Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity Face to Face

Jesus as the Bread of Life

SALT LAKE CITY UTAH – This is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology., where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity, face to face.

Show 1 375 Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity Face to Face First show of 2014

And I’m Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion., your host. We praise the True and Living God for allowing us to participate in this ministry. May He be with you (and us) tonight.

Heard rumors that Dr.

And with that, how about a moment from the Word?

We are in John chapter six in our Milk gathering on Sundays and this chapter is all about Jesus being the bread of life. It is interesting that because of what the Lord says here to those following Him that many abandoned their pursuit – walked away. What did He tell them that was so offensive to them? He told the masses who were pursuing Him that they only did so to eat of the material food He had provided them the day before. Then He says (over seven times) that He was come from heaven, that HE is the bread of eternal life, and then He says:

Spiritual Significance of His Words

“Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:54

Boom! The crowds are like – this is too far out there. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood! What the . . . .? Of course religion (the Catholics in particular who take this literally in their communion ritual) and the LDS (who use communion emphatically as the means to receive weekly sanctification for sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace.) have entirely missed the mark of Jesus was saying too. Later in the chapter, after teaching this to the masses (and John tells us many left off following after Him because of it) the disciples came to Him and said:

“This is an hard saying; who can hear it? “

And it is here that Jesus makes the matter clear, saying in response: (LISTEN)

The Spirit and the Flesh

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)

In this section of chapter 6 the word EAT is used something like 8 or 9 times but in light of verse 63 . . .

(verse here again)

Does Jesus mean we are to literally eat His body like the Catholics say? Are we to “do communion” as a means to always be with Him like the LDS say? Never. So the question remains:

How do we eat His flesh and drink His blood. Jesus tells us (through what He says to His disciples)

Look at verse 63 again!

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they (the words) are spirit, and they (the words He spoke) are life.”

In other words we consume Him, we eat Him, we digest Him by reading and hearing and pondering upon His WORDS!

“They are spirit!” Jesus says. “They are life.” He reiterates.

In John 1:1 we read the all-familiar passage:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(and then in verse 14)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.”

Let me say it plainly: A church which has ritualized communion, that has taken the bread and wine literally or mandatorily or has predicated taking it on membership or worthiness has entirely missed the point Jesus makes. And worse yet, ANY church that does not feed upon the Word of God at every opportunity has entirely missed what Jesus meant by eating His flesh and drinking His blood because it is all about consuming the Word, digesting it, and in and through this, the Spirit makes Him known.

And with that, let’s have a word of Prayer.

PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER

PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER

I want to start this first show of the new year with a few quotes for your consideration. There are eleven of them and some of them come from the minds of people of whom you may not even approve.

“People are never so completely and enthusiastically evil as when they act out of religious conviction.” ? Umberto Eco, The Prague Cemetery

“There are few things more dangerous than inbred religious certainty.” ? Bart D. Ehrman

“What can you say to a man who tells you he prefers obeying God rather than men, and that as a result he's certain he'll go to heaven if he cuts your throat?” ? Voltaire

Philosophical Musings on Fanaticism

Philosophical Dictionary

“Fanatics can justify practically any atrocity to themselves. The more untenable their position becomes, the harder they hold to it, and the worse the things they are willing to do to support it.” ?? Mercedes Lackey, Changes

“In the long run I certainly hope information is the cure for fanaticism, but I am afraid information is more the cause than the cure.” ?? Daniel C. Dennett

“If I were asked for a one-sentence sound bite on religion, I would say I was against it.” ?? Salman Rushdie

“Patriotism is a kind of religion; it is the egg from which wars are hatched."?- Guy de Maupassant

“We have to quit confusing a madness with a mission.” ?? Flannery O'Connor, The Violent Bear it Away

“There is no place in a fanatic's head where reason can enter.” ?? Napoleon Bonaparte

“…history has shown that the most terrible crimes against love have been committed in the name of fanatically defended doctrines.” ?? Paul Tillich, Dynamics of Faith

(and one of my favorites)

“A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.” ?? Winston Churchill

Reflections on Religious Critiques

Why start the year off with these quotes on religious fanaticism? Especially quotes from some people who, as human beings, stood against Christianity? They play a role in what I am about to reveal.

