Most people who know me know that I am a Christian. Albeit, I am not always a very good one, but, it is obvious to those in my circle, nonetheless. I can honestly tell you that being Christian is a tough gig in this day and age. It’s akin to having a target painted on your back, and I don’t really get that. Why is it that every other religion gets a tolerance pass except for the predominant one in the country? It’s cool to be Muslim, or Buddhist, or Jewish, but not a Christian. Well, okay, maybe not Jewish either, because if you ask the majority of the “Hate America First” Crowd, they’ll tell you that Jews are responsible for all the strife and conflict in the world. But that is a discussion for another day.
That being said, Christianity has its own problems. We like to fight with ourselves, and I’ve never really understood why. Well, I shouldn’t say that, because humans are contrarian by nature. But, I’ve never really understood why Christians can’t get along with one another. Seems to me, if we could outgrow that whole, “crusade” issue, why are we so nitpicky now?
I consider myself to be a non denominational protestant. It works for me. It’s me, God, and zero hassle. It’s nice. The rest of my immediate family is converting to Catholicism. I refuse. I don’t have a problem with Catholics, but I don’t believe you need an instruction book to talk to God. While I find Rosarys to be quite beautiful, and I don’t doubt them as a holy item, I reject the notion that prayer is to be conducted in 50 or so enumerated steps. At that point, it ceases to be prayer and becomes mantra in my view. I’ve always felt that prayer should be a very personal, heartfelt thing. It should not be an exercise.
That however, is my opinion. I’m sure that by now I have inflamed a few Catholics across the globe. But again, before you condemn me to the fires of hell, you really need to understand something:
I have nothing against you. We may have some philosophical differences, but when you get right down to it, we’re all working for the same guy more or less. We agree on the “God and Jesus thing”, and in reality, that should be enough, shouldn’t it?
Okay, it took me a while to get here, but this has been my long winded and twisty way to get to whom I really would like to talk about:
Mitt Romney.
Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and everybody is in a tizzy over it. I really can’t grasp as to why. Mormons, of course, are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a church with American origins that claims to be the restoration of the original Christian church founded by Jesus during his earthly ministry.
Sometimes referred to as the LDS Church or the Mormon Church, the church teaches that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1820 and called him to be a prophet and to restore His Church on the earth, including essential elements that were lost from Christianity between Paul’s death and the First Council of Nicaea. These elements included scriptures previously unknown to western civilization, the calling of Twelve Apostles as special witnesses of Christ’s divinity, and the restoration of priesthood authority. The Church was organized by Joseph Smith and five others in Fayette, New York on April 6, 1830, shortly after the first publication of the Book of Mormon.
An international organization with a majority of worldwide members living outside of the United States, the LDS Church has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, where 96-year-old Gordon B. Hinckley serves as its 15th President and is considered to be the world’s modern prophet and earthly voice for Jesus Christ. The church sends tens of thousands of male and female missionaries throughout the world and in 2005 reported a worldwide membership of over 12.5 million.
Hmm. Look at that. God, Jesus, and twelve apostles. I don’t know about you, but that’s certainly good enough for me. In fact, here’s a handy-dandy breakdown for you: (Its the best I could do, considering spacing restraints.)
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| Religious Authority | All sacred texts equally, continuing revelations | Bible (all), ecumenical councils and creeds (Catholic and Orthodox), official papal pronouncements (Catholic), continuing revelations (Pentecostal) |
| Sacred Texts | Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price | Bible (some include Apocrypha) |
| Trinity | Rejected - Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct beings who are “one in purpose” | Affirmed - Father, Son and Holy Spirit are of the “same substance”; three persons in one being |
| God | Heavenly Father, who has a physical body | Trinitarian God, who does not have a body |
| Jesus Christ | Son of God, Savior, originally one of the spirit beings that all humans used to be (see Jesus Christ). Has a physical body. | Son of God, Word of God, God, second Person of the Trinity (see Christology) |
| Holy Spirit | A spirit being who is a separate being from God and Jesus. | God, Third Person of the Trinity |
| Original sin | Denied (see Human Nature) | Affirmed (by most denominations) |
| Free will | Free to do good or evil | Free will to do good is seriously impaired |
| Purpose of Christ’s Incarnation | Teach about God, provide a model for right living, die sacrificially for human sin (see Jesus Christ) | Teach about God, provide a model for right living, die sacrificially for human sin, reveal God directly to humanity |
| Resurrection of Christ? | Yes | Yes |
| Salvation | Both faith and works; works emphasized. | Both faith and works; faith emphasized (in most denominations) |
| Second chance after death? | Yes, during a period of "learning and preparation" after death | No |
| Afterlife | Spirits go to the spirit world, undergo preparation, then rejoined with bodies in the resurrection (see Afterlife) | Souls of wicked sent to Hell, believers go to Heaven for eternity (see Afterlife) |
| Hell | Place (or state of being) of torment and distance from God. It can be temporary if repent, otherwise is eternal. | Place (or state of being) of eternal torment and distance from God. |
| Place of Worship | Chapel or Temple | Church |
| Meaning of Sacraments | Means of grace (see Salvation) | Symbolic acts commanded by Christ (some Protestant); means of grace if received with faith (Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant). |
| Number of Sacraments | Four "principles and ordinances": faith, repentance, baptism, and laying on of hands | Two: Baptism and Lord’s Supper (seven in Catholicism) |
| Symbols | Beehive | Cross, fish & others |
| Holidays | Easter, Christmas, national and local holidays, birthdays, celebrations of events in Mormon history | Easter, Christmas, saint’s days, several others |
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Not a lot of difference there, is there? Looking at that chart, I wouldn’t have any problem voting for Mitt Romney on the basis of religion. We agree on the big points, and that’s enough. Truth be told, I think it is for most people. (And yes, I’d vote for a Catholic, too.)
