The uneasy relationship between Mormonism and Christianity became front-page news a few weeks ago when Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, publicly endorsed one presidential candidate over another largely based on the candidate’s religious affiliation. One was labeled an evangelical Christian, the other a member of the “Mormon cult.”
Public reaction was swift and harsh. Jeffress was condemned by most, defended by some. And, as is usually the case, the evangelical commitment that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation was repeatedly ridiculed and belittled.
Unfortunately few people examined the important issues raised by the incident. Are Mormons Christians? Is Mormonism a cult? And finally what is the relationship of one’s religious commitments to public office?
Generally speaking, Mormons are not recognized as Christians by evangelicals, mainline Protestants or Roman Catholics.
United Methodists, in their 2000 General Conference, approved a statement that read, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), by self-definition, does not fit within the bounds of the historic, apostolic tradition of Christian faith. … As United Methodists, we agree with their assessment that the LDS church is not a part of the historic, apostolic tradition of the Christian faith.”
In June 2001, Pope John Paul II rejected the argument that Mormon baptism was a valid Christian baptism in a paper released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In response to the question “Are Mormons generally regarded as Christians?,” the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod said, “Together with the vast majority of Christian denominations in the United States, [this denomination] does not regard the Mormon church as a Christian church.”
The reason? “Because the official writings of Mormonism deny fundamental teachings of orthodox Christianity,” the statement continued. Some of the differences relate to the nature of God, the nature of man, the Trinity, the saving work of Christ and the nature of the Bible.
An Interfaith Evangelism Belief Bulletin prepared by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention outlines several key areas of disagreement between Southern Baptists and Mormons that lead Southern Baptists to consider Mormons non-Christians.
Phil Roberts, former director of interfaith evangelism at NAMB and now president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., recently wrote, “Mormonism radically redefines and doctrinally reconstructs the Christian faith. There is no major doctrine of faith, whether it be God, Jesus, salvation or inspiration of the Scriptures, that Mormonism has not severely and completely altered and changed from its original intent.”
As far as the National Council of Churches (NCC) goes, a spokeswoman said it has held interfaith dialogues with the Mormon church. However, the LDS church is not eligible for membership in the NCC because of “major theological issues.” She added that she knows of no Christian denomination that recognizes Mormons as Christians.
From the above material, it is clear that it is not evangelical Christians alone who have differences with Mormons. The almost unanimous answer of Christian bodies is that Mormonism lies outside the Christian faith.
Sociologists and theologians differ over the meaning of the word “cult,” and that disagreement makes it hard to answer the second question with exactness. For many, cult is a negative word filled with images of brainwashing and mass suicide.
Sociologists often describe cults as places where people are put in physical or emotional distress, problems are reduced to one simple explanation, all authority is placed in a charismatic leader, group identity replaces individual personhood, isolation from family and friends occurs and access to information is severely controlled.
Theologians frequently use the term to mean “a religious movement which claims to be the only true expression of the Christian faith and yet has altered or changed one or more of the essential doctrines of the faith.”
Sociologically Mormonism is not a cult. A more comfortable term for sociologists might be “a new religion.”
Theologically many conclude that Mormonism is a cult.
Because of these differences, it behooves everyone to choose his or her words carefully when describing another religious group. In some parts of the world, it is the Christian faith that is branded a “cult” by political authorities. Unfortunately, in some historically Christian countries, Baptists are considered a cult.
From a legal standpoint, one’s religious faith is not supposed to determine worthiness for public office. In 1789, Baptists were strong champions for Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which declares, “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office of public trust.” Baptists knew the pain of religious discrimination from states with established churches and were determined that such discrimination would have no place in their new nation.
George Washington, the first U.S. president, wrote to members of a church in Baltimore in 1793 that, “In this enlightened age … it is our boast that a man’s religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the laws nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest offices that are known in the United States.”
Personal experience proves religious faith alone may not be a sufficient guide. In his autobiography, “Just As I Am,” Billy Graham wrote, “Religious conviction alone was not the most reliable guide as to who would be the best or most effective leader.” He referenced the 1976 presidential election when one of the two candidates was widely touted as a “born-again believer.”
As some have quipped, this election is not about a “theologian and chief.” It is about a “commander and chief.”
Still there is no escaping the truth that most American voters want public officials to share their core values, worldviews and basic sense of fairness. For many, that is reflected in a common religious faith.
The debate about Mormons, Christians and the role of religion in politics will go on far beyond this election cycle. We hope the debate will reflect theological truth, not political correctness. We hope participants will communicate clearly and not resort to subjective, emotionally filled words that frequently miscommunicate. And we hope everyone will remember to treat those with whom he or she differs as he or she would want to be treated.
After all, that is what Jesus commanded.
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