When Will We Ever Learn?

A week after the second series of bombings in London, even the ‘tolerant’ people of England are beginning to assess their acceptance of bad ideology. Talk is growing about limiting the radical Islamic discourse that permeates many of the mosques in that country. People are starting to understand that bad ideas have deadly consequences.

We are going to have to face the same dilemma here in America; it’s just a matter of time. We are going to have to recognize the foundation upon which our culture is built (its moral code, its understanding of purpose and destiny), and protect that foundation from erosion. Every day in America, the religious and ethical foundation of our country is under attack, and sadly, the very institutions that were created to protect that foundation are often part of the problem.

Last weekend our group traveled out to the opening of the Newport Mormon Temple, where we had the chance to hang out in the parking lot of the shuttle service (several miles from the Temple grounds) and talk to people who were visiting the Temple during its open house period. Many of these folks are Christians who come to visit, confused about the nature of Mormonism and unaware that its doctrines are diametrically opposed to Christianity at many key points. We have the chance to illuminate these points of contradiction and talk about the differences. We believe it is a valuable endeavor, as it often prevents Christians from being drawn into a belief system that denies the powerful work of God’s GRACE.

About a week before we started the outreach, we learned that a large Christian Mega-Church had also agreed to allow its empty parking lot to be used as a starting point for the Temple shuttles each day. This church didn’t want to be seen as intolerant, and wanted to be a good neighbor to the Mormons, so they decided that they would NOT allow Christians on the parking lot or the property to have the kind of discussions we were trying to have. No witnessing, no distribution of literature, no access to the property at all. In essence, the church was going to allow the Mormons safe passage without any contact with Christians at the site.

The very institution that was created to protect our religious foundation, was going to allow a group (Mormons) to utilize its facility so it could draw some of these same Christians from their faith. Make no mistake about it, Temple openings are powerful instruments for the Mormon church to proselytize Christians into Mormonism. They open houses are designed for just such a purpose. This local Mega Church had allowed itself to become part of that process of conversion in its attempt t be tolerant and friendly.

How much has to happen around the world until we finally get it? We are not called to aggressively eliminate opposing ideologies, but we do have the right to defend our own position. Mormonism denies the Grace of God as a FREE GIFT, and therefore denies the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. When people accept the false Gospel of Mormonism, they place themselves under the judgment of God. We are called as Christians to LOVE these folks enough to tell them the TRUTH about their errant theology. If nothing else, we ought to be smart enough NOT to partner with them as they draw more Christians into the deception.

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When Will We Ever Learn?

When Our Position Breaks Down

Maybe it’s just our nature, but it seems that when we come to the end of good reasons to believe or defend something, we simply resort to emotional reactions; have you ever noticed that? For example, have you ever debated a subject with someone and reasoned with them until they simply had no reasonable defense left to offer? What generally happens? The person you are dealing with will often resort to ad hominem attacks (arguments that are NOT designed to address the message, but instead simply attack the messenger). These kinds of attacks are generally emotional in nature and break down into simple name calling. But shame on us, if we, as Christians, ever restore to personal attacks…

Now you might think that a call for us to argue with civility is based in the teaching of Jesus Christ who calls us to love others (including those who hate us), and to a degree it is true that this command of Christ must always be in the forefront of our thoughts. But there is another reason why we should be able to discuss the turth with civility. Remember why people resort to negative emotionalism in the first place. It is simply because they have been cornered and cannot offer a reasonable explanation to support their beliefs. They are backed into an uncomfortable spot, trying desperately to hold onto something they cannot support with reason, and finding themselves in a fight or flight scenario. Should they abandon the false belief they've held for years, or fight emotionally to defend themselves?

We, as Christians, should never find ourselves in this position. There is more than enough reason to believe that Christianity is true. There is more than enough archeological, scientific, philosophical and sociological evidence to support what we believe. If we find ourselves slipping into emotional, defensive ad hominem attacks, it is probably because we have not equipped ourselves to defend our faith as we should. You and I, as Christians, should never find ourselves simply tossing up our hands in frustration or allowing ourselves to lash out at someone who disagrees with us. We need to understand the truth and be prepared to defend it.

