Romney’s Religion

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Many Catholics praised the speech Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivered here Dec. 6 (see Register editorial, page 8). It powerfully affirmed the role of religion in public life

But Romney ducked one key question some Christian voters are asking in the context of his candidacy: What does his Mormon faith actually believe about God and Jesus?

Indeed, given that Mormon theology differs so radically from orthodox Christianity, can Mormonism even be regarded as being part of the Christianity?

Romney said in his speech that “I believe in my Mormon faith, and I endeavor to live by it,” but he did not elaborate on Mormonism’s content beyond professing his personal belief that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.”

The Register asked three Catholics with extensive knowledge about Mormonism — Patrick Madrid, publisher of Envoy magazine, Steve Clifford, a former Mormon who operates an apologetics website, and Catholic apologist and blogger Jimmy Akin — to discuss what Mormons believe.

Joseph Smith founded the Church of Latter-day Saints of Jesus Christ, as Mormonism is formally known, in the early 19th century on the basis of revelations he claimed to have received from God in upstate New York.

Along with the Bible, Mormons regard the Book of Mormon, which Smith said he had translated from golden plates buried in a hill near his home, and two books written by Smith as holy texts.

Drawing on these additional writings, Mormonism departs radically from Catholic and Protestant theology in a host of areas, but its conception of God is perhaps the most basic difference.

In place of the Trinitarian understanding of one infinite God who has a single nature in three divine persons, Mormons believe God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are separate gods.

Jesus, in fact, is regarded as the offspring of a sexual union between God the Father and Mary.

Moreover, God the Father is not seen as an infinite, uncreated being. Instead, he is the progeny of a pre-existing god who was himself begotten as part of what Madrid characterized as an “infinite regression” of gods.

Mormon doctrine also says that by following Smith’s teachings, a devout Mormon will become a god like God the Father and Jesus in the next life. Like them, each Mormon will rule over a world of his own populated with “spirit children” created through sexual intercourse with multiple “spirit wives.”

Said Madrid, “The problem, of course, is not only is this polytheism but it also is a direct denial of the Trinity by splitting Father, Son and the Holy Spirit into three separate, tangible gods.”
Different Meanings

Akin said that in light of the Mormon belief that Jesus is the “biological spirit child of God the Father” and one of his “spirit wives,” Romney’s comments about Jesus as the Son of God should not be interpreted by Christians as a profession of shared faith.

Said Akin, “That’s a very different understanding of what it means to be the son of God than what Christians have,” Akin said.

Clifford, who teaches CCD and RCIA at his parish of St. John Bosco in Woodstock, Va., said most people — and even many Mormons — don’t realize how differently Mormons interpret basic Christian terminology.

So when a Mormon says he believes Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the mankind, “that sounds really good to a Christian,” Clifford said.

But if Christianity is defined according to the Trinitarian doctrine of one God in three divine persons, Clifford said, “that is certainly not what Mormons believe.”

Mormonism’s non-Trinitarian foundation was at the root of a 2001 statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith denying the validity of Mormon baptisms.

The doctrinal statement came in the form of a brief note giving a one-word “negative” response to the question of whether Mormon baptisms are valid.

Most Protestant baptisms are accepted as valid by the Church, as long as certain conditions are met, including using the Trinitarian formula, “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Madrid and Clifford pointed to Jesus’ scriptural declaration in Matthew 16-19 that that he was founding his Church on the “rock” of the Apostle Peter, and that “the gates of ell would not prevail” against that Church, as another fundamental point of separation between Mormons and Catholics.

In contrast to the Catholic understanding of the Church as a 2,000-year-old institution that traces itself back through an unbroken apostolic succession to the same Church founded by Christ on the foundation of St. Peter, Mormonism asserts that the apostles failed to pass along the full teachings of Jesus when they died.

Consequently, the Catholic Church has been in a state of apostasy throughout virtually its entire existence and a “true” Christian church didn’t exist for more than 1,500 years until it was “restored” through God’s revelation to Joseph Smith.

But Madrid said Christ’s promises to St. Peter in the Gospel of Matthew are only the most explicit of a “myriad” of Old and New Testaments texts attesting that the Church Jesus established in the New Testament era cannot be overcome, as Mormonism claims it was.

And Clifford said that along with rejecting Scripture, Mormonism is denying the known historical record.

“Through a very careful study of history and of the early Church and especially of the early Church Fathers’ writings,” Clifford said, “we can see that in fact there was no apostasy of the early Church.”
Downplaying Doctrine

There are 14 million Mormons today, according to Keith Atkinson, public affairs director of the North American West Area of the Mormon church.

And according to the 2007 CIA Factbook, 2% of Americans, or approximately six million people, are Mormons.

In recent years, Mormon leaders have sought to downplay the dramatic doctrinal differences between Mormonism and orthodox Christianity, and have been more respectful in their comments about Catholicism and Protestantism.

