Posted on 11/28/2012 6:00:38 PM PST by Colofornian
http://www.lds.org/church/news/mormonor ... c?lang=eng
How about being straight up and saying that Mormons put on costumes and chant rituals in secret buildings that only 10% of gross earnings paid as "tithes" allow entrance?
Mormonism wants people to think they are normal that they are just Christians like everyone else. Each year they get rid of more and more of their embarrassing doctrines - or doctrines that aren't politically correct anymore. Apologist attack dogs fight any critics on technicalities.
Mormonism has one thing that works for them - and that is the funneling of cash from members to the Cult coffers. This is done through mandatory tithe. And in order to make this tithe work - and make the member believe in the Cult enough to pay - they have to have the secret temple ceremonies. You have to put a ton of make believe in there.
Stephen R. Donaldson is one of my favorite authors. In one of his series of books he explained how a great and noble group of leaders were slowly corrupted through the centuries by simple infiltration of ideas. The ideas changed the group slowly until they went from helping people to human sacrifices. The new leaders of the group knew what was going on - but they surrounded themselves with those who only had faith - not knowledge. Those who had faith were much stronger because they were driven by the new cult. Those who held faith were much easier to control.
Pondering the story Donaldson had written I saw the same manifested in the Cult of Mormonism. If you have members who are so convinced you are the one and only true Cult, they will not hesitate to open their pocketbooks and hand over everything. Mormonism needs this kind of special, secret, garment wearing, new name, pay lay ale - in order to keep the tithes flowing. If the cat is out of the bag, the tithing will stop.
So the reality is there is a certain point where Mormonism must stop moving towards Christianity - it has to because money is ultimately the top priority of the Cult. Money - Power - Control.
Look at all the recovery boards right now - even the NOM boards. What is the #1 topic right now because of upcoming December? Tithing. Tithing. Tithing. Oh and don't forget tithing. Sign up for tithing settlement. And don't forget to sign up for tithing settlement.
“All of our messaging is focused on helping people understand that Mormons are Christian,”
Naw, Mormonism isn't a Christian church. It's a secretive Cult with very cultish practices and it has to stay that way - or go broke.
(see post #22...elsie’s comment I s’pose applies to you as well!)
Except the church of the first century wasn't the Roman Catholic church...Mostly 'twas Messianic Christians...and some Gentiles...God-fearers
So... you’re Catholic then.
:)
On a religious forum it is expected and justified that doctrinal contentions take place, and that particular elitist groups which exclude all others as being Christian are examined and exposed. Esp. the fastest growing one.
As is the duplicity of those who condemn all judging as hateful (not that I am saying you are) as they champion plurality.
Truth is life, and is exclusive by nature, and just as the ethos of the Left is legitimately attacked in the political arena by those who contend for conservative values and principals, so foundational religious truths are on this officially pro-God forum, though it may seem irrelevant to some, or overkill (which it sometimes may be).
Interesting ~ within the last year or so I found some Church of the First Born congregations in Oklahoma who have rules very, very, very, very similar to those, but not just for missionaries ~ they apply them to everybody in the congregation ~ they add one about laying on hands and calling in the elders and deacons to pray for the sick ~ but it’s all the same stuff.
i’ve had both ~ seriously ~ Moslems are better.
You’re entertained? You’re a better person than I. I’m non-Mormon and I find this stuff completely insufferable.
It would be reasonable to respond to that charge, and such is often debated here. As said, truth is exclusive by nature, and thus claiming no church is the One True Church is just as much a truth claim that condemns those who differ as is claiming your church is the OTC.
Note however that the Prots contention is not that their particular church is the OTC, that being one exclusive claim, but that the OTC is the general body of Christ which one is baptized into by the Holy Spirit upon contrite faith in the risen Lord Jesus to save the damned + destitute sinner by His sinless shed blood, not because one deserved it. (1Cor. 12:13; Rm. 3:10-4:6) And thus they contend (Jude 1:3) against those who reject all churches outside theirs as being valid church and or Christians.
Evangelicals supported Romney in record numbers. Ralph Reed said it was "astonishing".
“Evangelicals turned out in record numbers and voted as heavily for Mitt Romney yesterday as they did for George W. Bush in 2004,” said Ralph Reed, chairman of TK-based Faith and Freedom Coalition. “That is an astonishing outcome that few would have predicted even a few months ago."
All of which is well known, well documented, discussed incessantly ~ except among Mormons I gather. However, the unifying discussion within the Christian Church Movement in all of its several manifestations was the positions and practices of the First Century Church ~ particularly before the Destruction of the Temple and the murder of a good chunk of first century Jewry by the Romans.
Knowing all that Smith's concerns with apostasy actually fall within the pale of Christian orthodoxy because even the Roman Catholics continue to discuss the First Century ~ and what happened then, and what the post Crucifixion period was like and how it affects us.
SEE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2963193/posts
Smiths idea was to go deeper into the past than the First Century ~ thereby, he imagined, disarming his opponents. Then he had Jesus appear in America (in his narrative). This actually didn't disarm Alexander Campbell, and I'm sure by now that more than one Pope has had a good chuckle over the matter.
Final point, the item that takes Smith OUTSIDE the pale of Christian Orthodoxy is the Book of Mormon ~
Ignorant evangelicals voted for him.
There were other choices ~ one of them is to work vigorously to purge the GOP of the GOP-e and their running dog lackeys.
No Obama, no way!that the bigots on the “religion forum” try to chase away any dissenters by saying “it’s the religious forum”.
Well, maybe it’s the unicorn forum, does that mean no one can disagree? Further, those who check “Latest Articles” see all articles including the precious bigot loving religious ones.
Click here for more guidelines to the Religion Forum.
The religion forum has been putting threads up exposing mormonism since before 2002, seriously get over yourself, this is not about you.
If you wish to not see them stick to the news/activism forums.
The religion forum has more restrictive rules than the others, its the way its set up.
Again, since before 2002 FR religion forum has posted about mormonism.
Why can’t I read and respond to the religious forum posts?
If I don’t want to read them? Or you mean if I disagree with one?
Using Fox exit poll numbers, Romney got about 26M evangelical votes. That’s better than McCain or Bush.
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