Welcome to Gaia! ::

Welcome all to today's meeting. So how was everybodies week/ fast sunday?

Hey, I'm here, sorry I'm late. My week was busy, today was awesome.

I'd say something, but I requested this topic because I don't know how to deal with this sort of stuff.

I find ignoring them hard. Even if I don't say anything back, I'm sometimes filled with anguish on my insides like someone punched me all over.

it's the adversary trying to tempt us to do something rash and stupid. Just try to remember that and then when somebody is like just being hard on you just start finding the false doctrines in what they are saying to you and if it's really bad just start thinking about what you know to be true sing a hymn to yourself or something.

Ok, I think his logic is a little off but thats not my say. People like this are put in our lives for a reason (my grandpa is one that doesn't like mormons, but my dad married a mormon girl and is now a mormon and he went to my baby blessing, my dad getting his priesthood, and my baptism.) and you just have to let him know that what he said didn't sit with you right and if he laughs or turns it into something more, at least you told him the basics of how he made you feel and then you always have us to talk to, to help you get this kind of thing off of your mind.

Oh, wow...you know, to be truthful, if I were faced with that situation, I'd laugh. I mean, does he even realize the ridiculousness of that statement? Mormonism is Christianity--that's akin to saying something like "cake is a ripoff of dessert". Really, that has so many logical fallacies, I can guarantee you that his essay is going to be both

a) so blatantly biased and obviously hate-fueled

and

b) probably not a very good essay in terms of sheer critical quality.

I know religion is an important thing. I'm not saying to take it lightly. But at times like this, I think it's crucial to one's emotional well-being to be able to distance oneself from the situation, and realize just how silly the situation is.

He probably is trying to take shots at you, but he's failing spectacularly. If I'm correct in assuming you're in high school, you're going to have to wait a couple of years (possibly even decades) before this kid gets to an intellectual level where you can reason with him, so for now, just ignore him. If you really have concerns about the content of his essay, I suggest talking to the teacher about it, explaining exactly how Mormonism actually fits into the larger Christian milieu, and making sure they understand that for when they grade the paper.

Bottom line: People are idiots, and will often do idiotic things in the name of being pointlessly cruel. I'm sure he gets some snide kick out of it now, but there's going to come a time, either in this life when he gets some sense knocked into him, or in the next when he realizes that you were right all along, and he's going to receive a heaping helping of remorse for exercising his agency so poorly.

But you don't have to let yourself be personally offended every time someone says something stupid about your beliefs. Remember that talk a few conferences back (was it Elder Bednar who gave it?) about offense, and how we have to be careful to not only not give it, but not take it.

If it's something you feel strongly about that it shouldn't have been said correct it. there are many people trying to tarnish the name of the mormons to try and stop us. like my friend found out that a group is making a video trying to make Thomas Monson look like a bad guy and trying to put our church in a bad view. many people will probably believe it, but it is up to us to try and correct their views and point them to fact.