Author: fourpointer

by

First Seeker-Sensitive Church of Relevance

I made the following video this past week. It may appear to be silly, but it is a dire warning for those churches who do nothing more than scratch the ears of their ticklish members. These “churches” that use music by atheists like The Beatles; “churches” who find more inspiration from wretched, abominable movies than they do from the Word of God; and “churches” that use gimmicks like “Vegas Night” and who produce idiotic videos (like this one in San FranFreakshow) are headed toward what is depicted in this video.

Their justice does not slumber.

And speaking of Crowder and Dunn, here is a video that was made by one of their buddies (found it via A Little Leaven. But, of course, the acolytes of these heretics will claim that this blasphemer has led thousands of kids to Christ. And he probably has. Just not the Christ of Scripture). I won’t post it here because it is too vile and vulgar (like Crowder and Dunn themselves), but it shows you just what kind of fruit their pimpistry bears (**WARNING** VISIT AT YOUR OWN RISK. THIS HERETIC MAKES CHOWDER AND DUNG SEEM LIKE PAUL THE APOSTLE). If you can stomach it, read through some of the comments made by the supporters of this heretic. Yeah, real Christ-like (::rolls eyes::)

by

“Has anyone ever contacted Mark Driscoll privately?”

mark-driscoll-t-shirtThat, of course, is the question we are always asked when we address the issue of the language used by Mark Driscoll when he preaches. “Has anyone ever contacted Mark Driscoll privately?” Well, we can now answer that question in the affirmative. Phil Johnson shares his attempts–unsuccessful attempts–to dialog with Driscoll concerning his pulpit language.

These are roughly in order from the most common questions to the most bizarre:

Have you or Dr. MacArthur ever personally shared your concerns personally with Mark Driscoll?

Yes. I sent Mark a 6-page letter the first week of December, telling him what I was planning to deal with at the Shepherds’ Conference. I explained why I thought his message at the Desiring God Conference in September left some of the most important objections to his own use of crass language unanswered. I also enumerated six specific questions that I thought would help my understanding of his position.

Fair enough. Isn’t that what Driscollites want to hear? If someone has taken this matter to Driscoll personally and privately? (Even though the fact that Driscoll has made his messages public, thus negating the need for steps 1 and 2 of church discipline laid out by Christ in Matthew 18.).

Continue reading →

by

Homo-Nazis do not tolerate dissent

From Slice of Laodicea:

American parents, if you want a vision of the hell that results when those with a moral compass allow the homo-fascists take over a nation, take a look at the terrible state of the UK. (Actually, Massachusetts is already nearly there. Visit MassResistance.org for the latest info.)

Several parents are facing prosecution for removing their children from a homo-pervert version of a school play called “Romeo and Julian.” These are not high schoolers, friends, these are little children who are expected to view this filth without complaint. The heroic parents of 30 children pulled them for the day. The nanny state of the UK, however, says that’s not allowed. You MUST allow nazi-style homosexual indoctrination of your little ones or face legal consequences. This is a vision of statism that our President would like to see implemented in America. But I have news for Mr. Obama: You won’t get it without a revolution on your hands. Children belong to parents, not the state. Hats off to the handful of UK parents that understand that and who are willing to fight to protect their children in the midst of British Sodom.

And the “Tolerant” crowd grows ever more intolerant of those who don’t tolerate sin. Keeping in mind that our current Messiah President has stated, quite confidently, that only the government can solve all of our problems, and that he doesn’t have a problem killing children, and has publicly ridiculed the Holy Scriptures–you can look for this kind of nanny-state totalitarianism to hit these shores within the next four years.He will make sure we accept all forms of sinful deviancy whether we like it or not!

by

Dr. Steven J. Lawson: “Paul Defends His Apostleship” (Galatians 1:11-1:24)

11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) 21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.

In this installment, Paul defends himself against those who questioned his credentials as an apostle–even though he had been chose by the risen Christ Himself.

Here is the fourth of this series going verse-by-verse through what Dr. Lawson calls “Paul’s Most Explosive Letter.” You can listen by left-clicking this link.

by

Quotes (497)

calvin

John Calvin on James 2:24 and Romans 3:28–

“It appears certain that [James] is speaking of the manifestation, not of the imputation of righteousness, as if he had said, ‘Those who are justified by faith prove their justification by obedience and good works, not by a bare and imaginary semblance of faith.’ In one word, he is not discussing the mode of justification, but requiring that the justification of all believers shall be operative. And as Paul contends that men are justified without the aid of works, so James will not allow any to be regarded as Justified who are destitute of good works … Let them twist the words of James as they may, they will never extract out of them more than two propositions: That an empty phantom of faith does not justify, and that the believer, not contented with such an imagination, manifests his justification by good works.”

