Posted on 01/08/2008 4:09:13 PM PST by tantiboh
Mitt Romney is facing an unexpected challenge in Iowa from rival Mike Huckabee, who has enjoyed a groundswell of support from religious voters, particularly evangelical Christians wary of the clean-cut former Massachusetts governor because of his Mormon religion.
The common worry among evangelicals is that if Romney were to capture the White House, his presidency would give legitimacy to a religion they believe is a cult. Since the LDS church places heavy emphasis on proselytizing -- there are 53,000 LDS missionaries worldwide -- many mainstream Christians are afraid that Mormon recruiting efforts would increase and that LDS membership rolls would swell.
...
THE ONLY PROBLEM with those fears is that they don't add up. Evangelicals may be surprised to learn that the growth of church membership in Massachusetts slowed substantially during Romney's tenure as governor. In fact, one could make the absurdly simplistic argument that Romney was bad for Mormonism.
...
ONE WAY TO GAUGE what might happen under a President Romney would be to look at what happened during the period of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Held in Salt Lake City, they were dubbed the "Mormon Olympics."
...
Despite all the increased attention, worldwide the Church grew only slightly, and in fact in the year leading up to the games the total number of congregations fell. Overall, from 2000 to 2004, there was a 10.9 percent increase in memberships and a 3.6 percent increase in congregations.
...
The LDS church is likely to continue its current modest-but-impressive growth whether or not Romney wins the White House. Perhaps the only real worry for evangelicals is that, if elected, the former Massachusetts governor will demonstrate to Americans that Mormons don't have horns.
Carrie Sheffield, a member of the LDS Church, is a writer living in Washington, D.C.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
~”I am unable to make that judgement, only God can do that.”~
Thank you. You know how hard it is to find a Christian around here who’s willing to say that?
~”...I’m afraid that you are going to be in for one rude awakening on judgement day.”~
I’m willing to live with that chance, if the joy and happiness I’ve found in Christ is my wages in the meantime.
~”You’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”~
Duly noted. Thank you for the warning. Your responsibility is fulfilled.
~”Check Mate!”~
Ummm... okay. You win. Gee.
I’ll live with the consequences of my actions. It’s a good arrangement I have with my friend JC, donchaknow.
Thanks....that's revealing.
Did Massachusetts become more Mormon when Mitt was Governor?
~”...you admit to being a fool and ignorant...”~
Yes. Though I still seem to be toying with you without breaking a sweat.
~”...to your own religions greed and lust for $$$$$$$.”~
Sorry, pal. Ain’t gonna wash. As a church, we’ve got money, and we use it for good. And you can’t point to anything that says otherwise. God loves rich people, when they do as He says.
Matthew 15:10
“This people honours me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me;
9in vain do they worship me,teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, ‘Listen and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.’ 12Then the disciples approached and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?’
13He answered, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.* And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.’
Maybe you can find an educated person to read the following to you and explain it:
“In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word trias (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180. He speaks of “the Trinity of God [the Father], His Word and His Wisdom (”Ad. Autol.”, II, 15). The term may, of course, have been in use before his time. Afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian (”De pud.” c. xxi). In the next century the word is in general use. It is found in many passages of Origen (”In Ps. xvii”, 15). The first creed in which it appears is that of Origen’s pupil, Gregory Thaumaturgus. In his Ekthesis tes pisteos composed between 260 and 270, he writes:”
So...it is not true that Tertullian was the first one to use the term. It is not true Tertullian invented the doctrine, and it is not true there was any Bishop of Rome who rejected this doctrine.
Tertullian used the word trinitas in Against Praxeas, which was written around AD 200 -- eleven or twelve years before he became a Montanist.
In fact, the term can be seen used in the greek form first by Theophilus of Antioch around the year 180, which pretty much shoots this strange Tertullian theory to pieces.
According to the statistics, the growth of the LDS Church in MA declined sharply while Romney held office. A cause-and-effect relationship cannot be proven, but that’s what happened.
I am not aware of any new statistics indicating whether growth has picked back up since Romney’s term ended.
The real question is did Mitt become more liberal while he pandered to the Massatwosh!ts liberal intelligensia in order to be ‘liked’?
Excellent verses. Thank you for the short devotional.
Not a devotional but a warning from the Holy Spirit to you.
~”tanti is your saint tantiboh.”~
LOL, sorry, that caught my eye.
Saint Tantiboh? Nah.
Latter-Day Saint Tantiboh? You betcha!
Show the Doctrine of the Trinity being taught in the ancient church prior to when Constantine called his conference to establish the Official Roman Empire Church.
Did they just make it up as they went along at that conference?
Yes, a warning from the Lord to all of us, I should think. It’s always good to be reminded of the teachings of Jesus.
Thanks for sharing the Holy Spirit with me!
It something everyone should heed. But this is specific for you and your Mormon brethren along with 2 Peter 2.
~”But this is specific for you and your Mormon brethren along with 2 Peter 2.”~
I should think so, since we’re the only ones who heed it those particular scriptures.
No you don’t. You reject the Bible and follow the false prophet Joseph Smith and his heretical Book of Mormon. Therefore you do not obey God nor follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ no matter how much you try to sugar coat it or reason with it.
Only in your own mind.....
Although that mind still hasn't addressed the point. Which part of LD$, Inc was it....that you certified was 100% charity?????? I figure that's just another, oh oversite, eh?
Sorry, pal. Ain’t gonna wash. As a church, we’ve got money, and we use it for good. And you can’t point to anything that says otherwise. God loves rich people, when they do as He says.
Wait a minute......
I can certainly and absolutely POINT to percentages....that are less than 3% given to charity...from LD$, Inc. businesses....
You don't want to go there.....Better consult your Bishop, here Pal.
Maybe others would be interested in which part of LD$, Inc...is a charity and which part is a BILLION $$$$$ business?
The word Trinity was first used by Theophilus of Antioch to Autolycus. Trinity meant: God, His Word and His Wisdom (Spirit). It did not mean the doctrine of the Trinity in the modern sense of the word.
That shoots down your claim of him being the source of the doctrine.
I furnished a quote from the Catholic Encyclopedia which explains the teachings of the Apostolic Christian Church.
I realize you do not believe the doctrine taught by the Apostolic Christian Church, so that is why I ask where you get the doctrine?
Ravi Zacharias, in good faith, spoke in the Mormon Temple a while back.....
___________________________________________________________
People don’t give talks in the “Mormon Temples.” I’m sure it was a “copy and paste” mistake. As republicans, not only do we have to deal with the “drive by media” now we have the DRIVE BY ANTI-MORMON BLOGGERS. Ravi Zacharias did speak at the Mormon Tabernacle, here is a link. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20041228/7363_2_Evangelical_Defends_Decision_to_Speak_at_Mormon_Tabernacle.htm I would like to see harmony between evangelist and the Latter Day Saint people, especially if Mitt Romney is running against the dems in the fall. After all, we don’t believe in abortion, gay marriage and such. Just look at the laws in Utah. It’s the most red state in the country.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.