Posts About mormon
Good People, Bizarre Beliefs
People are still "suspicious" of Mormonism, in part because mainstream religions consider some of their doctrines not only extra-biblical, but bizarre.
A Long Way from Mainstream
In the eyes of most serious Christians, Mormonism is a long way from mainstream.
Are Mormons Christians?
When Latter-day Saints assert their Christianity, some Christians bitterly resent it. Why? Because both sides are using the same terms to describe different things.
Fool Me Once
If resignation is what it takes to get the stumbling block that is Trinity United Church of Christ out of Senator Obama's path, that is what he should do as a political necessity.
Little Boxes, Big Promises
Does it’s insistence on the literalness and import of Christ’s physical resurrection make Mormonism more or less Christian? I would say “neither.”
Mormons, Free Speech and Right Speech
Among the Mormons, one is not free to promote disbelief in the church and remain a member of the church. Obviously, this has a chilling effect on free speech, but who says speech within religious communities is necessarily or even properly free?
How to Bury a Prophet
Notwithstanding the numbers and titles of participants, Gordon Hinckley’s funeral was a family affair both in word and sacrament. It was an extraordinary display of what makes Mormonism tick.
Running with the Dogs
Mr. Romney should check himself for fleas because ultimately his aspirations will subject him to the vetting of a much broader group than those to whom this speech was directed.
No Joke
Cult is a way of saying “you are not like us, the good guys, and don’t you forget it.”
What Part of “No” Don’t You Understand?
We must all say “no” to the extremists in our own traditions because if they won’t listen to us, they won’t listen to anybody.
Making Good For, Not From Evil
Nobody has the answer to this question; only ways of thinking about it. Mostly we prefer not to think about it.
Faithful to Christ Despite Doubts
That Mother Teresa continued to long for God as she labored in the soul-alienating slums of Calcutta signifies the genuineness of her faith.
Riding the Pendulum
The issue raised by Pope Benedict’s preference for Latin is not one of worship quality, but of worship authority.
Skim Milk or Cream?
The differences between pagan and Christian practice are not and perhaps have never been as great as some would have it.
Bound for Glory
Where I come from, Jesus saves all but those who make a fully informed choice not to be saved.
Admired, but From a Distance
Today, when everyone from New Agers to Hmong to Muslims to Pentecostals to Buddhists live "down the block," Mormons benefit from the protective coloration which such wild diversity promotes.
Religious Leaders Should Assail Hypocritical Views on Environment
In religions which profess faith in God the Creator there should be special concern by "co-Creators," earthlings, to be good "stewards" of creation.
History, Logic and Common Sense
Members of the uniformed services, who are called to put their lives on the line for their country, have the right to seek divine comfort and guidance through prayer
Sensitivity, Common Sense and Good Manners
People have a right to expect that sacred things in their own places of worship will be treated with a level of respect, even reverence. In our pluralistic society, we should set that bar high. This isn’t about exclusion. Nor is it about theology. It’s about sensitivity, common sense and good manners.
Religious Devotion Can Bring Tangible Health Benefits
There’s considerable evidence that a religious life delivers significant health dividends in faiths that integrate a health code into their religious observance – like Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons (Latter-day Saints)
Balancing Material Comforts and Spiritual Values
We should aim, by all means, to improve ourselves and seek for basic material security and comforts for our families. But we should not let the possession or the relentless pursuit of material possessions obscure our obligations to God and our fellow men and women.
Polygamists Are Not Mormons
The term Mormons can never, ever be used to describe polygamist sects.
The Resurrection: An Electrifying Moment
To take the resurrection out of Christianity is to gut the Christian faith of much of its hope and promise.
The American Quest
Switching from faith to faith or describing oneself as “unchurched” is not the same as dropping out of religion or spirituality altogether. These “nones” are not non-believers. They may be profoundly moral. They just don’t identify with a particular church.
Limits of Religious Law
We do not believe that any religious society has authority to try men on the right of property or life, to take from them this world's goods, or to put them in jeopardy of either life or limb, or to inflict any physical punishment upon them.
