How do Mormons answer ‘not Christian’ claims?

Washington Post ^ | October 12, 2011 | Michael Otterson

[greyfoxx39]

I had been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints for just a few days when I encountered my first experience of anti-Mormon prejudice.

-SNIP-

“But you’re not Christian and you don’t believe in forgiveness.” It was not a question, but a declaration, delivered with a finality reminiscent of a judge’s gavel rendering verdict on a hapless miscreant.

-SNIP-

Mormons do not pretend that their understanding of Christ is identical to that of Christian orthodoxy. We embrace the New Testament and much of what the modern Christian world teaches about the Savior of the world, but we do not stop there. We have a lot more to add about the Son of God, and it is that additional revelation that causes the real rub with some orthodox Christians. To us, however, refusing to accept further enlightenment on the mission of Jesus Christ is like a math teacher telling his or her students they must stop at multiplication tables. No algebra or calculus allowed.

-SNIP-

For those who want to accelerate that process of understanding, our churches are open to all every Sunday. Use the website to find the nearest chapel to you, and feel free to drop by. If you try to track the number of references to Jesus Christ in the service, you may lose count. So just observe the families, listen to the prayers, leaf through the hymn book to see if any of the hymns seem familiar, and make up your own mind as to how Christian our people are. Jesus taught us: “By their fruits, ye shall know them.”

[Tennessee Nana]

Jesus taught us: “By their fruits, ye shall know them.”
_____________________________________________

Matthew 7:16, 20 Matthew 12:33 Luke 6:44

Yeppers to recognize false prophets and other unbelievers like the mormon prophet Joey Smith...

and we do...

[metmom]

They lie.

They pretend that the words they use mean the same thing as we do and that they follow the Bible, which they carry around and read out of when canvassing neighborhoods to lead people to think that Mormonism is based on the Bible.

[SkyDancer]

If you're on a journey of discovery and education a computer is a great place to start. You just go to your favorite search engine (I use several) and type in your search request. Simple as that.

I don't have to prove myself right, others have to prove me wrong. So far, in the LDS/Mormon threads they haven't.

[metmom]

It’s the extreme of what happens when the private interpretation of scripture is taken to its logical extreme.

I've heard that song before.

It's amazing what one short sentence can tell you about a person's denominational affiliation.

[metmom]

The guy wrote his own book. This has nothing to do with private interpretation of Scripture.

Besides, Protestants (to whom your barb is aimed) didn't give up the idea of discussing Scripture in groups and praying together.

To a degree putting "interpretations down on paper" and then demanding they be used in every analysis as the only official answer is a bit extreme don't you think? Burning those who disagree at the stake is certainly beyond the pale.

ping....

[metmom]

Bingo. Check posting history.

[the invisib1e hand]

From the Land of Moron - no joke it really says that

Probably has nonstops to and from Xenu.

[Vendome]

That’s a weak response.
Flys in the face of reason as Mormons “cannot” claim to be the same.

You brought up that they have pamphlets sayong as much. They don’t.

I know in excess of 200 Mormons and we have these discussions regularly as friends with different doctrines.

I have downloaded every single manual and LDS provides and have never seen what you said.

[Chuckster]

Mormons are not Christians. Only Adventicathobaptimetholutherfarians are true Christians.

[Manic_Episode]

One can be either a disciple of Christ, God Himself, or a disciple of Smith, lying scoundrel, but not both.

They are mutually exclusive to each other.

[SkyDancer]

Try looking harder. It’s a card about 5x7 in size and has all the Christian articles of faith on it. Why not trip back through this thread and read what I wrote about living with a Mormon family. It might enlighten you.

[SkyDancer]

Here, let me help you out seeing has how your Mormon friends don't have a clue.

13 Articles of Faith

1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. 10.

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

So you see, some are and some are not tenets of Christianity. Those that are not are not mentioned when visiting homes.

