Continuation of AmIDarkNow?'s thread:
Check this out! Kerry Shirts mormon apologist being absolutely honest.
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,762443,762443#msg-762443

Link to Kerry Shirt's review:
http://www.amazon.com/Deconstructing-Mormonism-Analysis-Assessment-Mormon/product-reviews/1578840074/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
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Thanks for the link, AmIDarkNow?

A highly enjoyable quote from Kerry's review:
"ALL apologists (Mormon, Christian, Muslim, you name em) are deep down actually spooked about their doubts, we just don't like to admit it."

Most of us already knew that, and it's been a topic of discussion on RfM before, but I love seeing one of them admit it.

Because Bob answer-the-question-they-SHOULD-have asked Millet is such a jack@$$, this was one of my favorite parts of Kerry's review:

"He decimates and annihilates Robert L. Millet (not really that difficult actually), B. H. Roberts, and John A. Widtsoe, (two stellar LDS apologists and General Authorites around the turn of the last century) but he also refutes quite a bit of Blake Ostler's ideas (one helluva an accomplishment, Ostler is seriously GOOD! It's too bad he's not better known), and just simply destroys the simplicity of meek and mild milk presented to us year in and year out at General Conference, in church, or elsewhere such as Institute and seminary. Elders Oaks, Packer, etc. simply haven't got a chance against the systematic, logical, and impeccable step by step discussion into the abyss of reality which Riskas takes us into. For whichever Mormon apologist(s) deciding to take Riskas on, I say this in all sincerity, good luck, I mean it more than I have ever before, you are seriously going to need it."

The more kudos one received from Mormons for preaching, defending, and "apologizing" for Mormon beliefs, the more rotten the fruit they will throw at their no-longer-golden child for telling the truth. It takes guts to admit how wrong-headed and misguided we once were about something as all-consuming as Mormonism, and I'm guessing it's been a pretty lonely time for Kerry. I hope he joins us on RfM. Most posters here are pretty forgiving. His insider's view of Mormon Apologetics would make for interesting reading and discussion.

Best wishes, Kerry, and if you happen to read this, welcome to RfM as a non-believer (or skeptic or however you characterize yourself).



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/2013 04:21PM by Surrender Dorothy.

And don't mind the skeptics. You know that from your own experience. Some skepticism is healthy. Be patient with yourself. It often takes time to emerge from the Mormon mind-set.

This is interesting news. Good to see him coming around.

I thought his comment about the bible not telling people not to question what they are taught interesting. I think he is confusing what scriptures say and what religions say. Religions don't want you to question what they teach you. When people start questioning what a religion teaches them they tend to start new religions, ala JS for one.

Did you see this comment by Lew Craig"??

Last edited by the author on Aug 18, 2012 11:11:26 PM PDT
Lew Craig says:


deconstruction: a philosophical theory of criticism (usually of literature or film) that seeks to expose deep-seated contradictions in a work by delving below its surface meaning
(wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn) I suggest if you follow the authors' logic from step to step, using their logic and accepting it, you come to the conclusion you do. The important step is to look at the fallacies in the approach the author's use. Those who don't want to accept Mormonism will happily do this. A thoughtful Latter-day Saint will see through the efforts of logic. One of the above posts quotes the author as saying that he doesn't accept the concept of god any more than he accepts the easter bunny, tooth fairy, Santa Claus, etc. etc. This is a subtle for of persuasion because it puts God on the same level as the fantasy characters. But God is real and not on that level. The author has been very subtle indeed. His sentence gets us to say, "Yeah, those are all fantasies." When we go there, he has us. We can't buy into these subtleties that are not true, but it is so easy. It reminds me of the friend I had as an undergraduate who took a logic class. He said, "Through logic I can convince you your not here!" We must use our brains and not accept all the ideas that are put before us.


So we aren't supposed to accept all the ideas that are put before us....????

Okay, i will start with your comment.

Thanks for the link. I am buying this book.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/2013 05:17PM by intjsegry.

I wonder if Brother Craig will call out Brother Uchtdorf for the same tactic, although it's somehow entirely different and absolutely acceptable when it's one of The Lord's Anointed. I double-dog-dare you, Lew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jeq9Yq2CpU

It is like watching a train wreck. Something happened but he doesn't go into it. Millet's Devil got his goat. Shirts seems to claim that he is moving forward in his intellect. His greatest fear is moving back than forward.

Seems like he hit a wall and had to climb over it leaving his Mormon beliefs behind.

Perhaps he will feel less guilty now for the occasional cig.