As an Aussie, I watch the candidates in the run up to the US elections with intrigue. In particular, the debate over Mitt Romney’s faith in Mormonism and Mike Huckabee’s reactions to it.
By now, you would have seen Romney’s "appeal" to the US that his faith will make no difference in how he would run the US if elected. Fair enough. But central in his appeal was the reference to John F Kennedy’s "similar" appeal to run for election as a Catholic. Here are some highlights:
Now let’s make one thing clear here. I am a Protestant Christian with little regard to Catholic doctrine. But much of Catholic doctrine ties in with mainstream Protestant beliefs.
One thing we do share is belief in the divinity of Jesus. Yet Mormonism is Romney’s faith. And Mormonism declares that Jesus and Satan are brothers birthed by our Heavenly Father (and the mother is thrown in for good measure).
So much of Romney’s speech is hidden behind this fact. Of course Mormons could say that Jesus is the Son of God. But they fail to say that Satan is also the "Son of God" - thereby making Jesus and Satan brothers. Good cop, bad cop to the extreme!
Huckabee has raised this issue and has been ridiculed by the Associated Press (AP) where they use the "authoritative Encyclopedia of Mormonism" which doesn’t refer to Jesus and Satan as brothers.
But thanks to Bible Belt Blogger, the Mormon website actually states this belief in very clear terms:
"On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some—especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers."
OK, so let’s think this thing through. Who cares about the encyclopedia account? AP should have done their research more fully on this topic instead of attempting to make Huckabee look ill informed. A church website has more authority than any encyclopedia.
From a spiritual perspective, this belief is just too bizarre. You see, Mormon’s believe that when they die, each couple will be given a planet to populate and become the Father and Mother of that planet. Their offspring will be the spiritual children of that planet and they will be the "God" of that planet.
God the Father and God the Mother of earth had Jesus and Satan as offspring and one chose good and the other evil. Therefore Romney see’s the battle between Jesus and Satan as a sorry form of sibling rivalry.
What an insult to God. The Trinity is thrown out the window. Jesus’ divinity is reduced to being a sibling of darkness. It makes God look like a horny spirit being spewing forth his spiritual semen into his "glorified wife" and thus "populating" our planet with little critters like you and me.
According to Romney’s faith, when he dies, he and his wife will inherit a planet of their very own and they will become heavenly daddy and mummy and populate their own private planet. Of course none of this was made clear in his speech.
While I respect the right of people to practice whatever religion they choose, what get’s me infuriated is when they try to use aspects of Christian truth to justify completely non-Christian beliefs. Mormonism does this better then any religion.
Romney seems like a great guy and has probably raised his family based on solid principles. And, seriously, I don’t care if he becomes President as there are a lot worse candidates than he. But in his "Faith Speech," he should have elaborated more on Mormon belief as the people deserve to know.
As for me, Jesus is Lord. To equate Him as the brother of Satan is disgusting and is against everything Scripture stands for. But each to their own. God did, after all, invent free will.
Mormonism Research Ministry just released:
The Relationship Between Jesus and Lucifer in a Mormon Context
Thanks for the link Aaron.
Amen. I agree that the AP should have done their research but it is very clear that the media is against Huckabee and since he has come up in the polls recently something had to be done to take him down a notch .
God bless,
Anthony
http://www.bellybutton88.blogspot.com
Blasphemy. wheres are your convictions? To whom do you have allegiance? Jesus or Satan. A real christian would never put the two in a sentence.
Hi Gideon with a Sword!
Are you referring to me here? or to what Mormonism stands for? As for a “real Christian” never putting the two in a sentence, well God did it first…
“..he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
There you go, Jesus and Satan in the same sentence!
I am supporting Ron Paul for President, and am a Mormon. Most of my friends are not members of my church, and I often have attended meetings or vacation bible schools with them and their families. I have the utmost respect for all of these people - how they lead their lives, and their devotion to Jesus Christ. However, one experience I had a few years ago serves to illustrate why Mormons believe we are Christian, and why we have trouble understanding why some people do not believe we are Christian. While attending vacation bible school with some friends in Raleigh, North Carolina, the pastor divided the adults into two classes - the “advanced” bible class, and the “beginner” bible class. My wife and I both served Mormon missions as young adults, and though a little leery decided to attend the “advanced” Bible class. It turned out that of the 40-50 adults, 6 people, including us, went to the advanced class. The class over the course of the week turned out not to be about the bible, but about the creeds of the Christian churches.
The first creed discussed was the Apostle’s Creed, which states:
=-=-=-=
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.
