Mormon question lingers for Mitt

Boston Herald ^ | John Zaremba

[Cincinatus' Wife]

A conservative Christian caucus gave GOP presidential long shot Rick Santorum a last-ditch boost from a Texas ranch yesterday, bestowing its blessing upon the former Pennsylvania senator in an attempt to galvanize the God-fearing vote against front-runner Mitt Romney.

About 150 social conservatives anointed Santorum as their man on the ballot, voting to back him over Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry — and, in doing so, to try and derail Romney after his back-to-back wins in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.

Their vote came as little surprise to Romney’s brethren at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temple in Belmont, where the presidential hopeful once served as a church leader. Those who have prayed with him there say they’ve long had to cope with — but still don’t understand — the refusal, by and large, of Evangelicals to accept Mormons as Christians.

“I tell you, it’s the craziest thing I’ve seen in my life,” Clayton Christensen, a high councilor, said of Evangelical hand-wringing over the prospect of a Mormon commander in chief. “Here’s the litmus test, ladies and gentlemen. Christ said: ‘By this shall all men know ye are my disciples: If ye have love unto one another.’ By that litmus test, which is the litmus test that Christ lays out, there is no Christian church more Christian than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”

But a slim majority of Evangelicals see things differently, according to recent polling by the Pew Research Foundation. A November poll showed that 53 percent of white Evangelical Protestants believe Mormons are not Christians; about 12 percent weren’t sure.

Conversely, in a Pew poll released this week, 46 percent of Mormons say there is broad discrimination against them in the United States, and about 68 percent said they do not see themselves as part of the American mainstream.

But more than half — 56 percent — said they believe Americans are ready to elect a Mormon president.

For voters on the fence over Romney’s faith, longtime Mormon leader Grant Bennett urges considering the Kennedy presidency, when Protestants worried the pope would have a hot line to the White House and a servant in the Oval Office.

“We’re simply seeing a replay of the very same dynamics. The idea that Mormon leadership would attempt to dictate or even opine on a critical topic is really very foreign,” he said.

“Over time, what they’ll find, if Mitt Romney or any other Mormon is elected president, they’ll find, as it relates to core values, that we have a great deal in common with Evangelicals and Catholics and fundamental, mainstream Christianity.”

[dragonblustar]

Only God can answer definitively as to any specific Mormon. I'm sure many are embraced by Christ. Absent an advance copy the Book of Life, I have no reason to think otherwise.

Lets put this another way. Does Mormonism lead a person to Christ?

The answer is no.

If people believe another gospel, how can a person know Christ? Its dangerous to say just because a person believes in Jesus he is a Christian. The devil also believes Jesus is Lord but that does not make him a Christian.

[dragonblustar]

The nation is on fire.

We have a virtual dictator for president.

The world is unstable.

Why do you think that is? And this is what people on the right spend their time worrying about? Not issues of immediate importance, but how much you love Jesus compared to them.

You don't think having a personal relationship with Our Lord and Savior is important? The world is in chaos because it has rejected what is important and embraced sin.

You expect for people to care when you yourself don't care what the message is as long as you win the battle. What battle are you preparing yourself for? And how do you expect to win if you are not with God?

[reaganaut]

Are Mormons Christian? I can’t seem to get a definitive answer to that question. [GOPsterinMA]

I believe that they are based on what I know. They preach from the Bible and believe that Jesus is the son of God and the redeemer of humanity. [Clintonfatigued]

I’m sure many are embraced by Christ. Absent an advance copy the Book of Life, I have no reason to think otherwise. [Larry Lucido]

- - - - - - - - -
People who think Mormons are Christians, don’t know much about Mormon doctrine.

Do they believe they are Christians? Most do, but up until the early 1990’s, they didn’t really. Most LDS then (when I was a member) got offended when you called them “Christians” because all Christians are ‘apostates’ and of the Church of the Devil (I can source that using their leaders words).

