When it comes to stopping gays from getting civil rights, there are some very strange bedfellows. A number of religious groups don’t consider Mormons to be Christians, and have gone so far as to ban their kids from playing high school league sports with LDS kids and implying Mormons are darn near Satanists.
But many of denominations are more than willing to overlook these divergences of faith and use the "non-Christian" LDS for money and manpower to suppress gays.
Take a look at the ironically named AbovetheHate.com to see who signed this online thank-you petition to Latter Day Saints’ President Thomas S. Monson which expresses:
deep gratitude to you and the entire LDS community for the large and impressive contributions of your church and its members in protecting marriage in California and Arizona.
Then take a look what the signatories say about Mormons.
*Chuck Colson, Chairman, Prison Fellowship:
Mormonism either affirms historic Christianity, or it doesn’t. Since it doesn’t, it can’t call itself Christianity — a fact that all the good will and public relations in Utah can’t change.
*Richard Land, president Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and numerous other signatories from the Southern Baptist denomination signed the thank you petition. But the SBC document The Truth About Mormonism, What You Haven’t Been Told says:
One could go on and on about these teachings that clearly show the non-Christian nature of the LDS Church…The Mormon Temple Ceremony compares quite precisely with the Masonic Ceremony- signs, tokens and penalties included. Joseph, Hyrum , Brigham, and others, were Masons. (Cult experts consider Masonic religion to be a satanic Cult.)
*James Dobson gave thanks, despite–according to the Boston Globe–a faith guide issued by Dobson’s Focus on the Family declaring that:
God cannot be identified . . . with the Mormon religion’s notion of god.
Focus on the Family’s public policy expert Tom Minnery, one of Dobson’s spokesmen lied about Mormons in a 2008 FOTF voting guide:
Mitt Romney has acknowledged that Mormonism is not a Christian faith, and I appreciate his acknowledging that.
*Catholic clergy, congregations, and individual parishioners were grateful, yet:
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith declared that baptisms in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are "not the baptism that Christ instituted."
The ruling was a departure from the Catholic Church’s usual practice of recognizing the baptisms of converts from most other churches. The Vatican held that the Mormon view of the nature of God was too different from Catholicism’s.
*Evangelical Christian congregations said thanks, but evangelicals associated with the Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family’s Rev. James Dobson, have barred Mormons from speaking at their proceedings. Media Matters reports that evangelist Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) identified Mormonism as a cult, quoting from 1992 CBN pamphlet titled "Cults" that reportedly declared:
A cult is any group that has a form of godliness, but does not recognize Jesus Christ as the unique son of God … One test of a cult is that it often does not strictly teach that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God who Himself is God manifested in the flesh … Christian-oriented cults include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons)…
And just this week, MyFoxNews Kansas City reported that the overwhelming majority of athletic directors at the evangelical Missouri Christian School Athletic Association member schools agree that Mormons, Catholics or Episcopalians should not be members.
Off camera one man told us the statement of faith was adopted because the majority of schools are Evangelical and they don’t want their students to play against students who they don’t consider to be Christian.
What does the Bible say about hypocrisy?
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By the way: 8% of folks who voted for Prop 8 now say they’ve changed their minds about it.
I don’t like you either. You just watch yourself. We’re wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems.
Mormons Are New Testament Christians, not Creedal Christians
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often accused by Evangelical pastors of not believing in Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion. This article helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early Christianity’s theology relating to baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Baptism:
Early Christian churches, practiced baptism of youth (not infants) by immersion by the father of the family. The local congregation had a lay ministry. An early Christian Church has been re-constructed at the Israel Museum, and the above can be verified. The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) continues baptism and a lay ministry as taught by Jesus’ Apostles. Early Christians were persecuted for keeping their practices sacred, and prohibiting non-Christians from witnessing them.
The Trinity:
A literal reading of the New Testament points to God and Jesus Christ , His Son , being separate , divine beings , united in purpose. . To whom was Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and Who was speaking to Him and his apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration? The Nicene Creed’s definition of the Trinity was influenced by scribes translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin. The scribes embellished on a passage explaining the Trinity , which is the Catholic and Protestant belief that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The oldest versions of the epistle of 1 John, read: “There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three are one.” Scribes later added “the Father, the Word and the Spirit,” and it remained in the epistle when it was translated into English for the King James Version, according to Dr. Bart Ehrman, Chairman of the Religion Department at UNC- Chapel Hill. He no longer believes in the Nicene Trinity. . Scholars agree that Early Christians believed in an embodied God; it was neo-Platonist influences that later turned Him into a disembodied Spirit. Harper’s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.” The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) views the Trinity as three separate divine beings , in accord with the earliest Greek New Testament manuscripts.
