Are Mormons Christian?

[Boris Godunov]

They claim to be christians, accept the bioble as holy book and believe that you need to follow christs example in order to get to heaven.

Cannot see a reason to not call them christians (and cannot see an authority who has the right to decide it ... after all the only person who claims to be supreme leader of all christians, the pope, is only accepted as supreme authority within the catholic church ... and aside from this there are only smaller groups/sects, with no supreme church leader

I think the main distinction is that Mormons do not believe in the Trinity and therefore state that Jesus is not God, but rather the distinct son of God. In their views, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three distinct entities that have their own separate existences. This is considered heretical by almost all other Christian denominations, which hold that Jesus IS God. So if one defines "Christian" as someone who believes Jesus is also God, then I suppose one could say Mormons are not "true" Christians.

[The Mad Monk]

Yes, that is the issue. The question is, is it sufficient to nullify faith in salvation? I honestly cannot say.

[Boris Godunov]

Well, if one's belief is that it is necessary to believe that Jesus = God in order to be saved, then it's a pretty critical issue. And I think that would define Catholics, Evangelicals and most mainline Protestant denominations. So it makes sense that they'd reject Mormonism as being genuinely "Christian" as much as they'd reject a deist like Jefferson as a "Christian," since he also rejected the divinity of Jesus.

[Aeson]

Jesus wasnt trinitarian either.

[Jon Miller]

I am a believer in big tent Christianity. Not so big tent that I think it is possible to be an atheist and a Christian (like some, particularly in Sweden). But big tent.

One thing is that if you go to the majority of Christians in most places, they don't know the theological intricacies, positions and arguments. Many don't even know that Jesus being God is the standard Christian position. This is especially true in pentecostal/etc movements which don't emphasize study.

JM

[giblets]

That just shows that Pentecostals aren't really Christian. How can someone go to church every week and not know that Jesus is supposed to be God? It's like claiming to have read all of the Harry Potter books but not knowing that Voldemort killed Harry's parents.

[Sava]

Jesus wasnt trinitarian either.

Jesus was a jew

[Sava]

I am a believer in big tent Christianity. Not so big tent that I think it is possible to be an atheist and a Christian (like some, particularly in Sweden). But big tent.

One thing is that if you go to the majority of Christians in most places, they don't know the theological intricacies, positions and arguments. Many don't even know that Jesus being God is the standard Christian position. This is especially true in pentecostal/etc movements which don't emphasize study.

JM

"Arbitrary"

[Jon Miller]

"Arbitrary"

The difference between maurijuana and poison oak is similarly arbitrary. But you wouldn't want to smoke poison oak.

JM

[Jon Miller]

That just shows that Pentecostals aren't really Christian. How can someone go to church every week and not know that Jesus is supposed to be God? It's like claiming to have read all of the Harry Potter books but not knowing that Voldemort killed Harry's parents.

They usually preach prosperity gospel or praise or good works or other such things that don't have to do with fundamental doctrine. Probably most/all of the pastors hold standard mainline doctrines, but it isn't true of the members. Many of the members are deeply suspicious of doctrine.

JM

[Sava]

The difference between maurijuana and poison oak is similarly arbitrary. But you wouldn't want to smoke poison oak.

JM

No.







The difference between a biological classification and some crap you thought up... yeah, not quite the same thing.

[giblets]

JM's an expert on every scientific subject ever

[The Mad Monk]

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and Earth,
And in Jesus Christ His only son Our Lord
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost
Born of the Virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
Was crucified, dead and buried
He descended into Hell.
On the third day he rose from the dead
He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead
I believe in the Holy Spirit
The Holy Catholic Church
The Communion of Saints
The Forgiveness of Sins
The Resurrection of the Body
And the Life Everlasting
Amen.

That is the Apostles' Creed, as repeated weekly by many denominations. It is considered by many to be the bare minimum required to be a Christian.

It doesn't actually directly mention the divinity of Christ.

[loinburger]

The Nicene Creed directly mentions Jesus's divinity, but you need to speak Ye Olde English to know that

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
one in Being with the Father.

[Jon Miller]

Most pentecostals do not know the Nicene Creed (in English, Old English or Greek).

JM