What a person believes about God and Christ matters. They will say things like “Jesus is the son of God and the redeemer of humanity”, but they use Christian terms but mean something very different that what Christans mean. For example the translation of the above is that Jesus is the PHYSICAL (through sex) son of Heavenly Father and Mary, and that He only provides us the OPPORTUNITY to redeem ourselves through good works and membership in the LDS church. The ONLY purpose Christ’s death on the cross served was to ensure our ‘redemption’ from PHYSICAL death meaning that we will all be resurrected. That is what Mormons believe when they say they are saved by grace. Through grace we will all be resurrected, it is only through our own works and following Mormon rules (a very long list) that we can get back to God the Father and earn godhood ourselves.

Rather than preaching from the Bible as CF claims, they consider the bible to be incomplete and corrupted and only use a few verses taken out of context to ‘prove’ Mormonism (again I can give a few examples). They put the Book of Mormon FAR FAR FAR above the Bible and the words of their prophets above that.

Here is a link to terminology differences with sources - http://utlm.org/onlineresources/terminologymain.htm

It is their own theology that makes them not Christian, their denial of the Trinity, belief in polytheism, salvation by works.

Before you assume that Mormons are Christians. Do some research. Talk to those who were Mormon, like me, and left, they will all say Mormons are not Christians. That assumption is what got me into Mormonism in the first place.

Also, NO (NONE) Christian church accepts Mormon baptism for conversion - the Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc and ALL have made statements that Mormonism is not Christian. No Christian church considers Mormonism Christian based upon their theology. IIRC, Ansel12 has a list of statements from various churches about the Mormons.

Works do not save us, Christ does and Mormons believe in a different Christ.

Do your research. I can source all of the above.

http://www.mormonoutreach.org

http://www.utlm.org

http://www.mrm.org

http://www.irr.org/MIT

http://www.carm.org/is-mormonism-christian

http://www.bibleprobe.com/mormons.htm

I can also provide you with more links.

[greyfoxx39]

They preach from the Bible and believe that Jesus is the son of God and the redeemer of humanity.

Perhaps your knowledge of mormonism is incomplete. Are you aware that This was posted on FR a year ago this month?

"Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ"? Quote from the article, "How does the Prophet Joseph Smith fit into these apostolic requirements? The answer is “Perfectly.”

Jim Robinson made his views known Post #68 HERE on this thread claiming Apostleship for Joseph Smith.

"I’ll put it this way. I don’t believe a single word written by Joseph Smith or his followers when it departs from the Word of God as recorded in the Holy Bible and I’m not thrilled about people coming here to preach some false gospel from the pages of Free Republic.

Also, I imagine you are not aware that Mitt Romney has made this vow numerous times in mormon temples:

“You and each of you covenant and promise before God, angels, and these witnesses at this altar, that you do accept the Law of Consecration as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, in that you do consecrate yourselves, your time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed you, or with which he may bless you, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for the building up of the Kingdom of God on the earth and for the establishment of Zion.

Scroll down for Law of Consecration

Mormonism is not just another "Christian" sect. It is anti-Christian, was founded on Joseph Smith's declaration that was anti-Christian.

18 My object in going to ^ainquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all ^awrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those ^bprofessors were all ^ccorrupt; that: “they ^ddraw near to me with their lips, but their ^ehearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the ^fcommandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the ^gpower thereof.”

20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself ^alying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, ^bmother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” It seems as though the ^cadversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the ^dopposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?

History of the Church, Vol. 1, Chapters 1-5

Link

and there are 52,000 missionaries going out daily telling Christians that their faith is false and the only way to salvation is by becoming mormon..either alive or after death.

[zerosix]

You are correct about there being few who would stand against a Jewish candidate on the basis of his faith (witness Jos. Lieberman.) Judeo/Christians share a common faith in one God as the Creator of the Universe, unfortunately the same cannot be said of the Mormon faith.