–John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3:17:12

by

50 Answers to 50 Mormon Answers to 50 Anti-Mormon Questions (Answer 23)

Wow, it’s been a while. This series left off back in August with Question 22. I’ve now got a little bit of time (spring break next week), so we can resume our journey of untangling the sophomoric attempts by FAIR (Foundation for Apologetics and Information Research) to answer, in their own unique and convoluted way, some rather straightforward questions from Tower To Truth. We pick up with #23

Tower To Truth Question:

23. Why does D. & C. 42:18 say there is no forgiveness for a murderer when 3 Nephi 30:2 says there is forgiveness for him?’

————————————–

FAIR Answer:

Doctrine and Covenants 42 is “the law of the Church” and pertains to those who are baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who by baptism are adopted into the house of Israel. 3_Ne. 30:2 pertains to those who are still “Gentiles” and who are not yet “numbered with [God’s] people who are of the house of Israel.” For a member of the Church to commit murder there is no forgiveness, whereas a person who has not yet made baptismal covenants may, under certain conditions, be forgiven. Some Lamanites repented and were forgiven of their murders (see Alma 24:10-12).

————————–

My Response:

Alma 24:10-11 (all emphases mine)–
10 And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.
11 And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain—
12 Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren.

Did you notice a couple things there? This passage claims that our sins are forgiven by the MERITS of Christ–not by His blood. But….

  • Colossians 1:19-22—For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death…
  • 1st Peter 1:18-19—you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…
  • Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14—In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins
  • Revelation 1:5—To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
All of these verses talk about how we are redeemed, purchased, forgiven, washed by Christ’s BLOOD–not His “merit.” (This idea almost sounds like Roman Catholic doctrine, where, if we come up a little bit short in our efforts to be perfect, we can ask for a withdrawal from the “treasury of merit” that was built up by Saint (insert name of favorite saint here).)

A couple things here. First, LDS theology says that Jesus became a “God” based on His merit–that through obedience to eternal laws He attained godhood. That of course is a lie. Jesus is God because HE IS GOD–and for no other reason. He did not have to “earn” His title as God.

Second, we don’t “get God to take away our sins”–as if we do enough to have God look at us and say, “Way to go!! You’re such a good person, I’m going to save you!!” He looks down at a world of horrible, wretched, filthy sinners and grants repentance to some, draws them to Himself, and saves them from His wrath–not because we are somehow “good enough” (a most laughable concept if I ever heard one yet is, nonetheless, being taught in even many “Evangelical” churches), but simply because of His grace.

Now, to the main point I want to make. This particular exchange is almost perfect for showing the most glaring difference between Mormonism and Christianity. According to Mormonism, the blood of Jesus can cleanse you from sins–with a few exceptions. See, you can kill someone before you become a Mormon and get forgiveness no problem. But if you commit murder after you join the LDS system, there is no forgiveness.

Truth of the matter is, it does not matter when you commit murder. Even if you kill someone after you come to know Christ, if you ask forgiveness and you truly belong to Him–He will forgive. King David had Uriah killed after following God. Peter would have killed Malchus if he had his way. And yet these and many like them were still saved by the blood of Christ.

Because, you see, God’s forgiveness is not bound by time. In fact, in the book of Revelation refers to Christ as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8)–even though He was slain thousands of years after the foundation of the world. So if a person is truly saved, it does not matter if they commit a particular sin before or after they get saved–God can forgive that sin.

And contrary to another lie told by the LDS church, there is no sin that cannot be covered by the blood of Christ–even murder.

by

Joel Osteen on “The Abundant Life”

Because, you know, you’re not living a full Christian life if you have bills to pay or you’re sick. More useless drivel from a man who has admitted he’s “not a preacher, but more of a life coach.” He needs to step down out of that pulpit and concentrate on his number one passion: selling books. If he can’t preach the whole counsel of God, he doesn’t need to be claiming to preach any of it.

