Spiritual hubris?

[SeattleUte]

As I've stated here, I submit there is nothing "bigoted" or immoral about using reason and empiricism to challenge religious beliefs. I think the weight of informed mainstream opinion on this is clearly with me. There is a long history of this going back to Spinoza, who is revered by Western historians, and these days no one who counts seems to making charges of bigotry against Christopher Hitchins for writing a book whose subtitle posits that religion poisons everything. In the very public debates about the propriety of teaching Creationism or Intelligent Design in our public schools as science famous scientists frequent directly employ the scientific method to challenge religious faith.

I've observed that many Mormons have their own peculiar way of responding to these challenges. One way is to charge religious bigotry. More common, where the challenger has Mormon roots, is to say the challenger is nursing a guilty conscience, is being eaten away by a cancer of guilt and knowledge in his heart of hearts that he abandoned God's one true faith, or the like. The "bitter apostate" charge is a species of this.

A while back someone asked me why Mormons are "so sure of themselves." It wasn't clear to me what was meant by this at the time but thinking back I now appreciate that the above-described stock accusations against apostates is what was meant. (The chicken bones in America thread is fraught with what I am talking about if you need an example.)

So why are Mormons so sure of themselves? Is such hubris simply an unfortunate byproduct of Mormons being singularly blessed with a spiritual witness that they are adherants of God's one true faith? If so, God does work in mysterious ways, cursing his elect with such boorishness.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

...If so, God does work in mysterious ways, cursing his elect with such boorishness.

I find this ironic.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

I find this ironic.

LOL.