Atkinson said that Mormons “certainly feel that we are mainstream Christianity.” But he stressed that from the Mormon perspective that does not include a belief in “post-Biblical creeds” such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, and he acknowledged Mormons don’t have a Trinitarian conception of God.

“In the New Testament, as we interpret it, God the Father refers to Jesus Christ as his son and a separate entity, and the Holy Ghost a separate entity beyond that,” Atkinson said.

The Mormon spokesman sidestepped the question of whether Mormons believe they will become gods after they die.

“To Mormons, it’s not a question of whether we can become gods,” he said. “The question is: Does God have the power to enable us to become more like him over an eternal lifespan? And to us, that answer is unequivocally Yes.”

Former Mormon Clifford said that Mormon doctrines are “a moving target,” and suggests his former co-religionists are beginning to discard the beliefs separating them from orthodox Christianity.

“I think the Mormon church is changing, and I think one of these days in the future it’s going to be incorporated into mainstream Christianity,” he said.

“I guarantee you that the evangelical world resoundingly rejects Mormonism as in any way to be considered part of Protestantism in any broad sense,” Madrid said. “The Catholic Church has similarly said ‘no way.’ So any claims of being in the mainstream, I think that’s fanciful at best.”

WASHINGTON — The consensus view of knowledgeable Catholics is that Mormonism isn’t part of mainstream Christianity.

But that probably won’t deter faithful Catholics from voting for Mitt Romney, who is a Mormon, if they believe he is the best qualified presidential candidate.

Father Richard John Neuhaus, editor of First Things magazine and a convert from Lutheranism, said that voting for non-Catholics is something Catholics in America have long accepted.

“Few Catholics believe that a candidate is disqualified by being a Mormon,” Father Neuhaus wrote in a Dec. 7 entry on First Things’ website. “The reason is obvious: Catholics are accustomed to having heretics in the White House. Jews likewise are not offended that the president is not one of their own.”

Father Neuhaus said that it was evangelical Christians, for the most part, who are troubled by the prospect of a Mormon president.

“Evangelicals, by way of contrast, are accustomed to thinking of America as a Christian nation, meaning a Protestant nation,” Father Neuhaus said. “For many who lack a fully developed ecclesiology, America is something very much like their church. You don’t want a heretic as the head of your church.”

In an earlier essay on Mormonism, Father Neuhaus concluded it wasn’t part of historical Christianity. But he said many individual Mormons are authentically Christian and noted there is “much to admire” about the Mormon religion, especially the strong family impulse, upright sexual morality and strong community ethic that most Mormons share.

Catholic apologist Steve Clifford, a convert from Mormonism, agreed that his former co-religionists have many admirable qualities. And like Father Neuhaus, he thinks Catholics can feel comfortable in voting for Mormon candidates with solid personal and political credentials.

Said Clifford, “There are some very, very good patriotic Mormons that I wouldn’t have a problem voting for.”

Last Sunday in Katy, Texas the Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church and the Katy Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints choirs joined together for their 14th annual joint Christmas concert. Short talks and prayers were given by the leaders of each church. Both praised the tradition of joining together in the spirit of fellowship to share their testimonies and Christmas spirit. The choir sang a variety of devotional Christmas music in several languages, including one traditional African number complete with bongo drums. The Spirit of the Lord was present to witness of the divinity of Christ and the miracle of his birth to the virgin Mary.

Merry Christmas to all Freepers.

According to what I just read, it sounds like Mormons don’t believe that the Virgin Mary is a virgin.

That is not church doctrine but some LDS authors have written that in their opinions.

Here is a quote from LDS Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland's talk in a recent conference:

Now, to anyone within the sound of my voice who has wondered regarding our Christianity, I bear this witness. I testify that Jesus Christ is the literal, living Son of our literal, living God. This Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer who, under the guidance of the Father, was the Creator of heaven and earth and all things that in them are. I bear witness that He was born of a virgin mother, that in His lifetime He performed mighty miracles observed by legions of His disciples and by His enemies as well. I testify that He had power over death because He was divine but that He willingly subjected Himself to death for our sake because for a period of time He was also mortal. I declare that in His willing submission to death He took upon Himself the sins of the world, paying an infinite price for every sorrow and sickness, every heartache and unhappiness from Adam to the end of the world. In doing so He conquered both the grave physically and hell spiritually and set the human family free. I bear witness that He was literally resurrected from the tomb and, after ascending to His Father to complete the process of that Resurrection, He appeared, repeatedly, to hundreds of disciples in the Old World and in the New. I know He is the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah who will one day come again in final glory, to reign on earth as Lord of lords and King of kings. I know that there is no other name given under heaven whereby a man can be saved and that only by relying wholly upon His merits, mercy, and everlasting grace can we gain eternal life.

The recent annual LDS Christmas Devotional includes talks by the LDS Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley and his two counselors. It is also revealing about the LDS understanding of the role of Christ. You can listen here or watch here.

