them.

It's OK with me if people have strong beliefs in their religious claims. I don't care what they believe. Why would I?
It's their lives, it's about them, it is not about me.

Even having a discussion, and sharing different opinions will turn people against each other, as much of the time, their religious beliefs are so tightly emotionally attached/bonded that even a difference of opinion is taken personally as a personal attack.

People change their ideas about their religious beliefs when they see a need or have a desire to do so.
It's their life, they get to live it the way they want based on any religious belief they want.
Of course, we can change our mind at any time, and many of us have done just that.

But on the whole, it appears that we are bound geographically to the belief systems of our birth and go to our graves with the same emotional attachment on some level.

In conclusion: almost everyone is very sensitive to their religious beliefs being questioned, challenged, even a different opinion voiced. That is only natural as those beliefs are a strong emotional attachment that often never leaves the individual throughout their whole life.

Those with no religious beliefs appear to be only about 15% of humanity.