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Title: FIRST-PERSON: Is Mormonism Christian?
Source:
sbcbaptistpress.org
URL Source: http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/BPnews.asp?ID=36361
Published: Oct 23, 2011
Author: Phil Roberts
Post Date: 2011-10-23 17:53:02 by Ferret Mike
Keywords: None
Views: 5222
Comments: 22
KANSAS City, Mo. (BP) -- Dr. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas touched a very sensitive nerve when he referred to the Mormon church and faith as a cult. People have raised the issue and the question, "What, in fact, are evangelicals' attitudes towards Mormons?" That has been the focus of much of the inquiry thrown at Jeffress. It is important for us to remember that the question here is much broader than just evangelicals. Virtually every self-confessed Christian movement in America rejects Mormonism as a true expression of biblical or traditional Christian faith to the point that ex-Mormons are generally asked to be baptized again when joining a non-LDS church. This fact is true both of the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the Presbyterian Church USA, and a variety of others. The United Methodist Church in 1995 included a report and a study document done on Mormonism which stated that the LDS church is not "a part of the historic, apostolic tradition of the Christian faith." The important issue for us is that this raises a concern, not only in terms of Mormonism, but in terms of how a cult is defined. When I was director of interfaith evangelism at the North American Mission Board, we generally approached the idea of a "cult" as a religious movement which claimed to be the only true expression of the Christian faith and yet had altered or changed one or more of the essential doctrines of the faith. Using this as a working definition, Mormonism is clearly, absolutely, completely, and thoroughly a "religious cult." And while the word "cult" may be less than academic, it still carries popular meaning when used in a doctrinal sense as Dr. Jeffress has done. While there may be other ways to define a cult both ethically, sociologically and psychologically, our primary concern is the essence and nature of the Mormon movement in terms of its contrasts and comparison with biblically based Christianity. When I am asked the question, "Is Mormonism a cult?," I generally respond by saying there are three elements that everyone must be clearly aware of when it comes to Mormonism. These elements make it an aberrant expression of the Christian faith -- i.e., a "cult." 1. Mormonism radically redefines and doctrinally reconstructs the Christian faith. There is no major doctrine of the faith, whether it be God, Jesus, salvation or inspiration of the Scriptures that Mormonism has not severely and completely altered and changed from its original intent. These alterations include: -- The Bible has "plain and precious parts" missing from it. The Book of Mormon, and the LDS volumes "Pearl of Great Price" and "Doctrine and Covenants" comprise the truly trustworthy scriptures. -- The doctrine of god and of humans -- believing that there are an infinite number of gods in the universe and that the temple worthy males among them may become gods. Lorenzo Snow expressed this view in a well-known couplet: "As man is, God once was -- as God is, man may become." God himself is confined to a body of flesh and bones. -- Jesus was a procreated child of God and his wife in the spirit realm. He is also God's son "in the flesh." Smith maintained that the Holy Spirit was not involved with the conception of Jesus. The issue, then, is figuring out how Mary became pregnant and how she "contributed 23 chromosomes to Jesus while God contributed 23," to quote a BYU professor. -- The fullness of salvation is "not easy," but it is "possible," as Mormons work to be worthy of celestial exaltation in an ultra-legalistic system of religious acts. These concerns are just scratching the surface of the doctrinal errors of Mormonism. 2. Mormonism radically redefines and reconstructs the Christian worldview. If one understands the Mormon faith clearly, their position would maintain that: -- Native Americans are true descendants of Jewish people. -- There once flourished a major Jewish civilization in the western world. -- There was a language that existed called Reformed Egyptian which was the dominant language at one time in the western world and the Book of Mormon was written in it. -- The millennium will be a Mormon millennium with millennial headquarters established in Independence, Mo., with the temple work for the dead and genealogical research being done across the world in order to ensure proxy baptism for virtually every human being who had ever lived. -- The Mormon faith alone will dominate and guide the world after Christ's return. -- Joseph Smith is the true prophet of God who reestablished God's one true church on the earth. 3. Mormonism is disingenuous in its approach to proselytization. While claiming to be true to the Christian faith, Mormonism has seriously redesigned and recreated it. The whole basis of the church is built on the words of Jesus which are canonized in Joseph Smith's religious autobiography. Joseph Smith claimed that God and Jesus commanded him not to join any church because "they were all wrong ... their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors [members] were all corrupt." Mormonism, in fact, has set itself apart from main-stream Christianity. It has insisted that in order to join and be a part of God's one true church, as well as to enter into the fullness of his salvation, one must become either a temple-worthy Mormon in this life or proxy baptized and temple-worthy in the life to come. No matter how Robert Jeffress may be viewed by the general public, the main essential issue is that Mormonism has been, is, and probably always will be a radical departure from Biblical faith. --30-- Phil Roberts is president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo.
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#1. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
Hell no. Also there is a muslim in the white house.
Only bigots and their enablers care about the answer.
I dieagree. This ia a dialog belonging to Christians and Mormons. One is no bigot as an observer. But each side views the competition for converts a struggle. And if you are metaphorically using your elbows in this competition, bigotry is one of the charges levied at you.
Why not? One might ask if this were not so as both camps believe in a Christ.
Revelation 22:"18 I am warning everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If you add anything to them, God will add to you the plagues told about in this book. 19 If you take any words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from you your share in the tree of life. He will also take away your place in the Holy City. This book tells about these things."