Theosis
Divinization, narrowing the space between God and humans, was also part of Early Christian belief. St. Athanasius of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox) wrote, regarding theosis, “The Son of God became man, that we might become God.” Irenaeus wrote in the late 2nd Century: “we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods” Justin Martyr in mid 2nd Century said: “all men are deemed worthy of becoming ‘gods,’ and of having power to become sons of the Highest” Clement of Alexandria explained “Saints . . pure in heart . . are destined to sit on thrones with the other gods that have been first put in their places by the Savior.” The Gospel of Thomas (which pre-dates the 4 Gospels, but was considered non-canonical by the Nicene Council) quotes the Savior: “He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am: I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him,” (Gospel of Thomas 50, 28-30, Nag Hammadi Library in English, J.M.Robinson, 1st ed 1977; 3rd ed. 1988) The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) agrees with Early Christian church leaders regarding theosis.
In the words of Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie: “There is and can only be one who is supreme, who is the head and to who all others are subject”. Becoming like God is not saying we will ever be equal to Him, frankly we won’t and can’t. He, and only He, will forever be worshipped by us.
The Deity of Jesus Christ
Mormons hold firmly to the deity of Christ. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS), Jesus is not only the Son of God but also God the Son. Evangelical pollster George Barna found in 2001 that while only 33 percent of American Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists (28 percent of Episcopalians) agreed that Jesus was “without sin”, 70 percent of Mormons believe Jesus was sinless.
The Cross and Christ’s Atonement:
The Cross became popular as a Christian symbol in the Fifth Century A.D. . Members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) believe the proper Christian symbol is Christ’s resurrection , not his crucifixion on the Cross. Many Mormon chapels feature paintings of the resurrected Christ or His Second Coming. Furthermore, members of the church believe the major part of Christ’s atonement occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane as Christ took upon him the sins of all mankind.
Definition of “Christian”: .
But Mormons don’t term Catholics and Protestants “non-Christian”. They believe Christ’s atonement applies to all mankind. The dictionary definition of a Christian is “of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ”: All of the above denominations are followers of Christ, and consider him divine, and the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. They all worship the one and only true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and address Him in prayer as prescribed in The Lord’s Prayer. It’s important to understand the difference between Reformation and Restoration when we consider who might be authentic Christians. . Early Christians had certain rituals which defined a Christian , which members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) continue today. . If members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) embrace early Christian theology, they are likely more “Christian” than their detractors.
• The Need for a Restoration of the Christian Church:
The founder of the Baptist Church in America, Roger Williams, just prior to leaving the church he established, said this: “There is no regularly constituted church of Christ on earth, nor any person qualified to administer any church ordinances; nor can there be until new apostles are sent by the Great Head of the Church for whose coming I am seeking.” (Picturesque America, p. 502.) Martin Luther had similar thoughts: “Nor can a Christian believer be forced beyond sacred Scriptures,…unless some new and proved revelation should be added; for we are forbidden by divine law to believe except what is proved either through the divine Scriptures or through Manifest revelation.” He also wrote: “I have sought nothing beyond reforming the Church in conformity with the Holy Scriptures. The spiritual powers have been not only corrupted by sin, but absolutely destroyed; so that there is now nothing in them but a depraved reason and a will that is the enemy and opponent of God. I simply say that Christianity has ceased to exist among those who should have preserved it.” The Lutheran, Baptist and Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) churches recognize an apostasy from early Christianity. The Lutheran and Baptist churches have attempted reform, but Mormonism (and Roger Williams, and perhaps Martin Luther) require inspired restoration, so as to re-establish an unbroken line of authority and apostolic succession.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .* * *
• Christ-Like Lives:
The 2005 National Study of Youth and Religion published by UNC-Chapel Hill found that Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) youth (ages 13 to 17) were more likely to exhibit these Christian characteristics than Evangelicals (the next most observant group):
1. Attend Religious Services weekly
2. Importance of Religious Faith in shaping daily life – extremely important
3. Believes in life after death
4. Does NOT believe in psychics or fortune-tellers
5. Has taught religious education classes
6. Has fasted or denied something as spiritual discipline
7. Sabbath Observance
8. Shared religious faith with someone not of their faith
9. Family talks about God, scriptures, prayer daily
10. Supportiveness of church for parent in trying to raise teen (very supportive)
11. Church congregation has done an excellent job in helping teens better understand their own sexuality and sexual morality
LDS Evangelical
1. 71% . 55%
2. 52 . . 28
3. 76 . . 62
4. 100 . 95
5. 42 . . 28
6. 68 . . 22
7. 67 . . 40
8. 72 . . 56
9. 50 . . 19
10 65 . . 26
11 84 . . 35
So what do you think the motivation is for the Evangelical preachers to denigrate the Mormon Church? You would think Evangelical preachers would be emulating Mormon practices (a creed to believe, a place to belong, a calling to live out, and a hope to hold onto) which were noted by Methodist Rev. Kenda Creasy Dean of the Princeton Theological Seminary, as causing Mormon teenagers to “top the charts” in Christian characteristics. It seems obvious pastors shouldn’t be denigrating a church based on First Century Christianity, with high efficacy. The only plausible reason to denigrate Mormons is for Evangelical pastors to protect their flock (and their livelihood).
