Is Mormonism Closer to Islam than to Orthodox Christianity?

[_Jason Bourne]

• Both claim to be the restoration of the “true gospel” that had been lost,

Does Islam claim to be a restoration of the true Christian gospel? Not to my knowledge.

• Both restorations involved visions,

Agree. Judaism and Christianity involve visions as well. So?

• Both restorations were assisted by an angel,

Yes. Angels made visitations in the founding of Christianity and in the Old Testament as well.

• New Holy Scriptures were revealed to man from a book that exists in heaven (or on Kolob as the case may be),

Ok I will give you this one.

• Both new scriptures claimed to be the perfect word of God,

Agree

• Multiple, inconsistent creation stories in the new revealed scripture,

I do not know about Islam but I think for Mormonism you are referring tot he Book of Moses as compared to the Book of Abraham?

• Practice of polygamy sanctioned at some point in both religions,

Yes

• Strict patriarchal authority in both religious and family life,

Yes

• Both religions are structured as effective theocracies,

Yes as was the Catholic Church for quite sometime.

• Both religions teach that Earth is to be cleansed by fire in the last days,

As does Christianity. Read Revelation.

• Both religions have sanctions against use of alcohol and tobacco,

Agreed.

• Both have ritualized fasting required by all adherents,

Yes and I believe fasting is part of many Christian sects and part of Judaism as well.

• Women relegated to secondary roles and subjected to the husband (or in Islam to any other male relative).

Ok. And in many Christian sects as well.

• Women encouraged to dress modestly, with sanctions against those who fail to do so.

Men are encouraged to dress modesty in Mormonism as well. What sanctions do LDS persons receive if they dress immodestly?

• Both the Book of Mormon and the Koran contain stories and/or extended near-verbatim passages from the Bible.

Yes. The New Testament also quotes the Old Testament.

• Both religions accept the Bible as scripture, but believe it to be corrupted in some ways and hold their revealed scriptures to be “more correct”.

Agree

• In both Islam and Mormonism, apostasy condemns one to hell, and in Islam apostasy can require blood atonement (that is, the death of the apostate).

I do not think Mormonism condemns apostasy to hell depending on how you define hell.

• Principle of blood atonement in Mormonism has analogs in Islam including death to apostates and the tradition of "honor killings". That is, there are certain sins that can only be atoned for by the shedding of blood. (Honor killings in Islam are usually visited upon young females.)

Mormon no longer teach blood atonement.

• Both of the revealed "perfect books" (Koran and Book of Mormon) were later revised to make them "more correct". Mohammad removed the "Satanic Verses" from the Koran, and more than a thousand changes have been made to the Book of Mormon since the original edition was printed.

Ok. But do some textual study on the Bible and you find the same thing.

• Both religions initially contained elements of polytheism, which were later removed (“Satanic Verses” from the Koran) or de-emphasized or denied such as man-to-God and Adam-God principles in Mormonism.

ok.

• Both religions have multiple heavens. There are 7 in Islam and 3 (plus additional degrees), in Mormonism, where men can be accorded multiple wives (and / or concubines in Islam).

Agree

• Both religions were divided into two or more sects by disagreements over whether the right to lead the religion (succession) should be inherited, or when new leaders tried to reform or update the basic tenets of the religion.

Yes and how many Christian sects today.

• Belief in the existence of "immortalized" or "translated" beings (The Three Nephites in Mormonism and the Immortal Imam in Islam), who still walk the earth waiting to be of assistance to the faithful in some future time of crisis.

Ok

• Both borrowed from paganism/polytheism. Muhammad incorporated that polytheistic moon god called "Allah" and "Allah's three daughters" into Islam. Basically Muhammad chose Allah from within 350 known gods that were worshipped in Arabia and proclaimed the moon god to be the greatest and only God. Joseph Smith borrowed from the Masons and other magic system

And Christianity adopted many pagen practices and holidays as well.

•

Both claimed to be uneducated / illiterate and used this fact as proof (evidence) their book was inspired.

Yes and Jesus was a carpenter and Peter a fisherman.

• Both claimed the Bible, though originally inspired, was lost, altered, corrupted and unreliable.

ok

• As a matter of record, Joseph Smith and Muhammad both had multiple wives and mistresses / concubines.

