Friday, September 09, 2005
Can A Religion Be Redeemed
I am currently reading Under The Banner Of Heaven by John Krakauer. It's the story of how a couple of fundamentalist, polygamist Mormon (LDS) brothers killed their sister-in-law and niece in the name of God. It comes complete with a reasonable, if cursory, examination of Mormon history. It is fascinating and uncomfortable reading.
I have always considered LDS cultic and off the Christian spectrum, but have been struck as I read the book at how much it resembles some of the "out-there" Pentecostal churches that while considered whacko, are considered on the spectrum.
So it was with that mindset that I encountered this post from Pyromaniac. Phil takes on some recent Mormon efforts to make it's theology appear to be allied with more mainstream Christianity. He continues the discussion with this post. Specifically, Mormon's appear to want to be under the "evangelical" umbrella. Based on Phil's comments, he would probably be uncomfortable with my alliance with the Southern California Bloggers Alliance, wherein we identify ourselves as Christians but have a Mormon member. We ask our members to affirm one of the traditional creeds, which our Mormon member was willing to do. Phil is actually a little rough, as far as I am concerned, as he goes almost as hard on Roman Catholics as Mormons. Maybe I accept the rejection of Catholics as "evangelical," but to do so in the context of Mormons is a bit extreme as far as I am concerned.
But this is not my real question with this post. There is in my mind, little question that the mainstream, Salt Lake City, LDS church has been moving more and more towards mainstream protestant Christianity. My question is, given their past, can they ever truly make it into the fold, and if so, under what conditions and circumstances? We all carry with us past doctrines and beliefs that are truly ugly (slavery comes to mind) yet we can claim the status the Mormons appear to desire.
I really don't have answers here, and I am not sure I am supposed to. I am confident we are not, in the end defined by our doctrines and theology. I know my place in eternity will not be determined by same. It's not that I don't think those things are important, they are, but I refuse to believe that God is constrained by them.
Jollyblogger has posted several times about the inexactitude of "salvation." David makes a great case that it is a process and not necessarily a point in time or specific event.
I wonder if the Mormons are in that process? If so, at what point in the process can they be said to be truly Christians? - How about the rest of us for that matter. Can this thinking even be applied to a religion in the same way it can be applied to an individual?
Mostly I don't want to be so prideful as to think that I really understand what God wants or is thinking. If I could, would I not be Him?
I have always considered LDS cultic and off the Christian spectrum, but have been struck as I read the book at how much it resembles some of the "out-there" Pentecostal churches that while considered whacko, are considered on the spectrum.
So it was with that mindset that I encountered this post from Pyromaniac. Phil takes on some recent Mormon efforts to make it's theology appear to be allied with more mainstream Christianity. He continues the discussion with this post. Specifically, Mormon's appear to want to be under the "evangelical" umbrella. Based on Phil's comments, he would probably be uncomfortable with my alliance with the Southern California Bloggers Alliance, wherein we identify ourselves as Christians but have a Mormon member. We ask our members to affirm one of the traditional creeds, which our Mormon member was willing to do. Phil is actually a little rough, as far as I am concerned, as he goes almost as hard on Roman Catholics as Mormons. Maybe I accept the rejection of Catholics as "evangelical," but to do so in the context of Mormons is a bit extreme as far as I am concerned.
But this is not my real question with this post. There is in my mind, little question that the mainstream, Salt Lake City, LDS church has been moving more and more towards mainstream protestant Christianity. My question is, given their past, can they ever truly make it into the fold, and if so, under what conditions and circumstances? We all carry with us past doctrines and beliefs that are truly ugly (slavery comes to mind) yet we can claim the status the Mormons appear to desire.
I really don't have answers here, and I am not sure I am supposed to. I am confident we are not, in the end defined by our doctrines and theology. I know my place in eternity will not be determined by same. It's not that I don't think those things are important, they are, but I refuse to believe that God is constrained by them.
Jollyblogger has posted several times about the inexactitude of "salvation." David makes a great case that it is a process and not necessarily a point in time or specific event.
I wonder if the Mormons are in that process? If so, at what point in the process can they be said to be truly Christians? - How about the rest of us for that matter. Can this thinking even be applied to a religion in the same way it can be applied to an individual?
Mostly I don't want to be so prideful as to think that I really understand what God wants or is thinking. If I could, would I not be Him?
