Evangelicals Against Mitt

The American Spectator ^ | 1/3/2008 | Carrie Sheffield

[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.

[TypeZoNegative]

He grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness but left the faith in adulthood due to their IMHO unpatriotic practice of constantly berating the USA as an agent of Satan. He knew where his bread was buttered.

[Jo Nuvark]

RE: Thinking alike... see my posts #797 & #819.

[DarthVader]

Here feast on these for awhile. It should keep you busy for a few days:

http://www.bwce.org/

http://www.johnankerberg.com/

http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/cults.htm

http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/CBNTeachingSheets/FAQ_cult.aspx

http://www.thepropheticyears.com/cults/mormons.HTM

http://www.bidstrup.com/mormon.htm

http://www.basicchristian.org/Christian_vs_Mormon.pdf

http://www.truthsoup.com/is_mormonism_a_cult.html

http://i4m.com/think/recovery/mormon_indoctrination.htm

http://www.irr.org/mit/Is-Mormonism-Christian.html

http://www.bright.net/~seek/cults.html

http://www.4truth.net/site/c.hiKXLbPNLrF/b.786363/

http://www.exmormonforums.com/debate/797-mormonism-vs-jonestown-other-cults.html

http://www.caic.org.au/zexmems.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult

http://www.ex-cult.org/General/identifying-a-cult

http://www.jcsm.org/Contents/Mormonism.htm

http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm

http://www.cultfaq.org/cultfaq-cult-definition.html

http://www.xjw.com/whatcult.html

[tantiboh]

Well, most missionaries pay their own living expenses. There are significant Church resources expended on administering the missionary program - mission offices, administrative facilities, etc. The missionaries do not pay for that portion.

[tantiboh]

Once again, you quote verses out of context. But, you know that, so it’s not worth rehashing.

[tantiboh]

Darth, for every Biblical verse you quote to me in support of the Doctrine of the Trinity, I can quote one to you that flatly refutes it.

Whose interpretation shall we believe, then? That’s why a restoration of the truth was necessary.

[tantiboh]

~”Both receiving Christ and following the Bible and the Bible only.”~

Good. I have received Christ, and I follow the Bible. Here’s the rub: The Bible doesn’t always say what you say it says. Its passages have been polluted by the philosophies of men into the dogmas we have today. The Doctrine of the Trinity is one example of this.

The difference is, I don’t go about trying to convince you you’re not a Christian, or that you are a cultist, because of it.

[cookcounty]

A "cult" is a closed religious organization that teaches that their organization is the ONLY organization that should be followed. .....An organization that refers to all other religious organizations as "abominations." It's the prideful exaltation of one's own peculiarities.

LDS falls within this definition.

Christian churches may jostle and disagree, and think that their denomination more accurately follows Jesus, but they also recognize that there are "sheep in other flocks." You do not see this attitude in the LDS.

Nonetheless, I am (lukewarmly) supporting Romney.

[tantiboh]

Very well, you’ve got your definition. It’s a subjective one, but you’re certainly entitled to it.

~”You do not see this attitude in the LDS.”~

That is patently untrue, my friend. In fact, you’ll rarely find a religious belief system that is -more- inclusive of those outside its immediate number when it comes to the doctrines of salvation. Why, for example, would we so heavily stress the work we do in temples? We’re not doing it for us. We’re doing it for non-Mormons.

It is our doctrine - not my opinion, but our doctrine - that each person will be judged based on the desires of his heart and the degree of light and truth which he has. This applies to the devout Mormon, the good-hearted Baptist, and the ignorant bushman alike.

I do not understand where you could have perceived this notion about the LDS Church, but, please, disabuse yourself of it. It simply could not be further from the truth.

In contrast, according to many adherents of mainstream Christianity, I am going straight to Hell because I refuse to accept their dogmas. That is not inclusionary, and it is certainly “prideful exaltation of one’s own peculiarities.” By your definition, any person who believes that is a cultist, and I reject that notion entirely.