The only reason Mitt is being fretted over is because he is a Republican. The double standard is upon us once again. Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader (D-NV) is a Mormon. So, how come no one is in a panic about that?
Something to think about.
Popularity: 27% [?]
I’m not sure I can support a presidential candidate who’s closely held dogma includes the following:
* God was once a man like us.
* God has a tangible body of flesh and bone.
* God lives on a planet near the star Kolob.
* God (”Heavenly Father”) has at least one wife, our “Mother in Heaven,” but she is so holy that we are not to discuss her nor pray to her.
* We can become like God and rule over our own universe.
* There are many gods, ruling over their own worlds.
* Jesus and Satan (”Lucifer”) are brothers, and they are our brothers - we are all spirit children of Heavenly Father
* Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father by having sex with Mary, who was temporarily his wife.
* We should not pray to Jesus, nor try to feel a personal relationship with him.
* “God” (”Jehovah”) in the Old Testament is the being named Jesus in the New Testament.
* In the the highest degree of the celestial kingdom some men will have more than one wife.
* Before coming to this earth we lived as spirits in a “pre-existence”, during which we were tested; our position in this life (whether born to Mormons or savages, or in America or Africa) is our reward or punishment for our obedience in that life.
* Dark skin is a curse from God, the result of our sin, or the sin of our ancestors. If sufficiently righteous, a dark-skinned person will become light-skinned.
* The Garden of Eden was in Missouri. All humanity before the Great Flood lived in the western hemisphere. The Ark transported Noah and the other survivors to the eastern hemisphere.
There are a few things wrong with this comparison.
One of the more glaring things is that the behive isn’t an official symbol. The closest thing they have is the a statue of an angel named “moroni.” ( Mor-own-eye) but even this most members wouldn’t really call it a “symbol” used to define the religion.
As for the “Trinity” It is in the doctorin that the father and son and holy ghost are completely unifyed in there goal but they are sepreate and distinct beings with seperate rolls. This is illustraited best at christs babtism and as well as when he is on the cross when the 3 seprtate beings are mentioned and defined seperate.
At Baptism ( christ in the water father’s voice heard from above and sending the spirit in the form of a dove) On the cross ( christ ask’s his father why he is forsaken) Note that he’s not asking himself why he has forsaken himself.
As for christ and his roll, Members of the church are definatly encouraged to form a relationship with him. However they do not prey to him directly they prey in his name because Jesus Christ has provided a way for all people to become like Heavenly Father and return to live with Him forever. So it is attempting to unify your will to that of the savior jesus christ. you know so you hopefuly don’t ask for somthing like ” dear lord please kill smoke house in christ’s name Amen. I highly doubt that christ what’s smoke house dead. And such a statement would be likely draw the rath of god upon you.
There is alot of other great information to look at on the churches 2 main websites. http://www.mormon.org/ and http://www.lds.org/
The first site is more of an introduction to the religion and the second one is more of a resource for members.
Also While I lived in Farfax county in 2006 I attended the Langley ” ward ” and heard a C.I.A. employee speaking there saying that there are more members of the mormon church in the C.I.A. then any other religion.
Mostly because they do alot of recruting from there school (BYU) in provo utah.
I don’t know what relevence this has I just thought it was an interisting pice of information.
Please excuse my poor spelling I was typing this on my lunchbreak.
XOXOX Jodie
As for Mark “Rizzn” Hopkins There are too many problems whith his claims for me to evin begin. Just ignore his coment’s and talk to a creadible mormon your self and find out for your self and make up your own mind.
There are alot of angry people like Mark “Rizzn” Hopkins who can’t leave the church alone. They try to tear down a belife rather then reach out and try to build on comon ground.
Negativity and hateful accusations are not the way christ taught. He gentley corrected and lovingly taught correct princables that we can all learn from no matter what denomination you belong to.
You can protect yourself and what is sacrid to you but malice and hate have no place in a true christians heart.
Oh please list the problems. He deserves to be smacked around on this one :)
First of all, Jodie Hillard, I’m not an angry individual. I am quite able, on the other hand, to tell a distortion of Christianity when I see it. You obviously don’t know who I am, or you wouldn’t be so quick to cast out the barbed attack on my words (and I know that Art has been waiting for a proper flame war to break out on his website for ages now).
Although Mormons are usually friendly, loving, and kind people - they are involved in a false religion that distorts the nature of God, the Person of Jesus Christ, and the means of salvation.
In my original post, no negativity was portrayed, and no hateful accusations. Nearly all of the ‘allegations’ I bring up are directly referenced from Mormon ‘holy texts.’
I’ll not have my ‘true Christianity’ attacked by the likes of you. Educate yourself on Mormonism, instead of taking the Church’s propaganda at face value. The Jehova Witness’s also claim they aren’t a cult and that they are Christian as well, but even a cursory examination of their version of the Bible proves that their plan for salvation is not in accordance with the original texts.
As flawed as the JW theology is, LDS is even further out in left field, and in my view isn’t much of a stones throw away from Scientology on the wierd-belief-o-meter (not to mention their corporate structure).
If you want to have a serious debate on Mormonism, I’d welcome it, Jodie. But refrain from ad hominem attacks and baseless accusations. In other words, I’ll provide my references if you provide yours.
/mark