Posted on 10/31/2011 8:54:35 PM PDT by delacoert
Robert Jeffress made national headlines recently with his assertion that Mormonism is a "cult" and a "false religion." Peter Wehner, a political commentator whose blog I read regularly, immediately criticized what he termed "the theological and political errors of Pastor Jeffress."
What are the facts behind the firestorm? Is Mormonism a "cult?” The answer depends on your definition of the term.
If by "cult" you mean the popular caricature of a manipulative group that practices mind control and exploits its members, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints clearly does not qualify.
However, scholars use the word differently. According to Walter Martin's definitive The Rise of the Cults, a "cult" is "a group of people polarized around someone's interpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly the fact that God became man in Christ Jesus." They claim a founder other than Jesus, follow a book other than the Bible, accept beliefs outside traditional Christianity, and seek salvation in ways other than by grace through faith.
There is no question that Mormons claim to be Christians. Responding to Jeffress, the church released a statement claiming that "Christ is at the center of our worship, study, service and faith." But what do they believe about God?
Their movement was founded 1,800 years after Christ by Joseph Smith (1805-44). He taught that "God was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens" (King Follett Discourses). According to Smith, "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's" (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). The church teaches that God the Father in his glorified physical body had sexual intercourse with the virgin Mary, resulting in the conception of the physical Christ (Journal of Discourses 1:51; 4:218).
Do they follow a book other than the Bible? In addition to Scripture, they consider the Book of Mormon to be "another testament of Jesus Christ" revealed by Jesus to descendants of Israel living in early America. They also follow Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, compendiums of theology and prescribed practices.
Do they accept beliefs outside traditional Christianity? Smith taught plural marriage as a "new and everlasting covenant" (Doctrine and Covenants 132:1,4). Though the church repudiated polygamy in 1890, some splinter groups still follow the practice. They baptize for the dead, believing that this action can speed the progress of the deceased in the afterlife.
Do they seek salvation in ways other than by grace through faith? Mormons believe that baptism purges their Gentile blood and replaces it with the blood of Abraham through the Holy Spirit. In this way they become the actual offspring of Abraham (History of the Church 3:380). They believe in three levels of glory: The telestial kingdom (for those who have no testimony of Christ); the terrestial kingdom (for those who fail the requirements of exaltation); and the celestial kingdom (reserved for members of the Mormon church who will become gods; Doctrine and Covenants 132:20)
Are Mormons Christians? That depends on the degree to which they accept the non-biblical teachings of their faith regarding God and salvation. I have met Mormons who assure me that they have asked the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive their sins and become their personal Savior and Lord. Many do not know as much about their church's doctrines as I do. However, I have also met Mormons who believe that their progress toward the celestial kingdom depends not on Jesus' sacrifice but on their missionary work and other church activities.
One final issue: Should the Mormon beliefs of Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman influence Christians as they decide which candidate to support for president? Our decision should be informed by our answers to two prior questions. First, to what extent do Romney and Huntsman accept the non-Christian elements of their faith? Second, to what degree would decisions made by the president be impacted by uniquely Mormon beliefs?
If you look at Judaism there isn’t any grace or punishment after death. When you die your soul returns to heaven to rest until the next incarnation and your physical body returns to the earth.
What the rabbis teach is what is more important is what you do in the here and now based on the ethics you live out on a daily basis per the instructions of life given by God at Mount Sinai. Of course, what you do has an effect on the lives of your wife, your children, grand children, great grand children, friends, business associates, the nation which you live in and everyone else you come into contact with - even those you will never meet directly.
a. The living get the punishment and rewards of the wake you have left behind while you were here.
b. Any one can be God-like if you choose to study the characteristics of God and do your best to emulate them in a humble and just manner.
c. God commands us to judge others but to do it while giving them the benefit of the doubt. Basically it is ‘judge with mercy’ in a balanced fashion since it is so easy to judge from a judgmental and harsh perspective.
I have heard of it through a Master’s class that I have taken for credit but I will question my daughter to see if she has.
