I have a very long-standing gripe about going through the Bible and just accepting the parts that you like, or going through all the other religions and picking and choosing the parts that appeal to you, whether or not they're true or not. Recently, though, I have to confess that I've done this very thing, and I am no way sorry or apologetic.
Recently a friend and I were having a heart-level talk on the tragic subject of miscarriage. My friend is a Mormon, and while he and I probably don't see eye-to-eye on everything, he said something to me that I really liked, and after thinking about it quite a bit these past several days, I think I agree with it.
The basic gist of it was this. In the Bible there's a verse in Jemimah where it says "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Now, I get that God is talking to Jeremiah here, but I think the same applies to all of us. Didn't God pre-ordain each of our existences? I think He did. So is some element of us someplace for God to know us from before we're born? Evidently, the Mormons think so.
Now, as my friend explained it, the Mormons believe that there's a place where the spirits or people who aren't born yet live, and at some point during the gestation process (though nobody knows exactly when) their souls leave this place and go into the bodies that they will eventually inhabit. Sometimes, though, if the baby is lost before it's born, the little soul (or spirit) stays where it is until one day when the mother's soul arrives in heaven, where they are reunited for eternity.
You can call that whatever you want; bad theology, mysticism, or just plain BS. I think at some point I learned that everything the Mormons (and Jehovah Witnesses, too) believe was wrong and bad and that they're all going to hell. I'm not going to get into an argument about the doctrine of salvation today, man. But on this....
I think the Mormons got it right.
Please save your breath and don't try to argue this one. I'm not going to dig through the Bible and Google every single verse I can find concerning whether or not unborn babies get into heaven or where they come from before the little fetus has a heartbeat and/or brain activity. At the end of the day, nobody really knows, man, and I think trying to reach and bridge gaps that God has very clearly left blank with your interpretation largely serves to piss people off more than love them where they're at, which is very clearly what Jesus teaches us to do; and that's not something you can debate.
And I don't want to hear any of you get all pissy because it was the Mormons who came up with this, either. God forbid the Mormons actually get something (or hell - anything) right, or at least said something that I agree with, huh?
Anyway, I think that that idea gives a whole lot of hope and brings a whole lot of God's healing to a lot of men and women that might otherwise have very little hope or healing, and I think that God is as merciful and graceful as He is anything else. And say what you want about Mormons, man - I think on some things, they get it more than us "traditional" Christians do.
Anyway, that's all I have to say tonight.
812 for Wednesday.
4 comments:
We have Mormon neighbors whom we dearly love. They are dear friends. I mean, we really love them, so I can see where you're coming from.
I know you're not going to become a LDS member, but am I free to ask a question or two?
It's foolish to think that "mormons are 100% wrong on *every*thing."
They use the *bible* for goodness sake in about 1/3 of their core doctrine. (Even if it is a specific translation (NKJ).)
The problem, of course, comes with the fact that they don't treat their specific translation as inerrant and complete work of God to us. Which them seminary guys have fancy words for. *q:
You do know the basic drill from CBC tho. If it's "Cross Plus" or "Bible And" it's bunk. But that doesn't mean there aren't pieces of truth. (Though I'd certainly argue that particular part you mentioned isn't a mormon believe in and of itself. I've heard the same at Christian infants' funerals. And yes I buy it, too.)
Speaking of which, as we're going exegetically (Brando is that the correct spelling for exegesis as an adverb? heh) through Colossians, we're onto chapter 2 - v1-8 to be precise.
4I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
5For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
6Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established [a]in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Matt was making the point that false teachers/prophets are typically not *insane*. They don't try to make claims that Jesus was a white woman who enjoyed prostitution as a job. Their arguments are plausible - they often contain a piece of truth. If they didn't, they wouldn't be believable. (I'd like to the audio, but it isn't available yet - probably later today http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/sermons if you're interested.)
That comment got long. Sorry. heh.
A good friend of mine is an ex-mormon who is now a great Christian. Young in his faith, but very schooled in biblical knowledge. This is what fueled his conversion - he realized that LDS was preaching inconsistencies. He's got a great testimony now.
You have to love mormons. They are (as a group) some of the friendliest folks I've met. Their church history and their dogma/doctrine however... I'm really not sure how someone can follow it in its entirety and not go.. "uh, huh?". Some weird stuff in there that I would find difficult to accept out of hand as inerrant truth.
It's all "You love the bible too? yay we serve the same God" until it's all "uh, do what now?" *(;
Oh, you can disregard my request to ask a few questions.
word verification: stick.
ha.
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