Along the same lines (and almost a decade ago), I wrote a book called Born-Again Mormon. A lot of Christians (and some LDS people) hated the title were really rubbed the wrong way over a couple principle positions I took in the book – namely, “that I called myself a born-again Mormon,” “that I told people that they didn’t have to make leaving the church an issue in their lives,” “that I emphasized this point by even more by having the audacity to suggest that they remain LDS, (that one really got people angry). And that “I recognized many LDS people where were better Christians than I would ever be.”

(I am bring this up now for a reason too – which we’ll get to in a minute).

Acknowledgements and Influences

Then at the back of Born Again Mormon I actually included a list of acknowledgements of people who had greatly influenced my thinking up to that point in time. There was reverberation over this list (as well) because many Christian brothers and sisters wondered how and why I would include noted “Catholics,” “Mormons,” “Atheists,” “Anarchists,” and “Communists” in my line up?

I read criticisms from so-called Christian apologists that said things like: “It is noteworthy to consider the character of some of the people McCraney includes at the back of his illogical book. How could a Christian acknowledge the insights of noted enemies of the faith?”

This is the list of the people I acknowledged as having influence over my views:

Arminius (proponent of Free Will), Marcus Aurelius (Stoic Christian hater), Robert Bork (conservative legal scholar), Hugh B. Brown (LDS Democrat), Johnny Cash (Christian musician), John Calvin (father of Calvinism), Patsy Cline (female Country singer), Sam Cook (black musician extraordinaire), Charles Darwin (father of evolutionary thought), Rene Descartes (the “I think therefore I am” guy), Jonathan Edwards (author of sinners in the hands of an angry God), Victor Frankl (Austrian Psychiatrist), Sigmund Freud (founder of psycholanalyisis), Greg Graffin (UCLA Professor, Atheist, and lead singer of Bad Religion)

In fact, here is some of Graffin’s work – (play Oh Come All ye faithful)

I mean, to me that was a moving rendition of that beautiful song, and puts me more in the mode of worship than most other versions… is that wrong

Graphic continues…

Don Henley (musician), Hermann Hesse and Victor Hugo (authors), Flavius Josephus (Jewish historian), Carl Jung (psychiatrist and psychotherapist), Immanuel Kant (philosopher), Soren Kierkegaard (Christian father of existentialism), Martin Luther (religious reformer), Niccolo Machiavelli (Italian humanist), Karl Marx (communist), Rolo May (psychologist), Vernon J. McGee (Christian pastor), Thomas Merton (Catholic mystic), Friederich Nietzsche (philosopher that was all about the Godless will to power), Robert Pirsig (author of Zen and the Art of), Ayn Rand (author and founder of Objectivism), Adrian Rogers (pastor/preacher), Jean-Paul Sartre (father of atheistic existentialism), Paul Simon (singer-song-writer), B.F. Skinner (horrid psychologist who believed he could create people any way he wanted), St. Augustine (influential theologian in the early Roman Catholic Church) and AW Tozer (a Christian Pastor).

(actually I neglected to cover the fact that Charles Stanley (pastor) Vincent Van Gogh, Frank Lloyd Wright, Brigham Young and Billy Zoom of the band X were also included in this list.)

Exploring Controversies in Evangelical Beliefs

Once we began airing Heart of the Matter in March of 2006, I stood firmly on the following points:

• Getting people to leave Mormonism was not our job, and if someone wanted to remain, that was between them and God.
• American Evangelicalism had plenty of in-house problems and issues that exiting LDS people who were looking for a church home needed to avoid.
• Calvinism was theologically as reprehensible as Mormonism.
• Our ministry was NOT against LDS people (in the least) but that we completely stood against the institution called Mormonism.

In February of 2010, I was interviewed by John Dehlin of Mormon Stories Fame. In this interview, I said a number of things that again angered a number of my Christian brothers and sisters who happened to watch it, including:

• That the name Jesus is not necessary to say for salvation.
• That Muslims, Buddhists, and other “ists” and ism people can be saved (but only through Christ Jesus).
• That the Bible is not perfect in its present state.
• That in some respects, I know I would have gotten along swimmingly with Joseph Smith.

Evangelical Response to Religious Politics

On June 2nd of 2011, faithful LDS church-member Mitt Romney announced that he was running for President of the United States. Between that date and November of 2012, we watched as Evangelical Christians, who were typically against anything LDS, sold their souls to the God of this world and pushed openly for Christians everywhere to consider who they called the lesser of two evils and to elect Romney. It was one of the most shameful periods of American Evangelicalism as far as I’m concerned.

