In the previous segment we noted that in his ever expanding crusade to preach the pseudo-gospel of universalism Billy Graham’s Evangelistic Association has taken it upon itself to redefine both Christian as well as Mormon theology.
They did this by removing Mormonism from their list of cults. They sacrificed theology on the altar of politics as it was directly after Mitt Romney met with Franklin Graham that the change was made.
Before we go on, consider some reasons why many people consider Mormonism to be Christian. To reiterate from the previous segment, it is exemplary of our very, very low, low level of discernment as a culture (as well as manipulation by Mormons) that many people claim that Mormonism is Christian because they “Believe in God, the Bible and Jesus.”
They stop right there; at the point where the same words, terms, are used by Christians and Mormons. They do not, however, stop to consider that what is imperative is how those words, those terms are defined. This is important because the Moron God, Bible and Jesus are not the God, Bible and Jesus of the Bible and thus, the Christianity.
Note the following:
In 1971, images of Jesus appeared only five times in the church’s official monthly publication, the Ensign; in 1999, the Ensign published 119 of them…
Jan Shipps, who has studied the Saints for 40 years. [states] “After a century of cultivating their separate identity as a religious people, Mormons now want to stress their affinities with traditional Christianity yet highlight their uniqueness.”
—Kenneth L. Woodward, “A Mormon Moment,” Newsweek, (Sep. 10, 2001), p. 48
Now let us consider three examples of how the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association defines a cult. The following quotes are from their website and were accessed on October 19, 2012 AD which is after they removed Mormonism from their cult list. The section of the website is called, “Billy Graham’s My Answer”:
What is your definition of a cult?
…any group claims that they, and they alone, have all the truth about God…They claim they alone have the truth, and everyone else is wrong). Cults also often have a strong leader who demands total and absolute obedience; some cults even require their members to cut themselves off from their families. Another characteristic of many cults is that they reject the Bible, or claim their founder’s writings are also divinely inspired.
The basic mark of any cult, however, is that it rejects the divinity of Jesus. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh—that He alone was both fully man and fully God. Cults, however, deny this, and often confuse people who aren’t familiar with the Bible by twisting its meaning.
How can I recognize a religious cult?
Concerning cults, Mr. Graham has said: “Cults can take many forms. Some…claim to be Christian and may actually incorporate some of the teachings of Christianity, while they deny certain truths in the Bible. Cults substitute their own ideas for the truth which God has given us.
“Although cults differ, they share several characteristics. For example, cults often do not accept the Bible alone as God’s Word, and may even say that other books (usually written by the group’s founder) are also God’s Word and of more value. Cults also commonly claim that they alone correctly interpret the truth and that Christian denominations and churches are wrong in their teaching.
Some cults have a strong leader and demand that members give their allegiance to him (even to the point of rejecting family members). If you have doubts about a group, ask several clergymen about it, or see if your local Christian bookstore has a volume that describes cults.
“Cults deny what the Bible says about Jesus: He was fully God as well as man, and He died on the cross so we could be saved from our sins by faith…”
What is your definition of a cult, and how do cults differ from Christianity?
Cults differ widely from each other, of course, but they often have several characteristics in common. (Your local Christian bookstore can suggest some books that describe cults in more detail.)
One characteristic is that cults reject the basic beliefs of the Christian faith—beliefs that Christians have held in common for almost 2,000 years. Instead, they say they alone have a full understanding of the truth about God, and the only way to know the truth is to be part of their group. Many cults have their own writings also, which they either substitute for the Bible or add to the Bible.
Cults also often have a strong leader—one who demands total obedience, and actually claims to speak for God. This is very dangerous, of course, because he or she may lead others into disaster. Remember: Only Christ is worthy of our allegiance, for only He is God’s Son…
In the next segment we will parse and combine these points and see if Mormonism fits the characteristics.
In the mean time, consider the odd case of the various similarities between Mormonism and Islam:
Founder: Muhammad and Joseph Smith both claim to have received private revelation which pertained to them being the prophets of a restoration of the true faith.
Reaction: the initial reaction to the revelation by both Muhammad and Joseph Smith was dread and doom (Muhammad contemplated suicide—see Islam / Muslim : Muhammad and Jesus).
Denials: both denied Trinitarian monotheism, Jesus’ unique divinity, the Bible’s sole authority, etc.
Revelations: both claimed to reveal the true word of God via their scriptures. Muhammad’s were Allah’s words via the Quran and Joseph Smith’s were form one of the Mormon’s very many gods via the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and various others.
And there is much, much more. In fact, Joseph Smith claimed to be the second Muhammad—see Joseph Smith as the second Muhammad – “Joseph Smith or the sword!”
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For more info on Mormonism, see True Freethinker’s section which contains many articles:
Mormonism
Here are some apologetics books on Mormonism:
The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say to a Mormon by Ron Rhodes
Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons by Ron Rhodes and Marian Bodine
Mormonism’s Temple of Doom by William (Bill) Schnoebelen
Also available as a DVD documentary: Mormonism’s Temple of Doom DVD
The Mormon Mirage: A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today by Latayne C. Scott
One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church by Richard Abanes
The Mormon Defenders by James Patrick Holding
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