A response to Frank Pastore's "Christian Angst Over a Romney Presidency"

Sorry Frank, it IS bigotry

Why? Because the arguments used to exclude Mormons from being considered "Christians" are ALL based on standards that are blatantly dishonest.

The issue is "Are Mormons Christians?" It then is incumbent to identify what makes a person a "Christian" and what prevents a person from being considered such.

What then is a "Christian?" What are the beliefs and actions a person much have in order to be considered a Christian?

Since the Bible only mentions the word three times and NEVER defined it; it then becomes problematic to speak authoritatively about it unless one identifies the concepts Christians believed according to the Bible.

These beliefs are: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God incarnate. He is our Savior and Redeemer, was born of a virgin, and died on the cross for our sins. He rose from the dead and will be our Judge. He is the I AM, the First and the Last, the Creator, and our Mediator with the Father. He is the only source of salvation, in whose name we pray to the Father. We must take upon ourselves his name and always obey him.

So Frank, can you honestly say a religion that believes ALL those things about Jesus Christ is not a "Christian" faith?

What about the other Mormon beliefs you say, like Jesus and Satan being brothers, the infinity of gods, God once being a man, etc, etc.?

Let's be honest here. Those Mormon teachings are unbiblical - but then, so are the traditional Christian teachings of a nonmaterial and ontologically omnipresent deity! Likewise a formless, aseitical, Unmoved Mover God. Likewise a three hypostatis in one ousia God.

Again, let's be honest here. None of those concepts that have been incorporated into the traditional Christian description of God (and read into the biblical text) originated from the Bible - they ALL came from Greek philosophy.

If the standard for rejecting a faith as "Christian" is by virtue of it having unbiblical doctrines; logically, Catholics, Protestants, and Eastern Orthodox churches are all "Non-Christians!" After all, if Mormonism is invalidated, so is everyone else!

Again, let's be honest. Which is a more important doctrine among ANY Christian religion, the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and one's Savior, or, the belief in the formlessness of God? It should be obvious to any honest person. After all, there are different kinds of doctrines, some more important than others. This is why it is grossly unfair and dishonest to glibly exclude Mormons from being considered "Christians" because on the doctrines and practices that matter most; there is NO disagreement.

I love Dennis Prager - he is mostly right, most of the time. However, his comparison of Mormonism vis-a-vis Traditional Christianity to the Messianic Jews vis-a-vis traditional Jews is erroneous. Why? Because the fundamental core of the two groups couldn't be more different. Mormons and the other branches of Christendom are both centered on Jesus Christ as the Son of God and one's Savior. The differences are on the tangential doctrines. This cannot be said between the Jews-for-Jesus and the traditional Jews because their difference is on the primary issue of salvation; one believes Jesus is the Messiah, the others don't. Sure they share tangential beliefs; but the core is irreconcilable.

For far too long, Mormons have been passive in allowing the dishonest demonization of our religion to take place. Perhaps it's time for a re-evaluation ... Mormons are most definitely Christians - we're just not Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant Christians.