Then, one year ago this week, after visiting ten of the largest Christian Churches in Utah and announcing that we were going to spend the year examining what we had observed, the greatest Christian friend to the LDS in Utah, an open supporter of Romney, a rabid conservative Evangelical fanatic, and a man who has himself introduced as “Reverend,” rallied the states pastors to get us booted off local television where we had the greatest impact on people who are in Mormonism and those coming out.

Questioning Established Doctrines

Now, over 2013, more “factors” (or fuel) have been added to “this long-burning fire” as I openly have challenged many of the practices found in modern American Evangelicalism. From modern Christian cultural applications, to faith healings, to name it and claim it, to bigger not being better, to so-called Christian worship, to tithes and money, we have shown an equal amount of disdain for untruths in the Christian church as we have in Mormonism.

Of late, we’ve hit on Calvinism, questioned the eternality of the Lake of Fire, and have openly wondered about the historic Christian position on the Trinity and the most popular eschatological positions in Christianity as a whole.

What is this all about? Is there a point? Listen folks – there has been a point the whole time. Since the beginning. A point I have forever had in my sights.

So where black and white thinkers who are in desperate need of certainty from Man have considered me unstable, and Christian dogmatists have wholly supported the ministry as long as it echoed what they wanted to hear (then turned on us like rabid dogs the moment we differed) and where LDS people, unable to hear ANYTHING but support for their faith sent hate-mail by the truckload, we have always been the same. Our focus has shifted, our emphasis has moved around, but our primary focus has been the same.

Focus for 2014 and Beyond

So let me set up the direction of our programs in 2014 by plainly explaining (reiterating) what our methods and focus have always been toward – always.

Ready?

To introduce Latter-day Saints to the God-given gift of spiritual rebirth through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To assist Born-Again Mormons in their sacred mission of peacefully bringing other Latter-day Saints to the Lord.

To help Born-Again Mormons appreciate and support positive aspects of Church membership while simultaneously (but politely) rejecting any doctrine or practice contrary to biblical truth and authentic religious practice.

To patiently help initiate an integration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into the existing body of Christ.

These four objectives were plainly stated in the preface of our first book. Nothing has changed.

What has changed is that viewers and critics have woken up to the fact that anything and everything (that is untrue) that hinders our ability to reach.

Purpose of Evaluating Truth

These objectives will come under fire – no matter how sacred, no matter how traditional, no matter how appealing it may be. If it is NOT contextually biblical, we seek to expose it and then destroy it – because we cannot help free a trapped people (the LDS) by leading them into more man-made religious bondage. In other words, we do NOT take sides or play favorites. If an atheist brings truth to the table it is accepted. If a Mormon (or something about Mormonism is correct) we embrace it. If something about Christianity is false, we will kick it to the curb and enjoy doing it.

The problem with taking a firm stance on anything other than Jesus – in being wholly against something, or wholly supportive of something, is it leads to a type of prejudice, which can lead to a type of blindness, which leads to unbridled fanaticism, which leads to opposite of the nature of God – which is love. Now, admittedly, I am hard on the LDS – especially the LDS apologists and defenders of the faith – but when people are blind sometimes the only thing we can do is light a fire and let them feel the heat. But this is a method to introducing truth and thought – and in our efforts to achieving the four missional points – is not applied to the LDS alone – everything and everyone is game.

Introduction to Purpose Points

Let me review the four missional points and explain them a bit better before introducing our focus for 2014.

Purpose Point Number One

To introduce Latter-day Saints to the God-given gift of spiritual rebirth through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As we’ve stated a thousand times, the LDS (as a whole) do not understand regeneration. They believe (doctrinally) that it comes processionally by and through partaking their sacraments and living worthily. It’s just not so. And so as a result, they are in bondage – since only the Truth can set people free. But while our focus is on the LDS we have noticed that many, many non-LDS do not understand spiritual rebirth, so along the way we have been able to reach them as well – praise God.

