limeno, turn your caps lock off. It's extremely rude to SHOUT online. Here's a good netiquette page: http://www.kidsdomain.com/brain/computer/surfing/netiquette_kids.html
I wish all you posters who are quibbling over obscure points of doctrine could read yourselves with my eyes. Especially the more judgmental among you who call other Christian sects "cults". Sure they don't have any real justifications for their departure from "orthodoxy" (sorry Mormons, your story is too hokey for me) but neither do you. Before you go criticizing another Christian sect be prepared to present a complete list of your doctrinal differences with the Gnostics and a thorough justification of each and every one. That goes for Catholics and Greek Orthodox too.
Anyway, from my perspective all your denominations are cults. Definition: followers of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices. You spend all your time debating the details when you would be better off stepping back and looking at the big picture. For instance, with Easter upon us try reading up on Osiris and Mithra. See any similarities to your Christian beliefs in Jesus's resurrection? Of course, your beliefs were taken directly from these pre-Christian religions. Do your own research. Not a one of you has any right to criticize another. All your beliefs are built on thin air. It's no more ridiculous for LDS to say that God has a form than it is to say that Yahweh exists in the first place. For you real believers, do you even know that there is no extra-biblical evidence of Jesus's existence? None at all. Isn't that odd for someone that supposedly created such a stir, and in an era when we have excellent historical records? Just to be clear, you are basing your entire belief system on one book (two for you LDSers). A book that has been edited so many times that is a garbled mishmash of contradictory statements and historical inaccuracies. Here's another definition for you. Gullible: tendency to believe too readily and therefore to be easily deceived.
Atohanie, you hit the nail on the head with your last comment about viewing other people as "Others". Sadly, promoting this view seems to be the primary function of a universalizing religion.
Disparate Doctrines: Two Faiths in Conflict
The tension between evangelicals and Mormons is as old as the Mormon Church itself. While the two religions share similarly conservative social values, their beliefs clash when it comes to some of the most fundamental aspects of Christianity. The critical differences:
Email To A Friend
Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.
SCRIPTURE
Evangelical The New and Old Testaments of the Bible are the complete revelation of God's holy word. Evangelicals regard the Bible as the ultimate and absolute religious authority.
Mormon Believe the Bible to be the word of God "as far as it is translated correctly." They also consider "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ" and newer revelations to Joseph Smith and other prophets as Scripture.
Customize the Newsweek homepage to feature the latest word from your favorite columnists.
HOLY TRINITY
Evangelical The Father, his Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit are a single entity. Each has distinct attributes, but the three are undivided in essence or being. This is the traditional Christian conception of the Holy Trinity.
Mormon Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are physically separate and distinct entities with distinct roles, but act with a single purpose. Mormons typically refer to the Holy Trinity as the Godhead.
GOD
Evangelical God is a spirit without a human form. While Scripture may use humanlike characteristics to describe God, He is not human and does not have a physical body.
Mormon Like Jesus Christ, God has a humanlike body that is immortal and perfected. Mormons believe in eternal progression and that they may someday become gods.
SALVATION
Evangelical Comes when the individual develops a heartfelt faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is not dependent on how one acted on Earth but rather on a relationship with Christ.
Mormon Comes through Jesus Christ for all people. After being resurrected, all will be judged, and according to the Plan of Salvation, their level of reward in the afterlife depends on how they lived their earthly life.
MORALITY
Evangelical Prohibits (or discourages) premarital sex and drunkenness. Moderate consumption of alcohol and tobacco is typically accepted by the evangelical churches. Strong emphasis on family values and community.
Mormon Expects complete abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea. The church also prohibits members from having sexual relations outside of marriage. Strong emphasis on family values and community.
SIZE OF CHURCH
Evangelical About 100 million Americans— a third of the population— are evangelical Protestants. (Evangelical population estimates vary by survey.)
Mormon Six million Americans belong to the Mormon Church, comprising about 2 percent of the population. Roughly a quarter of U.S. Mormons live in Utah; more than half live outside the U.S.
© 2007
Discuss