DaveH wrote:
The foremost one that comes to mind most of the time
I'm pondering our differences ... is our different
understandings of the nature of hell.
Yes, we do disagree on this. The Mormon viewpoint is so different from the
way Jesus taught on hell.
DaveH wrote:
Another distinctly odd difference (from my perspective) is
the commonly held belief by Protestants who can accept
the pre-mortal existence of God, Jesus and angels, yet
deny that we could have existed there as well.
I certainly do not deny the possibility that we could have existed there,
but the evidence I have before me suggests that my having existed before the
world began is very unlikely.
DaveH wrote:
The Trinity Doctrine is another theory that I find intriguing,
as it seems to me to be so obviously contrived.
I think this stems from the different ways that we approach Scripture. In
order to reconcile the Biblical passages that show Jesus being a distinct
person from the Father in heaven, yet also being the mighty God, the
everlasting Father (when you have seen Jesus you have seen the Father), the
name of Jesus being "Yahweh our Righteousness," etc., the Trinity doctrine
seems inevitable. One way Mormons skirt the issue is by saying that the
Yahweh of the Hebrew Scriptures is Jesus and that the "Father" is someone
else.
Another reason for the Trinity doctrine is to try and help stress the unity
of the Father and the Son while at the same time recognizing that they are
separate persons. Mormonism fails to adequately communicate the level of
unity between them, something the "same substance" concept of the Trinity
helps maintain.
DaveH wrote:
Theologically though, the failure to recognize the primary
apostasy and subsequent belief in the inherent authority
of the believer to be the most primary foundational differences
between us.
I recognize the apostasy along with you, but I do not recognize the
authority of organizations such as the LDS as you do. Yes, I recognize,
rightly so, that God invests authority in the believer as he operates in
faith toward him.
DaveH wrote:
IF a Protestant were to agree with me on any single point
above, the rest of the house would flutter to the gutter.
I'm not so sure about that. For example, I'm probably not that adverse to
agreeing with "preexistence." If I came to agree with you on that point, I
doubt that this would do much of anything to make me drop my other beliefs
about the eternal judgment of hell, about the Trinity, or about the
authority of the believer. With regards to the Trinity, I have nothing in
my belief system that forces me to profess myself a Trinitarian, but if I
were to disown the Trinity, I lean much more toward Oneness doctrine
(Sebellianism) than I do toward Mormon henotheism.
DaveH wrote:
If you were to ask me what I think a Protestant's
disagreement would be with Mormonism, I would
suspect that two words would be at the root of his
feelings.....Joseph Smith. But that's just a guess on
my part.
It is not Joseph Smith for me so much as your blind faith in Joseph Smith
and the LDS organization. I sincerely believe that your faith is in your
church organization rather than in Jesus Christ.
Peace be with you.
David Miller.
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"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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