From: dike@rs054.intel.com (Charles Dike)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: And what *is* a Christian
Date: 1 Sep 92 07:35:08 GMT
Organization: Intel Corporation, Beaverton, OR


 
>Is it necessary to be Christian to go to heaven?

 I am an LDS convert of about 20 years. This is my opinion of the general
 Mormon view.  First, the LDS do not have the same view of heaven/hell -
 salvation/damnation that mainstream Christianity has. The LDS believe
 that the more light and truth a person is willing to accept, the more
 light he will receive. This extends to our eternal reward in that a 
 person who tries to live a decent, honest life, respecting his neighbor,
 etc. will get a decent reward whether he is a Christian, Moslem, or 
 whatever.  If he choses to accept less light, he will make his abode 
 the presence of like-minded people.  If one chooses to rebel against
 all the light and truth then he ends up in a state that LDS call outer
 darkness.  In that state he is as removed from God as he can get because,
 by his own choice, light has become repellant to him. On the other
 hand, if a person strives to accept all the light offered he will
 go to the Celestial Kingdom. This is the presence of God (where there
 is the most light). LDS believe that to get to God's presence one must
 accept Jesus Christ as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes
 to the Father but through Me." However, LDS do not accept the Nicene
 Creed definition of God. They maintain that God the Father, Jesus Christ,
 and the Holy Ghost are three separate entities united in purpose. 

>Would it be possible just to worship God with no mention of Jesus,
>or does Jesus figure prominently and essentially into the equation?

 My personal opinion is that yes, a person who does not understand the
 role of Jesus Christ can still worship God to that person's great 
 benefit. God, I believe, is a paternal being who desires to lead and
 guide anyone who will listen to truth. If someone can't handle a
 certain truth at the moment, that person will receive what he can
 until a time that he is able to handle more. 
 
>Surely there were those people that were worthy of heaven before 
>Jesus came, so can there not be such people today?

 Everyone will get a chance to accept Jesus as their personal savior
 whether in this life or in the next. That is at least one of the 
 reasons why Jesus went to the spirit prison from the LDS perspective.
 Each person gets as much light as that person can accept.  The
 basic point here is that there is no restriction on a person because
 that person lived on earth without learning about Jesus Christ.
   
>And also, what is with all of these denominations?  Do members of one
>denomination think that the members of others are totally wrong and will thus
>be denied access to heaven?  How important are the things that separate the
>denominations.  Could one get along without any of them?  That is, need a 
>Christian be a member or any organized religion at all?  If not, then why are
>so many people members of expensive religious organizations?  Would it not be
>best to worship privately, and to keep others' ideas away?

 An organized religion has the ability to support needy members both
 temporally and spiritually. Also, organization enables the word to be 
 more effectively spread. Besides that, (and this is my opinion) God
 can be more efficient in communicating to a large body of believers
 where the believers can discuss among themselves the ramifications
 of that communication (LDS would use the term revelation). An 
 individual can receive and give benefits in an organization. Others'
 ideas can be extremely valuable, we have the ability to discern
 what is right if we choose to exercise it.

 As for denominations, it is the LDS view that thru modern revelation,
 those points of doctrine that created so many denominations have been
 clarified. The LDS believe that decent people get great rewards. No
 one who is attempting to aid their fellow creatures is all wrong.
    
 You can probably see why some Christians reject the LDS. The LDS
 challenge a lot of traditional Christian beliefs.

 I do not represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
 Please consider the opinions as my own and kindly accept that any
 offence taken by anyone reading the above was most assuredly not 
 intended.

 Charles Dike