Mormons See Potential In Online Proselytizing

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SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) Not so long ago, Mormon missionaries were prohibited from using the Internet, even to contact their families. The system then loosened a bit to allow weekly e-mails home and some occasional viewing of church materials.
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Now the nearly 14 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is attempting to revolutionize the way Mormons find converts–and it’s all online.
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The move involves experimenting with blogging missionaries, self-produced member profiles and stereotype-busting videos. The American-born church, which has been harnessing technology to promote the faith since the 1920 radio days, sees great potential in fast-paced storytelling.
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The Internet is the new “town square,” said Ron Wilson, manager of Internet and marketing for the church. “And Mormons are taking to it like never before.”
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The electronic universe, however, also is uncontrollable, an aspect that has traditionally been tough for the hierarchical church but one that organizers readily acknowledge.
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Perhaps Catholics and Mormons can work together on issues of internet technology.
 
MormonHero said:
Perhaps Catholics and Mormons can work together on issues of internet technology.
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I’m puzzled by this, what are the “issues of internet technology” and how do churches fit into issues about technology?
 
zaffiroborant said:
I’m puzzled by this, what are the “issues of internet technology” and how do churches fit into issues about technology?
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Perhaps there could be an Internet Council, where all the churches gather and discuss how the internet should be used.
 
MormonHero said:
Perhaps there could be an Internet Council, where all the churches gather and discuss how the internet should be used.
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How about the LDS church puts what they really believe on their own website? For instance, make in plain and simple the church still pushes polygamy in the next life. Or is it already there? If so I will humbly apologize.

There needs to be a www.honestmormon.com site. Maybe I’ll buy the url and set up my own Mormon site.
 
what, the commercials aren’t enough?

Do WE have someone who is in “marketing”?

Steph
 
MormonHero said:
Perhaps there could be an Internet Council, where all the churches gather and discuss how the internet should be used.
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The sources to which Catholic ought to refer for guidance in online interaction with Mormons or anyone else are three documents Vatican II entitled Inter mirifica, Unitatis redintegratio, and Nostra aetate. Inter Mirifica is about the moral use of technology in social communication; Unitatis redintegratio deals with dialogue and cooperation with other Christians, and Nostra aetate is about dialogue and cooperation with non-Christians. (In this context Mormons count as non-Christians because Vat II uses the term to mean those who accept the Incarnation and Trinity. This does not mean we own a copyright on the word “Christian” or that Mormons have no right to describe themselves as such. But it does mean that our relations with them are interreligious and not ecumenical.)

Of course, these texts were all written before the internet, but Inter mirifica is sufficiently prescient to be applicable even today.
 
MormonHero said:
Perhaps there could be an Internet Council, where all the churches gather and discuss how the internet should be used.
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To what end? It’s not as churches can direct how the internet can be used. And as Soren and Salesian have pointed out Catholics and LDS have addressed how their members should behave and I’m quite sure other churches have addressed the same issues. I reall just don’t see the point.
 
soren1 said:
The sources to which Catholic ought to refer for guidance in online interaction with Mormons or anyone else are three documents Vatican II entitled Inter mirifica, Unitatis redintegratio, and Nostra aetate. Inter Mirifica is about the moral use of technology in social communication; Unitatis redintegratio deals with dialogue and cooperation with other Christians, and Nostra aetate is about dialogue and cooperation with non-Christians. (In this context Mormons count as non-Christians because Vat II uses the term to mean those who accept the Incarnation and Trinity. This does not mean we own a copyright on the word “Christian” or that Mormons have no right to describe themselves as such. But it does mean that our relations with them are interreligious and not ecumenical.)

Of course, these texts were all written before the internet, but Inter mirifica is sufficiently prescient to be applicable even today.
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Hello soren1,

Actually, I do not understand that Nostra aetate applies to Morrnons. The Church does not enter into that type of dialogue with sects no matter how many billions in assets they may have, how long they have been around or how many followers they may have. The Church does not recognize sects as religions. I understand that the Church enters into dialogue with sects in a *pastoral *manner to guide peoples and cultures to God. For instance, sects do not have presentation at the Vatican nor for instance are they invited to meet with the Pope as are other religions, christian and non-christian. When the Pope visited the U.S.A. the sects were not invited to greet him and present him with gifts. But, I do not want to get off the topic. Perhaps, one of us can start a thread entitled: The Catholic Church and Sects.

Peace,

Abba
 
Since the Book of Mormon refers to the Catholic Church as “the most abominable above all churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them … and I saw the devil, that he was the foundation of it” (1 Nephi 12:5-6) and goes on to charge the *“great and abominable church” *with desecrating the Bible by taking “plain and precious things” out of it (1 Nephi 12:29), and makes other attacks on the Church too numerous to mention, including the mythical “great apostasy,” why would the Catholic Church have any interest in engaging in diaglog with the LDS?

The Catholic Church does not regard Mormons or their “church” as Christian. In addition to the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation, which have been mentioned, there is also the basic problem of polytheism (or henotheism, as Mormons prefer to call it).

