Drawing the Line for Mormons: A Closer Look at the LDS Church

Catholic Exchange ^ | October 17, 2005 | Mary Kochan

[NYer]

About the Author: After growing up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, Mary Kochan worked her way backwards through the Protestant Reformation to enter the Catholic Church on Trinity Sunday, 1996. Mary has done extensive work and research on the problem of religious cults, writing and speaking to live and radio audiences and answering questions about all aspects of cultic behavior. She is married to Daniel and is a member of St. Theresa parish in Douglasville, Georgia.

[NYer]

After growing up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, Mary Kochan worked her way backwards through the Protestant Reformation to enter the Catholic Church

Marcus Grodi's round table discussion on EWTN last night, was about the Jehovah's Witnesses. Hope this author writes another piece on them.

[WhiteGuy]

Well, yeah but.......

They get to wear the magical underpants.

How can we compete with that?

[rdb3]

Many of the GRPL got into major trouble for criticizing or disagreeing with LDS members.

If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
They're going fast!

[Pessimist]

Call me sacrilegious if you must, but to me the most likely scenario is that we were seeded here on this planet by travelers from space.

They may have come back to check on and jerk w/ us several times in our past; thereby explaining a lot of what we consider "scripture" - no matter your religion.

The Mormon beliefs seem to me to be yet another explanation of that. In that respect, they'll get to be a "god" when they to can go off and seed another planet.

When you read the bible, its hard not to view the God of the old testament as a completely different personality from Jesus of the new testament. (Old God: "Kill the heathens, women and children included", "Burn me some animals". New God: "Its all about the healing")

So various guys visited; some nice, some not so nice.

Its the only scenario that makes sense.

I always think about that when I hear about ID too. A lot of what we see may well have been designed - but by whom?

Count me as agnostic.

[kidd]

... we were seeded here on this planet by travelers from space...

This idea takes more "faith" than a whole room full of evangelical Christians and a whole convention of evolutionary biologists combined.

[i.l.e.]

Mormons want you to believe that they are "Christians" and that their church, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," is just another Christian denomination.

Harry Turtledove, (author of alternative history fiction) has a special place in his heart for the Latter Day Saints.

In his stories, he sends in government troops every third chapter in order to quell and quash the ever ongoing Mormon insurrections. The Saints, like the Muslims, continually agitate for sovereignity and self determination. According to Turtledoves fictional narratives, the Mormons had to rebuild the Salt Lake City temple several times within the space of once book.

[jackv]

Yikes!!

[Pessimist]

"This idea takes more "faith" than a whole room full of evangelical Christians and a whole convention of evolutionary biologists combined."

Not really. The same amount at most. There's no proof for either belief.

Hey, this brings up a question I never thought about before though: Where do Christians stand on whether or not we are the only inhabited planet in the universe?

[SaltyJoe]

A woman told me her perspective on power. Power corrupts men to either become a Hitler or Hefner. The Mormon cult attraction is greater for men (given the fleshly desire for multiple sex partners) and it's a burden on wives (and the politics suffered in the Mormon family for women who don't produce). Abraham had a similar problem when he produced a son from Hagar instead of Sarah. Marriage must be one man and one woman. Anything else is chaos.

The Mormon heresy is no different than the first sin issued by a fallen angel, Satan: (Gen 3:5) "No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad."

This continual lie dominates the worst heresies throughout human history from original sin, to Arianism, to present "new age" cults that devolves human personhood into some sort of recyclable life force (as if we can lick a 9 volt battery for communion).

The temptation for the "tree of knowledge" and the mysteries of evil is that it doesn't require the Passion of martyrdom or lifelong physical labor to work for Salvation. This tempting wickedness rewards sinful behavior with multiple sex partners and frees the violent to force his hand on his neighbors when they don't submit to such domination. The spiritual temptation, as the cult schisms further from Truth, is that a soul sees all disciplined desires as a trap keeping it from fleshly happiness. Eventually, for the cult elite, anything goes. Corruption becomes complete, debauchery is rationalized, subordinates are fleeced, murder removes witnesses to crimes, and then the congregation is served cool aid.