Let me know, please.
Thanks for your reply. You seen to have a good view of them. Sometime I find folks that treat them with higher authority than scripture.
The answer is a bit hard for some to take.
There are many professing Christians who trust in their own works, goodness, merits for their salvation. Such people are trusting in their own “righteousness, instead of Jesus’ blood, and do not have true faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, later on they may get discouraged and decide to leave the faith and no longer be a Christian. There are those too so reckless and shallow in their faith that they they place themselves in peril by foolishly following after false teaching.
This does not prove that they were saved and then lost their salvation, but simply that they deserted the Christian religion because they had only a said faith rather than a genuine one.
The Apostle John clearly described such people in 1 John 2:19. Speaking of some who had renounced the Christian religion and had become anti-Christ, he said, “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.” It is clear from this passage that those who profess faith in Christ and appear to be true believers, and yet later fall away, were never really a part of God’s people in the first place.
Source as in when did this happen?
“Source as in when did this happen?”
I’m not sure exactly what for and when you would like a source.
Here’s Jefress, a Christian pastor, on the Catholic Church.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI0MBgA7ckA
Perry stated that nothing Jefress said about Catholics represents his views. Good for him, I hope it isn’t just political fundement coverage.
As far as a nonCatholic Christians on FR saying the Catholic Church is a cult, check out post five on this thread. Then hit view replies to see some more.
I have never seen a LDS freeper say that kind of stuff on FR, although I have had Freepers I respect show me quotes about what the LDS teaches about the Catholic Church, and they seem legit to me. All I can say is that a small % of nonCatholic Christian Freepers seem to agree with the LDS official teaching about the Catholic Church.
Freegards
I’m sort of disappointed that more of the Inmans have not seen fit to enter the discussion. You are of course filling in the character of the differing soils and seed. I’ll try to revisit this tomorrow. The key is the soil upon which the good seed falls and the ensuing reaction of the seed and subsequent trials. [’Faithing’ is an action word, not a static noun. Many would read ‘faithing’ as their works added to the Grace of God in Christ. The Disciples taught differently.]
If DU were in this thread, perhaps he could pick something out for me...
MORMONs seem to think that Gentiles sure do!
They rant and rave about how EVIL and unGODly they are; but when pinned down to actually SHOW their claims;
they turn into a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
True, in this instance.
But I believe the BIBLE also teaches that one CAN be 'saved' and yet abandon that salvation.
He that endureth to the end...
This is fair and accurate.
We Protestants tend to look at the EXTRAS we see in RCC and assume that those things are VERY important to a Catholic's 'salvation'.
But they say those are mere outward indicators of their salvation.
What?
I thought this was a coverall!
--MormonDude(Dang Catholics...)
As a long-time Scoutmaster, I'd respectfully suggest that Boy Scouting isn't about achieving the rank of Eagle Scout or about earning merit badges. Learning citizenship and leadership, and learning to live the Scout Law and Scout Oath are the goals.
If you read traditional BSA literature, that's what will be stated as the goal of Scouting. One of the finest Scouts I've ever had the pleasure to know left the Troop at the age of eighteen as a First Class Scout. He lived the Law and Oath and went on every campout and service project. He taught every younger Scout and led by example.
After several Scoutmaster's Conferences and talks with his parents, it became clear that he wasn't concerned with rank. He wanted to learn and teach Scouting skills, to camp, to serve, and to teach.
The rank of Eagle Scout is a high ideal, but I've seen too many young men who wear the rank of Eagle Scout who never truly earned it - and too many First Class, Star, Life - or even Tenderfoot Scouts - who better exemplify what it means to be a Boy Scout.
And don't get me started on fourteen-year-old Eagle Scouts.
Pet Sematary had a pretty good analogy to what I think you’re referring to...
“The ground is sour.”
Didn’t you say on FR these things were said about Catholics?
Didn’t you say that lds never say these things about Catholics?
I was pointing out that the very foundation of lds is anti-Catholic/Christian.
The post is not about Jefress, it is about mormonISM.
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