[poll id=”2″]
Read the question carefully. Hopefully we can deal with the spirit of the question instead of appealing to rhetorical loopholes?
Update (8:43am): This is not an anonymous poll (I can see the logs). Be prepared to explain your position!
2nd Update (10:50am): To clear up some apparent confusion, let me clarify. The question assumes that you believe that some kind of formal church membership should be practiced which at least requires agreeing to a basic set of beliefs. Also, not being formal “member” doesn’t mean you can’t attend a church and benefit from its preaching, teaching, etc.
See also: GodNeverSinned.com
PS…
Reggie said “The two “christian” churches that I participated in before I became Mormon left the impression on me that the Atonement was all encompassing, and that I didn’t even need to repent to be saved… I just had to believe (that mystical believe).”
I am truly sorry that you were exposed to this ideology. Please know that I reject it for possibly the same reasons you did; its just not Biblical.
Michael P: “This is where Mormonism falls away from Christianity– it has a radically different notion of who God and Christ are …”
Actually, the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS departs one step before “the nature of God” question. This departure is even more fundamental and universal, and is the source of the other differences.
This first departure is in receiving contemporary revelation from God – obtaining divine knowledge in the same way that the authors of the Bible got it. We understand the true nature of God because He has revealed it His living prophets in our day. It is not a departure from Biblical teaching, but a return to the understanding of God in the church of Christ’s day.
Anyone can receive revelation from God, and the Book of Mormon (ref: Moroni 10:4)clearly explains how each of us may commune with our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
It requires a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ. Personal revelation is the key to knowing God.
SteveH wrote: Jeffrey, Germit, JesusFreek and other sola scriptura fanatics the fallacy of your argument that “the Big Idea: Everything gets tested against the Word of God” is that you discount the witness of the Holy Ghost. Rather rely on your own interpretation of revelation. In other words you are telling God to shut up.
And then Winter above:
Actually, the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS departs one step before “the nature of God” question.
This departure is even more fundamental and universal, and is the source of the other differences.This first departure is in receiving contemporary revelation from God – obtaining divine knowledge in the same way that the authors of the Bible got it.
And on this I will agree 100%. Prior to coming up with anything novel, step one is coming up with a whole new system of what will and will not be considered the voice of authority. JS , as have many others, does a good job of convincing people that what stood as that voice for 2000 yrs (granted, there was some confusion about this prior to the Reformation, but the Roman Catholics never abandoned the bible or claim it to be ‘corrupted’) was damaged goods and unreliable. And not NEARLY as reliable as the voice of the modern prophet. And so it started. So I agree heartily with SteveH and Winter about the foundation of the situation; for them this is good news, and for me, the battle cry is on.
An aside to SteveH: ‘sola scriptura fanatic’….I like the sound of that…… I hope to grow up and be worthy of that phrase someday. GERMIT
reggiewoodsyall wrote: One last thought… you named 8 different “christians” in your post. And per my knowledge and reading, many of them had significantly different theological views. Yet still all grouped together in the same category we call “christian”. I think it’s irrational to think that God wants different things taught about His nature, His plan, and His son, yet you say it’s okay. INteresting.
Yes some were all from different ecumenical traditions, however the core teachings across Christianity are the same. That is all believed in the same things about who God is, His Triune nature, the Deity of Jesus Christ, the Humanity of Jesus Christ, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the anticipation of Jesus Christ’s second coming, the falleness and sinfulness of man, and yes their soteriology. So while some believed in credo baptism and some pedo baptism, or some in a different style of church structure than others, on the core doctrines of the Faith they are together. That is not to say minutia is not different among them, then again you’d be hard pressed to find two Mormons of the same era who believe identical things, much less of different eras.
winter wrote: It requires a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ. Personal revelation is the key to knowing God.
Winter, are you suggesting that Christians don’t have those? We do, but we also search the scriptures as they testify of Jesus.(John 5:39) It’s not as though we don’t have communion with God, rather we submit our lives to the authority of scripture since we God has spoken. When we reject scripture by way of “revelation” we are not showing great faith, rather a lack of faith in what God has already said. This is not to say that personal revelation is a bad thing, just that if it is from God it will align itself with scripture, as Paul, John, and Moses believed.
Lautensack
Winter,
It seems that you think as long as you say you received “personal revelation” that there is no doubting the source of your revelation. Remember there are false spirits, and it’s not really that hard to discern them. Test all things against the Bible. When you do that, you will see that JS taught heretical teachings that, yes, break away from orthodox Christian teachings. You see, there was no need for a restoration. That’s just a lie that millions of people have believed. To believe in a lie, Mormons make Jesus out to be a liar. How, you might ask? He said the gates of Hades would not prevail against His Church, and yet, Mormonism teaches that that is exactly what happened. Reading the Book of Acts really illuminates the power and perpetuity of the Holy Spirit. Praying for you, Bishop.
Grace and Peace!