Just so we're clear...

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder. ~James 2:19

(See also: Dt 6:4; Mk 12:29; 1Co 8:4-6)

WARNING: This post will offend some people.

Yesterday on the radio I heard a Romney supporter explain how important it was to him that people recognize that Mormons consider themselves Christian. I have no doubt that many, many Mormons do believe in Jesus as their personal savior and are saved... although, I suspect that they remain unaware of some of the details of the doctrines of the church of Latter Day Saints (LDS).

Here's some of what the person being interviewed said, along with things that he didn't say (which I'll highlight by making red and italicizing).

He said that just like Catholics and Protestants, Mormons believe that Jesus is the son of God,

just not the ONLY BEGOTTEN son, of the one and ONLY true living God, because if a White man is good enough during his life he has the opportunity to become the god of his own planet, populating it for eternity with spirit-babies...

He said that they believe that Jesus died on the cross and on the third day, rose again from the dead,

just not that He died for the remission of our sins, defeating once and for all sin, Satan, and death itself, because Jesus and Satan are both brothers of the same father-god, and as noted above, it is by your own works-righteousness (merit) that you earn your place and status in the afterlife.

I don't know whether or not they believe that Jesus ascended into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He will come again to judge the living and the dead

but they do teach that Jesus appeared to Indians over here in North America after His resurrection, because after-all, they were Nephites, the lost tribes of Israel.

And of course, they may or may not believe that the Old Testament (Jewish Torah) and the New Testament ( Synoptic Gospels, book of Acts, and canonical epistles) are the Divinely inspired Word of God, but

They also believe that an angel revealed to Joseph Smith a third testament, written by a prophet Moroni on gold plates and buried someplace in upstate New York, also known as the Book of Mormon.

Call me a "Confessionalist," or orthodox or conventional or mainline, mainstream, Protestant, or whatever else you want to, but as a Lutheran, I believe that Christians are people who believe that Jesus is the promised messiah who died to forgive us of our sins, as laid out in the three major Christian confessions or creeds; Nicene, Apostles', and Athanasian. Sorry, but if he's Bishop, you'd think that Mitt Romney knows and accepts most of the LDS teachings and doctrines which do not align with these creeds, let alone most of the Old and New testaments. 

If you really believe that you can't be Christian and permit abortion or gay marriage, but you can be Christian and believe that you're working toward becoming your own god- I'm not sure what to say to you, except don't try telling me that someone who chose to join the United Church of Christ instead of atheism, agnosticism, Catholicism, Buddhism, or his father's Islam is not a Christian or is a secret-Muslim or is the Antichrist himself. Just stop. 

Vote for who you want to, based on what issues you believe are important. But don't fool yourself into believing that the Republican candidate is more "Christian" than the Democrat. At least not this year. 

Me, I think it's pretty weird that fundamentalist Evangelicals and conservative Catholics are so ready to vote for a Mormon because of a few social "wedge" issues. Abortion- not mentioned in the Bible at all. Homosexuality, mentioned maybe 6 times. Poverty and justice for the poor, widows, orphans, and aliens- almost 3,000 times. 

Oh, did I forget to mention, that Mitt Romney used to be pro-choice and pro-gay rights when he was governor of Massachusetts? Does that not tell you that he only tells us what he thinks we want to hear? Flip-Flop. Isn't that the accusation that right-wingers used to make against President Clinton back in the day? "Slick Mitt."

So, things Jesus didn't really talk about directly are what make you Christian, but following a false religion doesn't? You know what that reminds me of? 

"You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." ~Matthew 23:24

Presidential Candidate NOT A CHRISTIAN???!!!

The God Makers, one of the most powerful books to penetrate the veil of secrecy surrounding the rituals and doctrines of the Mormon Church, reveals the inner workings and beliefs of Mormonism. Through personal interviews and well-documented evidence, you'll discover the true nature of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its hidden worldwide agenda.

• Golden tablets revealed to a land speculator in upstate New York? 
• Jesus came to North America after the resurrection? 
• Whites only Heaven? 
• Polygamy? 
• You (if you're a White male) can become the god of your own planet? 
• Satan & Jesus brothers? 
• God their father had SEX with Mary? 

And you thought they just couldn't have caffeine or alcohol. Sure they're good people, but this is not Christianity.

