FOX NEWS: Let Theologians Debate if LDS are Christians!

[_Tarski]

I yearn for the day when being called "christian" is a ubiquitous pejorative because it's so embarrassing (which is to say, everyone finally realizes how embarrassed they should be to wear that or any other religious label).

I yearn for the day when being called "christian" refers to one's compassion and love of fellow man and says exactly nothing about one's belief in the supernatural.

[_Some Schmo]

I yearn for the day when being called "christian" refers to one's compassion and love of fellow man and says exactly nothing about one's belief in the supernatural.

I don't think we'll ever see a complete divorce between craziness and theologically motivated goodness (or separation of church and state of being).

[_maklelan]

Father Jonathan Morris spoke today on FOX News about the current debate as to whether Mormonism is Christianity or not. He was extremely professional with his comments and very supportive of Romney as a presidential candidate.

But with respect to the very question: "Are Mormons Christian", he provided a very fair and honest response.  He said: "That is a question for Christian Theologians to discuss and debate".  

Now, knowing that the Catholic Church officially does not accept Mormonism as Christianity,

The Catholic Church only officially stated that it does not accept Mormon baptism as Christian baptism. Multiple Vatican documents, however, explicitly state that baptism isn't necessary to be a Christian. More than one Catholic official has officially stated that this policy decision is in no way a judgment of any Latter-day Saint's relationship with Christ. Additionally, two LDS apostles were recently invited to a special meeting with the Pope and were specifically invited to the meeting reserved for Christian leaders. The authority who extended the invitation even wrote an article about the decision.

he was being very accommodating to Romney as a candidate and to the Mormons as a Church in front of a national audience.  I found his presence to be so professional for the benefit of Romney and Huntsman and yet leave the door open for the Theological community to discuss and determine, knowing that his own doctrine has already concluded that Mormonism is NOT Christianity.

So here is a very relevant question/observation:  "Are there any 'Theologians' within the Mormon church who can speak in an official capacity for the Mormon church????

Why would someone need to speak in an official capacity for the church in order to engage this discussion?

From Monson on down throughout the Seventy - is there anyone of them who is a studied theologian?

Just what is a "studied theologian" in your view? I've known quite a few Evangelical leaders who are credentialed and whom I would hesitate to call "studied theologians."

Or are they all just businessmen and/or administrators?

They come from all kinds of backgrounds.

Who would ever be able to compete with Christian theologians in such a debate and still be able to speak in an "official capacity" for the Mormon church!?!?!?

"Compete" in what sense? See who knows more Greek? See who knows what Mormons do and don't believe?

Could anyone ever imagine Monson, as a claimed "Prophet", ever speaking officially for the Mormon church on Christian theology with other theologians?? Can you spell DISASTER or EMBARRASSMENT??!!

I can see him speaking officially for the Mormon Church on Latter-day Saint theology, which he would certainly define as Christian. I don't think he would need to really speak officially on Evangelical theology. Are you presupposing that Mormonism is not Christian in your questions here?

Would the Mormon church ever step up to define their faith in a public forum and debate w Christian theologians to defend their claim as Chistians??

The leaders of the Church obviously have more important things to do, but I am happy to discuss it in public fora, as I have for some time.

This is why I really believe the likes of Romney and Huntsman are left standing in isolation without any backing from their own Church!

Of course they have no backing. The Church stays out of political candidacies.  

The "I'm a Mormon" ad campaign is great for the Mormon church because it's what they do best - hide behind promotions and never show the courage to defend their claims, doctrines, history or "theology" in public.

Why do you demand that the leadership undergo these efforts? I think you're hanging your rhetoric on a bad comparison. Evangelicalism doesn't even have a central authority, so you can't point to anyone, learned theologian or otherwise, who speaks officially for all Evangelicalism, much less all non-Mormon Christianity. Just about anyone can start a church, call themselves the pastor, and claim to be a Christian leader. That doesn't mean they speak officially for Evangelicalism, does it?

[_maklelan]

Most leaders, officials and authorized speakers of major Christian Churches, by study and church culture, are usually graduates of divinity schools and have formal theological backgrounds if not degrees.  The Mormon church is the obvious exception.  So many, if not all other Christian Churches could provide, not only an official spokesperson to theological debate, but a credentialed theologian as well.  Again, the Mormon church would be unable to do so and would be ill prepared to defend their doctrines and beliefs in a respected theological forum - at least with any credibility.

So because a mainstream Christian church (a major one, of course) is able to provide an official with an MDiv, the Mormon Church is required to produce the equivalent? Is this really your argument?

Seriously, could anyone ever imagine Monson, or any other quorum or seventy member who could presumably speak officially for the Mormon church, attempting to discuss or debate the tenets of biblical Christianity with degreed theologians????  They would not know the first argument to make or how to defend.

I disagree entirely, and I think you overestimate the scholarship of leaders, officials, and authorized speakers of major Christian Churches.

And it's not like they could reach out to any graduates from the BYU school of theology/divinity!!  Nor would FARMS have anyone with the credentials to "preparation the Prophet"!

It seems to me you're just trying to mock the fact that Latter-day Saint leadership does not pass through seminaries.

Having control over members does not equate to control over knowledge.

I see.