Mormonism

[Zequatanil]

Is Mormonism a Christian religion or is it a cult?

``Mormonism is not a Christian religion. It is not even a Christian heresy. It is a religion that has no real connection with Jesus Christ, except at a semantic level. It has been allowed to pass itself off as another manifestation of American Protestantism – some Catholics have been remarkably lax on this front – but it is nothing of the sort, denying as it does the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith – the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, and the exclusivity of revelation in Christ. Oddly enough, Mormonism is further from Christianity than Islam itself. There are indeed interesting parallels between the two. ``

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2012/04/11/mormonism-is-not-a-christian-religion/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_Islam

peace,

S

[Dorian Gray]

i find it odd that seem to exclude the possibility of something being Christian AND a cult.

[Zequatanil]

I simply used cult as I have read a few articles where it was referred to as a cult. I just think it is an off-shoot of Christianity --however I know very little about it , that is why I posed the question. This is the reason why I think it is a good idea to know about different religions if we want to live in peace with each other.

peace and blessings,

S

[Bluecat]

Depends on your definition of Christian.

Mainstream - the Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Mainstream Protestant versions, see belief in the Trinity the divinity of Christ and the idea that revelations ended with the book of ... erm... Revelations in the Bible as pretty much non-negotiable elements of Christianity.

Mormons, as far as I can recall, don't have much truck with the Trinity, see Christ's divinity as nothing special (all men will be divine eventually) and get their revelation from a book that turned up in the early 19th Century.

I read the Book of Mormon about 30 years ago, out of interest, but mainly remember how much a pastiche of the KJV it is.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Bluecat

[emalpaiz]

When you read the Book of Mormon, you realize that Mormons are Christians. They might not be mainstream Christians, but they are Christians in the same way that the early Gnostics were Christians. We might not like their doctrines, but the foundation of their faith is that there is a man-god called Jesus Christ who came to save mankind. I studied with them for a time, and eventually I returned to my religious beliefs, because I found that the Mormons or Latter Day Saints were somewhat narrow minded, and that does not set well with met. But they are Christians.

To call them a cult is a mistake, because every religion is a cult.

Hermano Luis

Moriviví Hermitage

[Atwater Vitki]

All I know about Mormonism is that some of the youth they send out door to door need to be a bit more secure in their beliefs....if they are going to represent the LDS.

I'll just say that "Tim", very well versed in reciting the Bible and the Book of Mormon and his sidekick came to my house near Eureka many times over a two year period and we had many insightful exchanges regarding the virtuous style of living we both enjoyed. As time went on "Tim" seemed to be asking more questions about my profession and Beliefs in the Nordic Pantheon and was one of the few who truly understood the difference between 'emulation and worship'. Towards the end he'd show me exquisite drawings he had done on the sly of very dark subject matter and well adaptable for tattooing. The long story short....

On "Tim's" 19th birthday he moved out of his Mormon "Mission President" parents house. Yep dad was the leader/pastor of the LDS in Eureka. "Tim" moved in with some friends from his high school and after showing a few proficiencies to me and my other artists and apprentices, began his tattooing apprenticeship the following week. He was instrumental in keeping order in the studio and turned out to be the best manager I've ever had upon completing his apprenticeship as my other trainees had accepted positions elsewhere and I was in the process of opening my 3rd location. He was thrilled to run my Weaverville location, met and eventually married a sassy young mountain gal who'd moved to the area to "get away from Fresno".

Though turned away by his family, which he deeply regretted their narrow mindedness, and having only his new bride for comfort, he eventually purchased the Weaverville studio from me shortly before my move to Maui. He currently is working in Las Vegas carrying on the outreach I started in Eureka...running a clean, profitable studio and working with the courts in helping disadvantaged kids get their "gangsta' tattoos" covered so they could find suitable employment as part of their probation and/or parole...very low cost or free depending on circumstance of the youngun'.

You can see some examples of "Tim's" work on "Chumlee" and "Big Hoss" of "Pawn Stars" fame on the History Channel...my, my how great things come from the oddest sources and starts.

I absolutely cherish the memories of having been a small part of getting someone like "Tim" to break out on his own and take responsibility for his own life. He and his wife of now 12 years have 3 children of 11, 7 and 5 and they are looking forward to stopping by on their next trip to Fresno to see the wife's family. I'll be sure to take pictures. Oh, and BTW, "Tim" still only has one tattoo, the huge coy and background everyone in the Eureka studio covered his left leg with. "I just never wanted to distract from those memories. It was a new start in life for me." he told me awhile back in e-mail.