Sorry conservative Christians, but your Republican nominee is the one who's not a Christian and may  even be serving a hidden agenda. Ironic since you've been claiming that Obama is the Muslim Antichrist since the last election.

Okay, okay- to be fair, I don't know if Mitt Romney really believes any of these bizarre doctrines and I'll stipulate that most LDS members are completely unaware of them and in their hearts believe that Jesus is the only son of God who died on the cross for their sins.

However, it troubles me that so many Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists and other both fundamentalist and main-line denomination Christians don't realize that the fastest growing religion in America doesn't officially accept the truths confessed in the canonical creeds.

And yes, I'll be honest, it also confuses and obviously really irritates me that so many well-meaning believers were duped by the lies about Obama being some kind of "islamofascist."

Glenn Beck a Mormon

I should be somewhat careful here not to malign any and all Mormons out there. I really believe that the majority of Mormons believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior the way most mainline-denomination Christians do and are unaware of many of their church's actual doctrines or the inner-workings of their religion's hierarchy. But as you know FOX television and right-wing radio pundit Glenn Beck has been ramping up the religious rhetoric on his show and characterized his recent "restoring honor" rally in Washington D.C. with Sarah Palin as an opportunity for America to return to God.

My hope is that thoughtful Christians be aware of Beck's religious background. My suspicion is that, like many public figures, he is misusing religion as a populist weapon to stir up political division in his favor. You may think that my concern is either because he has been critical of politically progressive Christians, trying to make people believe that terms like "social justice" and "community activism" are code for communist, atheist or socialist or even Muslim. Or you might think that I am jealous of Beck's attempt to co-opt the legacy of the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 60's. While both of these are things that bother me a great deal, my greatest concern is that well meaning Christians, Protestant, Catholic, and Evangelical are becoming caught-up in what seems to be a spiritual fervor of what Beck no doubt hopes will become a movement- when in fact, in the strictest sense, Beck himself is not actually Christian.

Glenn Beck is also a convert to the Mormon faith, joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1999 along with his wife and children. Despite Glenn’s Catholic upbringing, he and his wife were inactive in the church. Eventually Glenn and his wife Tania went church shopping to find the faith that they could share as a family. A long time friend encouraged them to try the LDS and eventually Beck asked his friend to baptize him Mormon. 

Before you stop reading or imagine that I am trying to "get back" for Beck or other conservatives for perpetuating the lie that President Obama is not Christian, please hear me out. I grew up in Phoenix Arizona, a very conservative place. A place where the dominant religion is Mormonism. The Lutheran Church went to great lengths to educate it's members about the history and theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Much of it's information has been provided by former Mormons. In Phoenix, the political and economic power brokers of the Mormon Church were more feared than the Mafia.

According to Christian scholars Ed Decker and Dave Hunt, the Mormon Church still believes and teaches that Jesus was begotten through a sexual relationship between God the Father and Mary. Jesus and Lucifer are brothers. Mormons will become "gods and goddesses" and enjoy the eternal pleasure of celestial sex. Women and minorities have been viewed as lesser beings than white males. Some Mormon doctrines still justifies the practices of blood atonement and polygamy. 60 - 80% of Mormon converts (Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints) come from Christian backgrounds. The LDS Church spends millions trying to convince the public that they are more "Christian" than the Christians. The LDS is one of the largest and most powerful business corporations in the world.

One of the goals of the LDS is to install Mormons into positions of National and eventual World leadership. I'll be honest with you, this is one of the reasons why I was so disappointed that so many Christians supported Mitt Romney in the last election. Some have speculated that Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally may have been a way of testing the waters for either a possible Presidential run, or possibly running as Sarah Palin's running mate.  A recent article in the Washington Post suggested that Beck seeks to advance a "restoration theology," in which God tells Beck how to rewrite America's laws, establishing a theocracy.

Again, I do not mean to slander or offend Mormons. Most of the Mormons I have known in my life are wonderful people, devoted to Jesus and to their families and communities. And I may be wrong in thinking that Glenn Beck's motives are deceptive or some how sinister. I tend to think that he is more intoxicated by his fame, influence, and wealth and that he is merely mistaken or misguided about using religion to fire up enthusiasm for libertarian political ideology. Be that as it may, I want all of my Christian friends, Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike to be fully informed about Beck and the LDS before jumping on the Glenn Beck bandwagon- or, to consider jumping off if they're already on.

