Cardinal: Catholics, Mormons must defend religious freedom together (OPEN)

Catholic News ^ | February 23, 2010

[greyfoxx39]

Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, addresses an audience at the Marriott Center on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo Feb. 23. (CNS/courtesy of BYU)

By Catholic News Service

PROVO, Utah (CNS) -- Catholics and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must continue to stand together as a "vital bulwark" against those in American society who want to "reduce religion to a purely private reality," the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told a historic gathering at Brigham Young University in Provo.

Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago spoke Feb. 23 on "Catholics and Latter-day Saints: Partners in the Defense of Religious Freedom" as part of the Mormon school's forum series. He was the first cardinal to speak at the university.

Cardinal George praised the Mormons for their work with Catholics to protect the conscience rights of health care providers and institutions that do not want to participate in abortion or assisted suicide and to defend marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

"When the government fails to protect the consciences of its citizens, it falls to religious bodies to defend them," he said.

True religious freedom means not just freedom to worship or "individual conscience rights as long as you don't make anyone unhappy," but the right to "influence the public square," he added.

The cardinal said Catholics and Mormons shared not only a common understanding of religious freedom, but the common experience of growing from a small, sometimes persecuted religious minority to larger communities of 67 million U.S. Catholics and about 6 million U.S. Mormons today.

"Both our communities have prospered in a nation that respects religious freedom and recognizes that government should never stand between its citizens and almighty God," he said.

Catholics and Mormons also have stood side by side in efforts against "the degradations associated with pornography" and in promoting "respect for the lives of those waiting to be born and respect for marriage," he added.

Although he did not refer directly to the successful 2008 campaign to overturn same-sex marriage in California, in which Catholics and Mormons were prominent, Cardinal George said both religious communities believe that "every single person is made in God's image and must be respected."

"But that does not mean you accept everything they do," he said. "The relationship is at question here, not the persons."

He also said that those who "have gay people in their families, as I do ... have to be there for them and love them."

The audience at the 22,700-seat Marriott Center gave Cardinal George a standing ovation after his talk, which also was attended by two top officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Elders Quentin L. Cook and M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve.

Cardinal George told the gathering that his own experiences with the church began when he went to Salt Lake City as a child with his mother, a church organist, who wanted to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Many years later in 2007, he was offered an opportunity to serve as guest conductor for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for one song. "Never had I been asked to do something like that," he said. "It was a tremendous feeling of awe and power and great satisfaction."

It was also "something of an ego trip" to have "that great choir waiting for me," Cardinal George said. And when he moved his arm, the choir erupted into "a magnificent sound -- all in unison, all in harmony," he added.

"I thought to myself, 'I'm doing better with the Mormons than I am with the Catholics,'" the cardinal said with a laugh. "I've had a lot harder time getting (Catholics) to sing together."

[ejonesie22]

And that is exactly the way to play it. They have a right to be wrong, we have a right and duty to warn them of such a position.

They stay or go as they choose.

[Godzilla]

essentially a ‘religion’ test

If it smacks of religion or religious elements the it is defacto ‘evil’ to the secular community and its players - eg pro-aborts, pro-gays, atheists, etc.

[CommerceComet]

The cardinal said Catholics and Mormons shared not only a common understanding of religious freedom,

I actually agee with this statement. Religious freedom to both these groups means silencing the evangelical Protestants.

but the common experience of growing from a small, sometimes persecuted religious minority to larger communities of 67 million U.S. Catholics and about 6 million U.S. Mormons today.

The cardinal conveniently forgets that European history shows that the RCC is more often the persecutor than the persecuted.

[Campion]

Religious freedom to both these groups means silencing the evangelical Protestants.

Why would we (Catholics) want to "silence" some of our best allies on social issues?

To the contrary, it's the secular left who wants to silence and marginalize evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons, Orthodox Jews ...

[reaganaut]

So, although I think Mormonism is a false religion, they do have the right to worship the god they choose.

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They have a right to worship as they see fit and we have the right to oppose it.

Unfortunately, calls for ‘freedom of religion’ often are cries for silencing opposition.

[metmom]

I actually agee with this statement. Religious freedom to both these groups means silencing the evangelical Protestants.

That hasn't been my experience. At least these days it's not such an issue.

But much as those two groups are at odds, they ought to realize that whatever political means they use to silence Protestants, can and will, be used against them.

[reaganaut]

In a manner of speaking. Don’t know how much I’ll remember tomorrow.

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Do you want me to archive your posts for you? For a ‘book of remembrance’?

;)

[metmom]

I’ll just check my ping list tomorrow and have the mods delete anything incoherent.

Back to bed.....

zzzz......

[Logical me]

So, although I think Mormonism is a false religion, they do have the right to worship the god they choose.

Thanks for displaying your ignorance. Too bad Mormons believe in God and Jesus Christ our savior. They believe that God is the Father, and Jesus Christ is his beloved son.

[Ransomed]

“Why would we (Catholics) want to “silence” some of our best allies on social issues?”

Hey, when orders come down from the giant computer underneath the Vatican with all the Protestant names in it, Catholics obey!!

Freegards

[greyfoxx39]

Please read post #1 regarding posting rules on open threads in the Religion Forum.

[reaganaut]

Too bad Mormons believe in God and Jesus Christ our savior.

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BZZZZZZ... Wrong! Want sources?

Mormons completely change definitions of things like “Savior” and “atonement” and the nature of God into something Christians would not recognize nor accept. And then they have the nerve to go out and tell CHRISTIANS that they are wrong and apostates and need to join the Mormons.

[svcw]

tttt

[Godzilla]

Thanks for displaying your ignorance. Too bad Mormons believe in God and Jesus Christ our savior. They believe that God is the Father, and Jesus Christ is his beloved son.

Do you believe in one God or many gods?

[Salvation]

**Cardinal: Catholics, Mormons must defend religious freedom together**

Only on issues of life against abortion, euthanasia etc,
and pro-family issues.

ONLY!

The Catholic Church is not endorsing the Mormon Church — just recognizing that we stand together on life issues and family issues.

[metmom]

My understanding is that they don’t believe that Jesus is God Incarnate, come in the flesh, but that he was the product of God the Father having sex with Mary and that he is a separate and distinct being/god, and that Lucifer was his half brother.

That is not the Jesus of the New Testament of the Bible.

It doesn’t do any good to believe in someone called Jesus, if it’s not the one that the Bible teaches of.

Jesus made it very clear that He IS the Father. Very different from being a separate being.

[Salvation]

Thanks

[ComeUpHigher]

Is this where Jesus made it very clear that He is the Father?

“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

Or is this where Jesus made it very clear that He is the Father?

“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42)

Or is this where he made if very clear that He is the Father?

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do .” (Luke 23:34)

Or is this where Jesus made it very clear that He is the Father?

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46)

Or is this where Jesus made it very clear that He is the Father?

“And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, IS NOT MINE TO GIVE, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.” (Matt. 20:23)

[metmom]

No, here....

John 10: 30I and the Father are one."

31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"

33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

The Jews who were going to stone Him clearly understood the meaning of what He said.

John 14: 8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

How many gods do YOU think there are?

[ComeUpHigher]

Why didn’t you address the scriptures I quoted and how they show Jesus made it clear that He is the Father?

“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.” (John 17: 11,21)

So are the Father, Jesus and the apostles one?