Mostly posted for the fact that the Mormon church is eating away so many Catholics that Catholic Answers is making a special campaign. 150,000 a year is big. Since most Mormons are from the US, I assume that most of that is here.
Just asking.
Oh, and Mormons, please do not resort to the same name calling, such as using the term ANTI-Catholic, that the Catholics do. Playing the victim card is so, well, progressive.
From the Catholic Answers fund drive sheet found in the article:
What Catholics Don’t Know Can Hurt Them
Think the Mormons are just a group of nice folks who uphold family values, clean living, and American patriotism? Think ag ain.[sic]
Think the Mormons are just a slightly eccentric offshoot of traditional Protestant Christianity? Think again.
Think Mormons are actually Christian, accepting the core doctrines of Christianity? Think again!
The truth is that Mormonism is far different from what most people think it is.
Boy, Karl, tell us how the Mormons are not nice folks then...SHEESH! I don't say the same thing about any other religion, and I have been labeled many different "Anti-"this and "Anti-" that.
Again from the CA sheet:
• Mormon doctrines have changed—often.
• Mormons dropped some of their unpopular teachings in order to clean up their public image and appeal to more Americans.
Like the Catholic traditions of forced conversion, inquisition and crusade?
Ecumenicalism is stupid period. Getting caught preaching telling people that Mormons are NOT a group of nice folks who uphold family values, clean living, and American patriotism? Well Karl Keating, I think you owe a bunch of people an apology!
You might find this interesting.
If you do, maybe you know others who will also find this interesting.
That's the sort of thing that stirs the pot and gives us articles like this.
Still, only 150,000 per year? I thought the Mormons were draining off half a mil or more. That's right up there with the Pentecostals.
At the same time the RCs are bringing in their fair share of Episcopaleans and Lutherans these days.
Go to www.exmormom.org and learn much, much more.
Especially learn what the LDS authorities have to say about the Catholic Church (aka “The Great and Abominable Church” according to Mormon teachings).
This is correct.
We have a neighborhood child making his “first communion” today. We are invited to the party following.
All the kid can talk about is how much money he will get, not one word about Jesus or faith.
This is why the Catholic church has fallen into 2nd place behind Islam as the largest religion.
"Poorly-catechized Catholics" is yet another "wonderful" (/sarcasm) outcome of Vatican II. Prior to the Second Vatican Council most Catholics were far more knowledgeable about their faith. Many of the older Catholics still are, of course, as well as younger members who undertake a traditional course of study.
In fact, Mormons count Catholics as their main target.
Over half of the current converts to Mormonism are Catholics.
Mormons target Catholics who don’t know their faith.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
As a member, I see no one group “targeted”.
Mormons are generally nice conservative people but I’ve found that they know very little about their history and they parrot lies about the council of Nicaea that would make Dan Brown proud while making the charlatan Joseph Smith into a martyr. What I can not understand is how so many otherwise good people can participate in the soiling the word of God with the cut and paste ramblings of the con-man Joseph Smith. It is horrible and it is unnecessary. It is like icing a perfectly good cake with manure. Redemption does not require sci-fi beliefs about God originating on a planet in a star system far far away. I suspect that many are drawn to the Mormon faith exactly because of the sci-fi aspect to it. Also I think that given the claim that the book of Mormon was translated from golden plates supplied by an angel that one would expect such word for word translation from tablets sent by God directly to be of a considerably higher quality than what we find which is an amalgam of gobbly-gook some of which appears copied directly from the King James bible. How much more clearly does the concept of forgery and fakery need to be? It preys on ignorance and it is sad that so many Christians know very little of the sacrifice beyond the cross of early Christians that they are willing to accept almost anything sold by door to door Jesus salesmen who do not spread the word of God but instead a heresy that does not increase the appreciation for the sacrifice and redemption of the cross but instead appeals to the prurient desires of humanity for secret knowledge and conspiracies.
We do not need to add layers of crud to Jesus’s message. It does not need to be jazzed up. We do not need a special seer stone, divination, or even demon warding underwear to receive the grace of God. What we need is a closet to kneel in which to present the ugliness of our sin to God and ask for forgiveness and then if we so choose we can enjoy a good sci-fi movie or sell some Amway or Mary kay to our neighbors.
