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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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 ...
~”MY Jesus says what He hears His Father say.”~
Ah, so they -are- separate beings.
Thanks for clearing that up!
I tried searching for a post by MG and it said it didn't exist.
His answer doesn't exist either.
For once, we agree, at least on the first two-thirds or so.
I agree. There are a few exceptions to the rule, but by and large, we post reason, they say we’re Hell-bound cultists. We try to show why they’re wrong, and they call us liars and deceivers.
The irony being, if they weren’t constantly on the offensive, Mormonism wouldn’t be discussed around here a tenth as much as it is now. It is the anti-Mormons who generally pick the fights.
It’s fine my me, though; their displays of intolerance only convince the like-minded. In the meantime, we get a chance to learn about our faith and formulate reasoned defenses of it. It takes a hammer to forge a sword.
~”Being a Christian is about a Personal Relationship with Christ. If a person has access to a Bible, then they are fully capable of developing that personal relationship.”~
Amen to that, Mamma.
Wait... what is this?
Substantiation of an argument?
DU, you might be making inroads! Vader’s learning!
That’s all well and good, Vader, but you didn’t answer my question.
Would you please give me a list of some denominations that are -not- cults? It doesn’t need to be exhaustive, but I’d appreciate at least 5 or 6 examples.
But outsiders often visit FreeRepublic and they would not understand this type of dialog. I don’t think it even the opposition to your beliefs that bothers me as much as the way that they are using that opposition to attack a political candidate. I could understand philosophical discussions, but that is not what this is about.
12. Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.
13. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
14. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
That receptible is the place where you keep your brain and I am sending more brothers here who are going to have a field day with you all.
You have been accepted by your Mormon Jesus. Satan in disguise.
I’m still waiting for your list of denominations that aren’t cults. Would you mind? Just 5 or 6 examples would be great. Thanks!
Baptists, Southern Baptists, Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Catholics, Many non-denominational churches that are legitmately Biblically based.
Of course any Mormon refutation of this will be regarded as trash because you are heretics and no possible arguement you can make against legitimate Christianity will be regarded whatsoever.
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