"Tim" and family currently are members of one of the five Methodist Churches in Las Vegas where his wife runs the day care and he lay ministers in the youth program....sometimes apples don't fall far from the tree, but they land on a hill and roll a little ways away. I am not disappointed at all that he chose to continue his walk with Christ, it's good for him and his family and if anything can teach a young family good values and the virtues of sticking it out through all of Life's turmoil....well a strong Belief can certainly aid in that adventure, regardless of a shaky beginning.

Blessings of Peace,

[mark 45]

as i have said before,my ex is a mormon.and as i said,i wouldn't call her anything that would be allowed by the word filter.

however,most of the people i met who were mormans were very nice people.would they also be christians.they define themselves,not me.

[Youch]

Is Mormonism a Christian religion or is it a cult?

``Mormonism is not a Christian religion. It is not even a Christian heresy. It is a religion that has no real connection with Jesus Christ, except at a semantic level. It has been allowed to pass itself off as another manifestation of American Protestantism – some Catholics have been remarkably lax on this front – but it is nothing of the sort, denying as it does the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith – the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, and the exclusivity of revelation in Christ. Oddly enough, Mormonism is further from Christianity than Islam itself. There are indeed interesting parallels between the two. ``

http://www.catholich...stian-religion/

http://en.wikipedia....onism_and_Islam

peace,

S

Why not research/ask/quote/cite the Morman Church?

[Ex Nihilo]

I believe the Mormonism is a sect within Christianity. They believe in the trinity. They use the bible and biblical doctrines. True, their perspective and theology has been heavily colored by Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets. They are a very unique form of Christianity but Christian nonetheless.

[Brother Kaman]

I believe the Mormonism is a sect within Christianity. They believe in the trinity. They use the bible and biblical doctrines. True, their perspective and theology has been heavily colored by Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets. They are a very unique form of Christianity but Christian nonetheless.

Mormon perspective and theology are not colored by Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets. Mormon perspective and theology were invented by Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets. Because they chose to invent their religion around Jesus rather than the Flying Spaghetti Monster changes nothing. I invented my own belief system based on quantum physics and certain meditative exercises. If I were to gather a following, I too, would have a cult just as the Mormons have theirs.

[Ex Nihilo]

Cults are centered around the personalities and persons of cult-leaders, Mormonism honors Joseph Smith as a prophet but does not worship him as god incarnate. The sect did not die out with the death of Smith, it has continued to grow and evolve. I have a number of friends who are Mormon. They pray in Christ's name, read the bible along with their book of Mormon, and exhibit far more of the Christ-likeness than most other Christians I know.

I am not a Mormon, but I don't see how the changes they've made to their theology is any more unique and marginal than Pentecostals evangelicals, Protestants, Anglicans, Catholics, orthodox, baptists, or Quakers...Each sect has its own distinctive doctrines and views on the godhead (some would call these heresies but I think that's above my pay grade). That doesn't make them cults in anything other than the academic sense. According to the Athanasian creed, what makes a christian a christian is his adherence to the Trinitarian faith. Mormons believe the trinity, thus they are Christians. They may very well be wrong, but God said to be faithful not infallible.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Rev'd Rattlesnake

[Brother Kaman]

According to the Athanasian creed, what makes a christian a christian is his adherence to the Trinitarian faith. Mormons believe the trinity, thus they are Christians. They may very well be wrong, but God said to be faithful not infallible.

According to nearly everyone else, a Christian is one who believes in the teachings of Jesus and accepts Him as the messiah and as their personal savior. I know many Latter Day Saints, as well. I know most to be fine, upstanding citizens. They could all be witches or Pagans for all I care. I don't really give a hoot myself and I stand by my previous post that Mormonism is a cult. You are certainly welcome to your beliefs and opinions as well.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Brother Kaman

[Ex Nihilo]

Jesus is part of the trinity, and therefore belief in him as not only messiah and savior, but also second person of the godhead is necessary for salvific Christian faith but it is not sufficient. There must also be belief in god the father and god the holy spirit, according to most Christians. People who believe in Jesus but not the One who sent him or the one who came after could hardly be called a christiam, at least in the traditional sense

[Zequatanil]

Among the major differences with traditional Christianity, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon Church is officially called, do not believe in the concept of the unified Trinity; the Book of Mormon is considered sacred text, alongside the Bible and two other texts; and Mormons believe that God has a physical body and that human beings can eventually become like God.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/m/mormons_church_of_jesus_christ_of_latterday_saints/index.html?offset=0&s=newest

In Mormonism: The trinity is three separate Gods: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. "That these three are separate individuals, physically distinct from each other, is demonstrated by the accepted records of divine dealings with man," (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 35).

