Text 1650, 84 rader
Skriven 2009-01-25 16:13:22 av Ed Hulett (1:123/789.0)
   Kommentar till text 1649 av Ross Sauer (1:123/789.0)
Ärende: Muslim lawyer brands Chri
=================================
Ross Sauer -> Ed Hulett wrote:
 RS> "Ed Hulett -> God Dan" <1:123/789.0> wrote in
 RS> news:5700$HOLYSMOKE@JamNNTPd:

 GD>>>>> Scientology claims around 15 million.

 EH>>>>> Cite please.

 GD>>>> Just do a quick search on line.

 EH>>>> That isn't a cite.

 GD>>> Are you afraid to look?

 EH>> When asked for a cite, you are supposed to give a link or something
 EH>> that lead you to your conclusion. Simply saying "look it up" isn't a
 EH>> cite.

 RS> Once again, a few minutes in Google:

 RS> http://www.xenu.net/archive/COS_members.html

 RS> Less than a million, by conservative figuring.

You just supported my point.

 RS> Like so many other religions, wildly inflated numbers.

What other religions have "wildly inflated numbers?"

 GD>>>> As it's from them, it can't be any less accurate than the
 EH>>   membership GD>> in your cult.

 EH>>>> The LDS Church uses an independent organization for counting
 EH>>   members.

 GD>>> And that's supposed to impress me?

 EH>> It's supposed to show you that the numbers aren't made up.

 RS> So who is this independent organization?

 RS> But once more, a few minutes in Google:

 RS> [T]he number of Latter-day Saints who are considered active churchgoers
 RS> is only about a third of the total, or 4 million in the pews every
 RS> Sunday, researchers say. For a church with such a large, dedicated
 RS> missionary corps constantly seeking to spread its word, conversion
 RS> numbers in recent years tell an unexpected story. According to LDS-
 RS> published statistics, the annual number of LDS converts declined from a
 RS> high of 321,385 in 1996 to 241,239 in 2004. In the 1990s, the church's
 RS> growth rate went from 5 percent a year to 3 percent.

Inactive members are still members.

 RS> http://sltrib.com/utah/ci_2890645

 RS> This still does not address the main point.

 RS> Numbers mean squat.
 RS> What makes the LDS teachings valid, while other faiths are invalid?

Article of Faith #11:

"We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of
our own
conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where,
or what they may."

Ed

-- 
"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is
to fill the world with fools." --Herbert Spencer

"The republican is the only form of government which is not
eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind."
-- Thomas Jefferson

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