Please, look for yourself.
Thank you
fred
Actually, not too long ago, the total number of Mormons in other countries surpassed the number of US Mormons. Much of that growth has been in South American countries and other predominantly Catholic countries so, that would be why so many Catholics are converted. There's no particular emphasis on converting Catholics its just the LDS church has found more success there than in other countries for whatever reason.
As to the rest of your posting, no, we are not traditional Christians. We believe that the church the Christ built when he was here on Earth, fell away. We believe we are a restoration of that church.
We also believe that all Christian churches have most of the truth, and many non-Christian faiths have much of God's truth as well, but many of the doctrines and teachings of the original Christian faith, in our opinion, have been influenced and colored by the interpretations of well intentioned but fallible men.
We are all imperfect and we all sin so, without direct revelation from God, as the prophets of the Bible received, man is left to perceive God's will through his own, limited understanding. As a result, error was introduced into Christ's teachings. Again, according to our opinion.
Oh boy.
Are you in for it now.
Here comes the LDS Warriors.
(In my opinion), they are going to attempt to smear you for posting this.
Get ready.
• Mormons dropped some of their unpopular teachings in order to clean up their public image and appeal to more
****
That is the opposition spin there is no image to clean up the LDS have been consistent sense its beginning.
Many refuse to acknowledge the LDS doctrines and want to judge them by the Traditions of Men which is not the Lord way of doing things.
• Mormon doctrines have changed—often.
****
The foundation of the LDS doctrine has not changed but as the clarification has become clearer as we receive line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little.
As the LDS receives more insight so has the mainstream adapted to defend the Tradition of Men doctrine.
I am a personal observer of those changes.
As part of the mainstream for 38 years I have watch the changes in their community.
There was a time when all mainstream faith fought amongst each other.
Catholic and Jews fought physically in the early days.
Protestants and Catholic fought physically in the early days.
The fact is it took about 150 years to ratify the Nicene Creed and hasn’t it changed again and some other faiths did away with their Apostle Creed?
Also SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL the 16 Documents
http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V2ALL.HTM
Is that in the US or worldwide?
And are we talking about actually living, breathing people?
Ping!
Jesus suffered and died for me to save me from my sins. I am a Mormon and I am not ashamed.
Ping
“Note the hypocrisy of Catholic Answers when comparing the two “P.S.”s of the two campaigns. In the first campaign Protestants are brethren whose opinion is consulted, in the second they are “anti-Catholics” with “slick propaganda” that must be thwarted. I have seen this conflicting attitude many times so it is worth pointing out.”
There is nothing hypocritical about that, those are two different subjects, one is a common cause that they both share and the other is largely the reason that they are two separate groups.
Since they are two sides of the same coin there is much they will share together and still not become one perfect, single, organization of Christians.
They're not just targeted by Mormons. If you look at any JW arguments re the Trinity, you'll see that JW apologetics are also targeted towards Catholics.
That’s because many Catholics don’t know their own faith.
Many? I daresay a majority don't know their own faith, or don't take it seriously. How many Catholics practice birth control, or vote Democrat? Or don't attend mass regularly? These would be the likely converts that Mormonism is picking up. Our FRCatholic friends will respond by telling us those people "aren't really Catholic" or have "excommunicated themselves." Since they're not "really Catholic" anyway, you'd think there would be no reason to persuade them to stay.
But Catholic Answers disagrees - the uninformed, uninvolved, and easily swayed are "really Catholic", and CA wants them back...
"...With our new special report on Mormonism, we can “inoculate” Catholics from the half-truths and skewed history presented by Mormon missionaries.
By getting this report into the hands of Catholics all across America, we can bolster the faith of Catholics and keep them from leaving the Church."
Since most Mormons are from the US, I assume that most of that is here.
The majority of Mormons are now outside of the US. I'd guess most of the sheep stealing is in south and central America. Certainly not in Europe!
-A8
Never EVER believe ANY membership numbers from the LDS. They are NOT accurate - ever. They count you until your 110th birthday dead or alive. If you change physical church(s) they count you at both. Even if you leave the “churchs”you are counted in many congregations.