Posted on 10/22/2010 2:42:31 AM PDT by Gamecock
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In shopping around for a Cub Scout program for their two sons, ages 6 and 8, Jeremy and Jodi Stokes decided on the one at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, N.C.
The Stokeses, also of Matthews, weren't members of the evangelical megachurch, but they had many friends who were. And unlike the Cub Scout pack at their own church, which doesn't have a program for 6-year-old Tiger Scouts, Christ Covenant's was big enough to accommodate both of their boys.
The couple even signed up to be Scout leaders when they discovered the church needed adult help. And when the Scouting officials at Christ Covenant found out Jeremy Stokes was an Eagle Scout, they were thrilled.
So why did Christ Covenant reject the Stokeses' application to be Scout leaders?
Because they're Mormons. And, therefore, not real Christians, church officials told the couple.
"I can't believe they had the audacity to say, 'You can't be leaders, but we want your boys,' " Jodi Stokes said. "Are you kidding me?"
The Rev. Gabe Sylvia, Christ Covenant's staff liaison to the Scouting program, confirmed the Stokeses' account. He called them to apologize but defends the church's decision.
"When it became clear that they were Mormons, they could not become leaders in our pack. Mormonism is not consistent with historical Christianity," he said.
That view — that Mormons, whose church is formally titled the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are not Christians — is shared by other Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches, as well.
"It was so offensive," said Jodi Stokes, who was raised Catholic, then became a Mormon. "I have a picture of Jesus in my living room."
Members of the Salt Lake City-based church believe salvation is possible because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But significant theological differences separate Mormons from most Christian churches.
The LDS church treats as holy scripture the Book of Mormon, which isn't recognized by other churches, but which it believes was divinely revealed to Joseph Smith in the 1820s.
Mormons also disavow belief in the core Christian doctrine of the Trinity — that the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one — instead believing the three to be individuals united in a single purpose.
Mormons believe the original Christian church vanished 100 years after Jesus' death and resurrection. The authentic church, they believe, was restored by Smith.
LOL...
It thrills me, because it demonstrates that you don't have anything and can't back up your claims. You post the same empty rhetoric time after time and since being called out on it doesn't bother you it gives insight into how much you really do care about truth which is nada, zilch, zero. Only you game counts.
An honest person with integrity would be bothered being called out and would seek to support their assertions and charges.
So...
Please keep it up with the non answers.
Your lurkers are indeed getting the truth from you...
You made the comment and hold the tag line, I just pointed out the wee bit o’ contradiction in that. If that is "personal" well we are on the topic of religion which in one of the most personal of things.
You statement, regardless of whether it was observation or not did not need the line about Catholics to be the bait your ere looking for.
Beside your experience seems limited to one school and such. I have meet some pretty well studied Catholic scholars and lay people when it comes to the Bible. Indeed there seems to be a renewed effort on their part to get back to that.
For the record I am not Catholic, I am Methodist but I admire many of my Catholic Brothers and Sisters as fellow Christians and work with many of them on multi faith projects.
I am glad you are having fun though I do find it odd that one who claims to believe in God thinks religion is a game, but whatever.
I am glad the voices of your admirers are feeding your ego.
Oh wait, egos are just for the leaders of the religious sheep, I forgot...
Sorry.
Amish mass...
I missed that one...
Whew doggies...
Affect it?
It augments and reforces it...
Actually, the church isn’t supposed to interfere in the Scouting process.
There are those upstream on this thread who say otherwise.
Question: How many Mormon sponsored troops would allow Gentiles to be leaders in their Packs/Troops?
They'll just find it REPEATED in your 'sources'!
For what we post is OFFICIAL Mormon Literature!
If YOU think that merely because WE post it; it MAGICALLY turns into 'obnoxious propaganda', then there isn't much we can do about it!
Really? I didn't know that! < /sarc>
All kidding aside we honor the founders of the GRPL be keeping their names there for all to see.
In fact, some of them are still watching over us from the FR Outer Darkness.
Wait, I sense one of them right now, it's a bit fuzzy...I can't quite make out his image, but he sez hi and that he is "still a dirty old devil." Does that mean anything to you?
They’ll just find it REPEATED in your ‘sources’!
For what we post is OFFICIAL Mormon Literature!
Rofl no you misrepresent it. Twist it. And play the good old straw man. Sorry but that’s Not the same.
an honest person with integrity would be bothered
lol thanks for the weak insult.
I give exactly what I say I do. A source for the truth. I don’t give YOU what YOU want though. And that is a pointless and endless, angry squabble.
So keep up your regurgitated nonsense. Anyone sincerely seeking the truth will see it all for what it is.
Ooh look here’s a few links to help folks to see that I speak the truth:
http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.lds.org
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/
http://www.fairlds.org/
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Main_Page
http://www.lightplanet.com/response/index.html
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml
http://www.answeringantimormons.com/index.htm
http://promormon.blogspot.com/
That is so rich, since what is posted is from lds sources as opposed to what you reference are mostly not from lds sources. Thanks for the laugh.
