I have a tortoise gopher that lives in its burrow in my yard. I named him Sam after the Sam missiles that are housed in silos similar to his burrow. Yes that is probably a misnomer, Sam is surprisingly fast for a tortoise, but is no Sam missile. He is not much of a threat to anyone either. He usually stays in the grass in my yard, which he loves to eat, but sometimes he slowly ambles down my concrete driveway.
A couple of days ago I’d stopped my car to take a closer look at Sam when a friend drove up. She began to tell me that these tortoises can live to be a 100 years old and one can determine how old they are by turning them upside down and counting the rings on the plates comprising their shell. She said, “Turn him upside down and see how old he is.”
I asked her how old she was and she looked at me like I was shooting a dart at her. I then said, “You know they tell me one can determine how old a woman is by counting the wrinkles on her face” and then I acted like I was going to count the wrinkles in the corners of her eye. She recoiled and acted like she was going to sock me one.
I laughed and told her that I doubt that Sam, (or Samantha), is interested in our knowing how old he or she might be, or in being turned upside down. In fact when Sam is harassed he just goes into his shell and shuts it tighter than the dickens. If however I slowly approach him and act in a non-threatening way, he is much more receptive and will even allow me to get down to his level and photograph him as he munches contentedly on the green grass in my yard.
Yesterday some lady bombarded me over yesterday’s WFTD concerning Mormon’s being Christians and she went through a litany of their “cult-like” beliefs. She could have saved her breath. Long ago I decided that I wanted to learn more about this religion and I read a couple of books on it and even took a look at their Book of Mormon. I also talked with some Mormons extensively about their belief system and I don’t believe any of it. As I said yesterday I believe in the Holy Bible and I don’t believe the Book of Mormon is part of it. After Jesus died on the cross the need for prophets expired and anyway I believe Joseph Smith was just another charismatic fallen man and certainly no prophet.
With that said, my point yesterday was that I don’t think anyone aside from God should set themselves up as a judge in charge of determining who the Christians of the world are and aren’t. There are about 14 million Mormons in the world. According to this preacher’s Bible based Southern Baptist belief system, anyone who is not a Christian will go to hell; therefore if we follow his logic of Mormons not being Christians, he is condemning a little over 14 million people whom he doesn’t even know to hell. The Bible that I read doesn’t give him the authority to condemn anyone. In fact Jesus said that even He didn’t come to this planet in order to judge or condemn, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 12:47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it”. When He comes back the next time He will judge and condemn.
How many Mormons do you think will convert to Christianity in response to that Baptist preacher’s pronouncement that they all belong to a cult? I think this Dallas pastor made a mistake. I believe just like my old gopher tortoise Sam, Mormons are just going to withdraw into their shells and close them tighter than a drum when dealt with in such a manner. Christians should emulate Jesus Christ and the verse above should ring in our ears when we confront those whom we suspect might be lost.
I assume this preacher’s motive was more to get his buddy Governor Perry elected than to reach Mormons for Christ, but there I go judging someone for judging someone. Judging is a slippery slope is it not?
I have a section in my upcoming Success Seminar where I discuss ways to have a great marriage, raise wonderful kids, and resolve family problems. Communication plays a big role. If we taunt, deride, and treat others shabbily, we will not get as far as if we treat others with respect and dignity. Perhaps instead of pointing out the error of someone’s ways, we should focus on pointing out the one and only way we can enjoy peace, joy, and love; namely through our having a close relationship with Jesus Christ and using His Holy Word the Bible to guide every aspect of our daily lives. Judging has no part in that.
John 8:15
You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.