Posted on 01/28/2012 9:20:46 AM PST by pinochet
Almost all Christian denominations can be traced to 3 main traditions - the Catholic, the Protestant, and the Eastern Orthodox traditions. All three traditions are based on the Bible. Mormonism is a religion that has a heritage that is very different from traditional Christianity, and is based on the Book of Mormon.
The theological differences that separate a Baptist from a Catholic, are not the same as those which separate a Baptist from a Mormon, or a Catholic from a Mormon. In a dispute between a Baptist and a Catholic, they will argue over whether Church tradition prevails over scripture on some issues, and on whether salvation is by faith alone, or a combination of faith and works. The main argument will focus on how they interpret the Bibilical verse, James 2:17, which notes "Faith without works is dead".
But Mormonism doctrines involve stuff that is completely incomprehensible to Christians. It is not just the fact that Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith was a polygamist, like the Muslim Prophet Muhammad. I will grant you that Joseph Smith was not as violent as Muhammad. But Mormons have this crazy doctrine that Jesus visited America, and that some Native Americans are the lost tribes of Israel.
They also have secret ceremonies in Mormon temples, in which they perform wierd rituals and ceremonies, such as one creepy ritual called "naked touching". Non-mormons are never allowed to attend those secret Mormon ceremonies, and only a minority of Mormons - those in good standing with the church, are allowed to witness the strange ceremonies. One is also required to wear special undergarments as part of the faith. Here is a description on "naked touching" by ex-Mormons: http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon366.htm
Many of us have met individual Mormons, and admired them and their families. They are a model religious minority like Hindus from India. Hindu immigrants in America are hard working, law-abiding, and their children do well in school. But we cannot get over the fact that Hinduism is a really strange religion with multiple gods and goddesses, and strange cultural practises such as viewing cows as holy animals. Some Hindu gods like Shiva, Hanuman, Ganesha, and Kali, are really weird creatures. I have always viewed Mormons as a nice pro-family people, but with a religion as strange as Hinduism.
I’m sorry, but your question is not clear enough for me to answer it.
LOL! You’re a gem!
There is a more important issue... the threat to the souls of people from mormonism.
Or any other ism that takes the place of The Faith.
In the end, it's not where you're coming from, but where you're going to that counts, eh?
eh-OK! :-)
“If people want to argue about religion, and nit-pick various religions, I think they should go to a religious blog “
We have the religion forum to discuss religion...
Mormonism perverts everything about Christianity.
The only thing mormonism has in common with Christianity is the name, Jesus Christ - and they mean an entirely different Jesus Christ when they use his name.
Personally I think the ritual consumption of analogs for the blood and flesh of a dead man is pretty strange, too.
And one has to point out that being encouraged much less permitted to have and bed a serial string of younger and younger wives also lent a certain attraction to most male acolytes. It is still a practice in Islam, although the "legal limit" is four (a limit overcome by having "temporary" wives and concubines of any number).
The only thing mormonism has in common with Christianity is the name, Jesus Christ - and they mean an entirely different Jesus Christ when they use his name.
Spoken like a true believer, but the Mormons have those too.
You need to step back and look at the broader picture. When you do, you will see that the Mormons have more in common with historical Christianity than Islam, Hindo, Tao, Bahai, etc.
Wait a minute...are you guys telling me that Donny and Marie are evil?
“Mormons have more in common with historical Christianity than Islam, Hindo, Tao, Bahai”
That is meaningless. You might as well claim Satan has more in common with Gabriel than ghosts, Bigfoot and UFOs.
So what other major predecessor religion would you say Mormonism is most like, Zoroastrianism?
Remember that LDS claims to be the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and that the historical Christian churches had lost the bubble on what God wanted them to do. Their restatement of Christianity is still clearly based on Christianity vice Taoism. If you look at it from a neutral position you would have to acknowledge that at a macro level their claim of being a Christian sect/having Christian roots has some validity.
I'm not, but clearly there are those who hate Mormons but have little to no knowledge about them. While I strongly disagree with LDS doctrine, I am unwilling to villify them out of ignorance as some are intent on doing.
Marie is still a cutie...
>>>>If you look at it from a neutral position you would have to acknowledge that at a macro level their claim of being a Christian sect/having Christian roots has some validity
The similarity that Mormons have with mainstream Christians, stems from the fact that Mormons are mostly descended from Anglo-Saxon Protestants, who revered the King James Bible. Clearly, some of the Protestant culture of their ancestors, remains with them. The fact that many Mormons are Nordic white people with ethnic British names, makes them less strange to Americans than Hindus. Mormons pay a great deal of attention to genealogy, and many Mormons trace their roots in America to colonial times, before the American War of Independence.
The National Review editor, Rich Lowry, recently wrote an amusing column describing the WASPish mannerisms of Mitt Romney. The column was titled, The Last Wasp: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/289433/romney-last-wasp-rich-lowry
I would not mind voting for a Mormon with a consistent pro-life record. I would even prefer to vote for a pro-life Hindu, rather than a pro-choice Episcopalian.
But if Mormons have the right to say that other Christian denominations are “in error”, then I have the right to say that many aspects of their religion are “strange”. I do not consider Mormons to be bigoted, when they say other Christian denominations are “in error”. Therefore, non-Mormons who feel that some aspects of Mormon theology are “strange”, are not being bigoted.
Neither seems all that strange. Thanks pinochet.
What else do you expect people to do on a Sunday morning? Ain't no football...
If Reverend Wright had this power over Obama while in office, how many of you wise mormon apologists would defend his religious privacy and say "it's none of our business"?
Or, to put it more succinctly: How stupid are you?
“If you look at it from a neutral position you would have to acknowledge that at a macro level their claim of being a Christian sect/having Christian roots has some validity. “
Again, meaningless distinction.
If we don’t look at Christianity from a Christian perspective, we are simply making Christianity into something it is not.
Thanks for the interaction. I appreciate that you are a conservative, but we will have to continue to disagree on this.
OK, let me try again.
I(’m a Christian. I believe that all who do not accept Christ are going to Hell in the end.
Is that intolerant? I’m not sending them there; I just observe that this is going to happen, just like I might observe a car hurtling over the cliff. The difference being that I can do nothing about the car, but I can at least warn those who don’t know Chris.
So, is this intolerant?
And if it is, say even that I am mistaken, do I not have the right to be intolerant and mistakewn? If not, is not the person preventing being just as intolerant? At least as long as I am not trying to physically force others towards my view.
I hope this clarifies my question, but if not I will try to rephrase it if you let me know.
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