As I sort through the emails I received after we returned from Utah last week, I am learning to be patient with people who find themselves unable to adequately defend what they believe. They find themselves in a faith position that relies on emotion for confirmation. And because they have allowed themselves to live this way (without adequate evidential reasons to know that what they believe is actually true, and without an aggressive desire to search the evidence), they find themselves limited to emotional responses.

Jesus called us to a better life, and a better way to defend our faith. That’s why He spent three years here on planet earth, giving us adequate evidence that He was who He said He was. He encouraged Thomas to test Him by touching His wounds, and He spent 40 days with the disciples after his resurrection, giving them “many convincing proofs” that He had indeed been resurrected (Acts 1:3). Jesus himself encouraged us to have good reasons for what we believe, and to behave as though we have these evidences when we talk and reason with others.

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When Our Position Breaks Down

Moving From Protest to Rescue

We just spent a week in the State of Utah, sharing the Gospel of Grace with the people of the LDS faith. Along the way we came under heavy fire and condemnation from members of the Church, and the experience encouraged us to examine our hearts and motives. There were many times when we wondered why we should even have bothered to make such a trip.

We spent time in the neighborhood that surrounds BYU, going door to door in a manner that is similar to the Mormon Missionary tradition. We also spent time on the campus of BYU (including a 2 ½ hour session with John Tvedtnes, Senior Resident Scholar for the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts). In addition to this, we visited the Temple in Salt Lake City.

While we were at the Temple, we took the time to stop and talk to visitors outside the Temple gate (both Mormon and non-Mormon) about the difference between Mormonism and Christianity. We shared the truth that Christianity still stands alone as the only faith system on the planet that embraces the concept of GRACE; the notion that God alone is powerful enough to save us. Mormonism is yet another religious invention that requires humans to work hard to save themselves. We’ve written so much about this truth on our website that I won’t belabor the point here in this post.

But we truly believe that Christian scripture warns us not to offend God by thinking that we can save ourselves with our own good deeds. This is what the people in Galatia did in Paul’s day. After accepting the reality that they were saved by the work of Jesus alone, they began to add back the requirement of their own good works, and Paul reacted by telling them:

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9)

Paul is very clear here, spending the better part of the remaining chapter trying to convince them that he too could argue that as a hardworking Jew, he could easily default to his own good works and obedience to the law. But he knew better. He knew that to rely on your own work is to deny the work of the cross:

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified… I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Galatians 2:16 and 21)

See, as Christians, we believe this is serious stuff. God is warning us here: don’t add works to the free gift I am offering. When we do that, we are an accursed people who deny the work of Jesus on the cross.

That’s why we go to Utah, that’s why we spend time in front of the Temple, that’s why we go door to door. Sometimes members of the Mormon Church will yell at us and ask us why we are standing around protesting against the church. It is true that we often hold signs that point people back to our website. It certainly may look like we are protesting. But my son (who also came on the trip) made an excellent point yesterday as we were debriefing the week. One interpretation of our actions could certainly be that we are picketing as we stand and talk to people outside the Temple Square. But another interpretation is truer to our actions in Utah last week. Sometimes people hold up signs and hand out literature to COMPLAIN about something and to PROTEST, but there are also times when people hold up signs and pass out literature to WARN about something.

As Christians, we truly believe that Mormons have surrendered their salvation for a notion of Good Works that insults the God of the Universe. That’s not our opinion, it’s the message of the Bible. If we were simply mad at these folks, we would stand outside their temple and complain and protest about them, but what point would there be in doing that? Wouldn’t that be a little silly? On the other hand, if we truly love them enough to care about their eternal destiny and we take the words of the Bible seriously, we might want to WARN them that they are heading down a path that God says is offensive; a path that God actually curses.

We spent a week in Utah. It was a powerful time filled with many meaningful spiritual discussions. And during this time, we tried to have a heart that was broken for the people of the LDS faith. It wasn’t really hard to do. After all, we weren’t there to protest. We were there to rescue.

Check out our articles on Mormonism and Christianiy at www.PleaseConvinceMe.com

Moving From Protest to Rescue