Self-Indulgence: A Chronic Human Failing
Shedding innocent blood, habitual lying or calculated divisiveness are far worse than many or all on the list of the “deadly seven.”
Losing Distinctiveness: Sure Way to Oblivion
Latter-day Saints have no intention of sacrificing that distinctiveness on the altar of social acceptance.
No artificial distinctions
The best efforts to attack poverty, disease and homelessness will be partnerships between deeply committed individuals -- religious and secular.
Back to Basics
Choose to accept or reject the idea of an afterlife by all means, but let's not pretend that Jesus Christ and his apostles didn't teach it.
Polemical, Unreasonable, Bizarre
I can’t speak for people of all other faiths, but millions of Christians who practice their religion know from personal daily experience that they are better people because of it.
Using Language as a Mask for Intolerance
“Cult” should never be applied as a means of masking our own intolerance for competing faiths that simply differ from our own.
Opposition in All Things
"I am not complaining,” my father wrote to my mother from war-ravaged Europe during the closing days of World War 2, when he finally reached the safety of American lines after three years as a POW. “I would not appreciate comfort if there were no hardship. We cannot appreciate joy without sorrow, health if we have never felt pain, or peace until after a war. All things must have their opposites, and we can learn from both."...
An Inexhaustibe Treasure
This is the kind of question that could be asked once a month and we’d never run out of things to say. It also calls for a very personal answer....
No Need to Pick a Fight
I can also acknowledge fundamental differences between Christian churches without being offended.
Heaven: A Place of Learning and Growth
Everyone will be resurrected, and everyone will receive immortality.
Asking Questions is How We Grow
Why would we ever want to stop exploring, wondering, asking questions and trying to understand the mind of God?
Natural Companions
Mere declaration of belief is not enough to merit salvation.
No Theological Test for Citizenship
The question behind the question is whether the American public is ready to accept the legitimacy of the Mormon faith.
America: How Long The Road, How Far We've Come
Franklin and Madison and Jefferson would have positive things to say about how far we’ve come in religious liberty
Brits Sketchy on Mormonism
Well, sorry, as a Brit I simply can't answer this one. But perhaps American readers would like to know that Mormonism certainly hasn't entered the mainstream of British religion and most Brits pretty certainly would only have the sketchiest idea of what it is, where it is, what it believes or does. People in the UK are far, far less interested in religion as such all round than they are in the U.S.A. Why that should be so is itself a very interesting question but it's not the one you asked!...
A Kind, Sane Voice for Openness
Hinckley came across as the embodiment of grandfatherly wisdom and kindness while avoiding sanctimony and sentimentality. how can a religion whose beliefs seem so bizarre produce sane, gentle, strong people like him?
Romney's Appeal to American Ideal
Romney said he will follow his own conscience, the welfare of the American people, and the Constitution. This is the Kennedy doctrine of 1960, and Romney endorsed it fully
It Does Matter
For political purposes, Eisenhower was right when he said you should have a religion and it doesn’t matter which one it is. For religious purposes, it matters a lot. You should believe in a religion you think is true, even if that implies you think someone else’s religion is not true. A religion worth its salt will shape you up, and that requires that it have a little starch in it. What good is a religion that says it doesn’t matter what you believe or what you do? The question is not true versus false but freedom versus coercion. The...
A Need for "Convicted Civility" in our Dialogue
The history of relations between evangelicals and Mormons is largely characterized by hostile charges and counter-charges. This has begun to change, as our two communities have begun to see each other as potential partners in addressing some of the key moral issues in our society. But dialogue about the very real issues that divide us in understanding our eternal destiny is still a difficult matter. A few years ago, in remarks that I made in a brief address at the Mormon Tabernacle, I called for a more honest exchange of ideas between evangelicals and Mormons. I apologized to Mormons, as...
Mainstreaming the Mormons
The “family values” core that Mormons project to the wider culture has met a rising conservative trend half-way.
Mormons: Time Sanctifies Everything
The beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the institution's official title, are no more--and no less--irrational than the beliefs of any other religion.
