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Summarized by Kent Larsen
Anti-Mormon Denies Rumor He Is Joining LDS Church
Salt Lake Tribune 1Jul00 P2
By Bob Mims: Salt Lake Tribune
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Ed Decker, the controversial anti-Mormon who
created the film "The Godmakers" denied on Friday a rumor that he was
returning to the LDS Church and would speak at the August 24th Mormon
Apologetics Symposium in Alta, Utah. While Decker did offer to give a
paper at the symposium, he says that he didn't intend to give the
impression he was returning to the Church, "No, I haven't gone
insane. I'm not going back to the Mormon Church," he said,
The speculation apparently arose when Decker responded to a call for
papers for the symposium, offering to present a paper entitied
"Confessions of a Professional Anti-Mormon." FAIR President Darryl
Barksdale then announced the submission, issuing a press release that
led many to assume Decker had decided to return to the Church. "If
Mr. Decker is sincere in his desire to repent of his deceptive and
un-Christian past, we certainly applaud his change of heart and his
willingness to undo some of the damage he's done," Barksdale said.
"It takes a courageous man to do that. We welcome him with open arms."
But that wasn't Decker's intention. He said his proposal to present
a paper was "kind of tongue-in-cheek" and that his paper would simply
"tell them there are irrefutable, nonnegotiable differences between
Orthodox Christianity and Mormonism." FAIR reacted with some caution,
however, and asked Decker to submit a draft of the paper before they
put him on the program. Decker says that FAIR's reaction has
convinced him not to pursue the issue further, however.
But FAIR's Barksdale says that the invitation remains open, should
Decker change his mind. "When I told my LDS apologetics e-mail group,
half of them said 'No' or 'Heck no,' but the remainder said to bring
it on," Barksdale said. "He'd certainly be welcome, but I tell you he
might be uncomfortable -- he'd be facing a lot of the best minds in
the LDS Church."
See also:
Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR)
http://www.fair-lds.org/
Saints Alive in Jesus (Ed Decker's Ministry)
http://www.saintsalive.com/
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