(CNN) – GOP presidential hopeful and Mormon Jon Huntsman had some choice words on Monday for the Dallas pastor who's repeatedly described Mormonism as a "cult" and a "false religion" this weekend.It's outrageous that any moron can speak his mind in America? Yeah, if only we could get rid of that stupid First Amendment...
"The fact that, you know, some moron can stand up and make a comment like that, you know, first of all, it's outrageous," Huntsman said on "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."
That said, to discover whether the pastor is really a moron it might make sense to determine whether he is correct in his assertion that Mormonism is a cult. For that we need a definition. Now, this might be one of the few places where the dictionary cannot help us, because its definitions are too vague and lean too heavily on sociology. A cult can be any "particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies," in which case Mormonism is a cult, but then so is Anglicanism. Such a definition is not terribly helpful.
So we're going to need a different definition, a more specialized yet an also widely-accepted one. I propose the following: "A cult is a group that deviates doctrinally from a 'parent' or 'host' religion; that is, cults grow out of and deviate from a previously established religion." Gospel Outreach has a couple of examples, and they are right in line with much historical Christian teaching on cults. In short, a Christian cult is a new group that deviates from established Christianity while claiming to be Christianity. Islam, though based on Christianity, is not a Christian cult because it does not claim to be Christian. Mormonism, in claiming to be Christian, might be such a cult, if it can be shown that they deviate from established Christianity. So that is where we will have to make our case.
But rather than arguing over specific doctrines that might even make Catholics a cult*, I would rather present a pair of bigger fish for your frying pleasure:
1. Mormonism proposes a new prophet, Joseph Smith. Smith established the church, provided its doctrine and its additional scriptures, and is considered the spiritual head of Mormonism. He might be a true prophet or a false prophet. But his truth or falsehood aside, when your church is founded by a prophet that no one else has, you cannot but deviate doctrinally from the main religion.
2. Mormonism proposes a new book, The Book of Mormon, as "holy scripture comparable to the Bible." They also claim that their Doctrine and Covenants is "a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations." The truth or falsity of such claims aside, when your church relies on new scriptures that no one else has, you cannot but deviate doctrinally from the main religion.
Obviously, I do not believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, nor do I pay the slightest reverence to his Doctrine and Covenants - if I did, I would be a Mormon. And if someone is not a Mormon, they really have no choice but to conclude that Mormonism is a cult, even if John Huntsman calls them a moron** for it.
If someone is a Mormon, there's little good that can arise out of pretending to be one of us regular Christians, a people who will be tossed into the Gorge of Eternal Peril for ignoring both God's words and His prophet***. Well, other than to get our votes, of course.
* too many cult hunters would make everything outside the conservative wing of the Southern Baptist Convention a cult.
** not to be confused with Moroni, the angel who showed Smith the golden tablets (pictured above) which tell how a group of Israelites traveled to upstate New York in 600bc and established a thriving civilization that lasted centuries but alas failed to leave behind a single yarmulke.
*** And for not answering the five questions. Well, three questions.
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Another way to look at this is to describe common elements in cults and see if Mormonism share any of those. Walter Martin's "Kingdom of the cults" is a good reference for this kind of thing. one element he cites is whether or not the group lets you leave. Cults do not let you leave.
In the past, Mormons have placed death sentences on those who left the community. Now they just annoy you to death.
Odd thing about the spam filter issue, if you get caught in the filter and then I add you back in, on the main page that counts for 2 comments.
Maybe it just feels guilty.
"on the main page that counts for 2 comments."
ah-HA, you're a dirty post count padder you are!
as to the question of "What is a cult?" some of the things that i've noticed seem to be:
1 - the establishment of a new prophet with a 'new revelation'; Mormonism qualifies
2 - exceptional "tithing" ... which typically amounts to every spare dime a follower has. often they form 'communes', the better to conceal how much is being taken from each person. Mormons typically go on extensive 'missionary' trips, i'm not sure how their monetary tithing works; indefinite
3 - the leader and/or hierarchy SOMEHOW wind up with sexual benefits not available to the regular follower. "All your bitches are belong to us": although Mormons gave this up because they were afraid the rest of the U.S. was going to kick their A$$ if they didn't, this is an integral part of their theology, they qualify
ah-HA, you're a dirty post count padder you are!
Guilty, and the Prof makes my job that much easier by confusing the spam filter with a hammock.
All your bitches are belong to us
Good catch. Can't leave, we get your wives. Plus its ceremonies are loosely based on Freemasonry. That's like the trifecta of cult right there.
The Bible study group I attend did a series on "religions" over the summer. When we got to Mormonism, we learned two interesting things: (1) they have written works that aren't even available to their own general membership but are shared when they are ready and able to receive them and (2) they have a "living prophet" ie the President of the Church so that even the Book of Mormon changes over time as the Prophet deems necessary.
A cult? I think, YES!
i suppose if you wanted to pare the definition and operation principles of "cult" down to a bare minimum it would be something like:
Cults are organized for the benefit of the leader / hierarchy.
Churches are organized to benefit the membership.
all of the typically recognized characteristics of a cult flow from that first sentence.
I'm surprised that they didn't sue the Church of Scientology for plagarizing their doctrines. I'm equally surprised that L Ron Hubbard didn't just try to start a branch of Mormonism that embraced polygamy again because it would be so much simpler than try to make his own cult. Why reinvent the wheel when someone drops the specs for a Ferrari (as cults go, anyway) in your lap?
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