Can anyone come up with as many similarities between Mormonism and Orthodox Christianity?

Yes many. But it is late.

Really your comparison is mostly simplistic and forced. As noted many of your similarities are also found in historical Christianity and Judaism as well. Personally I think it is ridiculous to argue that Mormonism is more like Islam for one main reaosn. Mormonism believes Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. It believes he died for our sins and was resurrected. Sure there are differences in how Mormonism views the nature of God as compared to orthodox christianity. But all the same, Jesus is God and one at least in purpose with the Father. Islam ha nothing like that.

[_Uncle Dale]

...
Does Islam claim to be a restoration of the true Christian gospel? Not to my knowledge.
...

No -- but a Muslim will tell you that Adam, Enoch, Abraham and Jesus all
practiced/taught the same one true religion (Islam).

In each of the six initial dispensations a great prophet or holy man
teaches the truth, but his religion eventually becomes corrupt.

Had Smith been more careful in copying the model provided by
Islam, he would have demoted Jesus to something less than
the Jehovah of Mormonism.

But, as I said in another posting, I suppose that Smith was
evolving his doctrines all along, and that he would have eventually
elevated himself to a divine status equal to (or higher than) the
LDS Jehovah.

UD

[_Alfredo]

I just realized that TBMs are more historically committed to the belief in Book of Mormon characters and church figures (even trusting they're living after death in a mystery parallel dimension) than any Mormon ever supposed they "knew" Mohammed was a true prophet at all.

They really should cus he's cooler than Joseph for sure.

[_madeleine]

Muhammad consummated his marriage to his wife Aisha when she was 9 years old. Muhammad was 53.

The subject or Muhammad's (more than 4) wives was brought a call-in question on one of the religious programs I mentioned on the other thread. The explanation given by the young cleric was something like:

"Islamic Scholars have determined, by the Islamic principles of "scholarly consensus" and "analogy" , that Allah was willing to make an exception for his prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on this issue.

What do Western scholars have to say, in anything, about this?

Muhammad was "caring" for widows is one I've seen...also used by Mormons as a "reason" to practice polygamy.

(Never mind that you can care for someone without requiring them to marry you first.)

Aisha is usually described as a political alignment.

[_DrW]

Really your comparison is mostly simplistic and forced. As noted many of your similarities are also found in historical Christianity and Judaism as well. Personally I think it is ridiculous to argue that Mormonism is more like Islam for one main reaosn. Mormonism believes Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. It believes he died for our sins and was resurrected. Sure there are differences in how Mormonism views the nature of God as compared to orthodox christianity. But all the same, Jesus is God and one at least in purpose with the Father. Islam ha nothing like that.

The similarities I listed are mainly things that a Mormon living in an Islamic culture picks up on fairly quickly. These are the kinds of things that high LDS Church officials (IIR) have commented on when observing that Mormons would be "very comfortable" living in an Islamic Society.

Actually, I suppose these comparisons have mainly to do with the trajectories of Mohammad and Joseph Smith themselves, rather than their respective religions as they exist today. To me, the comparisons also serve as a commentary on the origin of religions in general, and indicate how arbitrary, unfounded in reality and "make it up as you go along" these religions actually are.

Also, please recognize that my point of view is very different than yours. From my foxhole, Mormonism and Islam are both silly, man-made holdovers from a time when we as humankind had to make up stories to explain the world around us. This is because we had inadequate understanding of physics, biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, etc.

I would not disagree that, to someone who is serious about religion, the comparisons listed would seem simplistic and forced. To me, however, similarities and differences among the thousands of religions that exist, or have existed, is more a matter of casual interest than one of consequence.

[_Jason Bourne]

The similarities I listed are mainly things that a Mormon living in an Islamic culture picks up on fairly quickly. These are the kinds of things that high LDS Church officials (IIR) have commented on when observing that Mormons would be "very comfortable" living in an Islamic Society.

