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Why I Don’T Think Mormonism Is A Cult

DBMormon

By DBMormon
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DBMormon Grand Master

DBMormon

Posted
Posted
Catholic Apologist Matt Fradd wrote the following article recently


 

What do you think of the article?

 

Tomorrow I am interviewing him.

What should I ask him?  I am looking to have a conversation about what similarities LDS and Catholic apologist run into - similar overarching ideas?

Any questions you want asked let me know

Bill

pogi Grand Master

pogi

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I had to chuckle at this comment -

 

"I have watched the BYU channel on television, and it is very sad to see decent looking, seemly educated white people talking nonsense about that cult."

 

I guess it wouldn't be so sad to her if we were plain looking, uneducated black people.

Edited by pogi
CA Steve Grand Master

CA Steve

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Due to this confusion, the word cult, it seems to me, has become essentially useless;

How does he feel about applying the word "Christian" to Mormons?

bluebell Grand Master

bluebell

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Could you ask him not to use terms that he doesn't have any first hand experience with?

 

It's such a pet peeve of mine when people are dismissive of our beliefs and in the same breath can't even get them right!

 

"I think the Catholic is justified in believing these three things and the Mormon lacks justification for, say, thinking that God (the one we are supposedly bound to worship) lives on or near a planet called Kolob."

 

I'm guessing he's never read anything about Kolob from a Mormon source, definitely not the scriptures that speak of it, so maybe he shouldn't bandy about the term.

omni Mentor

omni

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I think he makes a lot of good points. Under these qualifications the early Christian church would certainly fit the description. It's much easier to label another church a cult that you see as a threat than it is to actually analyze their teachings and doctrines.

Palerider Experienced

Palerider

Posted
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I think the article is somewhat insightful and reminds me of an interview with Ravi Zacharias where he actually took a similar approach to the word "cult" in regards to Mormons. I think you would find it very interesting as well, considering he is one of the few Evangelical apologists ever invited to speak in the LDS tabernacle.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRyUycSmqIE

 

I might be tempted to ask him if Catholics at the time of the Reformation would have considered Protestantism a cult?

Edited by Palerider
AndyDnom Collaborator

AndyDnom

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i am so sick of the cult / not a cult, or christian / not a christian arguments. its all just symantics and dictionary definitions. super boring. the answer depends on your definition. and the definition just depends on whatever you had for breakfast that morning.

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drums12 Collaborator

drums12

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I have a good friend who was raised LDS, served a mission, etc., but left the Church ten years ago.  His exit letter has even been posted online, and for the first few years after his exit from the Church, he seemed somewhat hostile.  His tone seems to have softened considerably in recent years, although I've only known him for about three years. 

 

One day early this year we were talking and I told him about my own faith crisis and why I've remained a LDS.  I mentioned that I resent being called a member of a cult and/or not a Christian.  He said called it asinine to not call Mormons Christians.  I said "who gets to define who is or isn't Christian?"  His answer deeply affected me.  He simply said "Christ."  In the final analysis, all that matters is what He thinks of me.  Am I His disciple?  Do I love others?  Did He not say that His disciples would be known by their love for others?

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Tacenda Grand Master

Tacenda

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I have a good friend who was raised LDS, served a mission, etc., but left the Church ten years ago. His exit letter has even been posted online, and for the first few years after his exit from the Church, he seemed somewhat hostile. His tone seems to have softened considerably in recent years, although I've only known him for about three years.

One day early this year we were talking and I told him about my own faith crisis and why I've remained a LDS. I mentioned that I resent being called a member of a cult and/or not a Christian. He said called it asinine to not call Mormons Christians. I said "who gets to define who is or isn't Christian?" His answer deeply affected me. He simply said "Christ." In the final analysis, all that matters is what He thinks of me. Am I His disciple? Do I love others? Did He not say that His disciples would be known by their love for others?

cool
why me Grand Master

why me

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In general, catholic apologists are very hostile toward the lds church. On their apologetic site, they are extremely negative toward the lds church. They also have webpages about mormonism that run into several pages. And all if not most are critical and hostile. However, I must also say that the pope would never support such an organization that is hostile to other religions.

 

 

Catholic Apologist Matt Fradd wrote the following article recently
 
What do you think of the article?
 
Tomorrow I am interviewing him.
What should I ask him?  I am looking to have a conversation about what similarities LDS and Catholic apologist run into - similar overarching ideas?
Any questions you want asked let me know
Bill

 

I think that you could ask him why catholics are so negative toward mormons and the lds church on the internet, especially when they say that mormons are not christians or say maligned comments about the mormon church. You can mention the catholic apologetic site, Catholic Answers and the hostility that is shown toward mormonism on their discussion board. I am sure that he knows the organization.

 

As a sidenote, if FAIR was like Catholic Answers, I can safely say that it would come under criticism for its anti-catholicism by catholics and other religious groups. And FAIR would be lumped in with the lds church.

Calm Grand Master

Calm

Posted
Posted
In general, catholic apologists are very hostile toward the lds church. 

 

Maybe the amateur ones, especially those that have migrated from Evangelical Christianity and were anti-mormons then and continue to be as Catholics.

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why me Grand Master

why me

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Posted

Maybe the amateur ones, especially those that have migrated from Evangelical Christianity and were anti-mormons then and continue to be as Catholics.

