Jesus, Jeffress, and Romney

[Chris]

Jesus, Jeffress, and Romney

Jesus, Jeffress, and Romney
By Terry James

Mainstream news media got their chance to paint evangelical Christianity as bigotry, and they were quick to do so. Dallas First Baptist pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress, told reporters that Mormonism is not Christianity, but a cult. He made the statement after introducing Texas governor Rick Perry to the audience Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the Value Voters Summit at Washington, D.C.

The eventual topic emerging to the forefront spun off of reporters, following his introduction of Perry, questioning Jeffress about whether the Christian Right would support a Mormon. Several questions led to asking why Christians objected to the Mormon religion, at which point the Dallas First Baptist pastor gave the answer that Mormonism is a cult, not true Christianity. The AP also reported that He said: "[Mitt Romney] is a good moral man, but those of us who are born-again followers of Christ should prefer a competent Christian."

The national mainstream press went into a gleeful feeding frenzy over what they perceived to be and continue to insinuate is a clear indication that the Tea Party, as it is called, is influenced and manipulated by the Christian hard-line right. That is no surprise. What is a surprise to some is that the Republican Party elite, who detest the Tea Party, also were quick to point to Jeffress--and all of the religious right-as being bigots of the most despicable order.

Up front, it is obvious to state, perhaps, that both the mainstream news media and the GOP elite want the same thing in this presidential election. They want Mitt Romney to be the Republican nominee for the office of president of the United States–even if for differing reasons.

The mainstream press wants Romney as the GOP candidate because it collectively thinks–as does its chosen party, the Democrats-will be easier to run against and defeat than a Republican conservative. The GOP elitists–those who have long wielded controlling influence within the Grand Old Party, and who are Washington-inside-the-Beltway power brokers-want the Tea Party and those of the Christian conservatives discredited because those Beltway insiders fear loss of control if a truly conservative Republican president is elected.

That happened more or less with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, and they watched their control sputter and pop to a large extent throughout the eight Reagan years.

Bill Bennett, one of those GOP insiders, was quick to remind the crowd at the Values Voter Summit of that GOP ruling elite view–which, of course, those in attendance should follow to the T, as opposed to things advocated by the Tea Party.

Bennett said, in reference to Dr. Jeffress: "You stepped on and obscured the words of Perry and (former Sen. Rick) Santorum and (businessman Herman) Cain and (Rep. Michele) Bachmann and everyone else who has spoken here. You did Rick Perry no good, sir, in what you had to say."

So, to take this dispute from the realm of the political and into where things really matter–God's realm of His interaction with humanity-the question must be raised: What did Dr. Jeffress say, in fact, that was off base so far as speaking the truth is concerned?

He has been called a bigot so many times since his comments that the term has probably begun to take on a different definition within the American lexicon. Those wanting to make him the central focus of their hatred for Tea Party types are unrelenting. Yet the truth is on the Dallas pastor's side, not on the side of his attackers.

My good friend Jack Kinsella stated it as succinctly as could be stated: "It is not bigotry to say that a faith that denies the most basic of all Christian doctrines according to all the mainstream canons of Christianity qualifies as a non-Christian cult. That isn't bigotry. It is theology (The Omega Letter Intelligence Digest, Vol 121, Issue 11, 10/11/11).

Regarding facts wrapped up in Robert Jeffress' comments as relates to truth about Jesus Christ, Mitt Romney, and his Mormon religion, there is absolutely nothing whatever to be found that shows there is error in the preacher's words. Mormonism is not the Christian religion, but a cult.

The Mormon religion denies the Bible's truth about who Jesus is, and the Mormon religion bases its diversion from Christianity upon a book authored by a man–Joseph Smith, who is the cult-figure they follow within their belief system.

Even one of Mormon's own central, contemporary cult members confirms the fact as stated by Dr. Jeffress.

"Michael Otterson, a spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--as the Mormons prefer to be known--and one of a stable of bloggers for the Washington Post On Faith site, is well versed on refuting the 'cult' slur.

Lest anyone think I am unduly thin-skinned, it's the insult implicit in the word 'cult' that I am objecting to, not the reasonable point that some Christians are indeed uncomfortable with aspects of Latter-day Saint theology. Of course they are. I am equally uncomfortable with some aspects of traditional, orthodox Christianity, which was the very issue that gave rise to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the first place."

He also notes on the Bible, the Trinity and the nature of God:

"It is perfectly true that Mormons do not embrace many of the orthodoxies of mainstream Christianity, including the nature of the Trinity" (George Frey, "Will Romney, Perry Race Be Christian vs. Christian?" Bloomberg News).

Jeffress is right, even according to Romney's fellow elite Mormon cultist. The question then becomes: Why is it wrong in America, in the long-standing political process, to simply state facts when recommending to people of like mind one candidate or another, based upon whether those candidates fit or not within our views and beliefs–including our Christian views and beliefs?

Jeffress didn't speak from a pulpit in recommending Perry. He didn't speak from behind his Dallas pulpit–or any other pulpit-when answering the reporters in a frank, honest way.

It is essential to remind here that the same mainstream news media didn't pursue the Rev. Jeremiah Wright–presidential candidate Obama's pastor of 20 years--when he, from his pulpit in Chicago, called on God to **** America for U.S. actions in a political context. He was allowed to speak in a way that made it obvious he hates this nation and most everything to do with it. Never did the mainstream press hold any of his political rhetoric, again, spewed from his church's pulpit, against him or his long-sitting parishioner, then-candidate Barack Hussein Obama.

Mormonism is a religious cult. It denies the very Christ of the Bible as being the everlasting God, making Him instead the created equal of the one they say is Jesus' brother –Lucifer. They base this, among other things, on the Book of Mormon and the writings of their long-dead cult guru, Joseph Smith.

If you wish to vote for Mr. Romney because of his ability, in your view, to lead this country out of the critically damaged condition in which we find ourselves, then it's your call, of course. But, don't do so thinking that Mitt Romney is a Christian. He is not.

I leave you with two forewarning proof texts of the matters just presented. "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Gal 1: 8-9) The Mormon cult claims its members are Christians. They are saying that Jesus is their Christ. But, the Mormon Christ is not the Christ of God's Holy Word, because they say He is a created being –an angel, not the Eternal Son of the Living God. As a matter of fact, the Bible--Jesus, Himself--claimed that He is God, the Second Godhead Member of the Holy Trinity –which the Mormon cult denies.

Jesus –the REAL Jesus- foretold that the time just before His Second Coming would be an era of great deception. At the center of that deception will be those who come claiming that He is Christ, but are saying at the same time that they are Christ. This, in my view, is most profound, considering what we are seeing today with regard to our own presidential election process.

"And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them." (Luke 21: 7-8)

Terry

[dave-o]

IMHO the most important question Jesus ever asked was "Who do YOU say that I am?"

Unless I'm mistaken this is the first time in history that this question has become a secular political issue.

[mattfivefour]

I agree, Dave. Unfortunately, over the past couple hundred or so years, Christianity and the interests of our Savior, Jesus Christ, have become more and more entwined with political interests. The early Church at its most dynamic operated in total separation from the political affairs of the day. They trusted in the leading and provision of God, not the results of their own efforts to shape the political landscape to their own thinking. When Constantine came on the scene and mixed politics with Christianity, it spelled the death knell for the purity of the Body which had already begun to be corrupted in the immediate post-apostolic era! Out of that grew the abhorrent enormity of the Roman Catholic Church.