Perry: Raymond, you are very smooth. You almost had me believing
that you worship
the same Jesus and God that Terry worships.
Raymond: I worship the Father in the name of His Son Jesus
Christ.
Perry: You see, the God of the Bible never was a man.
Raymond: Have you never read that we are created in His image (Gen
1:26-27), or that His Son Jesus Christ is in His express image and likeness
(Heb 1:1-3).
Perry: He has no beginning and no end.
Raymond: That's true.
Perry: He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Raymond: In reference to His Godhood, that is true.
Perry: There were none before Him, and there will be none after
Him.
Raymond: For one, that's not true; and for two, I don't think you
understand what your own statement.
Perry: So He can't be the same
one you worship, who your religion claims was once a man (from a planet near
the star Kolob, no less)...who had a father...who was a god...who once was a
man...who had a father, and so on.
Raymond: Refusing to use appropriate capitalization won't help
you. Consider the following--
"And [Jesus Christ] hath made us kings and priests unto God [our
Heavenly Father] and his Father [our Heavenly Grandfather]; to him [Jesus
Christ] be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
(Rev 1:6)
Perry: Infinite regression...infinite 'gods'.
Raymond: That's 'infinite progression.' Consider the
following--
"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the
earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God." (Ps 90:2)
"But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto
children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember
his commandments to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the
heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all." (Ps 103:17-19)
"Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to
everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye
the LORD." (Ps 104:48)
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (1Cor 3:18)
-- How do you think one moves from everlasting to everlasting and from
glory to glory? Answer this -- if you have understanding. Do
you really know the things of the eternities?
Perry: So, the small 'g' god's son can't be Jesus Christ the Son of
the living God of the Bible.
Raymond: Jesus is a God with a capital "G." LDS Christians
are gods with a small "g," because we are 'gods in embryo' having received the
word of God.
"Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered
them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those
works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we
stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest
thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said,
Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and
the scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him, whom the Father hath
sanctified, and sent forth into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I
am the Son of God?" (John 10:32-36)
Perry: Is the godhead you mention
the Trinity, or three separate gods?
Raymond: The Godhead is mentioned three times in the New
Testament. They are three separate Gods. Jesus Christ and the Holy
Ghost are united in doing the will of the Father. They stand as one,
united in purpose. Hence-- The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God
or Godhead. The will of the Godhead being manifested through Jesus
Christ during His ministry (Col 2:9). The 'Trinity' is a doctrine first
proposed by Origin in the second century AD. It was further
developed by Tertullion and adopted by the Roman Catholic Church during
the 4th and 5th centuries. The doctrine of the Trinity replaced the
doctrine of the Godhead.
Perry: Isn't that called polythesim?
Raymond: No, although I accept the existence of many Gods -- I
only worship one. Polytheism is the worship of many
gods.