I respect and appreciate that for many Christians, issues of abortion and gay-marriage are very influential in our politics and voting- as the issues of poverty and civil rights are to others, but we should always be careful in our passion for what we believe in, not to get swept away by those who would take advantage of our beliefs. We don't want to "strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." (Matthew 23:23-24).

I encourage everyone to buy or borrow a copy of the movie, Temple of the Godmakers from Jeremiah Films, often your church library or Thrivent agency may already have a copy. I do not wish to stir up any kind of Mormo-phobia the way some have incited Islamaphobia lately, but I do want people who accept and believe the teachings of the Apostles' and Nicean Creeds to be completely aware of the origins and official doctrines of religions that claim to be Christian but don't know Jesus quite the way that more orthodox denominations do.

Official stance on the LDS of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod:

Q. Are Mormons generally regarded as Christians, and how do their beliefs differ from those of the Missouri Synod?

A. The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, together with the vast majority of Christian denominations in the United States, does not regard the Mormon church as a Christian church. That is because the official writings of Mormonism deny fundamental teachings of orthodox Christianity. For example, the Nicene Creed confesses the clear biblical truth that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, is "of one substance with the Father." This central article of the Christian faith is expressly rejected by Mormon teaching -- thus undermining the very heart of the scriptural Gospel itself. In a chapter titled "Jesus Christ, the Son of God: Are Mormons Christian?" the president of Brigham Young University (Rex Lee, What Do Mormons Believe? [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992] summarizes Mormon teaching by stating that the three persons of the Trinity are "not... one being" (21), but are "separate individuals." In addition, the Father is regarded as having a body "of flesh and bone" (22). Such teaching is contrary to the Holy Scriptures, destructive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and indicative of the fact that Mormon teaching is not Christian. 

For more information about beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints read this document prepared by the Commission on Theology and Church Relations. ( source http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2239 )

Is Mitt Romney Mormon or Christian? Progressive or Conservative?

Recently, Mitt Romney gave a speech trying to calm fears of the religious right of his Mormonism. I know that as a political liberal, I'm supposed to preach religious tolerance, but as a theological conservative, I want readers (especially my Bible study students) to be clear that Mormonism is not a Christian denomination. Even if you do not consider it a "cult," you have must realize that it is a drastically different religion unto itself.

For Governor Romney to claim that he believes that Jesus "is the son of god and the savior of all mankind" is grossly misleading. If he's willing to perpetrate this kind of deceit about his religion, how else could we expect him to lie?

Mormonism in a Nutshell
"Mormonism teaches that God used to be a man on another world and that he became a god by following the laws and ordinances of his god on his home world. He brought his wife to this world, a woman he had married on the other world. She is, essentially a goddess."

According to Mormonism, God had sex with Mary to produce the incarnate Jesus. Pre-incarnate, Jesus and Lucifer (Satan) were brothers. Satan did lead a revolt and he and his followers were turned into demons, that much is the same as Christianity.

"In Mormonism, men and women have the potential of becoming gods. President Lorenzo Snow said, "As god once was, man is. As God is, man may become." In order to reach this exalted state of godhood, a person must first become a good Mormon, pay a full ten percent tithe to the Mormon church, follow various laws and ordinances of the church, and be found worthy."

Mind you, I have no doubt that many Mormons are unaware of their church's actual doctrines and may indeed believe in the same true Jesus that Christians do- the LDS church after all, is notorious for it's secrecy, misrepresentation and changing it's official positions for the sake of legal and political expedience. They taught that minorities were the inferior and damned children of Cain. They practiced polygamy and the oppression of women, but now promote themselves as pro-family.

I may be a hypocrite and even a religious bigot, but I think that it is important that people know that Romney is either lying or deluded when he calls himself a Christian.

I consider myself a passionate believer. My faith in Jesus and my relationship with him constitute the core of my being. Be that as it may, the fact that Romney is so shamelessly pandering to the religious right is a bigger reason for me not to vote for him than his Mormonism.