You know what the most absurd part of this surreal experience is? He even manages to take a passage from the abomination known as “The Message” and make it even more unfathomable than the original (You’ll hear him quote from Ephesians 1:4 (MSG), in a way that has never been heard before by human ears. If it wasn’t so sad it would be hilarious).

by

Dr. Steven J. Lawson–“Only One Way” (Galatians 1:6-1:10)

 Continuing in the series entitled “Paul’s Most Explosive Letter,” Dr. Lawson preaches through the section aimed specifically at the Judaizers in the Galatian church. But this admonition is also aimed at those who would add one iota to the gospel–whether they be Catholics with their Magesterium, Jehovah’s Witnesses with their “Watchtower,” Mormons with their Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine &Covenants, teachings of the living prophet (which they change more than they change their underwear), etc.

In fact, at one point, Dr. Lawson uses some frank terminology, and lets it be known that anyone who preaches a false gospel should, quote, “go to Hell.” He does not use this term to cuss, or for shock value. In fact, you will never hear Dr. Lawson say anything to “shock and awe” anybody. He is stating that anyone who adds anything to the work of Christ should be sent to the lowest, hottest depths of Hell.

In fact, those who add to the gospel will be in a part of Hell deeper and hotter than even Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin. Because those men only killed the body, whereas the teachings of men like Charles Taze Russell, Joseph Smith, Muhammed, Buddha, etc have led many to spend their eternity in Hell.

Here is the third of this series going verse-by-verse through what Dr. Lawson calls “Paul’s Most Explosive Letter.” You can listen by left-clicking this link.

by

Religion of Peace™ claims another victim

A Muslim husband has been charged with murder for killing his wife by beheading her. Where did this happen? Iran? Saudi Arabia? Philippines?

No.

It happened right here in the United States. Via Domain For Truth:

Orchard Park police are investigating a particularly gruesome killing, the beheading of a woman, after her husband — an influential member of the local Muslim community — reported her death to police Thursday.

Police identified the victim as Aasiya Z. Hassan, 37. Detectives have charged her husband, Muzzammil Hassan, 44, with second-degree murder.
Muzzammil Hassan, founder of Bridges TV, is charged with murder in the beheading of his wife, Aasiya Hassan, in Orchard Park.

Irony alert!

Btw, Muzzammil Hassan is the founder of Bridges TV. The purpose of Bridges TV is to potray Muslims and Islam in a positive light after 9/11. I guess they are not reporting this.

Daniel Pipes gives a good commentary on the whole event.

Here’s a link to all the commentaries on Quranic and Hadith verses on murdering, violence and terrorism.

Here is a New York Sun article about Bridges TV from last month.

by

Dr. Steven J. Lawson: Paul Gets to the Point (Galatians 1:1-5)

Today continues a series of sermons from Dr. Steven J. Lawson, pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, AL. In today’s message, Paul spells it out, in no uncertain terms, to his detractors that he is indeed an apostle of the risen Christ.

Here is the second of this series that goes verse-by-verse through what Dr. Lawson calls “Paul’s Most Explosive Letter.” You can listen by left-clicking this link, or you can download it by right-clicking and choosing “Save Target As” in Internet Explorer (”Save Link As” in Mozilla Firefox).

by

“There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being”

“There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.”

 

Those words were uttered by our newly-crowned Messiah newly-inaugurated president, Barack Obama at the most recent National Prayer Breakfast (hat tip: Between Two Worlds). Ironically enough, he’s right in a way. If you spell the word “God” with a capital “G”. Because the true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, does not condone killing innocent human beings. However, if you spell the word “god” with a small “g”, then he is of course wrong. Allah, the pagan “god” of Islam, “declared” that if a Muslim died whilst killing Jews and Christians (“People of the Book”), then they would be guaranteed their 72 virgins in Paradise (and if they do not want women, they can choose to be blessed with 72 little boys).

But the most ironic aspect of this quote is the fact that Obama does not have a problem killing innocent human beings–just so long as they don’t have the audacity to exit the birth canal. We shouldn’t kill innocent children–who have been born. But, so long as that child is still in his mother’s womb–hey, he’s fair game! Fire up the suction equipment and let her rip!

I hear Vegas is taking bets as to which side of his mouth Obama will be talking out of on any given day.

by

Dr. Steven J. Lawson: Verse-by-verse through Galatians (1:1-1:5)

lawson2

 
Today starts a series of sermons from Dr. Steven J. Lawson, pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, AL–which will be the church my wife and I will be attending when (God willing) we move there in a few years. From the website for New Reformation Ministries:

Dr. Steven J. Lawson is the Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, having served as a pastor in Arkansas and Alabama for the past twenty-seven years. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University (B.B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.), and Reformed Theological Seminary (D. Min.)

