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*'''May 9 and 10th, "Jesus Smith/cryophil" updates the ex-Mormon message board Postmormon.org regarding his efforts on lds.net.'''—"Jesus Smith" says, "Like many of you, I find the concept of religious faith absurd. It is a mind-trick to place it at the top, in first position, so that those who are racing to their belief will jump over it without much thought.....This topic is giving LDS.NET mormons a run for their money. Some of our posts have made their way into the discussion. haha. see [http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/46383-why-faith-1st-principle.html why-faith-1st-principle]" {{ref|jesussmith.faith.absurd}} The link is to a post on lds.net made by "cryophil" on May 7, 2012. On May 10, 2012, "cryophil" talks of "the faith" that he has "placed in Mormonism" on lds.net, "My other question then is, what happens when the evidence found by science contradicts the faith I've placed in Mormonism?" {{ref|cryophil.faith}} The next day, "Jesus Smith" reported back to the ex-Mormon board that he was "[c]ontinuing to hammer them with logic." {{ref|hammerlogic}} The "cryophil" account on lds.net was ultimately banned. | *'''May 9 and 10th, "Jesus Smith/cryophil" updates the ex-Mormon message board Postmormon.org regarding his efforts on lds.net.'''—"Jesus Smith" says, "Like many of you, I find the concept of religious faith absurd. It is a mind-trick to place it at the top, in first position, so that those who are racing to their belief will jump over it without much thought.....This topic is giving LDS.NET mormons a run for their money. Some of our posts have made their way into the discussion. haha. see [http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/46383-why-faith-1st-principle.html why-faith-1st-principle]" {{ref|jesussmith.faith.absurd}} The link is to a post on lds.net made by "cryophil" on May 7, 2012. On May 10, 2012, "cryophil" talks of "the faith" that he has "placed in Mormonism" on lds.net, "My other question then is, what happens when the evidence found by science contradicts the faith I've placed in Mormonism?" {{ref|cryophil.faith}} The next day, "Jesus Smith" reported back to the ex-Mormon board that he was "[c]ontinuing to hammer them with logic." {{ref|hammerlogic}} The "cryophil" account on lds.net was ultimately banned. | ||
*'''August 10, 2012: MormonThink publicly announces that David Twede is its new managing editor''' | *'''August 10, 2012: MormonThink publicly announces that David Twede is its new managing editor''' | ||
*'''August 23 and 24, 2012: Someone at Twede's IP address in Florida creates account "starlight012" and reports a "bad member" running MormonThink'''—"Hi, I am new to the forum. I want help. There is a member who is posting anti-mormon information and claiming to be a member in good standing. I know him, his name and want his leaders to encourage him to stop. What do I do? it's an article at that mormon think website."{{ref|starlight1}}....I think it's an anti-mormon site. I know the guy that wrote that and he's claiming to be a good member, but I know he's not. {{ref|starlight1b}}....Now I am getting confused. Some of you have said that they lie a lot at MT, pretending to be active members. That's also what I know of David, the current editor there. However, some of you have said that the material is correct and while presented in a way to convey a message that pushes apart, it is not untrue. Some have said that it is very misleading, but that it has the facts correct. What is going on here? The new editor that I know is there because the previous one left the church. He is still a member, but I wouldn't call him a good member. However, I have read the article and now see that all of the points come directly from scriptures or standard books in the church. I think it is meant to divide people, using the facts. If this gets out to non-members, and if they think a good member is writing this, that is going to look bad. Can't we get it shut down or have the editor reprimanded by church leaders for portraying himself that way? {{ref|starlight1c}} | *'''August 23 and 24, 2012: Someone at Twede's IP address in Florida creates account "starlight012" and reports a "bad member" running MormonThink'''—"Hi, I am new to the forum. I want help. There is a member who is posting anti-mormon information and claiming to be a member in good standing. I know him, his name and want his leaders to encourage him to stop. What do I do? it's an article at that mormon think website."{{ref|starlight1}}...."I think it's an anti-mormon site. I know the guy that wrote that and he's claiming to be a good member, but I know he's not." {{ref|starlight1b}}...."Now I am getting confused. Some of you have said that they lie a lot at MT, pretending to be active members. That's also what I know of David, the current editor there. However, some of you have said that the material is correct and while presented in a way to convey a message that pushes apart, it is not untrue. Some have said that it is very misleading, but that it has the facts correct. What is going on here? The new editor that I know is there because the previous one left the church. He is still a member, but I wouldn't call him a good member. However, I have read the article and now see that all of the points come directly from scriptures or standard books in the church. I think it is meant to divide people, using the facts. If this gets out to non-members, and if they think a good member is writing this, that is going to look bad. Can't we get it shut down or have the editor reprimanded by church leaders for portraying himself that way?" {{ref|starlight1c}} | ||
*'''September 9, 2012: Twede posts the first entry on his blog''' | *'''September 9, 2012: Twede posts the first entry on his blog''' | ||
*'''September 10, 2012: "starlight012" returns to lds.net to post a link to Twede's blog'''—I can't remember if this is the forum where I posted about the guy posing as an active member to run an anti-mormon site. Well, now he's attending church again. [Direct link deleted - Mods.] And writing about it. I understand we can't stop it, but, he's not being straight about his intent. {{ref|starlight1d}} | *'''September 10, 2012: "starlight012" returns to lds.net to post a link to Twede's blog'''—"starlight012" said, "I can't remember if this is the forum where I posted about the guy posing as an active member to run an anti-mormon site. Well, now he's attending church again. [Direct link deleted - Mods.] And writing about it. I understand we can't stop it, but, he's not being straight about his intent." {{ref|starlight1d}} | ||