In our efforts to explain rebirth we also have the need to address many false teachings relative to rebirth that are alive and well in Christianity today. In these efforts, again, our allegiance is NOT to churches or traditions or the doctrines of Man but to a sound contextual understanding of the Word of God. So while we are swinging our machete in one direction against Mormonism, we are swinging the other direction against modern American Evangelicalism so as to provide a wide clearing for spiritually enlightened souls to tread.

Purpose Point Number Two

To assist Born-Again Mormons in their sacred mission of peacefully bringing other Latter-day Saints to the Lord. People who have never been Mormon have little idea of how hard it can be to leave the totalistic church. Many Christians are of the opinion that because a person comes to know Jesus it ought to be enough for them to walk from everything their lives have been centered on. It’s really a myopic and thoughtless perspective. People leaving Mormonism often love their families dearly, even their spouses and children. Their jobs are tied to the faith, their neighbors, their friends, their entire worldview.

When they ask around the Christian community how to retreat they are often given really ridiculous advice, like: “If you are really a believer you might have to walk from your family entirely.” Or “Who do you love more – Jesus or your husband.” Our ministry is aimed at helping Christians (typically babes in Christ) to know how to relate and respond to their former LDS lives. When it is done as Jesus would do it, we see entire families walking out of the faith. When it is done wrong, we see heart-ache, misery, and destroyed families – which is NOT in God’s design.

Appreciation and Support

Purpose Point Number Three

To help Born-Again Mormons appreciate and support positive aspects of Church membership while simultaneously (but politely) rejecting any doctrine or practice contrary to biblical truth and authentic religious practice. Admittedly, when I first came out of Mormonism I saw it as possessing little value. In the overall sense, I maintain this view. I say this because in the end, Mormonism (taken as a whole) puts an idol between God and Man (the church itself and its leaders) and serves to make its strongest adherents idolaters (and not worshippers in spirit and in truth).

Nevertheless, there are both – LISTEN closely – there are BOTH practical

Teaching the Truth

Doctrinal truths Mormonism has that are either overlooked or entirely rejected and even mocked by Christians. It is here that I refuse to take sides but am only interested in truth – no matter who says or supports it. I admittedly made a mistake in trying to take on the local churches early in the year due to my zealous desire to protect newborn Christians exiting Mormonism forgetting that God has them in His care. So today we are just going to teach the truth and hope those who seek it will find.

Finally, the fourth PURPOSE POINT says our mission is: To patiently help initiate an integration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into the existing body of Christ. In order to help achieve this goal, two main things have to occur. First, all non-biblical practices and doctrines found in Mormonism must be rejected for what they are – doctrines of Men. In some measure they are moving toward this place (even though they remain highly deceptive in doing it). And the second thing that has to happen is all non-biblical practices and doctrines found in modern Christianity must be rejected for what they are – doctrines of Men. Only then will thinking, observant, truth seeking LDS people be willing to walk from their chains – never before.

Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity

And so this is going to be our focus this year. In fact we can call 2014 the year where “Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity Face to Face.” The machete is going to continue to swing both ways – with not a blade remaining that is a man-made construct of religion. We pray that those who seek to worship in spirit and in truth will find the shows worthwhile. And those who want to cling to tradition – whether they be LDS or Christians – will move along.

With that, let’s open up the phones: (801) While the operators are taking your calls Please consider the following exciting announcement: RUN NEW STATION SPOT HERE

Promoting Understanding

We are really excited about this as we hope to promote the teaching of the word and to give God a chance to make sense for those who have not really understood Him through LDS and some modern-day Christian tenets. So stay tuned – 19.3 here along the Wasatch Front.

(RUN QUOTES HERE – ONE BY ONE – Shawn will read over them)

GRAPHIC “that I called myself a born-again Mormon,” “that I told people that they didn’t have to make leaving the church an issue in their lives,” “that I emphasized this point by even suggesting that they remain, (that one really got people angry). that “I recognized many LDS people where were better Christians than I would ever be.”

GRAPHIC Arminius Marcus Aurelius Robert Bork, Hugh B. Brown, Johnny Cash, John Calvin, Cline, Patsy Cline, Sam Cook, Charles Darwin, Rene Descartes, Jonathan Edwards, Victor Frankl, Sigmund Freud, Greg Graffin, Don Henley, Hermann Hesse, Victor Hugo, Flavius Josephus, Carl Jung, Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Luther, Niccolo Machiavelli, Karl Marx, Rolo May, Vernon J. McGee, Thomas Merton, Friederich Nietzsche, Robert Pirsig, Ayn Rand, Adrian Rogers, Jean-Paul Sartre, Paul Simon, B.F. Skinner, St. Augustine, and A.W. Tozer.

