NationStates

So, this had been in my mind for a while: Are Mormons Christians?

I don't think so, mainly because of this: http://carm.org/comparison-between-chri ... n-doctrine and things similar.

but I'm curious to see what you think.

so go ahead.

You know we have a Christian Discussion thread for a reason.

do they accept jesus christ as the son of god and their personal savior yes/no

The two conflict on nearly every point (even the most basic), so now, Mormanism is not a 'sect' or 'denomination' of Christianity.

They worship the same god, they believe Jesus was god/son of god. So, yeah, Christian.

Khadgar wrote:They worship the same god, they believe Jesus was god/son of god. So, yeah, Christian.

No, unless I'm mistaken, they worship a man who became the new God, in a long series of Gods.... and that they are all god's biological children....

Yes. Unless you're Catholic, in which case I think the position is no.

Yeah, that sums it up. Doesn't matter what customs or strange beliefs they may have. If Jesus is your savior, you're a Christian. All the infighting between different sects of Christianity is pretty laughable, considering what the endgame is supposed to be.

Christo et Ecclesiae wrote:So, this had been in my mind for a while: Are Mormans Christians?

I don't think so, mainly because of this: http://carm.org/comparison-between-chri ... n-doctrine and things similar.

but I'm curious to see what you think.

so go ahead.

Mormons are Christians, but they are Christians following an old creed forgotten by the church: the Arian creed.

You see, historically there are two parts to Christianity: the Arian doctrine, made by a man called Arius, resembles closely what these people say mormons believe (that the father, son, and holy spirit are three separate entities). However, mainstream Christianity believes in the Nicene creed (which is the father, son, and holy ghost being one and the same, just different aspects of God).

Thus, are mormons Christians? Yes, because they believe in the divinity of Jesus. Do they fall within the Nicene creed? No, therefore they are not exactly Christians, but more into the camp of where Jehova's Witnesses would fall: as a fringe party within Christianity.

Waideland wrote:Yeah, that sums it up. Doesn't matter what customs or strange beliefs they may have. If Jesus is your savior, you're a Christian. All the infighting between different sects of Christianity is pretty laughable, considering what the endgame is supposed to be.

Again, unless I'm mistaken, they don't accept him as their savior. He's an example, but he can't get them to one of the three heavens.

Benuty wrote:You know we have a Christian Discussion thread for a reason.

why wouldn't this belong in General? This is a religious debate but plenty of those happen in general. Its involving two religions.

Jafra wrote:

Waideland wrote:Yeah, that sums it up. Doesn't matter what customs or strange beliefs they may have. If Jesus is your savior, you're a Christian. All the infighting between different sects of Christianity is pretty laughable, considering what the endgame is supposed to be.

Again, unless I'm mistaken, they don't accept him as their savior. He's an example, but he can't get them to one of the three heavens.

It depends which congregation of mormons you are talking to.

Unlike Roman Catholicism, Protestant Christianity is varied in flavors, and you can find really weird ideas in two different congregations that claim to be of one sect.

Khadgar wrote:They worship the same god, they believe Jesus was god/son of god. So, yeah, Christian.

but then one could argue that because Christians believe in I AM, that they are Jews

Jafra wrote:

Khadgar wrote:They worship the same god, they believe Jesus was god/son of god. So, yeah, Christian.

No, unless I'm mistaken, they worship a man who became the new God, in a long series of Gods.... and that they are all god's biological children....

Not really no. They identify him as part of the Godhead, even though God the Father is the only being they regard as the God. We are all supposed to be literal children of God the father, with Jesus being the first and most righteous. Jesus was supposed to have become exalted, as every Mormon is supposedly capable of being, which would make him a god of sorts, though Mormonism stresses a difference between the divinity reaches through exaltation and the all-powerful figure of God. You will have power, but will always be subservient.

At least that is the best understanding I have been able to gather from my limited research of it.

Christo et Ecclesiae wrote:

Khadgar wrote:They worship the same god, they believe Jesus was god/son of god. So, yeah, Christian.

but then one could argue that because Christians believe in I AM, that they are Jews

We could also make the same argument about Islam being Jews.

Abrahamic religions share everything from the Old Testament right up to their different modern history such as the divinity of Jesus (which Jews don't believe in) or the Divinity of the prophet Mohammed (which both Jews and Christians do not believe in).

While all three Abrahamic religions could get along together, they don't because of their differences in the idea of "salvation" among other things such as the law.