Now, however, LDS leadership attempt to downplay differences or even portray opposition to a candidate of the LDS faith as bigotry. LDS would be the first to proclaim that they do NOT share the same faith as Protestants or Catholics, at least they did before Mitt Romney proclaimed he desired the Presidency.

LDS also wouldn't believe that by their not accepting non-Mormons' faith as legitimate is the same bigotry that they claim they now suffer.

They do have a different set of standards between how they view the beliefs of Christians and how they think others should view their faith.

Mormon missionaries as well as other leaders in the LDS faith do not accept Christians as the "true faith" but rather an "abomination in God's eyes."

Trust me, the LDS religion will be completely investigated and highlighted by liberals/DemocRATS should Mitt attain the nomination, not by conservative Evangelicals in the Republican Party but by the other side and all of those people who thought that there should be no problem with a Mormon President, will be forced to re-think that decision.

[Clintonfatigued]

I do admit that I haven’t studied Mormonism in any depth, as I never seriously considered becomeing one. Obviously there are others on FR who know much more about the topic than I do. However, there is no religious test in the Constitution. Whether Mormons are Christians are not is not relevent in a Presidential election. The President is not the National Pope or Preacher in Chief. If a Mormon were elected President, it’s not as if you’d be required to join his church.

My problems with Mitt Romney have nothing to do with his religious faith. In fact, I fear that bringing it up may cause sympathy for him, making him appear to be a victim of bigotry, and I don’t want that to happen. There are a lot of non-religious reasons to oppose Romney and I think we should stick to those.

[reaganaut]

If a Mormon were elected President, it’s not as if you’d be required to join his church.

- - —
perhaps not. However his position will be used to further Mormonism both politically and as PR religously. Mormonism is losing members by the tens of thousands or more every year and they will use a Mormon POTUS to stem that loss because they need to.

There are certainly political reasons to oppose Romney, but I also don’t want anything to happen to further that cult (and yes it is a cult - according to all 3 disciplinary definitions), and I want a president I can trust. I don’t want a president who thinks this is a step to godhood or that he is fulfilling a prophecy from 1844.

I can’t trust Mitt Romney. Frankly, I don’t trust many Mormons - years of personal experience. Also, the Mormon angle WILL BE USED to make sure Romney doesn’t get the presidency and insure Obama 4 more years.

Mitt cannot win POTUS and Mormonism will be front and center in the election because the Dems know it will guarantee 4 more years of Zero.

[Elsie]

Does NOT look like MEXICO to ME!

[Elsie]

“Here’s the litmus test, ladies and gentlemen.

OH??

 

 

 

Romans 15:4
 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

 

 

Romans 16:17
   I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

 

 

1 Corinthians 4:17
   For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

 

 

1 Corinthians 11:2
 2.  I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings,  just as I passed them on to you.

 

 

Ephesians 4:14-15
 14.  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
 15.  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

 

 

2 Thessalonians 2:15
   So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings  we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

 

 

2 Thessalonians 3:6
  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching  you received from us.

 

 

1 Timothy 1:3-4
 3.  As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer
 4.  nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith.

 

 

1 Timothy 1:7
  They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

 

 

1 Timothy 2:7
   And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

 

 

1 Timothy 4:1-2
 1.  The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
 2.  Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

 

 

1 Timothy 4:6
   If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

 

 

1 Timothy 4:11
  Command and teach these things.

 

 

1 Timothy 6:3-5
 3.  If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,
 4.  he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 
 5.  and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

 

 

2 Timothy 1:13
  What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 2 Timothy 2:15-17
 15.  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
 16.  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
 17.  Their teaching will spread like gangrene.

 

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17
 16.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
 17.  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

 

 2 Timothy 4:3-4
  3.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
  4.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

 

 

Titus 1:11
   They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

 

 

Titus 2:1
  You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

 

 

Titus 2:15
  These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

 

 

 Hebrews 13:9
 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

 

 

 2 Peter 2:1-3
 1.  But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
 2.  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
 3.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

 

 

2 John 1:10
  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

[Elsie]

Not issues of immediate importance, but how much you love Jesus compared to them.

