The Voice Of One Crying Out In Suburbia

Mohler on mormonism

Dr. Albert Mohler is one of my favorite Christians, an unapologetic Southern Baptist, a clear thinking man who is not ashamed of the Gospel and a Calvinist to boot! So it was with interest that I read his latest posting on Newsweek's On Faith section. The title is Evangelicals, Mormons on Same Side of Cultural Divide. The gist is that mormons are on the "right side" culturally, but before he gets to that issue, he lays it out regarding the fact that mormonism is not another Christian denomination or sect but an entirely aberrant faith.

I must answer the Mormon question first, and from two perspectives. As an evangelical Christian theologian, I must clarify that Mormonism is in no way consistent with orthodox Christianity. It borrows Christian themes and texts, but its most basic beliefs directly contradict the central teachings of Christianity.

Mormonism holds that God is an exalted man, with a physical body. Christianity teaches that God is Spirit. Mormonism denies the historic Christian understandings of the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, and the doctrine of salvation. Christianity promises salvation through Christ's atonement and the sinner's justification by faith. Mormonism promises deification. Christianity calls for personal faith in Jesus Christ. Mormonism calls for obedience to its own teachings as the path to exaltation. Mormonism replaces belief in the sole authority of the Bible with other writings, including the Book of Mormon. This list is only a brief summary of the vast chasm that separates Christianity from Mormonism. Put simply, Mormonism is not just another form of Christianity. It is a rejection of historic Christianity.

The discussion board has a heated argument going on, championed for the mormons by "Rene", who has mastered the mormon tactics of throwing out volumes of information, all unrelated to the issue by the way, in the hopes of drowning her (his?) opponents and then falling back on the "Don't tell me what I believe" tactic. It is an interesting discussion, but this one, like virtually every discussion board, is not likely to change any minds.