An Interesting Article I Read

[boblloyd91]

Hey I just read this article. Any thoughts?

http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2012/03/mormons-and-christianity-asking-the-right-questions

[thesometimesaint]

Starts with a rediculous assumption and ends with a rediculous assertion.

[Calm]

Evidently, the more we know about Mormonism, the more we can see that we have been asking the wrong question. From the Mormon point of view, the question to be asked is not, “Are Mormons Christian?” but, in view of the alleged apostasy in early Christianity after the death of the Apostles, a more appropriate question would be: “Are any non-Mormons Christian?”

Posing this question changes the criteria by which we can evaluate Mormon claims, and helps put some of the more exaggerated fears of orthodox Christians into perspective. Yes, Catholics and Protestants are viewed by Mormons as practicing an incomplete Christianity (at best). This offers justification, for instance, for the Mormon practice of “baptizing the dead,” in order to bring them into communion with Jesus Christ and the Latter-day Saints. But this paradigm also means that Christians need not fear that a Mormon in the White House would not align himself with Christianity; the only reasonable fear would be that a biased Mormon occupant would look down on them as less than Christian. But fortunately Mormons, in spite of their desire to convert the world, are not noted for extreme intolerance or for an inability to work with other persuasions for the common good.

While a step in the right direction, I think the question of defining who is and isn't a Christian on such things is still the wrong question to be asking. The only one worth asking in my view is "do you try to follow Christ to the best of your knowledge, ability and faith?"

And he gets it very wrong as to suggest that Mormons are asking the question "are any non-Mormons Christian"? Just because other Christians are obsessed with drawing such boundaries, doesn't mean that LDS are. This is likely to add to negative feelings of nonLDS Christians rather than help them understand us (we certainly know how it feels for someone to question our devotion to Christ, why in the world would we turn around and do the same to others?)

It is becoming clear that—from the ‘ordinary’ Christian point of view—Mormon “high priesthood” is a sui generis order, possibly analogous to higher Masonic degrees, incorporated into a religion quite different from most Christian denominations.

I think he misses the concept completely on this one.

Not very impressed with the article at all. Though claiming an attempt to look at things from a LDS POV, he fails there and clearly doesn't 'get' LDS attitudes about the Christian community or the priesthood.

Edited March 23, 2012 by calmoriah

[Hestia]

Hey I just read this article. Any thoughts?

http://www.firstthin...right-questions

Why don't you express your point in posting this and then discuss.

[Mark Beesley]

Hey I just read this article. Any thoughts?

http://www.firstthin...right-questions

It never ceases to surprise me how misinformed people whe write articles about Mormons can be. Do non-Mormons really not understand the differences between being a bishop in the LDS Church as opposed to the RCC??

Edited March 23, 2012 by Mark Beesley

[cinepro]

I usually find the whole "are mormons christians" thing a little boring, but this really takes the cake:

However, the fact that Mitt Romney, the first Mormon candidate for the presidency in our nation’s history, is not only a bishop in the LDS church but a High Priest of the highest echelon (the “order of Melchizedek”) within that religion, and is not being opposed because of the “separation of church and state,” is an indication that Americans do not consider him a bona fide Christian. In contrast, one can imagine what would happen if a Catholic or Lutheran or Episcopalian bishop or priest sought the presidency. An impossibility! Fears of theocracy and relentless invocation of the First Amendment would nip such an attempt in the bud.

Wow. High Priests are the "highest echelon"?

[KevinG]

Wow. High Priests are the "highest echelon"?

In our Stake we do tend to take on more roofing projects than the Aaronic priesthood.