FAQ: "Why don't you criticize other religions besides the Mormons?"

Some respondents to my Mormon materials feel that I should treat all religions equally, I suppose. This question implies that I have no right to criticize one religion's shortcomings without spending equal time on other religions' faults as well.

I fail to see the logic in such a criticism. If I write an article critical of Corporation X's business practices, should I not publish it until I have exposed the similar problems of all the corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange? If I have information exposing the malpractice of Dr. Y, am I obligated to investigate all the doctors in my town? Of course not.

Usually such grumbling comes, of course, from Mormons or Mormon sympathizers. It's the same kind of whining that the traffic officer hears as he writes a speeding ticket: "The guy ahead of me was going even faster than I was - why didn't you stop him?"

Such a complaint seems almost an admission that the criticisms are justified, but that they should be overlooked because "everybody does it."

I write about Mormonism because I know more about it than I do about other religions that may deserve equal criticism and exposure. Surely there is nothing wrong with that. I have also written extensively about Christianity in general (click here).

But just to show that I am willing to help promote criticism of other religions as well (I find them all false, harmful, and misleading, to one degree or another), I am offering the following links and resources on other religions which I consider false:

These links and titles are provided for your information only - listing here does not constitute an endorsement of the site or its material to any extent whatsoever. The descriptions are not mine, but quoted from the site owners. They are listed in no particular order. Almost all were found by doing a "Google" search for "ex-[religion]" or looking at the Google directory under "Opposing Views". In other words, you would have no difficulty in finding these yourself, if you really were interested in critiques of other religions.

Seventh-day Adventists

  The Ellen White Website - http://www.ellenwhite.org/
The site bills itself as "The latest research on Ellen White" and features anti-White and anti-Adventist material from the 1800's till the present. Includes FAQ and discussion forum.
Life Assurance Ministries - http://www.ratzlaf.com/
Ministry to former Seventh-day Adventists and questioning Adventists. Excerpts from bimonthly magazine, many links. Exposing the unbiblical teachings and practices of the SDA church.
Truth or Fables - http://www.truthorfables.com/
Articles by ex-Seventh-Day Adventist Robert K. Sanders, about why the teachings of Ellen White and the Adventist church are not in accord with the Bible.
Leaving The Garden: On Being a Former Adventist - http://home.earthlink.net/~jcmmsm/story/index.html
Articles by ex-Seventh-Day Adventist and psychotherapist James Moyers.
Former Adventist Fellowship Online - http://formeradventist.com
Offers forum, Bible studies, stories of leaving the Adventist church, locations of local fellowship meetings, and links to former Adventist groups and churches.
For more listings, go to the Google Directory.

Books:

Walter T. Rea, The White Lie (1982)

Jehovah's Witnesses (The Watchtower Society)

  Silent Lambs (Young Watchtower Victims) - http://www.silentlambs.org/
Do Jehovahs Witnesses protect child molesters? A "silentlamb" is a person who has been discouraged from getting help when he or she has been molested or abused.
The Watchtower Observer - An Eye On The Jehovah's Witnesses - http://watchtower.observer.org
An enormous amount of articles, mostly critical of Jehovah's Witnesses. Excellent resource, one of the best!
  Beyond Jehovah's Witnesses  -  http://members.aol.com/beyondjw/bj.htm
An extensive site with many links, bulletin board; since 1995; secular (not promoting any other religion)
  Watchtower Information Service - http://www.watchtowerinformationservice.org/
This site provides serious information about the Watchtower Society and Jehovah's Witnesses: History, Dates, Blood, Secret Books etc.
Ex-JWS.net - http://www.exjws.net
EXJWS.NET is a community of survivors of the Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses).
Comments from the Friends - http://cftf.com/
A resource on Jehovahs Witnesses with news, online periodical, referrals to local support groups, online bookstore and information. (Pro-Christian)
Jehovah's Witnesses Exposed - http://www.bible.ca/jw.htm
Exposes the history of the organization, the prophecy blunders, deceptive quotive, doctrinal flip flops, and corruption within the Jehovah's Witness organization. (Pro-Christian)
Watchtower Inquiry  - http://home.powertech.no/festus/j/jwe/index.shtml
One of many official web sites of victims of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the legal organization in use by Jehovah's Witnesses.

For more listings, go to the Google Directory.