So TRUE!!

(Just ETERNAL ones!)

[Elsie]

fanatical Christians meet to find ways to stop the Jewish candidate.

Do JEWS claim to be CHRISTIANS???

Do JEWS say that ONLY they are CHRISTIANS???

The headline IS:

CHRISTIANS are DAMNED tired of HERETICS getting away with Spiritual MURDER!

[Elsie]

Until Harry Reid gets the same headlines, headlines about Romney’s Mormonism is bogus, made up to make headlines.

Yup!

---

---

Questions put to Joseph Smith: "'Do you believe the Bible?' [Smith:]'If we do, we are the only people under heaven that does, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do'. When asked 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons'? [Smith replied] 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119).

Joseph Smith: "for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (from Pearl of Great Price 1:12). "What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270).

 

 

 

Brigham Young stated this repeatedly: "When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness" (Journal of Discourses 5:73); "The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" (Journal of Discourses 8:171); "With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world" (Journal of Discourses 8:199); "And who is there that acknowledges [God's] hand? ...You may wander east, west, north, and south, and you cannot find it in any church or government on the earth, except the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.24); "Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New Testament defines Christianity" (Journal of Discourses 10:230).

 

 

 

Orson Pratt proclaimed: "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" (The Seer, p. 255).

 

 

 

Orson Pratt also said: "This great apostasy commenced about the close of the first century of the Christian era, and it has been waxing worse and worse from then until now" (Journal of Discourses

, vol.18, p.44) and: "But as there has been no Christian Church on the earth for a great many centuries past, until the present century, the people have lost sight of the pattern that God has given according to which the Christian Church should be established, and they have denominated a great variety of people Christian Churches, because they profess to be ...But there has been a long apostasy, during which the nations have been cursed with apostate churches in great abundance" (Journal of Discourses , 18:172).

 

 

President John Taylor stated: "Christianity...is a perfect pack of nonsense...the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century." (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.167); "Where shall we look for the true order or authority of God? It cannot be found in any nation of Christendom." (Journal of Discourses , 10:127).

 

 

 

James Talmage said: "A self-suggesting interpretation of history indicates that there has been a great departure from the way of salvation as laid down by the Savior, a universal apostasy from the Church of Christ". (A Study of the Articles of Faith, p.182).

 

 

 

President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Doctrines were corrupted, authority lost, and a false order of religion took the place of the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as it had been the case in former dispensations, and the people were left in spiritual darkness." (Doctrines of Salvation, p.266). "For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the 'Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p.282).

 

 

 

More recent statements by apostle Bruce McConkie are also very clear: "Apostasy was universal...And this darkness still prevails except among those who have come to a knowledge of the restored gospel" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol 3, p.265); "Thus the signs of the times include the prevailing apostate darkness in the sects of Christendom and in the religious world in general" (The Millennial Messiah, p.403); "a perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom" (Mormon Doctrine, p.132); "virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal uncreated, immaterial and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit" (Mormon Doctrine, p.269); "Gnosticism is one of the great pagan philosophies which antedated Christ and the Christian Era and which was later commingled with pure Christianity to form the apostate religion that has prevailed in the world since the early days of that era." (Mormon Doctrine, p.316).

 

 

 

President George Q. Cannon said: "After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" (Gospel Truth, p.324).

 

 

President Wilford Woodruff stated: "the Gospel of modern Christendom shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication with Him. I want nothing to do with such a Gospel, I would rather prefer the Gospel of the dark ages, so called" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 2, p.196).

[Elsie]

Are Mormons Christian? I can’t seem to get a definitive answer to that question.

No.

Is that clear enough?

Read what they think about Christians above.

[Elsie]

I believe that they are based on what I know.

Hang on then, Joel, and we'll be getting you some more knowledge here shortly...