The focus of Dr. Lawson’s ministry is the verse-by-verse exposition of God’s Word. From this, he has authored fourteen books, the most recent being The Expository Genius of John Calvin and Foundations of Grace 1400 BC-AD 100, volume one of a five volume series. His other recent books include three titles in the Holman Old Testament Commentary Series: Job, Psalms Volume I (Psalms 1-75), and [Psalms] Volume II (Psalms 76-150).

Dr. Lawson has also authored Famine in the Land: A Passionate Call to Expository Preaching; Made In Our Image; Absolutely Sure; The Legacy; and Faith Under Fire. His books have been translated into various languages around the world, including Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Croatian and the Indonesian language.

He has contributed several articles to Bibliotheca Sacra; The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology; The Faith and Mission; Decision Magazine; and Discipleship Magazine, among other journals and magazines.

Here is the first of his series going verse-by-verse through what Dr. Lawson calls “Paul’s Most Explosive Letter.” You can listen by left-clicking this link.

by

When preachers waste their pulpit

Excellent post by Dan Phillips at Pyromaniacs. A welcome warning for all the mealy-mouthed preachers whose sole aim is to make everyone within earshot confident that they are good and wonderful people who deserve to live a happy life, and that God accepts them just the way they are and has a wonderful plan for their lives–until, that is, they stand before Him and He tells them “Depart!”

This one guy — he tells jokes. Now, anyone who’s heard me preach knows I’ve no problem with humor in the service of a Biblical message. The Bible does it, Spurgeon did it, I do it.

But that isn’t the aim here. That isn’t the purpose. No, these are jokes with the sole purpose of making the joker look cute and clever and witty. “Oh, please — like me,” these jokes wail. “Love me. Think I’m cool!” The audience chuckles, and has a good time. Some of them go off to Hell chuckling. Others become a reproach to their professed Lord as they do what sheep characteristically do, without a shepherd.

Then there’s this other guy, who gets up and chats. He shares, he randomly free-associates. Word flow, unfiltered, from imagination to mouth. He poses questions to which he offers no answer. Then he shrugs and wanders on. People leave with never a “Thus says the Lord” to challenge their thinking and point them to Christ.

Yet a third fellow tells stories, as if Garrison Keillor were his model for preaching rather than Isaiah or Paul, Wesley, Whitfield, Spurgeon, or Ryle. They are stories of which the only point is the story itself, or the cleverness of the storyteller. They serve the end of entertaining the audience, or provoking its admiration, or filling time inoffensively. They’ll go off to Hell, or to shame Christ, with a nice story in their ears.

[…]

You can bet I’m sitting there fuming, and internally shouting these words: “You had that pulpit, these people, this opportunity — and you did that with it? What, in the name of all that’s holy, were you thinking? You may never see these people again! Nobody may ever see them again! That may have been your one opportunity — and you do that with it? Why did you even get up there? Why are you even a pastor?“

by

Quiz for 1/26/2009

OK, here is another quiz for you.

The question this time is, what kind of worship is the following quote describing? And, as usual, no fair Googling.

“The emphasis [is on] psychophysical relatedness and subjective experience…The transcendence of the deity is overcome in the ecstasy of feeling. Sensory participation  is featured. Images are necessary-the bolder, the more colorful, the more sensational, the better. Music and dance become the means for drawing persons out of their private diversities and merging them into a mass response…worship [is] reduced to the spiritual stature of the worshipper. Its canons are that it should be interesting, relevant, and exciting.”

by

President Hussein Obama makes good on his promise to Planned Parenthood

President Hussein bin-Obama marked the 36th anniversary of the most bone-headed decision in Supreme Court history by confiscating more taxpayer dollars to send overseas in the fight to kill as many babies as possible. From FOXNews:

President Obama will issue an executive order on Thursday reversing the Bush administration policy that bans the use of federal dollars by non-govermental organizations that discuss or provide abortions outside of the United States.

Obama will sign the executive order on the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.

The policy, known in governmental circles as the “Mexico City policy,” requires any non-governmental organization to agree before receiving U.S. funds that they will “neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.”

The language was announced at the United Nations International Conference on Population in 1984, and was approved by President Reagan and originally drafted by his assistant secretary of state, Alan Keyes. Keyes ran unsuccessfully as the GOP nominee against Obama for the U.S. Senate in 2004.

President George Herbert Walker Bush continued Reagan’s Mexico City policy.

President Bill Clinton issued an executive order lifting the ban on Jan. 22, 1993. President George W. Bush issued an executive order re-instating the ban on federal dollars for NGOs that discuss or provide abortions on Jan. 22, 2001.

