Authentic Christianity

If you have read this blog often enough, you should have a pretty solid understanding of what I believe the Gospel is, and what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

I have had people ask me, "What religion are you?" at different times. Even though I have answered that I am a Christian, I have had different responses. That is to be expected. Usually the person asking does not understand the Gospel. Either it has never been given to them, or they have a wrong understanding of it. That is why I tend to give a one word description, because it often invites conversational opportunities to share my faith with those who need to know Jesus.

Sometimes too, the person does understand my simple response, but desires some further details, because they have met other people who have given them the same simple one word answer, but their answer has meant something entirely different. That's where the rubber meets the road, isn't it? The word "Christian" means what it does, but people often attach a variety of things to it that don't change its spelling, but do change, entirely, its meaning.

There is a strange trend occurring in our nation presently. We have a presidential candidate, so far, doing well who is a member in active standing of one of the fastest growing and most well-known cults in the world today. That is not terribly strange, in that there are and have been many Mormons involved in politics, including senators, congressmen and in the case of Mitt Romney, governors. I don't find it strange that these public servants have been elected.

I do find it strange that Mitt Romney has gotten this far. I thought that his camp would have run out of steam before this, and that he would have stepped down. I really did. What I do find really strange is that there are groups of Evangelical Christians, who are backing him for the presidency. This is not necessarily because he is a member of the Latter-day Saints, but because he has been such an obvious political opportunist, governing what some say is the most liberal state in the union, endorsing with his choices and appointments, gay marriage, abortion and other things I don't believe in, only to do an about face on those issues when making his bid for the presidency. How can his recently adopted positions be considered authentic? How can he be considered to be authentic?

I mean really, one does not just govern an entire state for four years and hold the liberal positions he did, and then turn around so quickly on not just one, but on all of them, in such a convenient time frame?

And then there is his Mormonism. That's right. He is a Mormon. I'm not stating anything new. Nearly everybody who has heard of the guy is aware of this. Christians certainly ought to be aware of this, particularly since over the last fifteen or so years there has been a conscious effort within Mormonism to gain acceptance into mainstream orthodox Christianity, as a Christian denomination.

When you ask a Mormon if they are a Christian these days, you will receive variations on a similar answer. It goes something like this, "Of course. Jesus Christ is in the very name of our church," or "Sure, we worship Jesus Christ." The truth is, they do not. Many believe that they do, but have a wrong understanding of who He really is, and why it is so important that they must be truly worshipping Him as He is.

I went to school with lots of Mormon kids. I loved them. They are just like anybody else. My first serious introduction to Mormon doctrine came through a friend who was a couple of years older than I. I was a new Christian and he was about eighteen and being indoctrinated into Mormonism in order to be able to marry his devoutly Mormon fiance. He was fairly pumped about the teachings he had been introduced to and was more than happy to share them with me.

He told me that Mormons believed that "Heavenly Father" had once been a man like us, and that he had become such a good guy in his lifetime that he had been rewarded in the afterlife with not only godhood, but a planet of his own to rule. This one. He also related that if one did everything one was supposed to do in this life, that one could attain godhood of one's own, and have one's own planet and subjects to rule over.

Even as a new Christian, with little knowledge of the Bible, I knew these ideas were blasphemous. I have had numerous acquaintances and friends who were Mormons. My favorite high school teacher was a Mormon. I have had more friendly discussions with these people than I can count or remember. Most of them were only too happy to confirm what the rest of my Mormon friends had told me. My heart bled and still does for the fact that they are so deceived. This only spurred me on to study their own documents for myself to determine what their "Standard Works", their scripture actually contains. I also spent a good deal of time researching the statements (from their own publications) of past Mormon presidents and other leaders.

Mormonism teaches that their god was once a man. It teaches that men can become gods, and that there are as many gods as there are stars in the heavens. If that isn't bad enough, it teaches that "Heavenly Father, and one of his heavenly wives produced spirit children, of which Jesus Christ was the first. Satan came after him. No matter how it is twisted, this makes not only Satan a created being, but the Jesus of Mormonism a created being too. It makes them spiritual brothers. This is the Jesus of Mormonism.

It doesn't matter that Mormons say that they read the King James Bible and that they believe in the Jesus in its pages. Their understanding of what is written in those pages is completely tainted by what not only the Book of Mormon teaches, but by the understanding and teaching of Mormon leadership.

The doctrine of "Eternal Progression", that men may progress to godhood, has always been a core tenet of their belief system. That their god was once a man like us, has always been a solidly held belief in Mormonism. You wouldn't know that from the way Mormons in high places, particularly Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley have been answering questions about these doctrines in the last ten years or so.

I listened to a young Mormon man with a Romney support website answer soberly that Heavenly Father did not have a father. I could produce and post numerous quotes from notable Mormons through history, culled from Mormon writings and publications to confirm that Mormonism does in fact, teach there are an infinite number of gods out there, who were once men, and who are now ruling their own planets. I won't bother. Even if it comes from Mormon publications, it would be perceived as "anti-Mormon literature."

This is what I was talking about earlier. This is where the rubber meets the road. Mormons become frustrated, understandably, when they are told that the Jesus that they are worshipping is not the Jesus of the Bible. That is why they have to be reasoned with from the Scriptures, and loved. I listened to a young former Mormon man give his testimony at our church. I was quite moved.

Please understand, I do not make these statements lightly, and I do not mean to harm or degrade anybody, but no doubt, my comments will likely be perceived as hurtful, even hateful to some. That isn't the case. The thing is, I don't understand how Evangelical Christian groups can get behind Mitt Romney for president. Don't they realize that what they will be doing, whether they like it or not, is adding the appearance of legitimacy to a cult of Christianity?

If they do not believe that, see what they think if Mormon missionaries are going door to door, and claiming to share the same beliefs as the president of the United States.