*'''September 10-18, 2012: "starlight012" on lds.net sends private messages to FAIR regarding the "bad member"'''—You're welcome. What will you be able to do about this except to report about it at FAIR? Can this man get reported to his bishop? If he's using his active membership to promote anti-mormonism, his bishop might not take kindly to it.....I know him. That's why I posted the first time a few weeks ago. I know the photo on his profile at the mormonthink site and enough of his history (living in Ann Arbor, etc) that I am sure. His name is David Twede. I don't know what ward he's in, but he mentions Florida. Thanks! | *'''September 10-18, 2012: "starlight012" on lds.net sends private messages to FAIR regarding the "bad member"'''—"starlight012" said, "You're welcome. What will you be able to do about this except to report about it at FAIR? Can this man get reported to his bishop? If he's using his active membership to promote anti-mormonism, his bishop might not take kindly to it"....."I know him. That's why I posted the first time a few weeks ago. I know the photo on his profile at the mormonthink site and enough of his history (living in Ann Arbor, etc) that I am sure. His name is David Twede. I don't know what ward he's in, but he mentions Florida. Thanks!" Whoever "starlight012" is, they are portraying themselves as NOT living in Florida. | ||
*'''September 20, 2012: David Twede, under his real name, tells Postmormon.org of his attempt to post a message on lds.net was deleted'''—"I have simultaneously posted to MormonDiscussions, RfM, StayLDS, Postmormon and LDS.NET forums, for completeness. However, LDSNET took it down immediately." {{ea}}{{ref|twede.postmo.1}} Twede did not provide the reason why his post was deleted from lds.net, | *'''September 20, 2012: David Twede, under his real name, tells Postmormon.org of his attempt to post a message on lds.net was deleted'''—Twede states, "I have simultaneously posted to MormonDiscussions, RfM, StayLDS, Postmormon and LDS.NET forums, for completeness. However, LDSNET took it down immediately." {{ea}}{{ref|twede.postmo.1}} Twede did not provide the reason why his post was deleted from lds.net, and did not mention that the new account that he had created there was immediately banned. | ||
*'''September 21, 2012: Twede tells "The Daily Beast" that someone from FAIR contacted his local ecclesiastical authorities'''—According to Jamie Reno in "The Daily Beast,"Twede asked church leaders how they came up with his name so fast after posting the articles. They wouldn't tell him, but he says he’s since been told by a church insider that a contributor to the pro-Mormon Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, many of whose members are professors at Brigham Young University, alerted church officials in Salt Lake City, who apparently informed his local ecclesiastical leaders." {{ea}}{{ref|reno1}} In an interview with the ''New York Times'', FAIR President Scott Gordon was asked about this. Gordon responded, "I forwarded the links of that public blog to some of my friends. The New York Times reporter who called said my email was forwarded to Twede’s stake president. I have no way of knowing if that is true or not. I did not speak with any of his local leaders, nor did I send an email to them. I told the reporter it was more likely one of his local ward members had read his public blog and told the stake president, but she insisted I was the source as she heard that from David Twede himself."{{ref|gordon1}} | *'''September 21, 2012: Twede tells "The Daily Beast" that someone from FAIR contacted his local ecclesiastical authorities'''—According to Jamie Reno in "The Daily Beast,"Twede asked church leaders how they came up with his name so fast after posting the articles. They wouldn't tell him, but he says he’s since been told by a church insider that a contributor to the pro-Mormon Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, many of whose members are professors at Brigham Young University, alerted church officials in Salt Lake City, who apparently informed his local ecclesiastical leaders." {{ea}}{{ref|reno1}} In an interview with the ''New York Times'', FAIR President Scott Gordon was asked about this. Gordon responded, "I forwarded the links of that public blog to some of my friends. The New York Times reporter who called said my email was forwarded to Twede’s stake president. I have no way of knowing if that is true or not. I did not speak with any of his local leaders, nor did I send an email to them. I told the reporter it was more likely one of his local ward members had read his public blog and told the stake president, but she insisted I was the source as she heard that from David Twede himself."{{ref|gordon1}} | ||
*'''September 24, 2012: lds.net moderators ban Twede's accounts after identifying him as "starlight012"'''—A moderator at LDS.net posted, "The person who started this IS the person who writes the blog, whose deception here will tell you all you need to know about his sense of ethics." {{ref|eowyn1}} The reason for the ban was that it was discovered that the new account that Twede created under his own name at "lds.net" used the same IP address as the account created by "starlight012" - the person who originally reported that a "bad member" was running MormonThink. | *'''September 24, 2012: lds.net moderators ban Twede's accounts after identifying him as "starlight012"'''—A moderator at LDS.net posted, "The person who started this IS the person who writes the blog, whose deception here will tell you all you need to know about his sense of ethics." {{ref|eowyn1}} The reason for the ban was that it was discovered that the new account that Twede created under his own name at "lds.net" used the same IP address as the account created by "starlight012" - the person who originally reported that a "bad member" was running MormonThink. |
A FAIR Analysis of: MormonThink A work by author: David Twede
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Posing as a questioning member (which I am, just not active), I asked a question at FAIR's page. A Moap emailed me--someone who works with Danny Boy. This game is a bit different than the one you can play with the kindergarten missionaries at Mormon.org.....Posing as a fully active Mo is the only real gray area. I've resolved it for myself, but always wondered how Moaps handle it. Questioning allows me to see this....I felt that a little subterfuge would allow the experiment to run its course better than direct discussion as an exmo. Perhaps that is not appropriate, perhaps it is.
David Twede posting as "Jesus Smith" on Postmormon.org, February 1, 2012.
== Notes == NOTE: FAIR's normal policy is to not link directly to websites which are critical of the Church. In this instance, however, we have suspended that restriction. All of the links below are active, including those that link to ex-Mormon message forums Postmormon.org and MormonDiscussions.com.
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