Planned Butchery is hailing this decision, since it will drastically benefit their bottom line.

by

Obama presidency begins on racist note

Go figure. The man doesn’t mind killing babies–what more is a little bigotry thrown in the mix?

Somebody might want to tell Rev. Joseph Lowery to wake up and smell the coffee. No one has “told blacks to get in back” for about, oh, I don’t know, about 40 years now. And besides, you racist bigot, most whites have embraced what is right!

Did this guy not realize they were swearing in an African-American to be president?

“We ask Yo to help us pray for that day when brown would stick around,
yellow would be mellow, the red man would get ahead, man, and
the white would embrace what is right.”

The cheering crowd and the broad smile plastered on the face of Messiah Osama says it all: these are the people who are REALLY living in the past and who the REAL racists are.

by

“No, the LDS church does not teach that!”

How many times have you tried to reason with a Mormon by showing them why the things they are being taught are false? Well, for one thing, not all Mormons believe exactly the same thing. Yes, it’s true. In fact,  have encountered Mormons who doubt the validity of the Book of Mormon. One visitor to this site claims to be a teacher at his local Mormon church and claims to have taught things that made his local authority get up and leave.

However, that dyed-in-the wool, LDS thru-and-thru Mormon who still clings to Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, still buys the whole “golden plates” story as truth, and who will defend with every fiber of his being, they will answer our claims about the history and teachings of the Mormon church with scorn because we are anti-Mormon, bigoted, etc. Therefore, let’s look at some of the things a Mormon will deny, and whether or not those things are true. This is but a small sample.

“The Mormon church has never taught polygamy!”

  • “The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father and the Son; but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessing offered unto them, and they refused to accept them.” (Brigham Young, 8/19/1866, recorded in Journal of Discourses, vol. 11 p.269)

“The Mormon church does not teach we can become gods!”

From Gospel Principles, an official LDS teaching manual:

  • Since we could not progress further in heaven, our Heavenly Father called a Grand Council to present his plan for our progression (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 348, 349, 365). We learned that if we followed his plan, we would become like him. We would have a resurrected body; we would have all power in heaven and on earth; we would become heavenly parents and have spirit children just as he does (see D&C 132:19-20). (This also refutes the idea that the Mormon church does not believe in a “Heavenly Mother”.)
  • When we lived with our Heavenly Father, he explained a plan for our progression. We could become like him, an exalted being.
  • Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives. He lives in great glory. He is perfect. He possesses all knowledge and all wisdom. He is the Father of spirit children. He is a creator. We can become like our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation. If we prove faithful to the Lord, we will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become exalted, just like our Heavenly Father. Exaltation is the greatest gift that Heavenly Father can give his children (see D&C 14:7).
  • Those who receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ will receive special blessings. The Lord has promised, “All things are theirs” (D&C 76:59). These are some of the blessings given to exalted people: (2) They will become gods. (3) They will have their righteous family members with them and will be able to have spirit children also. These spirit children will have the same relationship to them as we do to our Heavenly Father. They will be an eternal family…(5) They will have everything that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have–all power, glory, dominion, and knowledge.

“The Mormon church does not teach that God the father had sex with Mary!”

  • “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the most literal sense. The body in which He performed His mission in the flesh was sired by that same Holy Being we worship as God, our Eternal Father. Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 7)
  • “Jesus Christ is the Son of Elohim both as spiritual and bodily offspring; that is to say, Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed His mission in the flesh…” (First Presidency and Council of Twelve, 1916. Cited in Ensign. April 2002. p.13.)

“We are too Christians!”

  • The MYSTERY of Babylon the great, is mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, and it needs no prophetic vision, to unravel such mysteries. The old church is the mother, and the protestants are the lewd daughters…What prayers, what devotion, or what faith, ‘since the fathers have fallen asleep,’ has opened the heavens; has brought men into the presence of God; and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to an innumerable company of angels? The answer is, not any: `There is none in all christendom that doeth good; no, not one…All kingdoms but Daniel’s set up in the last days, must break to pieces. So success to the (divisions of christians): they will help hasten the latter-day glory. God and Mormonism forever! (Brigham Young, Christendom is Babylon, Times and Seasons, volume 6, Nauvoo, Illinois, Feb 15, 1845, p.810-811.)
  • Doctrine and Covenants 123:7–It is an imperative duty that we owe to God, to angels, with whom we shall be brought to stand, and also to ourselves, to our wives and children, who have been made to bow down with grief, sorrow, and care, under the most damning hand of murder, tyranny, and oppression, supported and urged on and upheld by the influence of that spirit which hath so strongly riveted the creeds of the fathers, who have inherited lies, upon the hearts of the children, and filled the world with confusion, and has been growing stronger and stronger, and is now the very mainspring of all corruption, and the whole earth groans under the weight of its iniquity.