Further Reading: http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/
dugg
I do find it interesting that the Evangelical groups don’t consider Catholics or Episcopalians as “Christian.” Maybe they need to go study history of the last two thousand years.
I’m not saying Mormons aren’t Christian–but the Evangelicals sure seem to think they aren’t deserving of the monniker, though they are sure willing take LDS money…
My problem with any of these spokespeople for religious groups is their sense of superiority to others. They are chosen, they are right, you are damned, you are wrong.
Imposing belief and coercing cooperation is not any form of voluntary connection with a higher power. It is a form of oppression of our fellow human beings.
Putting one’s form of belief above all others is simple human arrogance and a type ###########. That said, if you participate in any of the above listed denominations without a motive to oppress your neighbor, then God love ya!
BTW, I think voting guides should be abolished. If we are to be self governed, as in democracy?, then it is the individual’s responsibility to do the homework, not abdicate to another authority.
Mormons were the rich, but virulently disliked, silent partner in the Prop8 coalition. It must have taken some guts for the evangelical fundamentalists and the Catholics to ally with the Mormons. But: remember that SF’s current Archbishop was formerly the RC Archbishop in Salt Lake City, and held that position for 11 years, dating back to the time where recently discovered papers show that the RC church and the LDS church began their alliance to oppose marriage equality (called HLM — homosexual legal marriage — in their documents).
Evangelicals definition of “Christian” is extremely narrow. I take the term evangelical to mean fundamental, in that whatever the “belief” is becomes more important that what that belief says. Promoting it becomes more important than living it. The Bible becomes devoid of meaning and is merely the McGuffin of the evangelist movement to gain power. so you are either a promoter of “christianity” as defined by evangelists, or you are not. If you do not participate and conform to them, you are not an evangelical and therefore, not christian.
Makes it so easy to discriminate against blacks, women, gays, and “nonChristians” who have different opinions. It was interesting to see the McCain camp call Obama every label under the sun to say in essence “he’s not one of US”. We get it. That’s why we’re voting for him! Must have been a huge blow.
Mormons believe Jesus came to America after the crucifixion; that he married his mom; that he brought a whole family and tribe with him to these shores. Of course the other cultics are afraid of them — they make their own views look equally foolish.
So much blood spilled in the name of religion. When will we outgrow it?
You know this was a huge blow…It was a blow to America and everyone who live,s here.I hope you can steal remember all of the reasons you voted for obama when he brings ruin to our Country.I know what i think about you and all the people that voted for obama for such lame reasons and that is this
[Moderator: when you use all caps it’s considered shouting. When you begin a comment with ”You folks” it is a rather sweeping generalization. And finally, it is against policy here to permit insulting other commenters. Please focus your evident anger on policies and politics, not your fellow commenters, thanks.]
Umm, Teddy, you should stick to your day job. Jesus married his mom? Brought his whole family and tribe to… whaa??
Granted, we Mormons believe some weird shit, but there is no reason to make it that weird.
As for the main idea that the other Prop 8 folks hate Mormons, yeah, it’s true. But ironic as it may be in this case, it helps if you look at Mormons as the Log Cabin Republicans of the Christian right. The LDS Church has made an alliance with a group that despises it’s members and looks forward to their extermination during the End Times.
Takes organized religion to whole other level of psycho.