BTW, My current preference is #1: Hunter, #2: Thompson, #3: Romney. In my opinion, these are the only candidates who are right on "most" of the important issues.

[Romney] didn’t worship the USA and fled to Europe like Bill Clinton to avoid military service in 1968 is what matters most.

See this article: Mormon church obtained Vietnam draft deferrals for Romney, other missionaries

Romney's service as a missionary and college education was planned long before the draft. He decided to use the available options (Church ministry and college enrollment) to keep this career on track. When his deferrals ran out, he drew a high number and was not drafted.

Certainly, Romney could have volunteered. He choose not to, along with millions of others his age. There is no evidence that he sought special treatment. I don't hold this against him, though. Military service is not a requirement and it's not for everyone.

I could have joined the Corps at Texas A&M but did not. Does that make me less a patriot? [If I didn't have allergies and had good eyes, I probably would have been a Navy aviator. I aced their test and enjoyed my first flight in the front seat of a Navy trainer. The medical disqualified me from that option.] I support our country in other ways, including using my vacation time as an election judge.

Mormons are well represented in the military. BYU includes both Army & Air Force ROTC programs.

From: http://byunews.byu.edu/archive07-NOV-cadet.aspx:
BYU’s other Army ROTC cadets also placed well. Twenty percent of BYU cadets placed in the top 10 percent of all cadets in the country. In total, nine BYU students qualified as Distinguished Military Graduates.
BYU’s Army ROTC is administered through the Marriott School of Management’s Department of Military Science. Established in 1968, BYU’s program is the largest Army ROTC at a campus other than the six federally designated senior military colleges. Cadets train throughout college to prepare for commissions as second lieutenants upon graduation.

And enrollment was up over 25% the year following 9/11: ROTC enrollment increased in last year

About 6% of the families in our LDS congregation have family members currently serving in the military. One is at the Air Force Academy, some are in training some are deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

My favorite candidate, Duncan Hunter, is the only candidate I'm aware of with family currently in military service.

***“Few Catholics believe that a candidate is disqualified by being a Mormon,” Father Neuhaus wrote in a Dec. 7 entry on First Things’ website. “The reason is obvious: Catholics are accustomed to having heretics in the White House. Jews likewise are not offended that the president is not one of their own.”***

I will freely acknowledge that, from a Catholic perspective, Protestants are considered heretical Christians. However, Mormons should be considered NON-Christians who merely resemble Christians by the intentional confusion of doctrinal definition.

Mormons deny the 2000 year understanding and usage of the belief that Christ is very God of very God; begotton, not made. Instead, they have the CREATION of Christ just we are created.

Mormons deny the eternal nature of God. Instead, they have the evolution of men into God after their creation as men.

Mormons deny that all things are CREATED by and for God and that all things in him consist and are upheld. Instead, they have multiple gods who reorganize pre-existing matter and ascribe the eternal nature to the creation.

Do any of these beliefs sound even remotely Christian? At least Protestants and Catholics can affirm some core Creed and Confessional beliefs centering around the nature of the Godhead. Would you extend your Christian greeting to a man that denied that Jesus came in the flesh? Why would you extend your Christian greeting to any man that denies the fundamental nature of Christ?

While there are indeed a great many LDS members who have served this nation as well as a great many on the honored “wall” of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington they are also ALL indeed better men that Mitt “Draft-Dodging” Romney. His shameful legacy and slick half-truths about his disservice to America is quite clear. He was quoted by the Boston Globe as first saying he “had no intention of ever going in the armed services and to Vietnam” and then as “longing” for the Vietnam experience. I would also ask you to review his father’s (George Romney) feelings about Vietnam service and the fact that Mittens maintains that his father “was the singlemost driving force in my life.”

There is only this to consider about the Romulan and desire to serve in Vietnam

:
“I was not planning on signing up for the military. It was not my desire to go off and serve in Vietnam...” Boston Herald, 5/2/94

“I longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and be representing our country there and in some ways it was frustrating not to feel like I was there as part of the troops that were fighting in Vietnam.” Boston Globe, 6/24/07

***There are some vast differences between Catholic and classical Protestant doctrine, i.e what is required for salvation. Yet I would not hesitate to vote for a Catholic if he/she had demonstrated what I considered to be appropriate positions on political issues.***

Catholics and Protestants are both denominations of the Christian religion. Mormonism is outside the faith.

Not Orthodox.
Not heterodox.
Not heretical.
non-Christian.

Catholics and Protestants are both denominations of the Christian religion.

That's what you say, and I wouldn't disagree. But there are many who would say Catholics are not Christians because they believe works are necessary for salvation.

Mormonism is outside the faith.

I would agree. But in a Presidential candidate, I look to their positions on issues, not what faith they belong to, in making a decision on who to vote for.

Can I play?

Very nice article.

And we (PCA) accept yours. (See, we aren't ogres.)

I constantly see the Mormons deny the above claims. Seems that they have jello for doctrine.

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