The purpose of this post is not to “bash” Mormons, but rather to show them that they have not been told the truth about the history of what the former leaders taught and practiced.

by

50 Answers to 50 Mormon Answers to 50 Anti-Mormon Questions (answer 22)

fair1

Tower To Truth Question:

22. Why does the Book of Abraham, chapters 4 & 5, contradict Alma 11 in stating that there is more than one God?

—————————

FAIR Answer:

The term “God” may be used in more than one way. Latter-day Saints are not Nicene Trinitarians, but still believe in “one God.”

To learn more: Polytheism

—————————

My Response:

Note: Mormons are not, technically, polytheistic. They are more henotheistic, believing in the existence of many living gods, but only worshipping one.

The longer this series goes, the more flustered I become. It would be one thing if FAIR could formulate an answer that was more than 10 words long, and contained some kind of point. But it seems as though every answer they give is “No we don’t, so do Christians, you’re anti-Mormon.” The answer they give to this question isn’t even an answer. They are confronted with a fact–a contradiction in their “scriptures”–and they don’t even bother to answer it. They just give some lame excuse about “the word ‘god’ can mean more than one thing.” That’s like me telling my waiter “I asked for my burger without onions” and he looks at me and says “Pickels aren’t onions.” So, here’s the issue.

Alma 11:26-29—26 And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God?
27 And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God.
28 Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God?
29 And he answered, No.

So, clearly, the Book of Mormon says that there is only ONE LIVING GOD. Now, let’s see what the Ancient Egyptian pagan burial manual Book of Abraham says.

Abraham 4:1-4—1 And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth.
2 And the earth, after it was formed, was empty and desolate, because they had not formed anything but the earth; and darkness reigned upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of the Gods was brooding upon the face of the waters.
3 And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light; and there was light.
4 And they (the Gods) comprehended the light, for it was bright; and they divided the light, or caused it to be divided, from the darkness.

Abraham 5:1-3—1 And thus we will finish the heavens and the earth, and all the ahosts of them.
2 And the Gods said among themselves: On the seventh time we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled.
3 And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because that on the seventh time they would rest from all their works which they (the Gods) counseled among themselves to form; and sanctified it. And thus were their decisions at the time that they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth.

Here’s the thing: When FAIR tries to say that there is more than one meaning for the word “gods”–there is about a half a grain of truth in that. But, they are, in a sense, lying. Because what they mean by “Gods” is not what you or I mean when we say “gods” (Notice distinction between little ‘g’ and big ‘G’). When the Book of Abraham talks about these “Gods,” it is referring to those “Gods” who have attained godhood in Mormon theology. When you or I talk about “gods,” we usually refer to mute idols, statues of wood or metal, that can do nothing.

What does all this boil down to? FAIR is not living up to their acronym. And I cannot imagine that this is something they were not aware they were doing. They know what they mean by “Gods,” so to give the response they did is less than honest.

Oh, and if you want a good read, check out the link “Polytheism.” Here is their response to this charge:

Usually the very same people who are pressing the case that Mormons are polytheists are some stripe of Evangelical Christians who claim to be monotheists. But Trinitarians are not Monotheists by definition (just ask a Jew or Muslim).

Ask a Jew or a Muslim!! Two groups that deny the deity of Christ!! In other words, to make their case seem more credible, they would have you go to people who would call Mormons blasphemers!! Now, we don’t have time to give a thorough discussion of the Trinity here. Suffice it to say Mormons do not understand the Orthodox view of the Trinity. We do NOT worship three Gods. We worship Father, Son, Holy Spirit–who are One God.

And, once again, they throw out baseless accusations against influential christians, accusing them of worshipping many Gods–

Additionally, there is abundant evidence of deification being taught by various commonly accepted Christians. If belief in theosis makes one a polytheist, many Christians would have to be so labeled – including such figures as C. S. Lewis and John Calvin.

Umm, yeah, would FAIR like to show us how they make this accusation? They won’t, because they know that if they do, then someone who knows quite a bit more about these men will crush this statement under a pile of facts.

Apparently, FAIR only exists to give social Mormons a little relief in thinking that there are actually ways to resolve the spaghetti bowl that is Mormon theology. Because once you chase off the smoke and shatter the mirrors–they really have no answers.