=-=-==
The teacher, who was not the pastor, then asked each student around the table what they thought of this creed. One expressed some reservation about Jesus “rising from the dead” and the part about “the resurrection of the body”, in that it implied that Christ arose with a body and that there will be a physical resurrection. Another did not believe the portion of the creed that indicated that Christ descended into hell. Another questioned how he could sit at the right hand of God if he was God.
My wife and I were the last ones to speak. Both of us answered that we felt the creed reflected the biblical teachings of Christ and the Apostles correctly, and we believed in the creed 100%.
My point is that many people “cling” to the different beliefs of Mormons from other Christian churches, while ignoring the fact that the core Mormons beliefs match the creeds of the early Christian church closer than the beliefs of their particular sect.
Even the controversy about Mormon belief/disbelief in the Trinity is enlightening. Mormons believe in the Trinity, although not in same way as most other Christian sects teach the Trinity. Mormons believe that the three members of the Trinity can be referred to as one God, as they are one in purpose, and never vary from one another in thought. Indeed, Mormons believe that if you have seen Christ you have seen the Father, because they look, act, think, and do exactly alike. The only difference between the beliefs, which is entire exagerrated, is that most other Christian sects believe the three members of the Trinity are three manifestations of the same being. But if the three are separate beings but think, act, and do as One, isn’t the net result the same thing?
There are many beliefs in different sects that outsiders could call “bizarre”, but at the core, Christians, including Mormons, believe the same basic things. Some examples of “bizaare things” that are either shared beliefs that Mormons have with other Christians, or are believed and taught by other sects, are:
Transubstantiation - (not a Mormon belief)
Virgin Birth - (a Mormon belief)
Worship of Saints - (not a Mormon belief)
Earth created in 6000 years - (most Mormons don’t believe, but no official Church stance)
Infallibility of the Bible - (not a Mormon belief)
Faith Healings - (a Mormon belief)
Prophecy - (a Mormon belief)
Speaking in Tongues - (a Mormon belief)
Jesus casting evil spirits into Pigs (Mark 5) - (a Mormon belief)
Notice how gideonwithasword never leaves a link or a name? It’s easy to wield a sword anonymously.
Hi TY,
Thanks for visiting my little place on the http://WWW. Thanks for your comment. I’m sorry you had a weird experience with so called “Christians” - the points you raised at that bible study and how the Christians questioned it is down right wrong. I’m surprised no-one mentioned the “catholic church” thing as most in my circles couldn’t give a hoot about the Pope.
For the record, I love the Mormon dedication to learning and the example they set in evangelism and morals. Something surely to be admired.
BUT, and it is a huge BBBUUUTTT, seriously, much of your teachings are way weird for the learned Christian. And that’s why many are deceived into believing what the LDS believe. It comes near to the “truth” and uses parts of “truth” to justify itself. But it isn’t truth. And that’s why you guys feel that the Bible isn’t rock proof - cause many parts of it completely contradict what you guys believe in.
A relevant example is the Jesus - Satan - brother thing. And I don’t want to inherit a planet to populate. I have enough trouble populating my house - let alone a planet. You guys believe in a form of theological/spiritual evolution where you will become a god.
Well I’m sorry, but my God says that there is none like He and I’m cool with that. You guys aren’t.
Hi Heather,
This Gideon bloke is a fruitloop. Check out his comment on a friend’s blog here:
http://stuartdelony.wordpress.com/2007/12/20/more-thoughts-from-platform-talking/
People like this make me want to vomit.
LayGuy-
Thanks for the response. I know there are differences in what Mormons believe versus mainline protestant churches. The point I am trying to make is that the common beliefs in key areas are much more than the differing beliefs in others.
The main point I was trying to make is that as a practicing Mormon, I believe, along with other practicing Mormons:
1. In God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. That these three beings are united in one Godhead that acts in complete unison.
2. That man can only be saved through faith Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice, and in NO OTHER WAY.
3. That the first prinicples and ordinances of the gospel are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I am assuming these core beliefs of every Mormon are very close to your own as a Christian. I also believe a lot of other things that in no way contradict these three core beliefs, but that you probably do not accept, (ie: the Book of Mormon as scripture, prophets revealing God’s truth today, etc.) However, other Christian faiths believe things you and I probably do not accept either (I am assuming you are not Catholic): transubstantiation, praying to or worship of Saints, infallibility of the Pope, etc. Based on your argument, would you say that Catholics are not Christian?
Hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Ty
You should research a bit more about mormonism and becoming Gods before you put it out there.
Hi Rod,
Thanks for stopping by. I have done my research and I have put it out there. You get hitched in a Mormon Temple, you get to inherit a planet.