Every religion considers their religion to be the best and most perfect definition of God's will. That's sort of the point of having a separate religion.
After all, if the Baptists thought the Catholics had a better understanding of God's will and they had a better chance of reaching heaven by being Catholics, why would they stay Baptist?
Christians, regardless of denomination, do themselves no favors with their silly ill-mannered warm lemonade contests. I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I am heartily sick of it.
This is not “denominationalism” that we’re talking about here. This goes *across the board* for most all Christian denominations and forms the “core message” of Christianity, regardless of the denomination that we’re talking about.
They are pretty much all in agreement on the basic, foundational and historic Christian faith, teachings and doctrines (not about church governance and some other minor, non-salvation issues).
The Mormons, on the other hand, reject — out of hand — those basic, historic and foundational Christian teachings and doctrines, saying that they are defective and not true — that only *they* have the true teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, they — by their own “denouncements” of historic, basic and foundational Christianity have put themselves in that separate category.
However, *while* doing that — they also seek to be perceived as “just another denomination” of Christianity — which they are not. They are a cult group — something that you wouldn’t have one Christian denomination say about another Christian denomination — but you do say it about Mormon teachings and doctrines. Thus — there’s the difference. It’s simply *not Christian* teaching and doctrine.
For example, I don’t know of any mainline and historic Christian denomination which would say that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer. But, the Mormons do. That’s just a *minor point* — given all their other teachings which are *not* Christian teachings.
As far as Christianity, in general is concerned (not “denominations”...), it is *exclusive* in that Jesus Christ says that it’s only *He* (himself) that is the way to God and that there is *no other way* (not “no other denomination”). It’s *only* Jesus Christ, as the One we’re given in the Bible that is the *only way* to salvation — and that’s *not* the spirit brother of Lucifer (i.e., Satan) either... LOL...
Are you bashing people who disagree with Mormonism? (I agree with the Mormons on Prop 8)
Every religion considers their religion to be the best and most perfect definition of God's will. That's sort of the point of having a separate religion.
Yeah, but not "every religion" enshrines within it as "new Scripture" an open condemnation of every other church as apostates (all as apostates): Here's said Mormon "scripture": I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right — and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that those professors were all corrupt..." (Joseph Smith History 1: verses 18-20, Pearl of Great Price)
So Mormonism has never given us the simple option of a "new and improved" version of Christianity. Instead, it has declared Christianity "dead" via apostasy and proceeded to build its church upon the supposed graveyard of Christianity.
After all, if the Baptists thought the Catholics had a better understanding of God's will and they had a better chance of reaching heaven by being Catholics, why would they stay Baptist?
Listen, these days the vast majority of Protestants will acknowledge Catholicism as being within the umbrella of Christianity. But if you get to the foundational belief of what Mormonism teaches about Christianity, Mormon leaders take the same hardline as Muslims...Muslims say Christians are "infidels" and Mormons say Christianity underwent a "universal apostasy" for about 1500 years.
Christians, regardless of denomination, do themselves no favors with their silly ill-mannered warm lemonade contests. I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I am heartily sick of it.
If Christians can't respond to Mormons declaring them to be in the spiritual grave since the third or fourth century, then I don't know what we can respond to. (That's hardly squeezing lemonade for lemonade contests)
MORMONs are NOT a 'denomination' of Christianity.
What is a Christian?
"What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world"
- Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 270
"...all the priests who adhere to the sectarian religions of the day with all their followers, without one exception, receive their portion with the devil and his angels."
- Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. , The Elders Journal, v. 1, no. 4, p. 60
"Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and then kicked on to the earth."
- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 6, p. 176
"With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world."
- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 8, p. 199
"Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the ‘whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent."
- Apostle Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 255