My friend showed me a youtube video titled “banned mormon cartoon” and he foolishly believes what it tells. I told him that he isn’t getting his information from the source. Can you please watch this video and help me to explain to him what is truth and what is not? Thank you.
4 Responses to “My friend showed me a youtube video titled “banned mormon ca…”
Gabriel Duarte
2010-10-11 04:23:03
I would add that a number of non-mormon organizations have condemned this film as well.
The Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith described the film as "mormon bashing" and "invidious and defamatory": "I sincerely hope that people of all faiths will similarly repudiate The God Makers as defamatory and untrue, and recognize it for what it truly represents -- a challenge to the religious liberty of all."
The National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ) sent the following letter: "The film does not fairly portray the mormon Church, mormon history, or mormon belief. It makes extensive use of half-truths, faulty generalizations, sensationalism, and is not reflective of the true spirit of mormon faith. We find particularly offensive the emphasis that mormonism is some sort of subversive plot -- a danger to the community, a threat to the institution of marriage, and destructive to the mental health of teenagers. We are of the opinion that the film relies heavily on appeals to fear, prejudice and unworthy human emotions."
Pamela Dean Bonta
2010-10-08 13:58:49
Dear Clark, Here's the thing: we know from true teachings that one of the adversary's greatest tools is to mix scriptures and the thoughts of men, thereby creating falsehoods that mask true teachings. That is exactly what the maker of this cartoon has done. Is he completely wrong in everything he claims? No. But he is not completely right in everything he claims either. Some of his statements are taken out of context. Some are based on the teachings of off-shoots of the mainstream LDS church. Some are correct in words but the pictures are misleaading. Some are oversimplified. Some are based on anti-mormon literature instead of church doctrine. The list goes on.
Here's one example. As the cartoon states, some early church leaders did state that Jesus was married or even married to several women, but there has never been any official church doctrine regarding this belief. As Harold B. Lee stated, "If the president of the church has not declared the position of the church, then you shouldn't go shopping for the answer (Harold B. Lee, teachings of Harold B. Lee, 1996, p. 445).
Cartoons like the above, as well as other anti-mormon/anti-latter day saint media are why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement in 2007: Not every statement made by a church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole church. With divine inspiration, the first presidency... And the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles... Counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official church publications. This doctrine resides in the four "standard works" of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted (LDS Newsroom, "Approaching Mormon Doctrine, " lds.org, 4 May 2007).
I would encourage your friend to visit mormon.org and/or meet with your bishop and the missionaries to have his concerns clarified as I believe that the interweaving of truth, half-truth, myth, and conjecture in this cartoon is staggering.
Victor
2010-10-10 22:14:18
Thesepages gives a list of claims in the "banned mormon cartoon" that is more correctly called the God Makers. This video that describes some of the tactics used in the cartoon.
Thanks for encouraging him to get his information from the source, and please encourage him to talk openly about his concerns and continue to share your testimony.
Grandpa Chet
2010-10-11 15:46:13
This is a "banned" cartoon? Who banned it? Not the church. Even if we wanted to ban it, we don't have any real authority to ban it. I can give my opinion of it (it's silly. ) but neither I nor any other latter-day saint have/has any authority or means to stop its distribution.
The Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith described the film as "mormon bashing" and "invidious and defamatory": "I sincerely hope that people of all faiths will similarly repudiate The God Makers as defamatory and untrue, and recognize it for what it truly represents -- a challenge to the religious liberty of all."
The National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ) sent the following letter: "The film does not fairly portray the mormon Church, mormon history, or mormon belief. It makes extensive use of half-truths, faulty generalizations, sensationalism, and is not reflective of the true spirit of mormon faith. We find particularly offensive the emphasis that mormonism is some sort of subversive plot -- a danger to the community, a threat to the institution of marriage, and destructive to the mental health of teenagers. We are of the opinion that the film relies heavily on appeals to fear, prejudice and unworthy human emotions."
Here's one example. As the cartoon states, some early church leaders did state that Jesus was married or even married to several women, but there has never been any official church doctrine regarding this belief. As Harold B. Lee stated, "If the president of the church has not declared the position of the church, then you shouldn't go shopping for the answer (Harold B. Lee, teachings of Harold B. Lee, 1996, p. 445).
Cartoons like the above, as well as other anti-mormon/anti-latter day saint media are why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement in 2007: Not every statement made by a church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole church. With divine inspiration, the first presidency... And the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles... Counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official church publications. This doctrine resides in the four "standard works" of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted (LDS Newsroom, "Approaching Mormon Doctrine, " lds.org, 4 May 2007).
I would encourage your friend to visit mormon.org and/or meet with your bishop and the missionaries to have his concerns clarified as I believe that the interweaving of truth, half-truth, myth, and conjecture in this cartoon is staggering.
Thanks for encouraging him to get his information from the source, and please encourage him to talk openly about his concerns and continue to share your testimony.