Pure balderdash! And, BTW
Posted on 06/08/2009 6:38:16 AM PDT by restornu
Christians are fickle when it comes to allegiance to a denomination.
According to a Pew Forum study in April, 44 percent of Protestants have changed denominations at least once.
Christy Darlington of Colorado Springs, for example, explored the ideas of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Jehovah's Witnesses more than 10 years ago before returning to her childhood faith of evangelical Christianity.
But what sets Darlington apart is that in 1997 she formed Witnesses for Jesus in response to her experiences with those denominations.
Witnesses for Jesus, a nonprofit evangelical Christian organization supported by donations, helps disaffected Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses come to terms with their experiences and, perhaps, embrace the evangelical understanding of religious salvation.
Did Darlington, 32, experience a traumatic event within the Mormon Church and the Jehovah's Witnesses that motivated her to form Witnesses for Jesus?
Well, no. In fact, she was never a member of either church and says she kind of liked the worshipers. But upon re-embracing the literal truth of the Bible as interpreted by evangelicals, Darlington was compelled to warn others about what she calls false doctrine.
"We are not out to bash the Mormon Church and Jehovah's Witnesses," said Darlington, who runs the organization out of her home.
"Our focus is to get people to see the difference (between those faiths and evangelical Christianity) and make their own choice."
Witnesses for Jesus has 35 Colorado Springs members and 200 more online nationwide through the nonprofit's three Web sites (www.4mormon.com, www.4jehovah.org, www.4witness.org), which gently mock and impugn the doctrines of the two denominations.
Meetings are free to attend and include fellowship, Bible study and guest speakers who rail against Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses.
The group's next meeting is June 20 in a Colorado Springs park that Darlington won't reveal because of security concerns. She expects a handful of people to attend.
Organization member Tressa Ballard, 62, left the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1990 and has since embraced evangelical Christianity. The Colorado Springs resident sometimes speaks at the meetings about how four of her five children who remained in the church refuse to talk to her since she left the faith. "People can leave, but they will be shunned by family and friends," Ballard said.
But Martin Ringle, spokesman for the local Jehovah's Witnesses churches, said shunning is not part of the faith. "Sounds like a personal decision her kids have made," Ringle said.
A sometime speaker for Witnesses for Jesus is Phillip Naugle, a 64-year-old Colorado Springs resident and a Mormon until 2000. Now an evangelical Christian, Naugle said that leaving the Mormon Church is difficult because its theology insists that the faith is the only way to be saved.
Naugle dismisses the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith as a plagiarized work written by "a member of a cult," but the Bible is the work of God, he said. "There is nothing in the Bible that can be disproved."
Mark McConkie, president of the Colorado Springs Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, respects Naugle's views.
"A bedrock principle of our faith is to allow all people the privilege of worshipping God according to their own consciences," McConkie said in a statement. "This principle even applies to former members who have become disaffected."
Darlington claims to hold a similar view to McConkie's about being open to different belief systems, but she's also firm in her belief that Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses follow false doctrine.
"I didn't like how they looked at the Bible differently," Darlington said. "They don't teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven."
Link?
Ping
"I didn't like how they looked at the Bible differently," Darlington said. "They don't teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven."
Well to me IMHO the only way to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again is to believe and receive a witness from the Spirit of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
John 14
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. I pray that all who choose to leave that their hearts will find rest and peace in the Lord
Probably the discovery that they were false and their doctrines lead people away from the real Christ and towards Another Christ.
That could be pretty traumatic.
OH, REALLY?
Then why: The group's next meeting is June 20 in a Colorado Springs park that Darlington won't reveal because of security concerns.
Did Darlington, 32, experience a traumatic event within the Mormon Church and the Jehovah’s Witnesses that motivated her to form Witnesses for Jesus?
Probably the discovery that they were false and their doctrines lead people away from the real Christ and towards Another Christ.
That could be pretty traumatic.
****
Well how do you think I felt as a mainstream Christian when I learn by the power of the Holy Ghost that did fullfill EPHESIANS 4 as I seek through the years?
EPHESIANS 4
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism—Apostles and prophets essential to the Church—Saints exhorted to live righteously—They are sealed unto the day of redemption.
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called
,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
I was filled with JOY tohave my 18 year quest answered and no longer limited in the Knowledge of the Lord.
The Lord gives us free will so each of us can find where we will be able to reside that is suited to our temperment.