[svcw]

So apparently you know little to nothing about mormonISM, based on your statement.
The lds jesus is not the Biblical Jesus.
The lds jesus is a created being who progressed to a god like status.
The lds god is a progressed being, one of many.
The lds jesus is the brother of satan.
The lds jesus is not sufficient for salvation, the lds must work for their salvation which includes marching to the rules of the leadership of lds.
What Romney believes is at the core of who he is, it is important.
Romney is a temple mormon. Only 15% of the membership make it to that level, he has served in every position an lds member can serve without being called one of the prophets.
What Romney believes is at the core of who he is, it is as important as his liberalism views about government.
What I find interesting are the people who do not see religious views as an important point in electing any candidate. Religious views as well as world views are who the person is at their essence.

[svcw]

The reality is only God knows if a persons heart belongs to Him.
Having said that, I think the question should be “is mormonISM the same as Christianity?”, the answer is no it its not. mormonISM is not Christianity.

The lds teach that jesus is created, a progressed being.
The lds teach that god is a progressed being, and one of many.
The lds teach that jesus is not sufficient for salvation, they must work for it, which included following all the rules laid out by their leaders.
The lds teach that satan and jesus are brothers.
The lds teach that men will one day have their own planet to rule and their wives will be there only if the husband calls her.
The lds teach they can be baptized for the dead.
The lds teach there is no Trinity.
The lds teach that if it were not for Joseph Smith the would not be salvation.
The lds teach that all Christians and Catholics are an abomination.

So, is mormonISM the same as Christianity - NO!

[greyfoxx39]

there is no religious test in the Constitution.

The Constitution does NOT forbid anyone to vote for OR against someone because of their religion...only allows one to be a candidate regardless of their religion. This "unconstitional" theme has been played over and over on Romney threads since I began posting on them in '07.

I fear that bringing it up may cause sympathy for him, making him appear to be a victim of bigotry

Do you REALLY believe that will stop the democrats from slamming him with everything that is arcane and racist about the mormon church? Do you think they will not point out that until 1978, blacks were discriminated against in the mormon church? I fear that if Romney is NOT stopped NOW before the nomination he will go down in flames in the general.

[svcw]

However, there is no religious test in the Constitution.

That statement is true however it applies to the government NOT an individual.

What views a person holds on faith is at the core of who they are. These views color all other aspects of their lives. The world views of a person AND their belief system are their essence and therefore important.

[VanDeKoik]

I will never claim to understand Mormons that’s for sure.

But we really have bigger problems than this interdenominational stuff.

[Colofornian]

...we really have bigger problems than this interdenominational stuff.

Such a short phrase, but loads & loads of assumptions there...

Assumption #1: People can't multi-task on "problems."

Wow! With this assumption...hey, just start telling families to stop doing some of their home chores so they can deal with the "bigger problems" of their lives.

Assumption #2: Mormonism is just another form of Christianity, even tho it's polytheistic and says you can be a god -- neither of which are "Christian." (Your use of the word "interdenominational" gave away this assumption)

Assumption #3: We as Christians are to be bent upon following the assumptions of Vandekoik -- not Jesus nor the apostle Paul.

Sorry, but I take my cue from Jesus:

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:4-5)

So does Jesus say, "fear the Muslims?" (No)
Does Jesus say "fear the socio-political problems of the day?" (No)
Instead, does He say to exercise fear of the One who has authority to cast somebody into hell? (Yes)
So, indeed, our "fear" is on behalf of those who are placing their eternal spiritual lives at risk.

As Paul was leaving the church of Ephesus, he warned them with this high-priority alert:

"I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears." (Acts 20:29-31)

Paul's cultural priority? (Defend against the false disciples who will proselytize the flock and draw away men unto themselves!)

I mean, what? Paul did this every day & night for three years. And now, if you get to heaven, ya wanna presume to lecture Paul over how he spent those three years w/such an emphasis? Really?