Mormon Or Christian, Does It Really Matter?

[followerofemmanuel]

I think most LDS want to be known as both Mormon/LDS and Christian just as Catholics would want to be known as Catholic and Christian. We feel loyalty to our church, that loyalty is actually part of our loyalty to our God.

I think you are likely right in much of your other comments. People have a vision of what Christian means to them and we don't fit that vision for some reason. I personally don't mind someone saying "you are not a Christian" in an interfaith dialogue as long as they include a definition of what they mean by that so I can respond "you are right, I am not a Christian in that way and I am not trying to be, but I think I am a Christian in the way I am trying to follow Christ." As far as faith groups talking among themselves, they can use whatever definitions they want just as we LDS have developed our own definitions for various terms that we may need to specify when talking to those outside of our faith to avoid misunderstanding and misrepresentations.

Great comments

[Avatar4321]

If it didn't matter, would people try to deny our connection to Christ?

[Stargazer]

Inasmuch as it is used as a weapon against us, it is definitely important.

Plese understand that on a personal level, I couldn't care two hoots if the guy down the street thinks I am a Christian or not: he's entitled to his opinion, right or wrong.

But on a public level, calling the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a non-Christian religion is an out-and-out deception, and I object strenuously to its utterance. I said above that it is a weapon directed against us, but in fact it is more a weapon directed against honest people who believe in Christ, who would be dissuaded by this falsehood from investigating the Church because they would not want to have anything to do with a religious body that doesn't believe in Christ.

[Calm]

If it didn't matter, would people try to deny our connection to Christ?

It is certainly effective in leading some people to think we don't believe in Christ. When I worked at a church bookstore (have I already mentioned this in this thread, I know I've mentioned this on the board before) there were some times when people came in and saw the Greg Olsen and other art all over the wall, they would be shocked to learn we were not a "Christian" bookstore but a "Mormon" one and ask "you people actually believe in Christ?" or some such thing. This even included an orthodox priest....whom I would have hoped would be more familiar with others' faiths as I would hope our leaders would be, but sometimes leaders are too busy with their own flocks to pay as close as attention to others as would be helpful.

[Calm]

But on a public level, calling the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a non-Christian religion is an out-and-out deception, and I object strenuously to its utterance. I said above that it is a weapon directed against us, but in fact it is more a weapon directed against honest people who believe in Christ, who would be dissuaded by this falsehood from investigating the Church because they would not want to have anything to do with a religious body that doesn't believe in Christ.

When this is done intentionally, I would agree with you.

[Stargazer]

When this is done intentionally, I would agree with you.

Of course you would!

[cdowis]

When this is done intentionally, I would agree with you.

It is a deception, regardless of the intention. So, if it makes you happy, let's call it foolishness, stupidity, ignorance, false pride, BUT they had good intentions. The result is the same, "I am a Mormon and not a Christian" confirms the suspicions of the general public that we really aren't Christian.

The cheers and applause of the enemies of the church.... "We could not have said it better."

[DH]

An interesting article about a member of the LDS Church being "perfectly happy not being a Christian"; I feel the same way. As I read the article I started to wonder why my fellow members of the LDS Church want Catholics, Protestants or anyone else to accept the LDS as Christian. Why is the label of "Christian" an issue and why is having the label important.

Well, calling oneself a Christian and wanting other denominations to accept us as Christians are two different things. I, a Latter-day Saint, call myself Christian because I believe in Christ, and will continue calling myself that. In fact, that belief in Christ is central to the Gospel, is it not?

However, it doesn't matter to me that much if Catholics, Protestants, or anybody else consider us to be Christian. I might have a chuckle at how silly they are for saying we're not Christian, but I don't really care. I know what I believe, and what others think about it is irrelevant.

So, I disagree with the author of the article because I insist on calling myself a Christian. But I agree that it's not something to continually argue about with people of other denominations.

[seriously honestly]

As a Mormon I never thought of myself (or other Mormons) as a Christian, despite the belief in Jesus Christ. It wasn't until late in my teen years when a seminary teacher brought it up and even then I was uncomfortable with the idea. I knew that a few similar beliefs doesn't mean we were a part of the same group, and I recognized the major difference in beliefs and structure and considered calling us Christians was like lumping us in with the unbelievers. I was a Mormon, not a Christian.