[DarthVader]

You can’t refute the Trinity from the Bible but by your Satanic Book Of Mormon. Read the websites and then we’ll talk about things.

[DarthVader]

You have not received the Christ of the Bible but that of the Mormon Cult. Your ideas are anathema to Christianity and we do not treat your heresies and false teachings from your devil prophet Joseph Smith with any kind of respect whatsoever. They are to be rejected, refuted and made outcast.

[Quix]

True, true.

But they are almost as good at being artists at being all things to all people as the B’hai’s are. Whatever your philosophy, they are adept at siding up to you and convincing you that they are one with you as they steer you ever more into their camp.

Thankfully, Scripture is clear on all the essentials. Authentic Christians need not be taken in.

I can believe that some Mormons will make Heaven IF they put their trust wholly in Jesus and earnestly have been living SEEKING GOD wholeheartedly and earnestly. I suspect most such folks, however, will not be well versed in all the twisted doctrines and teaching of the LDS edifice.

. . . such as . . .

some folks being sooooo evil as to require their own blood to be spilt for their own salvation . . . as though Jesus’ Blood weren’t enough . . .

further, that any Mormon killing such a person would be doing such a person an eternal act of grace and love to have killed them.

I don’t see them teaching that bit of their ‘faith’ on CNN or the front pages.

And, I don’t recall a Mormon hereon ever responding at all, much less significantly about that teaching.

[tantiboh]

~”You can’t refute the Trinity from the Bible but by your Satanic Book Of Mormon.”~

Ah, but I can, many times over. Still, it is not my intention to convince you, as you are not in the mood to be convinced.

~”Read the websites and then we’ll talk about things.”~

I’ve perused a handful. Subjective measures all.

What is boils down to is essentially this: you follow the doctrines of man as evolved and developed over the centuries. I follow Christ. For this, you call me a heretic and a cultist. If my relationship with Jesus is my wage, then I embrace the labels with joy in my heart.

I would further suppose that your faith in your own beliefs is sufficiently weak that you cannot stand to let mine be. You must attack all others that disagree with yours in order to prop up your own weak and shaky beliefs. Well, that’s a sad thing for you to endure. You have my compassion, but I don’t have to join you.

[tantiboh]

~”You have not received the Christ of the Bible but that of the Mormon Cult. Your ideas are anathema to Christianity and we do not treat your heresies and false teachings from your devil prophet Joseph Smith with any kind of respect whatsoever. They are to be rejected, refuted and made outcast.”~

There you go again, sounding like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Do you realize how embarrassing you are to your fellow Christians?

[DarthVader]

No I am talking to you like the Westboro Church members need to be talked to as you are brainwashed like they are.
Call it tough love!!

[tantiboh]

~”some folks being sooooo evil as to require their own blood to be spilt for their own salvation”~

This is a falsehood, Quix. I suggest you do some research.

What you speak of is known as the “doctrine of the blood atonement.” It is not, nor has it ever been, embraced by the LDS Church. It was embraced by a splinter group of the LDS Church in the 19th century, but the ideology is long since eradicated from our midst.

It remains, however, a popular item for those who would find any excuse to defame the LDS Church to use in their pathetic and weak attempts at embarrassing its members.

[tantiboh]

Your defamation and demeaning of that which I hold sacred is anything but an expression of love, Darth. Christ did not use such means to preach His message of peace and kindness. I suggest you begin to heed his example.

I’m growing bored with you. I may yet respond to your posts, but don’t count on it. I suggest you find someone else to spray your spittle upon.

[Theo]

I’m not afraid of Mormonism being in the spotlight. Truth will survive just fine.

[DarthVader]

We will have no more dialog on this thread until you have read every single bit of information on those websites. Then the real debate will begin.

[Quix]

But authored by one of the key founders, IIRC.

Been a while since I did the research . . . but it was documented in some of the first two founder’s writings, IIRC.