Books:

Diane Wilson, Awakening of a Jehovah's Witness: Escape from the Watchtower Society
Edmond C. Gruss, Jehovah's Witnesses: Their Claims, Doctrinal Changes, and Prophetic Speculation. What Does the Record Show?
William J. Schnell, Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave: The confessions of a converted Jehovah's Witness (2002)
David A. Reed, Blood on the Altar: Confessions of a Jehovah's Witness Minister (1996)

Bahá'í

The Bahá'í World Faith - http://www.religioustolerance.org/bahai.htm
A view of the Bahá'í Faith by "Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance", a group that provides perspectives of major religious groups for the purpose of promoting religious tolerance.
  The Baha'i Faith - http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/bigquestions/bahailinks.html
Bahaiism The other View - http://bahaiism.tripod.com/
A list of sites critical of the Bahai faith, or opposed to the authority of the Universal House of Justice.
Former Bahais - http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/andorra/514/
Stories of why some people have chosen to leave the Baha'i religion.
The Bahai Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience - http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/
"Fundamentalism in the Contemporary U.S. Baha'i Community" by Prof. Juan R. I. Cole  -  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/bahai/2002/fundbhfn.htm

For more listings, go to the Google Directory.

Scientology

  Operation Clambake - http://www.xenu.net/
Major anti Scientology site, with extensive news articles, analyses, and criticism of the alleged Scientology cult, Dianetics, and L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. Includes personal accounts of former Scientologists, books, press kits, discussion, and links.
The Church of Scientology's Supremacy over the search term "Scientology" on Google -  http://www.operatingthetan.com/google/
Analysis of CoS manipulation of Internet search utilities to obtain high page ranks for its sites.
Dutch BodyThetan Organization - http://www.b-org.demon.nl/
Includes a "Guided Tour of Scientology and Dianetics," as well as information about church policy and practices.
Stephen's UK Scientology Information Page -  http://www.demon.co.uk/castle/scientology.html
Critical information about the 'corrupt, sinister and dangerous' Scientology organisation, with an emphasis on information relevant to the UK.
The Real Steve Fishman Home Page -  http://www.xs4all.nl/~fishman/
Steven Fishman, a former Scientologist, was sued by the Church of Scientology after he revealed their securities fraud to Time magazine. Site includes his book "Lonesome Squirrel" in several formats. Newsgroup postings, links.
  Scientology Audited -  http://www.demon.co.uk/castle/audit/
An archive of independent research and documentation on Scientology.
For more listings, go to the Google Directory.

Unification Church ("Moonies")

  X-Moonies Resource Center - http://www.xmoonies.com
Resource for information on the Moonies from a critical perspective on the internet. Sun Myung Moon biography. Fast-Facts on the Unification Church (Moonies) and Rev. Moon. Current Moon-News. Links to over 200 Moon-related sites on the internet and growing. In-Depth Explanations and Critiques of the Divine Principle philosophy.
  Moonies - http://www.sonic.net/sentinel/1earth4.html
Several articles about Moonism.
  Moonism/Unificationism: A Threat to Democracy and Freedom - http://trancenet.org/moonism/
Home page of a former 6 1/2 year member of CARP/Unification Church.

Iglesia Ni Cristo ("The Church of Christ")

This church, founded by Felix Y. Manalo, claims to be a restoration of the "true church" and the only path to salvation.

  Iglesia ni Cristo Deceptions -  http://members.tripod.com/~janchung/table_of_contents.html
Prepared by the Non Iglesia ni Cristo Association (NICA).
  An Examination of the Iglesia Ni Cristo - http://www.examineiglesianicristo.com
A 46-page critique.

Worldwide Church of God (Herbert W. Armstrong)

  The Painful Truth About the Worldwide Church of God -  http://www.herbertwarmstrong.com/pain.htm
Lengthy critique by a former member, with many links to other sites.

Other Religions, Religions in General

  The Secular Web - http://www.infidels.org
One of the best-known and largest internet collections of material critical of religion.
  Truth Be Known - http://www.truthbeknown.com/
Essays critical of various religions and religious ideas. By "Acharya S"
  God Wars - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/3991/GodWars.html
General, critical overview of religion and religions worldwide.
  The Case Against Religion - http://www.geocities.com/bororissa/rel.html
Albert Ellis, Ph.D. argues that religion seriously sabotages mental health. (see also his full-length book of the same title)
  The Page of Unreason - http://www.update.uu.se/~fbendz/pseudo/
Information about the destructive sects Scientology, Anthroposophy, and Jehovah's Witnesses.
  Proof that Religious and Mystical Doctrines are Hoaxes - http://www.neo-tech.com/proof/
"I faithfully accepted religious teachings and submersed myself on an eight-year spiritual journey only to discover that the enlightenment offered was a deception. I felt angry and betrayed." (As told by Tracey Alexander during a series of interviews with Eric Savage).
 
  For more listings see:

the Yahoo directory -  http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Faiths_and_Practices/Christianity/Opposing_Views/

  Steve Locks' "Leaving Christianity" links  -  http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~slocks/decon.html#links


Comments? (Please, no preaching, testimonies, or hate mail!) Write:  packham@teleport.com

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"They are all wrong - their creeds are an abomination - their teachers are all corrupt - they teach for doctrines the commandments of men..."

-- GOD (spoken through Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet)