Move On
As I listen in on conversations between Mormons and mainstream Christians, much of the discussion centers on whether or not Mormonism is Christian or Biblically based. More and more, this seems like a waste of time, like fighting over which of the other kids get to join your neighborhood club, which end of the egg to eat first, or who the better Darrin was on Bewitched: Dick York or Dick Sargent?
Many Christians are ignorant of the history of Christian theology. They assume that their brand of Christianity is the authentic version. Then they seek to exclude Mormons from the Christian community because Mormons don’t believe in Christ like they believe in Christ. Mormons don’t interpret the Bible the same way, so their interpretation must be the wrong one. These Christians forget that they don’t believe in Christ like other Christians have in the past. They forget that they were once the targets of the Inquisition. All Christians are heretics (even the Catholic and Orthodox Christians since they excommunicated each other) and the sooner they remember that, the sooner we can move on from fighting over fairy tales to more important questions like how to ameliorate poverty.
Tags: Christianity, LDS, Mormonism, religion
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December 23, 2007 @ 11:17 am
I agree completely.
On a tangentially related note, did you see this supply-side Jesus video? It’s hilarious!!! It’s Christian-friendly (as long as you’re liberal). It portrays a parallel universe where there’s a “supply-side Jesus” who preaches what the current Republican party seems to think Jesus taught….
December 23, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
That is hilarious! I love satire. It puts things in perspective better than reasoned arguments.
Seth R. said,
December 24, 2007 @ 6:41 am
Not sure I’m with you on your assumption that religion comes at the expense of fighting poverty, but I do agree with you that the “Mormons Christian?” question smacks a bit juvenile.
For one thing, it’s not really a question that many people outside of the USA are terribly concerned about. It seems to me that one of the things Mormonism will have to do to grow up will be to shake its dependence on American culture and move global.
Anna said,
December 26, 2007 @ 3:22 pm
It is an old battle, isn’t it?
Here’s a question that this blog made me think of: If Mormons are Christians then are Christians Mormons?
How do Mormon’s define Christian?
That raises another question I have, from the Mormon perspective, what makes Christians of the non-Mormon variety different from Mormons?
Disclaimer: I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with the arguments for/against Mormons being Christians. Frankly I don’t care what people call themselves. Just because someone says they’re something doesn’t mean they are; this doesn’t just apply to this debate either.
December 27, 2007 @ 9:38 am
If Mormons are Christians then are Christians Mormons?
Modern Mormons see themselves as a subset of Christianity though still want to maintain enough of a distinction that they aren’t seen as just another denomination. Along these lines, most would object to being categorized as Protestant. They may accept the Restorationist label more willingly.
How do Mormon’s define Christian?
Mormons seeking to be defined as Christian define it simply as worshiping Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible. Perhaps this is just because of my Mormon background, but that seems like a reasonable standard. It seems that most other Christians have a more exacting standard for doctrinal orthodoxy. This seems strange to me because Christianity is all over the map doctrinally.
It appears to me that Christians seek to exclude Mormons from their flock based on a personal distaste for Mormonism rather than some objective standard. I’m not terribly familiar with Christian theology outside of Mormonism, but I can’t come up with a set of doctrines that both a) unite all of the acknowledged Christian sects and b) exclude Mormonism.
That raises another question I have, from the Mormon perspective, what makes Christians of the non-Mormon variety different from Mormons?
I think you would get several answers from orthodox Mormons, but the answers would all center around a claim to special access to God. Mormonism teaches that a universal apostasy happened after the death of Jesus’ original Apostles. Several things are supposed to be lost: authority to act in Jesus’ name as the Twelve Apostles had, the pure doctrine that Jesus taught while on Earth, and the ability to receive newly revealed scripture that would hold equal authority to the Biblical canon. Mormonism is believed to be the divine restoration of those things.
Outsiders would also point to a theological uniqueness. The flavor of Mormonism surrounding the LDS church (there are quite a few other sects) is the amalgamation of many different influences. Joseph Smith seemed to be rather promiscuous—if you pardon the term—in gathering ideas for his religion. Rather like indigenous forms of Catholicism, Smith based his religion around American frontier Protestantism combined with folk magic, Freemasonry, and even contemporary science just to name a few influences. Mix in Smith’s own improvisations and you have a unique mix.
Just not unique enough to make it unchristian in my opinion.
Anna said,
December 27, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
I’ve always defined Christian as someone who is saved. See Rom 10:9-10.
I think titles can be crippling, so we should stop fighting over who’s a what and get on with our lives.
I also think people are too dynamic to be labeled, even by their religion. You can’t just define what a person is and slap a label on them.
It is true that you can’t unite all non-Mormon Christian sects. This bugs me, but going back to my first paragraph, I don’t think it matters as long as the central belief is there. We are individuals, and individuals aren’t computers/clones. So people will never believe or practice in the same way.
December 27, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
I think most Mormons would call themselves saved though being saved doesn’t necessarily look the same for Mormons. Being saved is more ritualized in the LDS church. The ritual is meant to reflect an internal reality. This, I believe, is similar to Catholic, Orthodox, and other liturgy-heavy sects.
I agree completely that titles and labels don’t really reflect the totality of each individual that they’re applied to. Labels have a very specific use, but too often are used to divide us and create conflict where none need exist.