I wouldn't be a good candidate to nurture a change from one born out of the Christian Life. God Bless those who can speak honestly with non-Christian cults and show them the Light. I think I'll have to post a copy of Mary Kochan's article at the door for wandering non-Christian salesmen rather than waste time debating (and doing a bad job of it).

[SaltyJoe]

"Where do Christians stand on whether or not we are the only inhabited planet in the universe?"

We should prepare for war against the planet Mars. Why do you think it's named after the "god" of war. /sarcasm

Personally, I think the universe is mankind's playground. The stars are just pin pricks of light for use to use as celestial navigation. I view any spiritual and intelligent creature outside the human race with great suspicion until it's determined that it's "of God". E.T. is the devil. T.I. from the abyss is the devil. The Virgin and the Eucharist is our pillars to moor our ship.

[Dick Vomer]

I tried the "scientific explanation" route as a Biochem major. I am a fallen Catholic and was like you an agnostic ... for awhile..... but as I got older and saw life/death and thought about things such as life, the universe and the shape of my daughters ear while sitting on a beach.... I became a Christian. A very lost Christian... and have tried to find my way.

It seems that the more I try to live as God's cheerful servant, the more of a sinner I realize that I am.

If you'd like a good start into the reasoned approach to Christianity may I recommend C.S. Lewis "Mere Christianity".... It's so strange to have somebody enumerate my beliefs and doubts so clearly. He has a reasoned approach and has helped me greatly.

I don't expect you to do this but it is my hope that at least somebody that is searching for God reads this and gives it a look see.

of course that's only my opinion....... and I could be wrong.

[NYer]

the most likely scenario is that we were seeded here on this planet by travelers from space.

And these folks would agree with you.

George Nouhry would love to find someone, anyone with solid evidence that this planet has been 'seeded' by aliens. All speculation ... but he keeps hoping, like you. Aliens are so much more believable than a loving God.

[kidd]

There's solid proof against alien visitors (the ol' speed of light limitation bugaboo).

For those Christians who interpret Genesis literally, life on other planets may or may not present a problem, depending on how strictly the early Genesis passages are read.

For those Christians who view Genesis as a representation that God is the Creator and that humans are His greatest creation, life on other planets is a scientific curiosity but does not conflict with their beliefs whatsoever.

[Dominick]

Harry Turtledove, (author of alternative history fiction) has a special place in his heart for the Latter Day Saints.

I read his book, American Front, from the Great War series. The Mormon rebels also had a habit of allowing troops to pass them so they can plug them in the back, and fought with tenacity to the last man, woman and child. Just ordered book two of the WWI trilogy, got some catching up to do with possible history.

[Pessimist]

"There's solid proof against alien visitors (the ol' speed of light limitation bugaboo)."

And pre Einstein, that wasn't even known. So are your really so sure that - say 500 hundred years from now - that knowledge won't be overturned too? Even if it isn't, what about suspended animation, etc.

Consider this: Given our rate of advancement (and assuming we don't blow ourselves up by then), at some point might we not be able to seed another planet with life? If so - and given the countless numbers of galaxies, solar systems and planets out there - might someone else not have done the same thing to us already?

Is it the Christian belief that God will step in and specifically prevent us from doing that in our future?

[Pessimist]

"George Nouhry would love to find someone, anyone with solid evidence that this planet has been 'seeded' by aliens. All speculation ... but he keeps hoping, like you"

On the contrary. I have no such hope. In fact I think that if anyone ever did find categorical proof, they seriously might consider keeping a lid on it. Imagine what would happen to mankind if it were faced with that realization.

Right or wrong, religion is definetely a usueful moral contstruct.

Don't get me wron. I personally have no idea whether my theory is correct or whether religion (pick one) is. Unlike me, you may believe that you "know", but I think what you're really saying is you "believe".

[Eastbound]

Nin.Hir.Sag? Enki? Is that you? ;>

[kidd]

And pre Einstein, that wasn't even known. So are your really so sure that - say 500 hundred years from now - that knowledge won't be overturned too? Even if it isn't, what about suspended animation, etc.

Like I said before...this idea takes a LOT of "faith".

It is the Christian belief that God has given mankind dominion over the Earth (Genesis). It is also the Christian belief that with God, anything is possible (Jesus). IOW - God could intercede, but don't count on it.

[AnAmericanMother]

Funny you should mention that . . .