Wait, I sense one of them right now, it’s a bit fuzzy...I can’t quite make out his image, but he sez hi and that he is “still a dirty old devil.” Does that mean anything to you?
***
Hi Steve miss you!:)
Those were the days when many knock out and down fights but still were friends!
Today it like talking to terminator
I guess we will just have to take your word for it; since you REFUSE to post ANYTHING that would make your accusations stand up in court.
I wonder why you are so lazy?
That way your repeated cut/pastes won't be so obvious...
About that question...
I’ll answer everyone else that said the same thing with my response / question to you.
The PCUSA is the largest Presbyterian org in the US. I wasn’t aware that Christ Covenant was not associated with them. Good to know, and good for them, I might add.
Do the PCUSA Churches that condone homosexual priests even have Scout organizations, given the internal conflict between the BSA and the homosexual lobby?
An Open Letter to Mormons who are reading this thread...
If you peruse the Free Republic religion forums you
will notice a pattern. There’s a group of Christians
who spend a great deal of time posting from Official
Mormon Sources - both the Book of Mormon as well as
Mormon Prophets and Church materials.
You will also notice that many of these Christians
are former Mormons who have left Mormonism and come
to know the Biblical Jesus Christ and His Gospel of Grace.
They have a passion to reach other Mormons to share what
they learned about Salvation by grace and apart from
human works. Part of this process is by necessity, negative.
To correct error, you must identify the error and explain how
it contradicts the truth.
Of course, they are attacked regularly by a very small
group of Mormons who are zealous, but have little
knowledge beyond what the Mormon Church tells them.
You will notice that these mormons cannot identify any:
… Facts
… Evidence
… Logical support - that any reasonable person could
understand that would validate their Mormon claims.
Have you ever wondered why there are no facts that
can be verified? No evidence that supports the claims
of mormonism? No logical argument that supports the
claims of mormonism?
Every spade of dirt turned over in the Holy Land adds to
the facts, evidence and logical argument in support of
the Bible. Every spade of dirt turned over in America
fails to find any facts, evidence or basis for a logical
argument in support of mormonism.
If mormonism is true, there should be all three, right?
Yet none of those things exists.
Why?
People deserve more than feelings, failure to respond,
and more official links that themselves contain no
facts, evidence, logical argument, etc.
The best the group of mormons have been able to do
is construct ad hominem attacks against Christians,
which is always a sign that they have no facts,
evidence of logical arguments.
You have certainly witnessed this here many times as
you read these threads, so I am not telling you
anything you haven’t verified with your own eyes.
After reading both sides on this thread and others,
you may very well be wondering about what you were
taught when you joined the LDS church.
You also may be wondering how to resolve the lack
of facts, evidence and illogical nature of Mormon
claims.
Many have approached those of us who are Christians
asking where to find out more and some, even, to ask
how to leave the Church and learn more about Christ’s
Gospel of Grace. How to get off the human works treadmill
and come to know the joy of salvation by grace through
faith. We’ve been happy to answer questions and share how
to know the Biblical Christ.
Here are a few links to get you started in your quest
to know the Biblical Christ.
http://www.irr.org/mit/default.html
http://www.exmormonsforjesus.org/
http://4mormon.org/ex-mormon.php
http://www.exmormon.org/
http://www.mormoncurtain.com/
You should also feel comfortable private freepmailing
any Christians on this thread to ask questions about
the concerns you have. We always do our best to
directly answer your questions with facts, evidence
and logical support from the Bible.
best,
ampu
Undecided readers,
As an ex Mormon-basher, I invite everyone to read all of the multitude of Anti-Mormon attack threads and/or comments on this board and then do some research on your own from more than one side of the “issues”.
Is what all these Mormon attack squad people parrot day in and and day out on these boards true? Don’t take their word for it. Find out for yourself. Put forth some effort. You do want the truth right? Prove it.
Read both sides! Talk to both sides! Not just mine. Not just theirs. Make up your own mind.
Here’s a few links to get your started from a different viewpoint. The vast majority of the issues brought up can be found and addressed at http://www.fairlds.org/ I have found but here’s more.
http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.lds.org
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/
http://www.fairlds.org/
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Main_Page
http://www.lightplanet.com/response/index.html
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml
http://www.answeringantimormons.com/index.htm
http://promormon.blogspot.com/
As far as the rest of the attack posts from the anti-Mormon attack squad regulars go, I invite everyone to read all of them and then do some research on your own from more than one side of the “issues”. Don’t forget to check out the vast multitude of others threads just bursting at the seams with anti-Mormon propaganda. You’ll find all sorts of copy/paste fun as well as tons of off the cuff /sarcasm “loving comments” /sarcasm off.
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