Religious Arrogance?

Another editorial.

As a preface, please know that I have dear evangelical friends - also Episcopalian, Catholic, and Presbyterian friends and co-workers. I have come to love and respect Muslims and Jewish people I work with and most of them are very accepting of me as an LDS/Christian - they even believe me that I do believe in Christ as my Savior (something the outlying Christians don't always believe). We have the advantage in Utah that most non-members who live amongst us realize we are not a non-Christian cult, even if they don't believe as I do. Most non-LDS Utahns have LDS friends and so are more open-minded about our beliefs. I wish no disrespect to any of these or others not mentioned. A recent incident in the mainstream Christian media has brought this once again, to my attention. Thus, the post.

It is interesting to me that any Christians would cry, "arrogance" and "insult" when challenged to learn for themselves about the LDS faith and its Christian doctrine. How can they hold themselves as the sole source of what it means to be Christian? They do not have a monopoly on Christianity and to imply that other Christian faiths are "false religions" or "cults" is about as arrogant as it gets.

From what I see, they vote among each other in each individual group in their attempts to define Christianity and interpret scripture. They do their own translation and "new version"; yet deny us ours. The Episcopalians are currently debating the issue of gays in the ministry and their church is splitting because of it. Presbyterian and other groups have likewise been divided and are revising policy to suit the masses. Are these groups now to be labeled "non-Christian" cults? With each faith determining their own interpretation, how can they stand there and point fingers at others? I don't understand it.

They have long boycotted any LDS member Christian performers from their sacrosanct groups, have refused LDS writers from selling in mainstream Christian bookstores, regardless of the content. Now, at the criticism of Underground Apologetics, they have removed an interview with Glen Beck about his Christmas Sweater book - also about basic Christian principles - simply because he is "Mormon." To their evangelical following they apologized and removed the interview. Why? If the things he said are in agreement with Christian teachings, why is the fact he is LDS a disqualification for what he says? What are they afraid of? If another member of a differing religious group (say Muhammed) says something wise and in keeping with the Ten Commandments, do we avoid publishing it or reporting/quoting it because he is not "mainstream Christian"? Perhaps this would be the case. Unless a person subscribes to the currently accepted tenets of the mainstream (whatever that is), their words are of no use?

Dr. Dobson's Focus on the Family group has retracted the article from Citizenlink.com but you can read the original interview here if interested. http://www.mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/joel_campbell/?id=5597 and you can read Glenn's response at his own website, http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/200/19594/?ck=1. He commented further here: http://www.ldsmag.com/editorial/090109reason.html

I used to subscribe to Focus on the Family, believing we could unite common beliefs and knowing their desire for good, but once it became apparent that part of their "focus" included vocal bias against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), I had to stop the emails and printed mailings. I can't support such overt bias and negativism. Even when LDS leaders proclaim truth as we know it, they do not put down others whose views differ or boycott them because of their beliefs. I have also read Citizenlink for the basic moral reporting, but they seem to have a strange way of attempting to convert others to mainstream Christianity. Of course I have never subscribed to the "Hellfire and damnation" approach anyway and threatening me with going down because I am part of a "cult" will never win me over to that way of thinking.

As for my fellow Christians ~ I am much more interested in what you believe than in what you think of me because of what you think I believe, based on your often misguided understanding of it - sometimes misunderstood because it was explained by someone whose only goal was to put it down. Are there misguided, confused and even evil "Mormons"? Of course. But, don't judge me or my church by them. In return I'll not judge you by how the media selectively chooses to implicate you in a decision such as this. I'm afraid this is just more sad commentary on the state of our world.

Perhaps we need another word that defines Christian as something more than "follower of Christ" so that those who feel that only certain types of believers are that can be differentiated from those whose more liberal definition includes all followers. As a member of the LDS church I can clearly show my specific beliefs by that title, but this does not preclude me as a follower of Christ, His teachings, and my acceptance of Him as my redeemer. Our church has always believed that (see Articles of Faith http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,106-1-2-1,00.html) and there is no new attempt to be labeled Christian, especially not by a limiting definition of such. We do attempt to clarify misunderstandings that prevail which indicate that we do not believe in Christ in this way and when Christians publicly cry out that we are not, we need to step up these efforts.

By the way, I'm reading a series of books right now that have helped me see how Amish people live and I have always found it interesting. While I don't believe as they do, I don't feel the need to define their doctrine by my standards and exploit or boycott them. Of course I don't feel threatened by them either. I can find good in many different people and their beliefs. Recognizing these does not detract from my own in any way.

Is there a scarcity mentality going on? If only so many people can be Christian, there may not be room for the LDS church members to be followers of Christ too. I personally believe that the more people who want to follow the Savior's teachings, the better for all of mankind since we could all use more "do unto others..."

Hmmmm....