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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: i-node who wrote (631195)	10/11/2011 11:08:26 AM
From: bentway	Respond to of 1583742

A Theologian Weighs In on the Mormon Church By ERIK ECKHOLM A leading Southern Baptist theologian spoke out Monday on the question of Mormons, Christianity and elections, clearly trying to soften the harsh message of Robert Jeffress, a Southern Baptist pastor who created a political tempest over the weekend. On Friday, Mr. Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, speaking to reporters after he had introduced Rick Perry at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, said that Mormonism was a “cult” and that this was a factor in his support for Mr. Perry over Mr. Romney. He said that he wanted a true Christian as president, and that if Mr. Romney were the Republican nominee, he would lose to Barack Obama because many evangelical Christians would refuse to vote for him. In a posting today on his influential blog, the theologian, R. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., spelled out why traditional Christians do not consider the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to be simply a different denomination of Christianity. “Mormonism rejects the Bible as the sole and sufficient authority for the faith, and insists that The Book of Mormon and other authoritative Latter-Day Saints writings constitute God’s final revelation,” he wrote. “By its very nature, Mormonism borrows Christian themes, personalities, and narratives. Nevertheless, it rejects what orthodox Christianity affirms and it affirms what orthodox Christianity rejects.” Dr. Mohler conspicuously did not use the term “cult” and he said: “It is neither slander nor condescension to state clearly that Mormonism is not Christianity.” When it comes to voting, though, Dr. Mohler emphasized that a candidate’s views on the issues held dear by evangelical Christians were far more important than a candidate’s religious affiliation. “ Furthermore, we must be honest and acknowledge that there are non-Christians or non-evangelicals who share far more of our worldview and policy concerns than some others who identify as Christians,” he wrote. “The stewardship of our vote demands that we support those candidates who most clearly and consistently share our worldview and combine these commitments with the competence to serve both faithfully and well.” “Competence for public office is also an important Christian concern, as is made clear in Romans 13,” he wrote, even citing a legendary statement, attributed to Martin Luther, “that he would rather be ruled by a competent Turk (Muslim) than an incompetent Christian.” Dr. Jeffress, too, has tried to smooth the edges of his Friday remarks, explaining in subsequent interviews that he used the term “cult” in the “theological sense,” meaning outside the boundaries of Biblical Christianity, and not the “sociological sense” of an evil and manipulative group. thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com