Richard D Land the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, who calls Mormonism a fourth Abrahamic religion, along with Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Being set apart from Christianity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/opinion/im-a-mormon-not-a-christian.html?ref=mormonschurchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints

[Ex Nihilo]

Among the major differences with traditional Christianity, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon Church is officially called, do not believe in the concept of the unified Trinity; the Book of Mormon is considered sacred text, alongside the Bible and two other texts; and Mormons believe that God has a physical body and that human beings can eventually become like God.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/m/mormons_church_of_jesus_christ_of_latterday_saints/index.html?offset=0&s=newest

In Mormonism: The trinity is three separate Gods: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. "That these three are separate individuals, physically distinct from each other, is demonstrated by the accepted records of divine dealings with man," (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 35).

Richard D Land the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, who calls Mormonism a fourth Abrahamic religion, along with Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Being set apart from Christianity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/opinion/im-a-mormon-not-a-christian.html?ref=mormonschurchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints

hi sarkany, in your quote it did not say they believe in three gods, they believe in three physically seperate persons, which sounds very much like just what the trinity is: one god in three persons (natures) coeternal and consubstantial. The trinity concept necessitates physical distinctness because the father is pure spirit, Jesus is both divine ans human, ie, corporeal, and the holy spirit is that part of god which proceeds from the father and the son to permeate, vivify, and sanctify all creation. They have always been and always will be sepetate yet united in one godhead. To deny this is to embrace unitarianism which is the very thing the athanasian creed seeks to anathematize.

As for the SBC preacher, is be careful listening to him, I know what SBCs think of catholics...they might be biased.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

I let people define themselves. That is the Interfaith way. The Mormons say that they are Christians. That's good enough for me.

[Bluecat]

All this reminds me of the Yiddish joke about the boy whose mother says he's a genius.

But, her friends ask, by geniuses, is he a genius?

Mormons, it seems, reckon they are Christians. Many Christian groups disagree, but some agree.

[Zequatanil]

Hi Rev`d Rattlesnake--

Don`t get me wrong I have no problem with any religion at all. I simply wanted to know the beliefs of Mormonism. I also hold some differences myself when it comes to my religion. I believe all religions, belief systems when practiced from the heart are correct.To me it makes no difference what it is called--no one knows the truth really. But I believe it is good to know what people believe--the truth , not stories and myths which are incorrect.

In the site below there is an interesting comparison between doctrines--I did not post this to as to demonstrate which is the correct one, simply for the sake of knowing the differences.

``All religions are equal before God``, said the Blessed Mother in one of Her apparitions . I believe that. Maybe this is the reason why Medjugorje has a hard time in being accepted by the Vatican

http://carm.org/comparison-between-christian-doctrine-and-mormon-doctrine

blessings and peace,

S

[Zequatanil]

just to add--this is the problem with any fundamental religion, be it Christian, Mormon or any other. We bash each other to death--as in the article below being the Mormon version. How can we come to terms with each other holding these beliefs? Can there ever be peace?--I doubt it.

http://www.spotlightministries.org.uk/morm&churches.htm

blessings,

S

[Ex Nihilo]

Hi Rev`d Rattlesnake--

Don`t get me wrong I have no problem with any religion at all. I simply wanted to know the beliefs of Mormonism. I also hold some differences myself when it comes to my religion. I believe all religions, belief systems when practiced from the heart are correct.To me it makes no difference what it is called--no one knows the truth really. But I believe it is good to know what people believe--the truth , not stories and myths which are incorrect.

In the site below there is an interesting comparison between doctrines--I did not post this to as to demonstrate which is the correct one, simply for the sake of knowing the differences.

``All religions are equal before God``, said the Blessed Mother in one of Her apparitions . I believe that. Maybe this is the reason why Medjugorje has a hard time in being accepted by the Vatican

http://carm.org/comparison-between-christian-doctrine-and-mormon-doctrine

blessings and peace,

S

Hi Sarkany, please don't get me wrong. I never thought you were trying to bash the LDS. I think much too highly of you for that. I was only pointing out theres a lot of misinformation online, especially from evangelicals and fundamentalists, concerning Mormons from sites that appear academic and neutral. I fell victim to them too. I moved to Colorado and found myself swimming in a sea of Mormons and catholics. When I started talking to Mormons, I realized how off the mark those online sources are. I have learned to stay away from anything with "liberty" and "southern baptist convention" in the same sentence because it almost certainly leads to liberty university, which means it leads to jerry Falwell, who is anything but neutral. CARM too is a very misleading site. It appears to be researched based but is in reality a series of sermons created by the site's founder to assist in providing apologetic arguments for why any and all faiths that aren't bible based Protestantism, including Mormonism, Jehovah's witness and roman Catholicism, are false and should be rejected. I'm not saying they are dishonest but they have an agenda, and the facts are presented in a way and a context that furthers that agenda.