John 14
Jesus speaks of many mansions; says he is the way, the truth, and the life; that to see him is to see the Father—He promises the first and second Comforters.
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
I guess I am one that the article would consider “fickle.” Raised Baptist, became Presbyterian, then landed on non-denominational. But, unlike LDS or Witness, all of these adhere to the essentials of the historic Christian faith, once delivered to the saints.
So you are a Mormon because your free will was exercised and it suits your temperment?
Whether or not it was a false religion founded by a false prophet doesn't matter as long as YOU feel good about it, huh?
Is Christian rhetoric partly to blame for abortion doctor’s murder?
June 2nd, 2009, 9:01 am by Mark Barna
Dr. George Tiller was murdered Sunday while handing out church brochures in his place of worship in Kansas. Based on police reports, it appears that the alleged murderer, Scott Roeder, was a religious zealot with strong pro-life views.
Responses from pro-life advocates have been measured, though some, namely that of James Dobson, Randall Terry and Bill Dohohue, have included denunciations not only of the murder but also of the murdered.
Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said in a statement Sunday that “Tiller recently faced serious charges related to the killing of babies in violation of the law, by the most grotesque procedures administered without anesthetic or compassion …. The doctor had the blood of countless babies on his hands.”
Terry, founder of the pro-life group Operation Rescue, said Monday that “George Tiller was a mass murderer. We grieve f0r him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God.”
Donohue, national apologist for Catholicism, said Tuesday that Tiller “proudly took the lives of over 60,000 children.”
Could this kind of rhetoric be construed by fringe anti-abortionists as veiled justification of the murder? Will conservative Christians who are radically anti-abortion sympathize with the murderer?
Well, it's plain to see what Barna thinks of Christians. He has a blog on the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Then why: The group’s next meeting is June 20 in a Colorado Springs park that Darlington won’t reveal because of security concerns.
***
I don’t know what that means because the Lord gives us all free agency!
There are plenty of X Mormons who meet in a Church in heart of down town Salt Lake City every week
LOL ....essentials of historic Christian Faith.
....That God lives on a planet called Kolob?
...That there are perhaps millions of gods - and our god is just one of those?
...That you too, can become a god?
...That Father God came down to earth and phyically impregnated Mary?
...That Joseph Smith is the Prophet of God that was called to restore historic Christianity because it was removed from earth shortly after Jesus died?
....Polygamy is part of heaven?
Do you mean THOSE “historic essentials of Christian faith?”
There are no ex-mormons who meet in a church in downtown Salt Lake every week. resty - that is an outright misrepresentation.
Many ex-mormons like myself, meet in many different Churches throughout the Salt Lake Valley as part of the Christian body each week. Most of the congregants at my Christian Church have never been Mormon, and they are most often appalled when they discover what Mormonism REALLY teaches.
Many Christians (as is evident even on this thread) don't really know the teachings of Mormonism (Latter Day Saints) - or anything about its “sacred not secret” practices.
The Lord gives us free will so each of us can find where we will be able to reside that is suited to our temperament.
So you are a Mormon because your free will was exercised and it suits your temperament?
Whether or not it was a false religion founded by a false prophet doesn’t matter as long as YOU feel good about it, huh?
***
It works both ways obviously if I left mainstream church it did not answer those question in the Bible it was limited it could only share the word to a certain point and than it stop!
My soul knew there was more and I also came to realized that when more is given more is expected.
It is the different between the lesser law and the higher law when the people during the time of Moses refused to live the higher law.
Jesus came to fulfill that Law.
As witness in conversations Jesus had with the Pharisees and the Sadducees some have parts of the higher law and the other group had the lesser law.
This is why they could not understand the words of Jesus and even the mainstream today are unable to understand those talks because they are using the world’s measuring stick and not the Lord’s.
Not all of the children of the Lord like the the same thing and therefore would not be happy under some circumstance.
Yeah, that's why there are 60,000 mormon missionaries out telling folks that membership in the mormon church is the only way to salvation.
Uh...no - those are heretical teachings.
What Ministry was that who put out the anti LDS CD which many of you deliveer on Easter Morning years ago?
I remember the Baptist held their conversion in SLC to convert the LDS, Huckabee also attented one of those times with an anti LDS group meeting in SLC.
There were and maybe still are protesters around SLC and they show up a Temple opening and also the LDS pageants etc.
Pure balderdash! And, BTW
Sure there are xldsers that meet in Salt Lake City, its called meeting in churches that preach the Word of God not some made up stuff found in a top hat.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.