And I just heard this morning about a new poll showing that something like 45% for Americans would be 'uncomfortable' voting for a Mormon for President. That is an absolutely huge number. I can't find the poll results online anywhere yet, but I'll have to look at that one.Three in four American Protestant pastors do not consider Mormons to be Christians, according to a newly released survey polling 1,000 pastors.
Replica of alleged Mormon golden plates
LifeWay Research, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, released a survey Sunday asking American Protestant pastors whether they agree with the
statement, “I personally consider Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) to be Christians.”
Three-quarters (75 percent) disagree with the statement, including 60 percent who strongly disagree and 15 percent who somewhat disagree. Only 11 percent somewhat agree, 6 percent strongly agree and 9 percent do not know.
Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, said in a statement, "A person can respect a religious group and even appreciate their commitment to traditional moral values without equating their beliefs with Christian orthodoxy.”
I can say from personal experience that even in the United Methodist Church, where I come from--the most mainline of American Protestantism--Mormons have officially been considered not to be Christians, by virtue of the fact that Methodism officially recognized their baptism as invalid (requiring there to be a new baptism for a Mormon coming into the Methodist Church).
Mormon seeking to join the United Methodist Church must undergo a period of intense study and be baptized.All of this has got to be very disconcerting for the 'General Authorities' in Salt Lake City, who have been working very hard--and spending millions of dollar--to improve the image of Mormons around the world, trying especially hard to convince the American public that Mormons are, indeed, a part of Christianity. (I'm going to be writing more about why this is so in the near future. My other posts on Mormonism are here.)
United Methodist decision makers adopted that guideline May 10 when they approved "Sacramental Faithfulness: Guidelines for Receiving People From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)" as criteria for pastors and congregations in ministering to Mormons seeking to join the denomination. General Conference, the United Methodist Church's top legislative body, is meeting through May 12 [2000].
I was born Christened an brought up until the age of six as Welsh chapel,from the age of six a move from Wales meant the family chose a closer chapel Plymouth Bretherin in which chapel I was baptized at the age of approx 12 , even so on joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Laterday Saints at 43 approx I was again baptized into a christian church, in the chapel there was extensive Bible study attending chapel three or four times on a Sunday plus Bible study in the week as one read each book of the new testament one was given that particular testament ,on reading the old testament one received a king James Bible would the Methodists allow me to partake of sacrament? in the Mormon wards I have attended we haven't made an issue of it an if a non Mormon Baptized person takes Sacrament I have never seen a comment made ,although probably the official view would be the person needs to be Baptized Mormon
ReplyDeleteWas this 'Welsh chapel' here in the US or in Wales, Tony?
DeleteIt was in welsh wales Carl , I do have some ancestors who moved to the states as Mormon converts but have had no contact with any of there descendants , there was a Welsh speaking ward /church over there so great was the Mormon conversion of welsh speaking people . I beleave whole villages moved to America , as did Scottish villages , I understand most sailed from Liverpool .
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