Christo et Ecclesiae wrote:

Khadgar wrote:They worship the same god, they believe Jesus was god/son of god. So, yeah, Christian.

but then one could argue that because Christians believe in I AM, that they are Jews

Well if you wanted to ignore the second half of my sentence sure, why not.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is certainly Christian. Right on the cover of the Book of Mormon, beneath the title it says "Another testament of Jesus Christ". I'm pretty sure every book in it mentions Jesus Christ. We end prayers with "In the name of Thy Son Jesus Christ, Amen" or some variant thereof (such as dropping the Thy Son part). Try to explain to me how the LDS church isn't Christian.

Jafra wrote:

Waideland wrote:Yeah, that sums it up. Doesn't matter what customs or strange beliefs they may have. If Jesus is your savior, you're a Christian. All the infighting between different sects of Christianity is pretty laughable, considering what the endgame is supposed to be.

Again, unless I'm mistaken, they don't accept him as their savior. He's an example, but he can't get them to one of the three heavens.

You're certainly mistaken.

Constaniana wrote:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is certainly Christian. Right on the cover of the Book of Mormon, beneath the title it says "Another testament of Jesus Christ". I'm pretty sure every book in it mentions Jesus Christ. We end prayers with "In the name of Thy Son Jesus Christ, Amen" or some variant thereof (such as dropping the Thy Son part). Try to explain to me how the LDS church isn't Christian.

Jafra wrote:
Again, unless I'm mistaken, they don't accept him as their savior. He's an example, but he can't get them to one of the three heavens.

You're certainly mistaken.

I am willing to take a stab at it and ask: do you believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy spirit are one and the same? Or do you believe they are strictly different entities?

As that, I would think, would be the most crucial part of the doctrine between Mormons and Christians, due to Christianity believing in the Nicene creed. The other ones being petty arguments nobody cares about really.

Christo et Ecclesiae wrote:So, this had been in my mind for a while: Are Mormans Christians?

"Mormons". At least try and spell it right.

Soldati senza confini wrote:

Constaniana wrote:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is certainly Christian. Right on the cover of the Book of Mormon, beneath the title it says "Another testament of Jesus Christ". I'm pretty sure every book in it mentions Jesus Christ. We end prayers with "In the name of Thy Son Jesus Christ, Amen" or some variant thereof (such as dropping the Thy Son part). Try to explain to me how the LDS church isn't Christian.

You're certainly mistaken.

I am willing to take a stab at it and ask: do you believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy spirit are one and the same? Or do you believe they are strictly different entities?

As that, I would think, would be the most crucial part of the doctrine between Mormons and Christians, due to Christianity believing in the Nicene creed. The other ones being petty arguments nobody cares about really.

No, Mormons don't believe in the concept of the Holy Trinity. God, also called as Heavenly Father, is a separate being from Jesus, who is separate from the Holy Ghost. Like you said, this tends to be the reason people don't consider us Christian.

Risottia wrote:

Christo et Ecclesiae wrote:So, this had been in my mind for a while: Are Mormans Christians?

"Mormons". At least try and spell it right.

hahaha I fixed it. I am just a bad speller.

Constaniana wrote:No, Mormons don't believe in the concept of the Holy Trinity. God, also called as Heavenly Father, is a separate being from Jesus, who is separate from the Holy Ghost.

Basically, Mormons are a sort of American Arian revival.
Some 1500 years late, but whatevs.

Constaniana wrote:

Soldati senza confini wrote:
I am willing to take a stab at it and ask: do you believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy spirit are one and the same? Or do you believe they are strictly different entities?

As that, I would think, would be the most crucial part of the doctrine between Mormons and Christians, due to Christianity believing in the Nicene creed. The other ones being petty arguments nobody cares about really.

No, Mormons don't believe in the concept of the Holy Trinity. God, also called as Heavenly Father, is a separate being from Jesus, who is separate from the Holy Ghost. Like you said, this tends to be the reason people don't consider us Christian.

so is Jesus equal to the Father?

They're Christians in the same way that Christians are Jews and Ahmadiyyas are Muslims.

DogDoo 7 wrote:They're Christians in the same way that Christians are Jews and Ahmadiyyas are Muslims.

Why are they Christians though?

If you are going to say "because they believe in Jesus" yes, they are Christians, but if you look at the fundamental doctrine, which is the cosubstantiality of Jesus, God, and the Holy Ghost then they are not, or at least not a Christian proper, but more Arian Christians, which is heretical to Christian doctrine and orthodoxy.

And Christians are not Jews because we do not follow The Law. We are not supposed to since we are absolved from it. And no, you cannot be a Jew if you believe Jesus is your savior as much as you cannot be a Christian if you follow The Law.