A nation has been defined as a country of recognized borders, with people of a common heritage, history, language, faith, culture, customs and heroes. That was the America we grew up in. We all spoke the same language, believed in the same concepts of right and wrong as taught in the Old and New Testaments, learned, whether in parochial or public school, the same glorious history. But the features that made Americans a distinct people, and the fences that made America separate, are disappearing. Ours are the most porous borders on Earth, though not porous enough for The Wall Street Journal, which champions a constitutional amendment to declare, “There shall be open borders!” With 30 million immigrants since 1965, almost all now coming from Asia, Africa and Latin America, our European ethnic core — 90 percent in 1965 — is shrinking fast — to the delight of our president, who looks to the day soon when we are a nation of “minorities.” We no longer worship the same God, share the same ideas of morality, admire the same heroes or celebrate the same holidays. -Pat Buchanan
Anyone can cut and paste. What do you say about this? You do know how the belief systems differ I would presume?
The Bible was given by God. When they try to change it then you know they are liars. Sure there may be some people who call themselves mormons that are chrisians. But there book is a perversion of Gods word.
Mormons believe Jesus and Satan are brothers who had a falling out as to who would be born on Earth as the son of the first god. They believe that if they keep the covenants, men can become masters of their own universes and take a woman as their celestial mate. Together they create celestial souls for us humans to puck down into bodies to live their lives to see if they to are lucky enough to be born male and have a chance of godship. You should look at some of the things they believe in. It's hard to know the difference until you know the facts.
They are a cult just like wicca.
Blasphemy.
So, what happens now if I respond to your change of topic in order to do a personal attack quid pro quo? Do you start pouting and banning again? That is not what my point was. My goal was merely to probe your views on this toic. After all, you always seem to have a religious chip on your shoulder. Is it not backed up with knowledge you can articulate back with your own words and citation? You generally have de-evolved into someone who likes to give pronouncements with no information or argument to them. This is why I have noted you often seem quite intellectually lazy in forum. I know that annoys you to hear this, but it is an opinion I have after much observation.
In sociology, all religions go through a 'cult phase as they grow and age. Thus, by this point on the scale sociologists use, at one time, yung Christianity was a cult. Cult is also used as a derisive epithet to insult and pelittle those belonging to other faiths. Specifically here, I am curious as to your opinion on what Mormanism is based on what you know. If you don't, it's cool. not a whole lot of people know much on the topic.
God said all people who reject him are going to hell. He gives everyone a choice. Based on what I know about Mormanism is that it isn't based on the Bible entirely. So it is in fact a cult. Romney is still better than Obama though. A whole lot better.
Nah. You're expressing your opinion just fine.
ferret lives in a world of pretenders ... fakes - knock offs --- how would he know the real thing !
If you ... don't use exclamation points --- you should't be typeing ! Commas - semicolons are for girlie boys !
You live the frustrated life of a failed virgin boy who is no longer eligible to be sacrificed to the volcanos in Hawaii where you live. I feel yer pain, Boris old mango.
I would not support a Mormon who is a practicing Mormon - I would support a Mormon who is a lapsed Mormon. The reason being that even compared to religions around the world, Mormonism is easily disprovable and thus if you maintain Mormonism you must be a kook. I would say this about crazy Christians who are rapture nuts (also a Christian heresy like Mormonism, by the way) and those that don't accept evolution as a scientific fact. Why? Because if they accept certain religious dogmas it makes them mentally unfit to hold office.
"This is what economic policy in the West has become--a tool of the wealthy used to enrich themselves by spreading poverty among the rest of the population." Paul Craig Roberts
ferret old tango yes we whore ... change genders --- smoke crack - dope !
If you ... don't use exclamation points --- you should't be typeing ! Commas - semicolons are for girlie boys !
They are called 'Jack Mormons.'
Is Mormonism Christian?
#2. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
#3. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
The Buffet rule -- you can become the world's largest tax cheat and also become an idol of the left at the same time. All one has to do is say what they want to hear.
#4. To: Thunderbird (#2)
#5. To: A K A Stone (#1)
"Hell no."
#6. To: Ferret Mike (#5)
Why not? One might ask if this were not so as both camps believe in a Christ.
#7. To: Thunderbird (#2)
Only bigots and their enablers care about the answer.
#8. To: A K A Stone (#6)
#9. To: Ferret Mike (#8)
#10. To: A K A Stone (#9)
#11. To: Ferret Mike (#10)
Mormons believe Jesus and Satan are brothers who had a falling out as to who would be born on Earth as the son of the first god.
#12. To: Ferret Mike (#10)
Mormons believe Jesus and Satan are brothers
#13. To: A K A Stone (#11)
#14. To: A K A Stone (#11)
(Edited)
"They are a cult just like wicca."
#15. To: Ferret Mike (#14)
In sociology, all religions go through a 'cult phase as they grow and age. Thus, by this point on the scale sociologists use, at one time, yung Christianity was a cult.
#16. To: Ferret Mike (#13)
So, what happens now if I respond to your change of topic in order to do a personal attack quid pro quo? Do you start pouting and banning again?
#17. To: A K A Stone (#16)
#18. To: BorisY (#17)
#19. To: BorisY (#17)
"ferret lives in a world of pretenders ... "
#20. To: A K A Stone, Ferret Mike (#15)
#21. To: Ferret Mike (#19)
#22. To: Godwinson (#20)
"I would support a Mormon who is a lapsed Mormon."
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