Have You Been To - Heard About - One Of These Things?

[prisonchaplain]

I didn't realize all the people persecuting the mormons at Temple Square were "evangelicals." I think PC clarified that Evangelicism (is that a word?) was not a specific religion, but religions devoted to preaching the "good news" or the gospel. [/b]

Evangelicalism is a broad "theological school of thought," within non-Catholic Christianity. The emphasis is on the legitimacy and mandate for Christians to actively seek converts, per the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20). Additionally, we tend to hold a high view of Scripture, seeing it as inerrent, seeing the miracle stories as history, rather than allegory.

Ironically (from an LDS perspective), evangelicalism "split" from fundamentalists, in that we found their approach negative and argumentative. Rather than reject the culture, we argued that we should engage it, and try to offer godly contributions, until the day of Christ's return. Fundamentalists have mostly rejected the culture, arguing that Christians should serve like Noah's Ark, as a place for the repentant to escape to.

There is the National Association of Evangelicals, which many evangelical, including mine, belong to. It should be noted that the Southern Baptist Convention is not a member--and probably straddles the line between evangelical and fundamentalist.

I'm responding to your post because the church my husband is now attending is an evangelical church, but was once known as the Worldwide Church of God. We get along great, and love each other dearly. However, when I've gone to church/church socials with him, I have more than once heard negative sentiment towards LDS people. It does hurt~
Dove
[/b]

The Worldwide Church of God used to be viewed much like the LDS church be evangelicals. It's insistence upon Sabbath observance, it's rejection of Christian holidays in favor of Old Testament ones, and some other unique doctrines made it stand apart. In addition, Herbert W. Armstrong was fond of saying that listeners would not hear his teachings in other churches, thus setting himself apart. He/they may not have used the term "restoration," but defintitely fit the motif.

After Armstrong's death, the new leadership rapidly stirred the WWCOG towards mainstream evangelicalism. The unique doctrines were mostly jettisoned, as were the Old Testament festival observances. In fact, I believe the current leader of the WWCOG was on the platform at the LDS Tabernacle service I linked earlier in this string.

I like what you're saying, Aaron. It has baffled me for a long time how many unkind people I have met in christian religions, including Mormonism. Why does this happen when Christ teaches that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love your neighbour as yourself. I wonder if it's all too easy to get lost in the pride of thinking one is living all the commandments while others don't measure up. I don't know. Just a lot of food for thought for me~
Dove
[/b]

Religion is nuetral (not God, not truth...religion). Those who would do good, can be inspired to even greater goodness. Those who would do evil can be inspired to even greater evil.

[the Ogre]

Dove,

Every semester, I take an institute class with all the young kids here at UVU to counter-balance the academic agnosticism of my classes. One of my teachers is a guy named Bro. Gibbons (the Four Gospels). He is a Latter-day Saint Evangelical. He tells the students he is an evangelical and that we all should be. He pounds away at the "Good News" every class and that we should be about that same work. He says people are just stupid about their private bigotry against what is different or what competes against us economically.

He thinks we should be very involved with the community around us. Unfortunately, most of my community is the virtual world and the neighbors are often not nice at all. I am not very trusting of the Evangelicals I have met online over the years. I always wonder about their motives and what it is they are trying to teach me when they discuss LDS theology.

This paranoia is something I have to get over, but often the caution is merited.

Aaron the Ogre

[prisonchaplain]

The internet, like religion, can make nice people even nicer, and obnoxious people oh so much more so. Additionally, even some people who might be polite and reserved in real life sometimes tap into their "inner-adolescent" when they enter the cyber world. Jus my humble opinion, of course.