Fade graphic and play “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” here please

Back to Shawn:

Then back to Graphic of list

GRAPHIC

GRAPHIC of www.mormonstories.com website

GRAPHIC of four points

GRAPHIC (repeat)

GRAPHIC

GRAPHIC (repeat)

GRAPHIC

GRAPHIC HEART OF THE MATTER 2014 “Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity Face to Face.”

GRAPHIC of PHONE

NEW STATION SPOT HERE

EMAILS

Dear Shawn, I’ve watched some bits of your shows on YouTube, and found it fascinating I’ve spoken to Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses for many years. Trying to explain the biblical teachings in as opposed to the teachings laid out from both their organizations. It's so good to see someone else reach out to these people, who seem to be good people at heart but are blinded and controlled by fear. I was wondering if you could email me.

The Requirements for Eternal Life in Mormon Belief

Some information, for example, everything a Mormon has to do to live with Heavenly Father. (baptised, attend temple, wear certain under clothes, etc). I find it’s a good way to expose that the church teaches salvation by works and not by faith in Christ alone. Any other information that you feel may be relevant would be fantastic. Thanking you, keep up the good work. God bless you. Pete.

Essentials for the Celestial Kingdom

An individual must possess/complete the following to receive eternal life or the celestial kingdom:

• faith in Jesus Christ.
• repentance for sin (this is a whole process, by the way).
• baptism by proper LDS authority.
• the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by those holding priesthood authority.
• the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
• the temple endowment.
• the new and everlasting covenant of marriage.
• enduring to the end.

Enduring to the end generally includes obeying all of God’s commandments and LDS covenants. God’s commandments and LDS covenants include:

• repenting.
• prayer.
• frequent scripture study.
• fasting.
• bearing testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel.
• receiving all ordinances and rites in faith.
• keeping the Sabbath day holy.
• obeying the Word of Wisdom (the laws of health).
• sustaining local priesthood leaders.
• obeying the law of chastity.
• paying a full tithing and other requested offerings.
• attending Church meetings.
• magnifying Church callings.
• obeying the laws of the land.
• sharing the gospel (missionary work).
• doing family genealogy.
• being willing to consecrate everything to the Church.
• attending the temple often.
• being a valiant home teacher (if male) or visiting teacher (if female).
• following the prophet and apostles.

Since various Church leaders have strongly recommended the following activities, the truly obedient usually feel that, in addition to the above, following the prophet and apostles, includes:

• bearing or raising children, if possible.
• keeping a personal journal.
• subscribing to Church periodicals.
• honoring positive Church history, but avoiding the negative.
• observing specific grooming standards/requirements.
• adhering to specific apparel guidelines.
• avoiding caffeinated drinks (not included in the Word of Wisdom).
• maintaining a one-year food storage supply.
• participating in Boy Scouts (if male between eight and eighteen).
• remaining free from consumer-credit debt.
• avoiding R rated movies (or worse).
• preparing for and serving a full-time mission if an unmarried male or for couples without children under eighteen.
• assisting in church house maintenance and clean-up.
• obtaining a college education or vocational training.
• participating in local, state, and/or national politics.
• holding a weekly family home evening.
• accepting all Church callings and assignments.
• avoiding doctrinal/Church intellectualism and certain symposia.
• striving to do good continually.

A Personal Struggle with Faith and Family

I have a problem; I have a “parasitic” twin, we are attached via a “tail” or what is really just the coccyx portion to our spine, or brain stem whatever you want to call it. We are both healthy, well developed male adults. I am into reading books, and my brother is in to MMA fighting. I am a conservative, and he is a liberal, I shouldn’t say that he is truly not liberal, he is just a moron, I am a Christian and he is Mormon.

Needless to say life for me is not going in the direction that I would like it to. I can’t keep a girlfriend due to my brother and his plural marriages, part of the issue is he keeps stealing my girls, and any nice girls I meet don’t trust my brother. Every time I go the temple with my brother they literally make me stand outside the curtain, they put blindfolds over my eyes and ear plugs in my ears so that I won’t hear their secret phrases, or see their lame handshakes.

