As background, I emailed Tony Brown back in 2023 to see if he would debate me on Baptismal Regeneration and Sola Scriptura. He refused. Recently, an Anglican friend of mine (who is most definitely no friend towards LDS theology) emailed Tony Brown and Mike Thomas to query if they would debate me on Sola Scriptura. I told my friend (Liam) I would even agree to a 2 vs. 1 debate to sweeten the deal.
As I have written a great deal against both Brown and Thomas over the years, I would have imagined they would be willing to debate an informed representative of one of the "cults" they warn people about. I mean, if Mormonism is so obviously false, there would be absolutely no way I could defeat Mike and/or Tony in a fair debate on exegetical grounds, discussing/debating the ultimate authority of the Bible (you know, the formal doctrine of Protestantism).
In his response, Mike Thomas, a former Latter-day Saint and one who has worked in the “counter-cult” industry for decades now (he took over Reachout Trust after Doug Harris died in 2013), author of numerous articles, booklets, and even a book, and presents against “Mormonism” in seminars revealed his true colours. Here is a portion of his email response to my Anglican friend:
Secondly, Robert Boylan operates on an academic level
that most Christians would not find useful. How many people do you meet daily
who think about their faith on this level? I know Mormons like to look as if
they do, but they simply don't. We must consider consequences, and being
somehow 'bettered' by an academic who covers territory too wide ranging and too
high minded for most would send the wrong message - Luke 14:28-30. For people
who follow these kinds of debates I am sure it would be interesting, satisfying,
or perhaps disappointing, depending on how a debate goes, but most of the work
we do is not in that arena. Nor do we model this kind of approach to people,
most of whom would find very little to be gained because your average cult
member - be they Mormon or JW, or other - doesn't understand at that level.
Translation: I am a coward
who will not interact with informed Latter-day Saints who have also carefully
studied Protestantism.
Imagine if a Latter-day Saint, who makes his living operating an organization trying to “win” Protestants to “Mormonism” were to say this—one would correctly note that such is cowardice. Of course, when $$$ (or, to be more accurate, £££) from gullible Evangelicals (ROT's target audience) will be at risk, you run away. Thomas and Brown are more concerned with their pocket books, not the truth.
Let them know it at reachouttrust1@gmail.com (Mike Thomas)
and Tony@reachouttrust.org, especially
if you are a Protestant of some variety.
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