Word o’ God

What follows is a brief chain of email correspondences between Ed Decker and myself.  Ed is one of the minds behind the movie “The God Makers” and the main drive behind the very controversial “God Makers 2″, he has also recently started his own Christian ministry.  (You should google the story about the second movie.)  Really why exaggerate and make things up, when the truth is bad enough on its own?     I gained what I think is a better perspective from this conversation so I thought I would share it. I am putting my original email first followed by his response and finally my rebuttal…

To: ED

Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 5:28 AMSubject: question 

Ed, I probably know the answer but I want to ask anyway. 

I have read and listened to a lot of your work.  I completely understand your views on Mormonism.  I myself am an exMormon.  A problem I have with some exMormons is that they reject Mormonism, on a logical basis.  (which I agree with) but then they lack the will to continue that logical progression.  How can you not continue to hold Christianity to the same Logical standards that allowed you to discredit Mormonism? 

Why support a more basic corruption? Mormonism is simply lies built on top of lies.  It just seems to me that an exMormon Christian, might as well have remained a Mormon.  

Unless the person left for personal and not logical reasons.  They have simply traded imaginary Celestial Kingdom, imaginary outer darkness for imaginary Heaven, imaginary hell.

My wife was a convert and she shed the Mormon skin quite easily, in comparison to me a bred and raised Mormon.  However when faced with the mountains of proof regarding Christianity and the God of the bible, she refuses to bend.  She accepts her college education in relation to no flood, Jews not being slaves in Egypt, etc etc  But she cannot let go of the mythology.  She admits that there are dire problems from the Jesus story being barrowed from earlier history, to the bible itself being anything but a collection of writings from unknown and unknowing sources.  And will not even try to defend it.  She admits she does not want to give up the last piece of faith she has.   

I have a hard time understanding this paradigm.  I assume it is due to my own experience, It was probably the most extreme experience of my life, realizing that my belief was corrupt.  All other life experiences, realizations, perspectives, everything pales in comparison.   So it is very easy to accept that anything, and everything else has the potential to be corrupt.  Being a convert must allow a person the ability to segregate the Mormon portions from the Christian aspects and place the later in a “do not open” portion of the brain.  

Any insight you might have from your perspective would be greatly appreciated. 

From: Ed Decker 
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 2:00 PM
To: admin@wordogod.com
Subject: Re: question 

Dear XXXXX,  Thanks for writing about this concern. It is one many deal  with, esp. when they leave a cult like Msm. We  each select want we choose to believe in.. I choose to believe the Bible to be the true word of God and live my life by it. If my wife and I and your wife are wrong, we have enjoyed a life given to others  in peace and joy and end up ashes as you believe you will end up. If we are right , we go to be with the Prince of Peace and you end up in hell.  It is all a matter of choice.. With best regards, 

 Keeping you in prayer,
Ed Decker
Saints Alive in Jesus  go to: www.saintsalive.com
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Ed,     Thank you so much for responding, and sharing your thoughts. While I do greatly appreciate your correspondence and acknowledge that you did so out of complete kindness and with a heart of charity; I do feel compelled to tell you that the logic of your response is flawed.       Unless I am completely misunderstanding you, you are gambling with what in your mind is your very salvation.  What I draw from your statement is that “I am Christian and defend Christianity, on the grounds that IF it is true, I will be in a place of glory and others will not!”     regardless of logic, facts, or proof.     

    Using this thought pattern we may just meet in Jahannam if the majority of humanity (Muslims) are correct, perhaps we should follow and defend them?  That is if you are a gambling man!     It would appear hypocritical for someone to publicly question a groups “choice” to believe in a 1800’s prophet while they themselves purvey  an equally apocryphal “choice”.    

  In my observations, the only people who passionately defend a “choice of” or “belief in” a religion, are either delusional or delusive.     Please do not take my comments as anything but an inquisitive drive.  I simply feel a need to understand this thinking process.  I do not intend to provoke any negative feelings or responses, but rather some deeper thoughts.   

 The bottom line is that, there is no more proof that the god of the Hebrew bible exist than there is proof that the God of the Mormons exist.  By taking a conscience stand against one and defending the other, it would be expected that you have some profound evidence that the rest of us lack.   That evidence is what I am seeking.  Again, Thank you for your response. Sincerely your fellow searcher.

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I will try to remember to update this entry with his response if he chooses to make one.