Why do some people believe mormons are not christian?

[Kuan]

So, you can probably tell I'm Mormon and I'm willing to debate my religion or answer questions. The purpose of this thread though is that I have had many people tell me I'm not Christian even though I believe in Jesus. I'm wondering why that is. Thanks for any answers!

[sarabellum]

For me the answer is yes mormons are christians.....
Good job!

2o odd years ago when I was a christian, unfortunately we were taught in church that the mormons were a cult....I strongly believed that at the time but critical thinking wasn't my strong suit...(on top of that I really didn't know squat about the details of your faith, nor had I met a mormon...)

I just was fed what the pastor was shoveling and assimilated it into my belief system.....

For this I apologize....

[Kuan]

For me the answer is yes mormons are christians.....
Good job!

2o odd years ago when I was a christian, unfortunately we were taught in church that the mormons were a cult....I strongly believed that at the time but critical thinking wasn't my strong suit...(on top of that I really didn't know squat about the details of your faith, nor had I met a mormon...)

I just was fed what the pastor was shoveling and assimilated it into my belief system.....

For this I apologize....

Apologies accepted, although I dont think it is needed.

I would term our faith a cult based upon the definition of a cult. The problem is that a cult is used in a derogatory and offensive term when it should not.

1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.

So from these definitions, almost every religion is a "cult."

[prkrruns]

I just was fed what the pastor was shoveling and assimilated it into my belief system.....

I am sorry you feel that way.

The answer to the question of whether or not a mormon is a christian is actually quite simple. No. Correct me if i am wrong but mormons believe that when we die, if we have followed the rules, we will become gods and goddesses. Christians believe there is only one god and that when we die we will join him in heaven. This does not mean we become gods ourselves. In fact mormons come very close to being polytheists, whcih the christian bible specifically forbids, because they believe that there are many other gods who were once people just like them. Luckily for the mormon religion they came up with a way out by saying that while they believe in ohter gods they only worship one. This is reading the bible to the letter and seems very suspicious. I am not however doubting the fact that mormons are not polytheists, but they are definetly not christians.

[Kuan]

I just was fed what the pastor was shoveling and assimilated it into my belief system.....

I am sorry you feel that way.

The answer to the question of whether or not a mormon is a christian is actually quite simple. No. Correct me if i am wrong but mormons believe that when we die, if we have followed the rules, we will become gods and goddesses. Christians believe there is only one god and that when we die we will join him in heaven. This does not mean we become gods ourselves. In fact mormons come very close to being polytheists, whcih the christian bible specifically forbids, because they believe that there are many other gods who were once people just like them. Luckily for the mormon religion they came up with a way out by saying that while they believe in ohter gods they only worship one. This is reading the bible to the letter and seems very suspicious. I am not however doubting the fact that mormons are not polytheists, but they are definetly not christians.

Yes, we do believe in exaltation. But that doesnt make us any less christian than another. How do you define christian though?

Is it someone who looks to Jesus for salvation?

Someone who follows Jesus' teachings?

Mormons might have different beliefs than you, but we all have one thing in common, we both believe in christ.

Also, if you dont define us as christian what do you define us as? We are an abrahamic religion, not close to muslims, and far from judaism. Where do we fit?

[prkrruns]

I would define you as Mormon. The mormon cult to be exact. Christianity is the belief in one God and that the only way to get to that one God is through Jesus christ our savior. The bible says that worshipping more than one God is wrong. It also says that there is only one God. Christiants follow the bible. Mormons somtimes follow their own version of the bible but mostly stick to the book of Mormon.

I am not criticizing you but it is true.

[Kuan]

I would define you as Mormon. The mormon cult to be exact. Christianity is the belief in one God and that the only way to get to that one God is through Jesus christ our savior. The bible says that worshipping more than one God is wrong. It also says that there is only one God. Christiants follow the bible. Mormons somtimes follow their own version of the bible but mostly stick to the book of Mormon.

I am not criticizing you but it is true.

So, you would have: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, AND Mormons?

Sorry, I would define mormons as a sub-group of christianity.

Either way, it is up to personal decisions, you choose to define christianity that way, I chose to define it as someone who looks to Christ for salvation.

P.S. We dont follow our own version its the KJV.

[prkrruns]

We dont follow our own version its the KJV.

I follow the NIV.

along with every other christian I know.

The definition of Christianity is not a personal opinion. Christians must believe that the bible is tue in order to be christians. The bible says that there is only one God. Mormons believe there is more than one God. Therefore, Mormons do not believe in the bible. Are saying that christians do not have to believe in the bible?

[Kuan]

We dont follow our own version its the KJV.

I follow the NIV.

along with every other christian I know.

Cool, but irrevelant.

The definition of Christianity is not a personal opinion. Christians must believe that the bible is tue in order to be christians. The bible says that there is only one God. Mormons believe there is more than one God. Therefore, Mormons do not believe in the bible. Are saying that christians do not have to believe in the bible?

The problem I have with what you are saying, is that you are using the bible rather than the actual source. Mormons may be different but we follow christ. I define a christian as anyone who follows christ.

[prkrruns]

So you believe that the bible is incorrect. If you are going to throw out one thing the bible says than how can you belive that any of it is true? Specifically if you believe the bible is wrong in saying that there is only one God, then who's to say taht what the bible says about Jesus is correct?

Also, the bible has several examples of God punishing those who tried to be equal to him. Examples: tower of babble, Adam and Eve...

So if you are saying that you spend your life striving to be equal with God and when you die you will succeed, how is this parrellel with what the bible teaches. Chrisianity acknowledges the fact that we will never be equal to God.

My final point is by saying that God was once human(or some other material being) on a world of his own you are saying that God sinned at one time. This is blasphemy. Just saying.

P.S. I have always wondered, when you die do you believe that you will believe that you will be the God of an entire universe or just a planet?

[Darias]

We dont follow our own version its the KJV.

I follow the NIV.

along with every other christian I know.

The definition of Christianity is not a personal opinion. Christians must believe that the bible is tue in order to be christians. The bible says that there is only one God. Mormons believe there is more than one God. Therefore, Mormons do not believe in the bible. Are saying that christians do not have to believe in the bible?

I grew up in a Baptist family and most of my relatives use the KJV. I use neither the KJV nor the NIV.

The NIV isn't the most literal interpretation. And the KJV was issued by the Anglican Church a long time ago. The Pilgrims didn't use it; they used the Geneva Bible.

I use the NASB; it is the closest literal translation of Greek and Hebrew into English -- the closest it can get. (as far as I know, there may be others).

Still, that doesn't mean I follow or believe everything in the Bible.

I eat pork. I don't stone gays or disobedient children. I don't plan on having multiple wives. I don't force women to wear veils in churches, as Paul would have me to do. I go to the doctor when I get sick, instead of getting anointed with oil.

Now if you don't either guess what? You don't believe in the Bible either... so that makes you a false Christian as well, along with every other Christian who ever existed who believes and disregards what he wants.


I don't believe in any of the modern day interpretations of Revelation -- all that 666 computer chip crap is completely ignorant of history.

Nero was the anti-Christ of John's day. People couldn't buy and sell without his image because his image and name was on the coins they used. The mark of the beast? A mark is currency in many countries -- the Deutsche Mark for example.
Anyways, that's just history.

None of this renders mormon boy51 as a false christian. He believes in Christ just as much as you do.

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin believed that there were many gods in the universe, but that the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob ruled over our solar system and was due all praise?

Mormons didn't invent that idea.

I don't believe it though...


Still, I'm trying to put things in perspective here.