LDS, Catholics, and Temples

  • Thread starter Thread starter tkdnick
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

tkdnick

Guest
A question I was asked by an LDS. “All throughout the Bible there are references to temples - Solomon’s temple, the tabernacle, temple of Herod - we know that during Christ’s life the temples were the central part of religious life. Everything the people did centered around them. If these teachings are in the Bible, why don’t the Catholics have temples for the people to go to?”

I have a basic idea of how to respond, but I’m having trouble finding resources. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
40.png
tkdnick:
A question I was asked by an LDS. “All throughout the Bible there are references to temples - Solomon’s temple, the tabernacle, temple of Herod - we know that during Christ’s life the temples were the central part of religious life. Everything the people did centered around them. If these teachings are in the Bible, why don’t the Catholics have temples for the people to go to?”

I have a basic idea of how to respond, but I’m having trouble finding resources. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Try a tract written by critic James White then click through to get a response from an LDS professor, William Hamblin.

shields-research.org/Critics/A-O_05b.htm
 
mormon fool:
Try a tract written by critic James White then click through to get a response from an LDS professor, William Hamblin.

shields-research.org/Critics/A-O_05b.htm
Click to expand...
I went and looked back through the stuff again. James White did a poor job of making his case! His “case” was very short and left out quite a bit of information. The LDS responder, William Hamblin, did a much better job, and he used references and explained things in much greater detail.
 
40.png
tkdnick:
I went and looked back through the stuff again. James White did a poor job of making his case! His “case” was very short and left out quite a bit of information. The LDS responder, William Hamblin, did a much better job, and he used references and explained things in much greater detail.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was kind of disappointed that James White didn’t defend his tract better. I think that he has the beggining of a good case that would be challenging for the average mormon. I think that a good case can be made that just because OT worship comprised of temples, that hardly (all by itself) shows that temple worship was meant to continue much less take the form that is currently used by the LDS.

Really the ball is in the LDS court to be persuasive or provide evidence that it was meant to continue in a new form. For obvious reasons we can’t really pursue this course with much vigor. Critics are always going to tie mormon temple worship with 19th century masonry and mormon advocates are always going to dig up ancient “gnostic” texts. It really doesn’t make good discussion material. For me, it is much more rewarding to read up on the parallels and keep my opinions to myself.
 
Catechism of the Catholic Church, First Image Books edition published April 1995.1179 The worship " in Spirit and in truth" of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the “living stones,” gathered to be “built into a spiritual house.” For the Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth: incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, “we are the temple of the living God.”
 
JRR said:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, First Image Books edition published April 1995.1179 The worship " in Spirit and in truth" of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the “living stones,” gathered to be “built into a spiritual house.” For the Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth: incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, “we are the temple of the living God.”
Click to expand...

That’s a good quote!
 
Christianty has a Temple/Tabernacle/Sanctuary – the Heavenly one (read Hebrews 8-10). That Temple is where Christ ministers as our Great High priest. However, in the Mass, we are mystically united with Christ’s Prietsthood and His eternal offering of His body and blood in that Temple. And so ,by extension, every Catholic Church participates, makes present, expresses, and becomes that Temple on earth.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top