Like it or, the United States is not a theocracy, it is a pluralistic- if not secular democracy. And that is as is should be. Our founding fathers deliberately wanted to avoid the kinds of conflicts that kept Europe mired in perpetual war for centuries.

After Christian Europeans were done killing Muslims in the crusades, they began killing each other. First Eastern Orthodox and Catholic, then Catholic and Protestants, then Protestants took revenge on Catholics and so on. Is it any wonder that atheists so often blame wars on religion?

Those first Pilgrims that came to Massachusetts looking for religious freedom? Were being persecuted by King James- yeah, as in the King James Bible. And while many of those founding fathers may indeed have been “Christians” as fundamentalist right-wingers are so quick to boast, they were also enlightened enough to know that no one denomination or sect should have too much influence lest they might behave very un Christ-like toward all the others.

Maybe when it comes down to it, perhaps our policy on a candidate’s religion should be “don’t ask-don’t tell.”

As a child I attended and as an adult I taught in Lutheran schools, but I’ve always believed in the separation of church and state. I believe that when he held up a coin with Caesar’s face on it and told His disciples to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s,” Jesus may have been saying that He does too.

As Kennedy said in his speech over forty years ago, “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute--where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote--where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference--and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.”

I have no doubt that many Mormons are unaware of their church's deeper doctrines and that they believe in the same true Jesus that Christians do- the LDS church after all, is notorious for it's secrecy, and changing it's official positions for the sake of legal and political expedience.

They taught that minorities were the inferior and damned children of Cain, now they claim to accept people of color. They practiced polygamy and the subjugation of women, but now promote themselves as pro-family.

Of course- The pre-reformation Church perpetrated all kinds of atrocities in Jesus' name, Catholics have the inquisition, Martin Luther was a pretty flagrant anti-Semite, Once the pilgrims got their religious liberty in New England, they proceeded to deny everyone else religious freedom (remember the Salem Witch trials?)... it goes on and on. No World religion or Christian denomination is immune. That's what we Lutherans call "original sin." We're all full of fear and hate.

I guess I still have lots of theological skepticism about Mormonism and trepidations about the possibility of a Mormon President, but that doesn't mean I should recklessly disparage Romney for being Mormon, or every single member of the LDS church.

Will Lutherans and Episcopalians refuse to vote for Mike Huckabee because he’s a Baptist? Or for Rudy Guliani because he’s Catholic? Or for Obama because he’s a member of the United Church of Christ, or for Senators Clinton or Edwards because they’re Methodists?

There's an old joke that goes like this; Guy dies, goes to Heaven, St. Peter gives him a tour. Through one door he hears this wonderful Gospel music, "Who's in there?" he asks, "Oh those are all the AME believers." A ways down the hall he hears shouting "AMENS" and "Hallelujahs!" "In there are the Pentecostals," Peter explains. As they pass another door he smells incense and hear sort of a droning of mumbles and chants. "who's that?" the man asks, "Greek Orthodox," replies Peter. A little further down the hall everything is silent, the man starts to ask St. Peter about it and Peter quickly puts his finger to his lips and whispers- "Shhh- those are the Lutherans, they think they're the only ones up here."

I googled this joke and it turns out that almost every demnomination hads their own version, including Mormons. Point is, we're all capable of tremendous bigotry.

The Lutheran college I attended was Missouri Synod and frankly, there was worse discrimination against kids who belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church than of non Lutherans.

I have to be theologically clear here.

• Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
  
• Orthodox ("orthodox" as in mainstream, not as in Greek Orthodox) Christianity recognizes the Apostle's and Nicean Creeds and does not recognize the Book of Mormon, John warns us in Revelation 22:18-19 "If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."
• But Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:3 that "no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."
• Romney did say that he believes that "Jesus is the Son of God and the savior of the world." Maybe that's something, of course if what I've been taught in the Lutheran church about Mormonism is true, he also thinks that Lucifer is Jesus' brother and that anyone can become god of their own planet if they're a good enough Mormon...

Guess this is why polite people aren't supposed to talk about sex, politics or religion. No matter what you say, you're bout to offend SOMEONE.

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Want to have some fun? Check out BeliefNet's "God-o-Meter," supposedly it "scientifically measures factors such as rate of God-talk, effectiveness—saying God wants a capital gains tax cut doesn't guarantee a high rating—and other top-secret criteria."