zk: As a Catholic, I want to tread carefully on the issue of Mormonism. I don’t think of Hindus, or Buddhists, or Jews, or other Christian sects as wacky. I have an issue with Islam, but largely because it is a religion designed to be proselytized by the sword, and offers no equal accommodation with other faiths, especially where it is the dominant religion.
There is a demonstrable historicity to Jesus. One can find proof of his existence, as well as his teachings, and his torture and death at the hands of the Romans. Does this make him the Son of God? No, but I believe he is.
My main issue with the Mormons is how this religion came into being. An angel named Moroni brought a set of golden plates down to earth for Joseph Smith to read and transcribe. Transcription was achieved by using magic goggles (also provided by Moroni). The Book of Mormon is the result of this event. The Book of Mormon makes some pretty fantastical representations (Jesus coming to America after his resurrection is one), and these have been debunked by historians and scholars over the years. And not just Christian historians and scholars. BYU (Brigham Young University) has spent considerable time and money trying to prove that the representations made in the Book of Mormon did in fact happen, but has failed utterly.
Again, as a Catholic, I want to be very careful in using the word “cult” as that finger can justifiably be pointed right back at us. However, Catholicism’s theological underpinnings are sound, unlike Mormonism’s. Remember, Martin Luther was a Catholic priest prior to the Schism, and his issue with the Church was not theological, rather it centered on abuses (bastard children, sale of indulgences, land holdings and sales, etc) that were wholly earthly in nature.
