I offer this in hopes that either it will serve someone else in a similar discussion or in hopes that if I erred somewhere or am not sufficiently accurate, that I may be corrected. I tried to communicate in peace and graciousness while maintaining the exclusivity of Christ and His Gospel. Hopefully it worked out in a way that preserved the Truth but combatted the Automated Bigoted Christian Defense System (ABCDS) which is apparently installed in every single newsblog in the entire world (at least that I’ve seen).
I don’t want anyone to think we’re complete idiots and haters (though the Bible says that’s just what not-in-Christ people are going to think of us). I want everyone to think honestly about what they believe first and foremost. It’s rotten all by itself to claim LDS is Christian when they deny the fundamental principles that comprise orthodox Christianity.
So here is a transcript of some dialogue in response to an article Mormons ARE Christians: Here’s Why
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Pooka says:
Look, we can agree that Mormons are “christians” in that they affirm the name. We have to come to terms with the fact that the christ being referred to here is not the Christ that is displayed for us in the 2,000+ year-old Scriptures we know as the Bible.
The Christ in Matthew through Revelation is The Son of God, sovereign, co-equal with God. He is not a great, inspired teacher or a created being. It is not possible for Him to be such, according to His own claims as recorded in the Bible. He’s either a nutcase, a demon-possessed heretic or the Real Deal God Incarnate.
He is not “a god.” He is THE God. Look again at the texts. Here is a well-written explanation of the truth about God (including Jesus) that has Scripture to back it up: Westminster Confession.
So I guess we can say LDS folks are christians, with a little c since they believe in a christ, but I can’t see how they believe in The Christ of The Bible.
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WhatAboutThis says:
We seem to come to the same impasse repeatedly.
As long as Nicene Creed, the-Bible-or-nothing believing traditional Christian churches process this basic belief through those filters, there will never be more clarity.
Just because an incomplete and semi-accurate belief has been in-place and has become a “tradition” for centuries doesn’t make it any more correct.
If the only tools that the traditionals use to try to unravel the knowledge of God and His heavens are the Bible and centuries of ecumenical councils, they’ll never understand it correctly. They’re missing too much information and they block the conduit to receive the pieces they don’t have.
Because Mormons do not accept (nor even understand) that creed and do fully embrace, receive and are grateful for additional scripture and understanding, the impasse will always exist.
Traditionals don’t understand why we believe anything but the Bible and we don’t understand how they can build an entire religious structure and defend it so doggedly with such a limited view.
The creed and the Bible by themselves are incapable of delivering much of the knowledge and understand about God, his nature and disposition.
The Bible was never intended to be the “only” word or communication that God has with His children. Who would have the gall to suggest that our omnipotent God doesn’t have the ability or permission to teach and communicate with His children whenever He wants to?
The traditionals teach that He can’t, but the reality is that He can and does…frequently.
The curious thing is that the traditionals can’t countenance that another church believes something differently than they do. Why are they so defensive? Is it that threatening to them? Why do they feel so compelled to confront everyone and be so mean spirited?…and I appreciate that you’re not by the way…No other faiths do that to us and we don’t do it to anyone.
The traditionals will start a range-war within a national political party because of their extreme interpretation of the term “Christian” yet they routinely and openly persecute and label other churches in a decidedly un-Christ-like manner.
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This one is long, but I want to answer as much as I can as clearly as possible.
The creed and the Bible by themselves are incapable of delivering much of the knowledge and understand about God, his nature and disposition.
Regrettably, the Bible makes the claim that it is sole source of knowledge and understanding of God, His nature and disposition. The creeds and confessions of the historic church, which reach all the way back to the 1st Century merely affirm this. The Bible does not allow for external revelation such as Smith’s pages, Mohammed’s prophecies or even the ancient Hindu Vedas.
If a LDS or any other “christ professing” faith group disregards this, they cannot claim orthodox religion. Denial of the Bible’s place as the only source of God’s revelation is to create an entirely different faith system. That’s unavoidable. One cannot call a portion of the Bible false and then affirm another.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. – 2 Timothy 3:16
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. – Revelation 22:18-19
Ergo, if you say you are Christian but deny any portion of what the Bible says about Christ, you are not Christian in the sense of the Bible. Pick a new name and stick with it. If you say you are Christian but affirm something the Bible doesn’t say about Christ, you are not Christian in the sense of the Bible. Pick a new name and stick with it.
The curious thing is that the traditionals can’t countenance that another church believes something differently than they do. Why are they so defensive? Is it that threatening to them? Why do they feel so compelled to confront everyone and be so mean spirited?…and I appreciate that you’re not by the way…No other faiths do that to us and we don’t do it to anyone.
The basic problem is that orthodox (true to the Bible) Christianity is exclusive. We cannot recognize another faith as the path to the right relationship with our creator. The Bible says this over and over. Since we believe this is true, we are defensive because religions, especially those that claim the name of Jesus Christ in a way that is not consistent with Scripture, threaten all men. Not Christianity, for Christ will preserve His people. We seek to convince men of the Real Truth about Christ and His life, death and resurrection – why He is so important. We are commanded in Scripture to defend these truths in order to reach those who will believe. You have these Scriptures in your copy of the Bible as well.
The traditionals will start a range-war within a national political party because of their extreme interpretation of the term “Christian” yet they routinely and openly persecute and label other churches in a decidedly un-Christ-like manner.
I cannot apologize for the posturing and language of the “traditionals” who start range-wars and persecutions. They largely do not represent the Faith of Jesus Christ, being politically motivated and more interested in a social gospel that puts good works up as the way for men to please God. That is entirely not the message found in the Bible. In fact, the Word condemns this sort of insanity for what it is: pharisaical god-ism.
I will not apologize for labelling other churches in accordance with what they are. Since the convictions of the orthodox church are that Christ is not all-inclusive and is demonstrably unwilling to admit anyone to the Father but through Himself, we must mark and label anyone who is not consistent with what the Bible says. If we’re convinced of this, you must be able to recognize the demand on our conscience.
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! – Galatians 1:6-9
It’s not a war of offense that we wage, trying to hurt feelings and make ourselves better than you or any other. We maintain that all men are sinful and need a savior. We simply must keep the crucial difference between historic orthodox Christianity and those who do not believe similarly.
This, if you look at it honestly, is one of the key differences between Christianity and the other faith systems – we do not recognize another path to God. None work but this one. All the others call for men to do something that will please God enough to make a relationship and so everybody can get along just fine. Christianity says Jesus and only Jesus. Not loving to get closer to each other or anything else – all those awesome blessings are a result of salvation, not a means of salvation.
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6
Soli Deo Gloria
Cold Coffee and Flannel 
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