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11 Golden
Questions for Brassy Objections
by Truman
G. Madsen
The Master often
faced questioners whose intent was to entangle Him in His own words,
by returning a question. When, for example, they said, "Who gave
thee this authority to do these things?" He replied: "The baptism
of John was if from heaven, or of man?"
They reasoned.
If we say shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not
believe him? But if we shall say, Of men, then will we anger the
people who believed Him. So they said, "We cannot tell."
Jesus replied,
"Neither do I tell you." (See Mar 11: 30-31) This ended the discussion,
spared Him vain dispute, and left them no ground for attack.
But questions
can also be used to begin a discussion. Leading to the heart of
an issue, they can be so framed that regardless of one's answer,
he is awakened to the frailty of his own position. When such questions
are presented in the spirit of love, with the Spirit of the Lord,
they are effective. But if you use them as battering rams you will
fail.
Remember. What
you truly want is for people (your children, your friends, a neighbor
who might be interested in the Church) to pray about their
stumbling blocks. The answer or, better, the solution,
to all "tough questions" is an earnest upward reach from the knees.
When you can inspire in your friend a promise to "really pray about
it" you are far along.
Here, then,
are queries that sometimes aid. We will call them "11 Golden Questions
for Brassy Objections."
1. My concern
is to live a good life. I am against formal or organized religion.
Can you speak
without using a language, or be taught without knowing one? Can
you, then, be religious without expressing it in a particular way?
(And how do you know your way is God's way?)
2. In religion
sincerity is all that matters. If you live up to your religion,
whatever it is, that is enough.
I religiously
believe that sincerity is not enough. Does my sincerity make me
right?
3. Men are
saved by belief alone, by grace, not by works "lest any man should
boast" (Eph. 2:9).
Did Jesus become
our Redeemer by His belief and the grace of God alone? Or did he
have to do something for us? (Incidentally, if God does
not bless us for good works, should He condemn us for evil works,
like, say "boasting?" Has there been any prophet or saint of
whom God has not required more than belief? Point: We are saved
by grace through works, Christ's grace and works being our prime
example.)
4. You believe
your religion because you were born and indoctrinated in your Church.
If you had been born a Hindu or a Moslem you would be one of them.
Would it convince
you of the Church's divine origin if a minority of its members were
born into it? (The majority of the present membership of the Church
were born in other religions. In the first generation all of its
members, and all of its leaders, were born and indoctrinated in
other religions.)
5. There
are as many ways to God as there are ways of solving a problem in
arithmetic. We are all seeking the same thing. All roads lead to
Rome.
There are different
ways of adding. But is there more than one true sum? Does 2 plus
2 sometimes equal 5? Are some circles really square? (The churches
radically disagree both on means and ends.) Anciently all roads
led to Rome. The same roads led away from Rome. Once there, whatever
Caesar's power, you could not enter the Imperial Palace without
going up the steps and through the
door, could you?
Today, again,
all roads lead to Rome. There the Ecumenical Council (including
authorities within the same Churches) disagree on every issue basic
to Christianity. Could Christ solve all this simply by appearing
before the Council? "Verily, verily I say unto you. Everything
you say is true. My joy is full in your disagreement (except those
who think I should have joy in your agreement). None of you are
mistaken. I bless you for moving in all directions at once. All
that you say about my nature, my will, my power, and my authority,
and all the opposites, are correct. Your only mistake is meeting
together to discuss these things as if the truth is one. Now dismiss
the Council. My peace be with you,"
Is that the
solution?
6. We need
no more Bible. The Bible is enough. It is sufficient.
The Bible says,
does it not, that knowing Christ is essential to salvation? Did
Christ ever say that knowing the Bible is the same as knowing Him?
(Both Christ and the Bible say clearly that knowing the past written
word of God is not equal to knowing the present spoken word of God.)
7. God is
a mystery. The finite cannot know the infinite. Man cannot comprehend
God.
Has God revealed
to you that God cannot reveal more of Himself? Then you depend on
the word of others? Is it wise to study those who have failed to
find Him, and ignore those who have claimed He has revealed Himself?
8. There
are no grounds for accepting the Book of Mormon as the word of God
since you don't have the original plates.
Why do you and
I accept the Bible as the word of God when we don't have the original
manuscripts?
9. Church-goers
bother me. Too many hypocrites, too many people saying one thing
and doing another.
Millions make
a mockery of marriage, home and family. Does that lead you to prize
your own less? Or more? Are we to refuse the banquet because others
only pretend to swallow it?
10. I cannot
believe that what a person eats or drinks is a religious matter.
Tobacco, tea, coffee etc. These are little things.
Do you think
God is less concerned with the care of your body than your family
doctor? These things are not important enough to bring you into
the Lord's Church. Are they, then, important enough to keep you
out?
11. But the
God I believe in won't condemn a man whose heart is right and who
does what he thinks is right.
God cannot justly
condemn the ignorant. But can He justly save him until he knows
the truth both in heart and head?
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