Posted on 07/19/2011 5:56:11 PM PDT by Colofornian
SALT LAKE CITY — Mike Otterson, head of the LDS Church's Public Affairs Department, has a message for those in the media who persist in referring to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a "cult": "expect to be challenged."
Writing in the Washington Post's "On Faith" blog, Otterson asserts that the words continues to crop up in news stories about Mormonism because "it's a neat, shorthand and rather lazy way of putting a whole group into a box."
From the archive Looking for understanding in the Mormon spotlight – July 1, 2011 LDS public affairs rep responds to evangelical writer's claim that voting for Mormons promote 'dangerous religion' – June 7, 2011 Mormon presidential hopefuls elicit range of reactions – May 10, 2011 Mormon PR leader: 'Why I won't be seeing the Book of Mormon musical' – April 15, 2011 Washington Post: Mormon voices in the public square and what to make of them – Sept. 3, 2010 "Once labeled as a cult," Otterson continues, "there is not much need to explain all of the baggage that comes with it - the implicit ideas of extremism, mind control, authoritarianism and secrecy that play perfectly into the kind of rigid stereotypes beloved of the ignorant and bigoted. Journalists could and should do better than perpetuate this kind of shallowness when referring to the fourth largest church in the United States. Rather than continuing to parrot it, it's time they pushed back against those who choose to use it."
SNIP
Otterson makes it clear that "it's the insult implicit in the word 'cult' that I am objecting to, not the reasonable point that some Christians are indeed uncomfortable with aspects of Latter-day Saint theology. Of course they are..."
(Excerpt) Read more at deseretnews.com ...
Challenge away.
Mormonism has always been a cult founded by the false prophet cultist, Joseph Smith.
One of my personal definitions of a "cultist" is a person who makes exclusive claims to all truth who isn't Jesus Christ.
This previously posted article does a good job on how Romney fan Hugh Hewitt tried to redefine the word "cult" on behalf of Romney's 2008 campaign run...and why Hewitt's attempt failed:
Hugh Hewitt Redefines Mormonism for Mitt Romney
From the article: ...the reasonable point that some Christians are indeed uncomfortable with aspects of Latter-day Saint theology. Of course they are..."
Indeed.
* Multiple gods? Thousands & millions more becoming gods all the time? (That's not Christianity; that's a cult)
* God started off as a man and everybody is as eternal (past) as God? (That's not Christianity; that's a cult)
* Only baptized married temple Mormons who follow 100% of God's commands get to live with Heavenly Father forever? (That's not Christianity; that's a cult)
I personally feel very sorry for Mike Otterson. He’s in a real bind because he knows very well that the Mormon church is NOT an honest church/religion and it’s his job to play coverup. There is only one person in the world who can speak for the church in an official capacity to clarify what the church officially teaches/interprets on various issues. And that person is Thomas S. Monson, and most definitely NOT Mike Otterson. What Otterson says carries no weight because he’s just a Public Affairs guy. And Otterson isn’t going to convince anyone (except for very fanatical closed-minded Mormons) on anything because non-Mormons generally do understand (or find out quickly if they do their homework) that only the church president can speak for the church. And about calling out the media for labeling them a cult? You won’t get anywhere with that unless President Monson is the one doing the talking and only if he’ll actually have a real press conference where journalists ask real questions and he tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Until we see that happen its hopeless for Mormons to ever have any other label than that of being a cult.
Facts are that when you look at the add-on "scriptures" of the Mormons, 97% of it ... and at one time (1977) over 99% of it ... was sourced in trusting Joseph Smith as the "mousetrap" filter as its source.
With the New Testament, you have Jesus, Paul, John, Jude, Peter, Luke, Matthew, Mark, the writer of Hebrews...as multiple sources that unite.
With the Mormon standard works, you've just got to trust Joseph Smith alone -- that he was able to translate "reformed Egyptian" (no such language; nor would Jews use a pagan language like Egyptian) from nowhere-to-be-found gold plates that somehow wound up right near the Canadian border from a trek coming from South (or Central) America.
Up through 1977, 97% of the Mormon "Doctrine & Covenants" came from Joseph Smith. And the Pearl of Great Price comes from Smith...as the Egyptian funeral document as the supposed basis of two books there is just that...a document that's been able to be read as just a funeral document.
You can take the 33-lane-in-one autobahn (the Bible)...or you can take the poorly constructed, rickety one-man bridge call "Joseph Smith road" to your eternal destiny.
It must either admit that it is outside of mainstream Christianity. Or it must change its teachings to align with mainstream Christianity. Or it must continue to be called a cult. Simple.
I seem to recall a point-blank Q from Time Mag of Lds "prophet" Gordon Hinckley about Mormon doctrine of becoming gods. Hinckley obfuscated and tried claiming the source of it was just a couplet -- just a saying.
When you read thru Mormon books, curricula, articles, the reference to becoming gods probably easily numbers in the TENS of thousands. And Hinckley wanted to reduce all of that to just one Lorenzo Snow couplet?
So Mormon leaders speaking direct..."the whole truth"? Not a chance.
Tenderness, compassion, lovingkindness in the name of Jesus alert. :-)
No...
It is a neat, shorthand and truthful way of describing the perverse teachings of the mormon cult accurately.
Well, thank you, II.
Of course, you might rebound with a "Oh, I forgot the /s"
But see. Truth can emerge from your posts!
Oh, & btw, Jesus happened to label the legalists of His day as "brood of snakes" and "whitewashed selpuchres"...I don't think people would accuse Jesus of being anything other than tender, compassionate, and merciful...do you?
I don't feel sorry for a man who makes his living as spokesman for a corporation that demands to be called "Christian" when it spent 150 years denigrating Christians and Christianity until all of a sudden, with no change in doctrine or practices, it wants a seat at the table of Christianity for reasons having nothing to do with loving Christ.
Those that knew him seemed to think he was a wonderful fella. The legalists? Lol. You?
You've assumed otherwise?
Otterson obviously has no clue that there are 3 disciplinary definitions of the word ‘cult’, anthropological, sociological, and theological. The LDS fit ALL 3, therefore it is perfect reasonable to deem them a ‘cult’.
...All while trying to maintain the counterfeit camouflage of contending that, "We're Christians, too."
'Tis such a tightrope Mormon P.R. agents have to walk.
On the one hand, they've got a brand to present: "We're Christians, too."
On the other hand, the FULL sentence of what Mormons really believe -- but can't say in a Press release -- is:
"We're Christians, too...like those ones we label as 'corrupt apostates' who embrace 100% abominable dishonorable creeds unto our-gods-who-aren't-one-but-who-are-many-but-we-have-to-keep-saying-God-singular-cause-it-sounds-too-'cultic'-to-keep-saying-gods-plural-in-public..."
"...besides, more openly acknowledging multiple gods would chase away prospects & investigators from our proselytizers."
Otterson asserts that the words continues to crop up in news stories about Mormonism because “it’s a neat, shorthand and rather lazy way of putting a whole group into a box.”
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No, because it is ACCURATE.
LOL
“there is not much need to explain all of the baggage that comes with it - the implicit ideas of extremism, mind control, authoritarianism and secrecy that play perfectly into the kind of rigid stereotypes
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Ummmm...I’m really starting to think I need to email this guy.
“extremism, mind control, authoritarianism and secrecy” are all true of the Mormon church.
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