Mormons Are Christians

Contradictions - Mormons can believe the Bible to be the word of God just as any other Christian can believe the Bible to be the word of God. Con admits to the errors in the translations, but says the original texts are inerrant(however, we don't have the original texts, so nobody can study them to learn from an inerrant version of the Bible).I would point out that Con continues to use absence of evidence as evidence of absence. No, we cannot prove that the Book of Mormon was translated from plates, but nor can we prove that the Bible matches the original manuscripts, nor can we prove that those original manuscripts were written by who we think they were.Con misunderstands my position as to the explanations for apparent contradictions in the Bible. He provided some possible explanations, and I provided another. All Christians are free to make sense of the Bible as they will. Con claims that Mormons reject the explanations, while at the same time rejecting my explanations as irrespectful.Con continues to attack the belief of 'inasmuch as they are translated correctly', even though this is just a way of saying that Mormons believe the Bible(the original message), but some errors(as Con admitted) have crept in.Jacob said he had seen God face to face, and lived, but Con says this refers to Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord. If that were the case, Jacob wouldn't have said "I have seen God", he would say "I have wrestled with the Angel of the Lord.". Con is taking it upon himself to say that the Bible isn't saying what it clearly saysTrinity - The traditional concept of the Trinity is three persons in one being(simplified). The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, all one God. The Mormon concept of the Godhead is that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, all one God. However, in Mormon theology, the three members of the Godhead are distinct beings. Just as you have a singular entity in a company, the board of directors, with multiple people in the board, Mormons believe that God is one God, with three members. It is only slightly different than the traditional view, but Con hasn't shown any scriptures that would show this belief to be contrary to the teachings of the Bible. Therefore, Mormon theology does fit with the Bible, and they are Christians.Can Anyone be Christian? - When we speak of Christians, we accept that we are speaking of someone who believes in the Jesus Christ of the Bible, and accepts the teachings in the Bible. Muslims don't believe in many of the key concepts contained in the Bible, especially the concept of Christ as Son of God and savior, and the only way to the Father. Just because they believe Jesus was a prophet doesn't mean they are Christians. This parallel Con continues to push falls completely short. Mormons don't believe Jesus was a mortal, non-divine, prophet. They believe he is what the Bible says he is. Con hasn't pointed any Mormon beliefs about Christ that contradict the Bible, but alludes to the idea that Mormons pick and choose what they believe. This simply isn't true.Mormons do believe Jesus is God, one of the three members of the Godhead. This assertion by Con simply isn't true, nor is it founded in any Mormon source.Con also claims that he knows the Bible to be 99.99% accurate, but again, with no source or support. Con doesn't even know if there ever was an original text, as he has never seen them. Many of his criticisms apply exactly the same to all other Christians and the Bible.Book of Mormon - The Book of Mormon has manuscript evidence from the very first edition. In other words, one step removed from the source. To do better, we would have to have original manuscripts of the Bible, so at best the Bible would tie the Book of Mormon in this regard.There is nothing inherently unreliable about a book being translated 2,000 years after it is written, if it is done by the power of God, this argument as well is simply unfounded. Just as with the Bible, all we have are claims of a knowledge of the original source. Con goes on to say that some of the matters of history and archaeology relating to the Bible have been proven true, but that similar matters relating to the Book of Mormon are just lucky guesses. Con states that the matters relating to the Bible that haven't been proven true will in time, but the ones relating to the Book of Mormon that haven't been proven true are evidence that it is false. It is a complete double standard.I ask, if God would keep the original for the Book of Mormon available for scrutiny, why not the originals for the Bible? Again, this is another double standard, which Con can't get out of by saying they have been lost to time. Certainly God had the power to preserve them if He wished.Inscribing on Metal - In Con's previous round, he said this argument would have more weight if Joseph Smith referred to more than one example of this happening. I pointed out another example in the Book of Mormon, and Con has sidestepped the issue. No matter what else, Joseph Smith made a claim about a practice of inscription that has been verified as historically accurate.Again, with iron and barley, Con calls them lucky guesses, but historical findings that support the Bible are evidence of its veracity. Another double standard.As to barley, Con misunderstands. There is no single plant called 'barley'. Barley is a family of grasses, and one of these edible strains of Barley existed at the time. It would be like saying 'We ate an apple', and not distinguishing if it were Golden Delicious or Royal Gala. They are both still apples. The analogy to different people is misapplied.Conclusion - Con hasn't shown any Mormon beliefs to be in contradiction to the teachings of the Bible. He has only shown them to be in contradiction with certain dogma, which are nothing more than man's interpretation of the Bible. If more than one church is allowed to be considered Christian, then who is right doesn't matter, as only one church could be right. As such, Mormons, fully believing in Christ and the Bible, are indeed Christians.Con himself said they cannot be considered Christians "...since the Mormons don't agree with traditional Christian doctrines". Notice he didn't say they don't agree with the Bible. The most Con can accurately get out of that statement is that Mormons aren't Catholics or Protestants, or any other 'traditional' Christian sect.