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From: geb@cadre.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.flame
Subject: Re: Mormons are not Christians.
Message-ID: <222@cadre.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 31-Jan-85 11:03:09 EST
Article-I.D.: cadre.222
Posted: Thu Jan 31 11:03:09 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Feb-85 14:00:35 EST
References: <319@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Reply-To: geb@cadre.ARPA (Gordon E. Banks)
Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pgh.
Lines: 72
Xref: watmath net.religion:5455 net.flame:8167
Summary: 

Apologies to all those bored of this discussion.  I had intended
to stop, but couldn't pass this one up:

In article <319@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> scott@gargoyle.UUCP writes:
>
>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.

Correct, except that they also believe females become gods too.

>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.

SOME Christians believe in such a God, others don't.  You don't
have the right to decide who is and isn't a Christian.  Maybe
you should have said "orthodox Christians".

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

Almost correct, Mormons believe that salvation is a result of
adherence to certain moral principles.  Earned isn't the right word.

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

Yes, there are lot of Mormons just as narrow-minded as you appear
to be (oh, excuse me, I flamed).  Their official policy, I believe
has been not to make attacks on other religions, and confine their
proselyting activities to presenting their positive features, which
I consider a more respectable practice.

>WHY, WHY, WHY, when I post a nicely worded book recommendation,
>do I get called a looney, hypocrite, bigot, etc.???? Huh???

I didn't call you a loony, I was referring to the authors of
the "cult" books.  I didn't
use the word bigot or hypocrite, but I do think those shoes
also fit the books you mentioned very well.  In another posting
I explained why I think this sort of thing is contemptible.

>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.

Well, tact is not one of my faults.  I think that if someone
makes a racial or religious attack they are fair game for
verbal reprisal.  Those who know me personally will affirm that if
you had made the statements you made orally in my presence you would have
found yourself verbally set upon.  Hey, this is net.flame.
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

>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.

That was sarcasm, and it looks like it went over your head!
The point was, here you sat surrounded by one of the best
scholarly collections on Mormons in the country and where do
you go to find out about them---a "Christian" book store.
There is a reason that books of that ilk are only found in
special bookstores---they aren't considered reputable by
most scholars.  I am sorry if I personally hurt you.  But
I feel your arguments are unjustified and, yes, a little bigoted.