Actually, I suppose these comparisons have mainly to do with the trajectories of Mohammad and Joseph Smith themselves, rather than their respective religions as they exist today. To me, the comparisons also serve as a commentary on the origin of religions in general, and indicate how arbitrary, unfounded in reality and "make it up as you go along" these religions actually are.
Also, please recognize that my point of view is very different than yours. From my foxhole, Mormonism and Islam are both silly, man-made holdovers from a time when we as humankind had to make up stories to explain the world around us. This is because we had inadequate understanding of physics, biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, etc.

I would not disagree that, to someone who is serious about religion, the comparisons listed would seem simplistic and forced. To me, however, similarities and differences among the thousands of religions that exist, or have existed, is more a matter of casual interest than one of consequence.

That is fair. And the comment I bolded above is one I am more and more sympathetic towards. But I see it in most religions. I am more convinced we would see it in early Christianity if we had better documemtation and as noted many of the similaraties you point out are in Christianity and Judaism right in their canon. Also if you study early Christianity it seeems a hodge podge of ideas that were competing for being top dog. We can pick on Mormonism easily because it is so new and young and records are readily available. But the historic Christian faith is certainly full of oddities, changes, splinters, claims of authority through visions (Paul the apostle for example) and so on.

My point was to point out that many religions have these similarities. And while I know little about Islam really I do think the basis of Mormonism's doctrine is still based in the Christian tradition.

[_sock puppet]

From my foxhole, Mormonism and Islam are both silly, man-made holdovers from a time when we as humankind had to make up stories to explain the world around us. This is because we had inadequate understanding of physics, biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, etc.

+1

[_DrW]

That is fair. And the comment I bolded above is one I am more and more sympathetic towards. But I see it in most religions. I am more convinced we would see it in early Christianity if we had better documemtation and as noted many of the similaraties you point out are in Christianity and Judaism right in their canon. Also if you study early Christianity it seeems a hodge podge of ideas that were competing for being top dog. We can pick on Mormonism easily because it is so new and young and records are readily available. But the historic Christian faith is certainly full of oddities, changes, splinters, claims of authority through visions (Paul the apostle for example) and so on.

My point was to point out that many religions have these similarities. And while I know little about Islam really I do think the basis of Mormonism's doctrine is still based in the Christian tradition.

Without a doubt. No argument there.

It is sometimes helpful to think of Middle Eastern Islamic societies as examples of a religion (especially with regard to orthopraxis*) that has changed very little from when it was founded. Christianity and Islam certainly used to have more in common than they have now.

One thing that really hits home to an apostate Mormon atheist living here is what a great example this is of life in a religious (as opposed to secular) society. I think it is much like Utah would be if the Brethren had their way. Everyone must appear pious in public. Conformity and uniformity in religion and core values are required.

At the same time, however, small ways of overtly demonstrating one's status or wealth, while still appearing pious and egalitarian, are very much sought after (and noticed).

One example of this is the cars they drive. One sees more Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Aston Martins and big Mercedes here (especially per capita of nationals) than I have ever seen (Including Hollywood, Palm Beach, and Dubai). And it is not just the cars.

A better example if this "passive aggressive demonstration of status" is the fact that some people here elect to pay more for the license plate displayed on their car than they paid for the car itself. Double digit numbered license plates can sell for as much as 50,000 dollars. When they come on the market, single digit plates have sold for more than $250,000 (that is not a typo).

One of the staff in our company here is from a wealthy family and she considers her modest $12,500 dollar license plate (purchased several years ago) as an investment. After all, she reminds me, there are more wealthy Omanis every day, but there will never be more than 89 license plates with two digit numbers.

Anyway, there is a severe lack of innovation here stemming from a traditional lack of diversity of thought. It is a monotonic society in more ways than one. Sort of like Utah County on steroids (apologies if you live in Utah Country, but if you do, you know what I mean).

So, when my TBM relatives back home ask if I have any concerns about living in the Middle East, I trot out my "list" and tell them that I have no concerns at all. After all, Islam is just like Mormonism, and I survived that.

_______________________________________________________

* Have been waiting for a chance to use this word in a sentence ever sinceI I saw it in one of Stak's posts.

[_Peppermint Patty]

Very good OP. I would give you a rep point if I could.

[_DrW]

Very good OP. I would give you a rep point if I could.

Why thank you.

(Considering where you come from and how you got here, that means a lot.)