[wtng2fish]

Scripture Search Results

Searching for Text Exactly as Entered: You may call yourself whatever you like as long as you wear the undies of white
From Source: RLDS 1908 Book of Mormon
Verses Found: 0
Instances of Exactly This Word in All 3 Books:
You may call yourself whatever you like as long as you wear the undies of white...Does Not Exist

Instances of Words Beginning with:
You may call yourself whatever you like as long as you wear the undies of white...Does Not Exist

Instances of Any Word Containing:
You may call yourself whatever you like as long as you wear the undies of white...Does Not Exist

Searching for any combination of these words: You may call yourself whatever you like as long as you wear the undies of white
From Source: RLDS 1908 Book of Mormon

http://www.restoredgospel.com/Scriptures/Results.asp?R1=V3&SearchString=You+may+call+yourself+whatever+you+like+as+long+as+you+wear+the+undies+of+white&B1=Search&OrText=

LEARN TO TELL THE TRUTH.............!

[Morgana]

The Book of Mac Aroni, Chapter 4, verse six answers that question quite clearly:

“You may call yourself whatever you like as long as you wear the undies of white”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Don’t go there! There is something to be said for Mormon undies! When I first saw a pic of them, on FR of all places it cured me of all impure thoughts I had of those young cute Mormon missionaries that came to my door!

[Vendome]

I’m on my cell so I can’t respond as fully as I’d like but, points 6 9 and 10 are not typical Christian and it even admits as much by referring to the primitive church.

I still don’t see a pdf of a pamphlet.

I get that your arguments are about being right and never being proven wrong but you are being parsimonious and equivocating to maintain your facade.

[greyfoxx39]

Your link doesn't explain what the purpose of your post is. Care to enlighten us?

BTW, congratulations on your very first FR post. Welcome.

[muawiyah]

Hmm ~ would make as much sense as it would to say that the events back in the 12th and 13th centuries when Rome took over much of Central and Eastern Europe from the Orthodox, and then forgot to send priests, was a necessary predicate for the LDS.

Or worse, that when St. Patrick went to Ireland as a priest/missionary and ended up with an episcopate that operated differently than Rome, then we had a necessary predicate for the LDS.

Or, ........ there are a lot of situations where there were changes in the warp and woof of Christian eschatology, if not theology, over the last couple of millenia.

it wasn't planned that way I am sure!

Interesting that Joseph Smith, for a short while, was tied to an early Restorationist church which sought to recreate what was, in essence, second century Orthodoxy.

Apparently their adherence to standards of legitimate research into what that might be was not to his liking. Still, he had one of their guys participate in the "I was a witness for Joseph Smith's translation". He eventually wandered off from it all.

So, what could a member of Disciples of Christ (Christian) have to say about all this ~ that Rome's "adjustments" of Second Century Christian practice was a necessary augury for the Mormons?

[Rashputin]

"LEARN TO TELL THE TRUTH.............!"

I'm so sorry, I thought the education level on the FR forums was high enough that you would have recognized mocking humor for what it was rather than thinking I was literally saying such a verse existed.

In order to insure you don't misunderstand again do to the obvious lack of education you suffer from:

Mormons are not Christians by any stretch of the imagination and only claim to be as a sales technique. In reality Mormons are quasi pagan polytheists who have defied Scriptures by preaching another gospel.

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Tossing out books of the Bible you don't like, making your own personal interpretation of Scripture (a common thing not unique to Mormons), bastardizing translations to suit yourself, adding your own second Bible, or in any other way relying on an angel or a snake-oil salesman rather than the Gospel as the Apostles taught it isn't Christian. Period.

Furthermore, if you undergarments come in a wide variety of designer styles and colors, forgive me for me for not having studied the religious lingerie literature. As I said, mocking humor doesn't rely on total accuracy to get a point across.

Last but not least, I've studied genealogy and Mac Aroni was in fact a Mormon who died in a terrible Wisconsin Kraft Cheese factory accident back in 1910. I know he didn't write one of the books in The Book of Mormon, but then, we all know none of the Aroni, Bolowni, or Cartoni, folks wrote them either. They're all the master work of Joseph Smith who found a very crafty way to stop spending so much money at the whorehouse. Nothin' gets the babes like being a prophet, eh?

I hope this clears up your little misunderstanding.

[patlin]

And there's the problem. Mormons think they have the right to add revelation about Jesus

You mean just like the Christian doctrine did when they said Yah’shua abolished that which “HE IS”; thereby slowly casting off all of YHVH’s commandments in lieu of their own? THE NERVE OF THEM!!!