nickipicki123
Puritan Board Freshman
I'm listening to the audiobook of Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. This book focuses on fundamentalist Mormonism, but unfortunately, throughout it he makes sleights on all religions, including Christianity. I thought this quote may make an interesting discussion and I wonder how you all would respond to it (sorry it is a bit long):
Context of his quote:
"The Book of Mormon has been much derided non-Mormons since before it was even published. Critics point out that the gold plates, which would presumably prove the book's authenticity, were conveniently returned to Moroni after Joseph completed his translation, and they haven't been seen since. Scholars have observed that no archaeological artifacts with links to the supposedly advanced and widespread Nephite civilization have ever been found in North America or anywhere else. As history, moreover, the Book of Mormon is filled with egregious anachronisms and irreconcilable inconsistencies. For instance, it makes many references to horses and wheeled carts..."
This is the sleight at all religion, though:
"But such criticism and mockery are largely beside the point. All religious belief is a function of non-rational faith, and faith by its very definition tends to be impervious to intellectual argument or academic criticism. Polls routinely indicate, moreover, that nine out of ten Americans believe in God—most of us subscribe to one brand of religion or another. Those who would assail The Book of Mormon should bear in mind that its veracity is no more dubious than the veracity of the Bible, say, or the Qur'an, or the sacred texts of most other religions. The latter texts simply enjoy the considerable advantage of having made their public debut in the shadowy recesses of the ancient past, and are thus much harder to refute.”
Overall this is a really interesting book (I find the fundamentalist Mormons fascinating), but I do not like how he lumps all religion into one.
Context of his quote:
"The Book of Mormon has been much derided non-Mormons since before it was even published. Critics point out that the gold plates, which would presumably prove the book's authenticity, were conveniently returned to Moroni after Joseph completed his translation, and they haven't been seen since. Scholars have observed that no archaeological artifacts with links to the supposedly advanced and widespread Nephite civilization have ever been found in North America or anywhere else. As history, moreover, the Book of Mormon is filled with egregious anachronisms and irreconcilable inconsistencies. For instance, it makes many references to horses and wheeled carts..."
This is the sleight at all religion, though:
"But such criticism and mockery are largely beside the point. All religious belief is a function of non-rational faith, and faith by its very definition tends to be impervious to intellectual argument or academic criticism. Polls routinely indicate, moreover, that nine out of ten Americans believe in God—most of us subscribe to one brand of religion or another. Those who would assail The Book of Mormon should bear in mind that its veracity is no more dubious than the veracity of the Bible, say, or the Qur'an, or the sacred texts of most other religions. The latter texts simply enjoy the considerable advantage of having made their public debut in the shadowy recesses of the ancient past, and are thus much harder to refute.”
Overall this is a really interesting book (I find the fundamentalist Mormons fascinating), but I do not like how he lumps all religion into one.