We just had our biggest fight ever, I refused to pay the extortion money to enter the temple, I refused to pay to be baptized yet again or married yet again to some honey bee babe, albeit dead or alive, I am done. Now my brother, I think is in to Mormonism (one for the women, and two he thinks he will become a god). He searches the stars at night looking for the star “Kolob” it is embarrassing. The other day he called NASA asking for star charts looking for “Kolob”. He has one official wife on the public record, but has been married to dozens in the temple, some know about the temple marriages and are into it, others don’t and I guess will be surprised when he claims them in heaven.

Now every time we go to the temple he thinks he has to strike up a conversation with the devil, you know the guy that plays the devil in the skits; the one where the Mormons say is the brother to Jesus. Last night when we went to…

Critique of Mormonism

church they put a gag in my mouth so that I wouldn’t ask questions. Questions like where are the People, Places, or things from the book of Mormon, you know there is no archeological record, none and boy they don’t like to answers questions about it. In fact they just make up stuff, steal meso American history and stamp their name on it even though it don’t fit. I guess they just have to have something. I asked about Zelph, one time, and tried to get them to explain Zelph in North America and their story about Central America being the cradle of their people today. Hoooo, my Heavenly Father you would have thought Zion was under attack, Calling Jonathon Livingston Sea Gull they would have had him peck out my eyes.

So I asked them one time did Joseph Smith really get killed in a shoot out? We all know the answer is yes, but they said NO….. He was a martyr, for his cause, and the religion that he created, that caused me to take pause, the man was right, his cause was something that he a man had created, in fact it occurred to me that all religion is created by man.

Personal Spiritual Journey

It was on this day that I became a Christian, Christianity it is not manmade it is ordained by God, it is a faith, not a religion, or a church or a man but God himself in the form of Jesus Christ. I started going to a Bible preaching church and started studding and I no longer have a parasitic twin, I discovered that he was just the sin nature that all man have, yes he’s still there, but he is not the problem that he was when man of the center of religion, or the center of the church that I attended. Today God is the center and man is just man.

GREAT STUFF G

Seeking Support for Leaving Mormonism

From: Kim Kapp

Subject: Looking for help

Message Body:

Dear HOTM friends,

I am just your typical, middle-aged, Primary President type of Mormon mom. I have been active my whole life, married in the temple, missionary mom yada, yada, yada. Ironically, my BYU religion class is what started me on this journey that has ultimately lead me to find out that this whole church is built on fraud by despicable men. I can’t even explain how devastated I feel. I feel crushed and numb. My biggest problem now is to know how to live out the rest of my life. My husband has completely stonewalled me on this issue. He only patronizes me and tells me to pray and study more. Ugh! I really don’t have the choice to leave. I can’t even imagine the calamity that would cause in my ultra orthodox family situation. (My in-laws would never even drink a coke.) I am in Utah Valley, so every single neighbor I have is LDS. You might as well ship me to a deserted island if I left the church. It would have the same effect. How can I even tell my children, especially my return missionary who works in the temple? I am pleading with anyone who can help me. Do you have any shows that have addressed this type of problem and pain? I am sure I am not alone. I actually have a Brother-in-law who was a former bishop who has also discovered the truth. He is a great support but he has it much easier living in Arizona. I don’t want to burden people with my problems. I am only looking for answers or suggestions for people like me.

Misunderstandings About Catholicism

Full disclosure: I am an atheist but was raised Catholic. I was watching Episode 162 where you asked a caller if he was attending a Christian Church. He said "yes, I attend St. Anne's and you responded "yeah, but have you had the chance to go to a Christian Church where they teach from the Bible?"

I know you have problems with the Catholic teachings of good works, role of Mary and transubstantiation (among other doctrines) but you are incorrect if you believe that Catholics do not teach the Bible during Mass.

I don't know if you've ever been to a Catholic Mass but if you had you would know they do 2 readings from the New Testament every week and the priest also does a reading from one of the Gospels each week which he then follows with his homily (sermon) explaining how his Gospel reading exemplifies Jesus' teachings.

Congratulations on

Viewer Feedback

I really enjoy watching your show. Please try to load them on the website more quickly. Your live stream is frequently problematic and I'd like to watch the shows closer to the original air date.

Thank you.

Madeleine Smith