Brad M.

There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for.

[Brad M. @bmast39]

Ross…As a LDS member who loves your perspective, I’d love to hear more about this private theological opinion, sir.

[Ross Douthat @DouthatNYT]

Pretty confident that God is up to something interesting with the LDS story long term but that's a private theological opinion, non-binding on the faithful.

[Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D. @neoavatara]

Honestly, the amount of anti-Mormonism on this site after yesterday's tragedy outweighs antisemitic and anti-Islamic hate I've seen in similar circumstances in recent years.

It's truly disgusting.

[Brad M. @bmast39]

I mean this sincerely: Nothing has rejuvenated my testimony as an LDS member more of late than the empty, reductive arguments by evangelicals over the past few days, in the wake of extreme tragedy for members of the LDS faith.

What they’re selling ain’t what Jesus taught.

[Tanner Guzy @tannerguzy]

I believe creedal Christians are as wrong about doctrine as they believe I am.

I cannot fathom having the kind of venom so many have shown in the past 24 hours.

Why? Why is it so important that doctrinal distinctions be made? Why is it so critical that we be excluded from your club of acceptable Christianity?

What does our inclusion threaten and why is that threat so dire that it can’t be overlooked with any degree of allowance?

I don’t care if you don’t think we’re real Christians. I do care if that distinction is more important to you than mourning this tragedy and calling out evil.

[Derek Andersen @DerekjAndersen]

This morning with our burned down church still smoldering and four saints murdered, members of the Church of Jesus Christ raised $60k for...checks notes...the shooter's wife and children. Most donations are anonymous. Each Christian comment will make you cry more than the last.

[Protestia @Protestia]

Amid the attack on the Mormon church, here is quick reference for folks wanting to know what Mormons believe. While you read it assk yourself: is this biblical Christianity? From Justin Taylor:

Mormons claim that God the Father was once a man and that he then progressed to godhood (that is, he is a now-exalted, immortal man with a flesh-and-bone body).

Mormons believe that humans, like God the Father, can go through a process of exaltation to godhood.

Mormons believe that the Trinity consists not of three persons in one God but rather of three distinct gods.

According to Mormonism, there are potentially many thousands of gods besides these.

Mormons believe that Jesus Christ was the firstborn spirit-child of the heavenly Father and a heavenly Mother.

Jesus then progressed to deity in the spirit world.

He was later physically conceived in Mary’s womb, as the literal “only begotten” Son of God the Father in the flesh (though many present-day Mormons remain somewhat vague as to how this occurred).

Mormons believe that Adam’s transgression was a noble act that made it possible for humans to become mortal, a necessary step on the path to exaltation to godhood.

Mormons believe that Christ’s atonement secures immortality for virtually all people, whether they repent and believe or not. Mormons believe that God gives to (virtually) everyone a general salvation to immortal life in one of the heavenly kingdoms, which is how they understand salvation by grace. Belief in Christ is necessary only to obtain passage to the highest, celestial kingdom—for which not only faith but participation in Mormon temple rituals and obedience to its “laws of the gospel” are also prerequisites.

Mormons claim that “total” apostasy overcame the church following apostolic times, and that the Mormon Church (founded in 1830) is the “restored church.”

In short, they're our neighbors that we ought to care about and care for, but they are not Christian believers.

[David Burge @iowahawkblog]

I don't have a dog in the religion fight but seriously what the fuck is wrong with you

[Brad M. @bmast39]

@rcsprouljr “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” - Jesus (to you)

[Brad M. @bmast39]

Pharisees gonna gatekeep. It’s what they do. They can’t resist, even in the wake of tragedy.

Holy fricken’ airball from all these so-called Christians.

[Erick Erickson @EWErickson]

The issue of who is and who is not a Christian was settled a long time ago as people diverged into heresy and the church came together in 325 AD. If you subscribe to the Nicene Creed, or more specifically the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381 AD, you’re a Christian.

[Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON* @EsotericCD]

You know who Trump could really use at AG? A guy with hardcore old-school institutional knowledge and respect, but someone who also knew how to gleefully swing an axe, while protecting POTUS from his worst instincts.

Yes, Trump could really use someone like Bill Barr as AG.

[Josh RR Jokien @joshcarlosjosh]

Biden has not been seen since announcing "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve" and then vanishing into the trees.

[Brad M. @bmast39]

Something an uncool old who would say

[James Surowiecki @JamesSurowiecki]

Is this really cool? Because I have a hard time imagining any cool person in American history thinking this is cool.

[Brad M. @bmast39]

If this happens, baseball is cooked

[Alden González @Alden_Gonzalez]

Sources: The Dodgers are meeting with Juan Soto tomorrow, as @Feinsand first reported.

Yes, it’d be absurd of them to follow a billion-dollar offseason with a $600M contract. But Shohei Ohtani’s first year in LA blew away all their financial projections. And they need an OF.

[Kyrsten Sinema @kyrstensinema]

What’s the one tool that requires the Senate to work in a bipartisan way?

Oh look, the filibuster.

[Brad M. @bmast39]

Hm, “one of them doesn’t sleep with 17 year olds” seems like a pretty reasonable explanation to me

[Charlie Kirk @charliekirk11]

Going to be very hard for Republican Senators to explain why they voted for Merrick Garland but won’t vote for Matt Gaetz.

[Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank]

Barack Obama had 60 Dem Senators & his HHS nominee - who had previously been Senate Majority Leader - was compelled to withdraw due to ethics controversy.

[#JustinYourFriend @justin_hicken]

Need some coaching blood to atone for that diarrhea mess at home. #BYUFootball

[Brad M. @bmast39]

Fire a rod before the 4Q ends

[Brad M. @bmast39]

If a rod calls another end zone fade so help me

[Brad M. @bmast39]

There’s no way to look at what is going on in the PA senate election and not come away concluding that, at a minimum, there is an appearance of corruption.

[Eddie Scarry @eScarry]

Theo Von telling Trump “Cocaine will turn you into a damn owl, homie. You know what I’m sayin?” is when I knew the election was over.