The people at catholic answers are not amateurs. I tend to think that there is a difference in strategy. For catholic answers, a part of their work is to get catholics to stay catholic. And one way that they do this is by writing critical papers about mormonism and other nontrinitarian christian religions who they may refer to as non-christians. This is a big difference in catholic apologetic strategy: to safeguard the catholic members against joining another faith.

 

FAIR on the other hand does not do this. They do not write negative papers about other faiths such as the catholic and protestant faiths. They may criticize a particular video that is made or a book that is written about mormonism but they do not put down a faith.

canard78 Grand Master

canard78

Posted
Posted

 

Catholic Apologist Matt Fradd wrote the following article recently
 
What do you think of the article?
 
Tomorrow I am interviewing him.
What should I ask him?  I am looking to have a conversation about what similarities LDS and Catholic apologist run into - similar overarching ideas?
Any questions you want asked let me know
Bill

 

 

Ask him what he thinks of the work of Steve Hassan.

"Steven Alan Hassan, M.Ed., LMHC, NCC has been involved in educating the public about mind control, controlling groups and destructive cults since 1976.

He holds a Masters degree in counseling psychology from Cambridge College, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC)."

"Steve realized he wanted to help empower people to think freely for themselves and to be free from undue psychological influence. He also felt pulled to help uphold human rights, expose the abuses of all types of destructive groups and cults and promote consumer awareness. Steve founded the Freedom of Mind Resource Center Inc., a counseling and publishing organization to help him achieve those ends."

He was a member of The Moonies for a while.

DBMormon Grand Master

DBMormon

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I am not trying to make an enemy and some of these Q's could do that.  I would rather tackle ideas about asking him questions that help us see similarities between Catholic Apologetics and LDS apologetics.  Are there overarching things that both groups address (members discovering troublesome history)?  Do they use the same stratigies to help members in doubt?

Buckeye Grand Master

Buckeye

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I found the article to be fairly agreeable.  Nothing ground-breaking, but a nice simply overview of what factors support the label of "cult."  A few questions I would ask:

  1. Does the word "cult" have any value today?  For the vast majority of people (non-academics) it is nothing more than a derogatory term for "the other." 
  2. Does Fradd believe the word "cult" can be accurately applied to any religious group?  Who specifically?  How about any religious group that self-identifies as "christian?"  If not groups today, would it accurately apply to historical groups?  The follows of Christ in Peter's day?  The follows of Joseph Smith before his death?
  3. What are Fradd's reactions to Pope Francis?  What does he see in other Catholics?  Is Francis just an outlier or are sign of the direction the church is heading?
  4. What are Fradd's reactions to Pope Benedict stepping down?  That was something that had not happened for many many years?  Were any catholics bothered under a belief that a pope could not step down?  If so, how did they get over that hurdle?
  5. What does he know about the LDS temple under construction in Rome? 
  6. What does he know about the LDS practice of baptisms for the dead?  What does the average catholic know?  Has he seen uneasiness from fellow-catholics towards LDS who gather names of deceased catholics for this ordinance?  What suggestions does he have for easing the natural tension caused by our practice?
Vance Grand Master

Vance

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9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

Where is his Book of Dormon? I want to read it.

EllenMaksoud Grand Master

EllenMaksoud

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

Catholic Apologist Matt Fradd wrote the following article recently
 
What do you think of the article?
 
Tomorrow I am interviewing him.
What should I ask him?  I am looking to have a conversation about what similarities LDS and Catholic apologist run into - similar overarching ideas?
Any questions you want asked let me know
Bill

 

You could ask him what secret sin he has in his life is it that prevents his experiencing miracles? Or not. :) I tried to leave a comment, but it has to be moderated. So, will my comment pass the moderator? :)

 

Ask him how it is he feels that attacking others advances the cause of Jesus Christ?

 

 

PS. I was just over and looked at your Facebook page. My goodness, wow !!!

Edited by EllenMaksoud
pogi Grand Master

pogi

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Posted

You could get into how removing the "cult" label would help improve Catholic-Mormon relations.  Ask him where he sees this going as far as improving dialogue.

3DOP Grand Master

3DOP

Posted
Posted

 

Catholic Apologist Matt Fradd wrote the following article recently
 
What do you think of the article?
 
Tomorrow I am interviewing him.
What should I ask him?  I am looking to have a conversation about what similarities LDS and Catholic apologist run into - similar overarching ideas?
Any questions you want asked let me know
Bill

 

 

As used today by the irreligious as well as the religious but ignorant, "cult" means: The beliefs that I disdain.

 

The author is correct. The only thing I would say is that I am a member of a cult and so are you, and so is everybody else according to the meaningful use of the term.

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DBMormon Grand Master

DBMormon

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  • Author
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PS. I was just over and looked at your Facebook page. My goodness, wow !!!

 

wow in what way?

EllenMaksoud Grand Master

EllenMaksoud

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wow in what way?

Um, let me count the ways ... Creative, Unabashedly Mormon, Positive, Healing.  It actually makes me a big green. :)  I just don't feel I'm creative enough to pull that off and I don't always say the right thing, so I would worry about that.

 

Left you a comment there, and if you can figure out which one, then you will know who I am. :)

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