Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism) Part 2
Giving the Mormons a bit of a chance, here's part 2 where we face off against the book of Mormon.
Right from the introduction the book claims that the Native Americans were descendants of Israel. Considering the fact that no Amerindian tradition exists making any such claim and do to the very large gulf between the two systems of belief of Judea and the Americas (which more resemble Australian aboriginal beliefs, and those of ancient Asian tribes) this is already difficult to accept.
Next the book goes on to two testimonies of 3 and 8 witnesses respectively who attest that "they saw the plates the untranslated text was written on." First I think it would've been easier and more sure to keep the plates so they could be seen in the future, and though these witnesses claim they are of "ancient workmanship" they provide no evidence and claim no expertise in such analysis.
From Moroni 8:8
Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.
This is nowhere supported in the bible, not even in the testimony of Jesus that "little children are whole" and not capable of sin, rather the bible insists we are born with sin:
Psalm 51:5
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Since Mormons claim both these books are God given truth, such contradictions cannot stand.
"The Book of Mormon teaches that the disobedience of Adam and Eve in eating the forbidden fruit was necessary so that they could have children and bring joy to mankind (2 Nephi 2:23-25). In contrast, the Bible specifically declares that Adam's transgression was a sinful act of rebellion that unleashed the power of sin and death in the human heart and throughout God'’s perfect world (Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 5:12; 8:20-21). There is no Biblical support for the view that Adam and Eve could only fulfill the command to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28) by disobeying God'’s command regarding the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:17). The Book of Mormon teaching that these divine commands are contradictory, and that God expected Adam and Eve to figure out that in reality He wanted them to break the latter command ("of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it") in order to keep the former ("be fruitful and multiply"), has no basis in logic or the Biblical text, and attributes equivocation to God." --(http://www.irr.org/mit/bombible.html retrieved 6/28/2006)
Click the link above, it shows many other contradictions.
Then there's 2Nephi 10:7 which claims that once Jews believe in Jesus as their savior they will be returned to Israel as a nation. They've returned, but still deny Jesus is their savior. Therefore the result was reached without the "prophetically" required cause. Some Mormons argue that "some Jews" believe, therefore they got some of their land back. There is no prophecy saying this will happen in stages to explain this however. Also this gives them the ever pleasant "timeless" prophecy meaning if it hasn't been fulfilled you can't say its false because it still might be...I remain skeptical and though I'd normally leave the benefit of the doubt if this were all, the earlier arguments lead me to see this as false prophecy.
Then there's Mosiah 18:17 "And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward." set in 147 BC, this claims that the Christian church was founded in 147 BC, whereas scripture makes clear that
Matthew 16:18 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
The creation of the church being IN THE FUTURE from Jesus' perspective, about 200 years later than the book of Mormon would have it.
Then there's 2 Nephi 5:26 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people." Jacob and Joseph being of the tribe of Manassah. According to the Old Testament however (Numbers 3:9-10) Only those from the tribe of Levi would be made priests.
There are many more such contradictions, but I think I've made my point.
Right from the introduction the book claims that the Native Americans were descendants of Israel. Considering the fact that no Amerindian tradition exists making any such claim and do to the very large gulf between the two systems of belief of Judea and the Americas (which more resemble Australian aboriginal beliefs, and those of ancient Asian tribes) this is already difficult to accept.
Next the book goes on to two testimonies of 3 and 8 witnesses respectively who attest that "they saw the plates the untranslated text was written on." First I think it would've been easier and more sure to keep the plates so they could be seen in the future, and though these witnesses claim they are of "ancient workmanship" they provide no evidence and claim no expertise in such analysis.
From Moroni 8:8
Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.
This is nowhere supported in the bible, not even in the testimony of Jesus that "little children are whole" and not capable of sin, rather the bible insists we are born with sin:
Psalm 51:5
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Since Mormons claim both these books are God given truth, such contradictions cannot stand.
"The Book of Mormon teaches that the disobedience of Adam and Eve in eating the forbidden fruit was necessary so that they could have children and bring joy to mankind (2 Nephi 2:23-25). In contrast, the Bible specifically declares that Adam's transgression was a sinful act of rebellion that unleashed the power of sin and death in the human heart and throughout God'’s perfect world (Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 5:12; 8:20-21). There is no Biblical support for the view that Adam and Eve could only fulfill the command to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28) by disobeying God'’s command regarding the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:17). The Book of Mormon teaching that these divine commands are contradictory, and that God expected Adam and Eve to figure out that in reality He wanted them to break the latter command ("of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it") in order to keep the former ("be fruitful and multiply"), has no basis in logic or the Biblical text, and attributes equivocation to God." --(http://www.irr.org/mit/bombible.html retrieved 6/28/2006)
Click the link above, it shows many other contradictions.
Then there's 2Nephi 10:7 which claims that once Jews believe in Jesus as their savior they will be returned to Israel as a nation. They've returned, but still deny Jesus is their savior. Therefore the result was reached without the "prophetically" required cause. Some Mormons argue that "some Jews" believe, therefore they got some of their land back. There is no prophecy saying this will happen in stages to explain this however. Also this gives them the ever pleasant "timeless" prophecy meaning if it hasn't been fulfilled you can't say its false because it still might be...I remain skeptical and though I'd normally leave the benefit of the doubt if this were all, the earlier arguments lead me to see this as false prophecy.
Then there's Mosiah 18:17 "And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward." set in 147 BC, this claims that the Christian church was founded in 147 BC, whereas scripture makes clear that
Matthew 16:18 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
The creation of the church being IN THE FUTURE from Jesus' perspective, about 200 years later than the book of Mormon would have it.
Then there's 2 Nephi 5:26 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people." Jacob and Joseph being of the tribe of Manassah. According to the Old Testament however (Numbers 3:9-10) Only those from the tribe of Levi would be made priests.
There are many more such contradictions, but I think I've made my point.
posted by cyber-mountain guru at 8:13 AM
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