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From: scott@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Scott Deerwester)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.flame
Subject: Re: Mormons are not Christians.
Message-ID: <319@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-Jan-85 10:27:56 EST
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.319
Posted: Wed Jan 30 10:27:56 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 31-Jan-85 01:49:25 EST
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Xref: watmath net.religion:5420 net.flame:8126

This is a clarification of my earlier book recommendation
followed by a short flame.

"The Mormon Papers", by H. Ropp, published by IVP.

This book is divided into three major sections:

	- Are Mormons Christians?
	- Are the Mormon scriptures reliable?
	- What are the barriers to Mormons becoming Christians?

The first section of the book discusses and contrasts Mormon
and Christian beliefs on various subjects.  A few examples:

Mormons believe that God was once a man, but did enough good
works to earn becoming a god.  Further, they believe that any
good Mormon male may one day become a god, too.  They also
believe that God has a physical body just like anybody else.

Christians believe in one God in three Persons; the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that there is no god other
than the one God.

Mormons believe that salvation is earned by the things that
you do (salvation by works).

Christians believe that salvation is a free gift and was
accomplished once and for all by Jesus' death on the cross.
The works are a result of faith.  (If you don't understand what
I just wrote, at least recognize that it's not the same thing
at what Mormons believe).

Mormons believe that only Mormons are 'true Christians', and that
*everybody* else is apostate (look it up).

Christians of many different backgrounds accept the basic validity
of each other's faith and doctrine.

----
The point is, that Mr. Ropp does a good job of pointing out
the differences between the two faiths.  Mormons aren't Christians
because the things that they believe are fundamentally different
and incompatible with many things that *every* major (and most
minor, for that matter) Christian denomination accepts and
believes.  The book is written like any other piece of scholarly
research.  When he quotes something, he tells you where from.

Now for a short flame.

WHY, WHY, WHY, when I post a nicely worded book recommendation,
do I get called a looney, hypocrite, bigot, etc.???? Huh???
There are probably a lot of very nice Mormons and they may
well have a very nice religion.  But it's not a Christian religion.
Did I jump up and down on Mormons?  No.  Did I get jumped up and
down on?  You betcha.  NOW I remember why I never used to like
posting things.  It's because all the normal rules of showing
respect to the person you're talking to don't apply on the net.

Note to the person who wondered if I could find Regenstein
(the campus graduate library):

Given that I'm an Asst. Professor in the Graduate
Library School, and that this note was written from
my office in Regenstein, I don't imagine that I'll
have a lot of trouble.

	S * I * G * H ......

	Scott Deerwester
	University of Chicago
	Graduate Library School