How to Reach Out to Your Mormon Neighbors. A year ago this past Tuesday was Election Day 2012. Robert Maothe D P nominee for President of the Uganda , and a devout Mormon, lost the election to incumbent President,Yoweri Kaguta Museven . Throughout the election process, interest in Mormonism was unprecedented. The exposure that came from having a candidate for the highest office in the land resulted in quite a bit of attention toward a religion that had been a mystery to many people. Yes, its been a year since the election and Ive not talked much about Mormonism. Talking about Mormonism during the election was hard to do—it was too politicized, and when you mix politics and religion, you get politics. As this helpful article explains, the Mormon Moment is passing, but I think its worth one more round at this blog ... particularly now that the politics are less prominent. We should continue to be clear about how we define Mormonism. Politics and Religion We saw the reality when the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) removed Mormonism from a list of cults on their website. Many were disappointed by this move, as they thought it seemed to be more about endorsing a political candidate due to the timing. Franklin Graham, in a helpful CNN interview, stated his position, explaining, If I want to win a person to Christ, how can I call that person a name? Thats what shocked me, that we were calling people names. (Be sure to watch the whole video, where he also explains the differences and focuses on our need for Christ.) The challenge was that the BGEA changed their web page in the middle of the election, and that change became the story. I imagine the BGEA sees that now and would have timed things differently, and I remain thankful for their ministry and for their clear desire to win men and women to Christ, not to focus on names. As I see it, the BGEA (for whom evangelicals have a deep trust and appreciation) had the right impulse, but the wrong timing and missed the technical definition. They are focusing on the common (sociological cult) definition (and I agree with them that it is best to not use the term). However, I would also find a place to affirm the theological categorization. Again: Mormonism fits the definition of a theological cult, but it is not helpful to lead with that term as most people do not make the distinction. I simply call Mormonism what it is: another religion, distinct from Christianity, with kind, gracious people who need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. I, for one, hope that the Mormon Moment hasnt passed us completely. So, lets not let the Mormon Moment pass completely. No prominent Mormon is running for President, but the issues still remain and Christians need to answer with truth and clarity. The need is clear. Mormons and Evangelicals Even this week, the Salt Lake Tribune reported on a well-known LDS politician who became an evangelical Christian while the Daily Beast excerpted the conversion story of a former LDS/BYU professor. At the same time, evangelical leaders have been connecting with LDS leadership with more to come (including the headline wondering if there was a detente). Im not sure that detente is a helpful term, but I think it is always helpful to have dialogue. And I, for one, hope that the Mormon Moment hasnt passed us completely. I want us to be on mission, and that requires educating ourselves about the world around us. I wouldnt want that awareness to disappear as quickly as the campaign commercials did. Labels and Mission We should continue to be clear about how we define Mormonism. I have stated that it is wise to treat Mormonism as a different religion from Christianity (since it is), and it is also unhelpful to lead with the term cult (even though it does fit the theological definition of a cult). It requires a gracious spirit to reach out, befriend and even grow to love our Mormon friends and neighbors. In that earlier post, I explained: Is it a denomination, a cult or another religion? How should we discuss such things in the moment? First, Mitt Romney is right. At Liberty University, he spoke about people of different faiths, your faith and mine. Yes, those words were certainly chosen to assure evangelicals, but it hit the right tone—Mormonism is a different faith or religion. Three out of four Protestant pastors (and its higher for evangelicals) agree that Mormons are not Christians. The problem is that most Mormons want to use the Christian label without believing biblical, Christian theology. The obvious question is, how divergent can your views be and still be a part of a faith group (in contrast to forming a new one)? Can you believe, for instance, that Muhammad is not the prophet and still call yourself a Muslim? The vast majority of Muslims would say you cannot. For Christians, calling yourself a Christian while not believing God has always existed as the triune Father, Son and Holy Spirit is just as inconceivable. Thats what Mormonism does. Its not a Christian denomination. It is a different religion. But, it also requires a gracious spirit to reach out, befriend and even grow to love our Mormon friends and neighbors. I hope pastors and church leaders will love their Mormon neighbors enough not to blur the lines and see Mormonism as simply another denomination, which, it appears, is the current Mormon desire. However, I also hope they dont love the word cult more than they love their Mormon neighbor. I hope they keep in mind how a lost world understands that term—and how your Mormon neighbor understands the term. We all should ask, Will it make them more willing to hear the truth? Mission to Mormons A while back on the blog, I talked about how Christians might relate to Mormons in the midst of what was then a growing discussion. Our nation has a short attention span, so that discussion has certainly lost much of its punch. But hopefully it wont go away completely. It is important that we continue to relate to Mormons with grace, engage them with truth and share the gospel with love. Im Senyange patrick jnr
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 07:56:30 +0000
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