Jim Dandy
 
TikiTokiguy said:
How about the LDS church puts what they really believe on their own website? For instance, make in plain and simple the church still pushes polygamy in the next life. Or is it already there? If so I will humbly apologize.

There needs to be a www.honestmormon.com site. Maybe I’ll buy the url and set up my own Mormon site.
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id make a very bad Mormon. i am someone who not only wants to be single and celibate in this life, but in the life to come. what would i do with multiple wives? one would be tough enough. but bunches?!:bigyikes: no offense to my Mormon friends here, but no thanks. lol! Peace 🙂
 
Jim_Dandy said:
Since the Book of Mormon refers to the Catholic Church as “the most abominable above all churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them … and I saw the devil, that he was the foundation of it” (1 Nephi 12:5-6) and goes on to charge the *“great and abominable church” *with desecrating the Bible by taking “plain and precious things” out of it (1 Nephi 12:29), and makes other attacks on the Church too numerous to mention, including the mythical “great apostasy,” why would the Catholic Church have any interest in engaging in diaglog with the LDS?

The Catholic Church does not regard Mormons or their “church” as Christian. In addition to the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation, which have been mentioned, there is also the basic problem of polytheism (or henotheism, as Mormons prefer to call it).

Jim Dandy
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hi jim dandy. love the name. are you a black oak arkansas fan? anyhow. in all fairness to the BOM, i dont believe refers to the Catholic Church by name. i think its talking about all churches who are not Mormon. they do not differentiate. although it may be by inference pointing that way. maybe parker d. could help with this. i may be wrong. as far as dialoug with the LDS we have worked with them in the past. most recently in defense of Marriage between a man and a woman. it worked wonderfully. if you happen to read the D+C you may be pleasantly surprised to find out we do see eye to eye on some things. i think there are more areas, in terms of aleviating poverty, fighting abortion, matters of moratlity, that we could work hand and hand with Mormons on. Peace 🙂
 
There is very little common ground between Catholics and Mormons in matters of theology or understanding history. There is substantial ground in ethical issues, although the Mormon definition of sin is narrower than the Catholic one.

In terms of the general website that soren referenced, I would suggest that Mormons can only learn from us. That website does a better job making our beliefs and history available to the public than any LDS-sponsored website ever would. vatican.va/phome_en.htm

Of course, there are other reasons for this, but most of us already know that.
 
benidict said:
hi jim dandy. love the name. are you a black oak arkansas fan? anyhow. in all fairness to the BOM, i dont believe refers to the Catholic Church by name. i think its talking about all churches who are not Mormon. they do not differentiate. although it may be by inference pointing that way. maybe parker d. could help with this. i may be wrong. as far as dialoug with the LDS we have worked with them in the past. most recently in defense of Marriage between a man and a woman. it worked wonderfully. if you happen to read the D+C you may be pleasantly surprised to find out we do see eye to eye on some things. i think there are more areas, in terms of aleviating poverty, fighting abortion, matters of moratlity, that we could work hand and hand with Mormons on. Peace 🙂
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I’d like to respectfully point out, benedict, that the BoM describes the Great And Abominable Church as the one through whom the bible goes forth to the gentiles. That cannot possibly be any church other than the Catholic Church, which compiled the canon of the New Testament, translated the bible into the vernacular (Latin) for the first time and (prior to the printing press) educated, trained and employed monks who spent their entire lives hand-copying the bible so that at least every church could have one.

I proudly declare that I belong to the Great and Abominable Church described in the Book of Mormon! I am a Catholic! And the bible is a Catholic book!
 
benidict said:
hi jim dandy. love the name. are you a black oak arkansas fan? anyhow. in all fairness to the BOM, i dont believe refers to the Catholic Church by name. i think its talking about all churches who are not Mormon. they do not differentiate. although it may be by inference pointing that way. maybe parker d. could help with this. i may be wrong. as far as dialoug with the LDS we have worked with them in the past. most recently in defense of Marriage between a man and a woman. it worked wonderfully. if you happen to read the D+C you may be pleasantly surprised to find out we do see eye to eye on some things. i think there are more areas, in terms of aleviating poverty, fighting abortion, matters of moratlity, that we could work hand and hand with Mormons on. Peace 🙂
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Hi, Benedict –

Glad you like my name! It’s fun.

As Paul Dupre wrote, the BOM (by Joseph Smith, copied from two documents: the KJV and Spaulding’s manuscript and flavored with his own fantasies) didn’t need to name the Catholic Church to identify it. (Thanks, Paul!)

I find the idea of the LDS church defending marriage between a man and a woman laughable. A man and 12 women, maybe :D. However, I haven’t followed all the activities of the LDS, but their opposition to homosexual marriage is commendable.

The Mormon prohibition against abortion has changed from no abortions to some abortions. “Heavenly Father” changes his mind – often.

I again ask, why would the Catholic Church, established by Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world, want to pair up with a non-Christian religion on any issue? The LDS claim that the Catholic Church is totally apostate and that it alone is the “restored” true church. And that Jesus and Lucifer (Satan) are brothers, spirit children of God the Father (who is a separate “personage” from God the Son and God the Spirit, who are a “trinity” because they are three Gods united in purpose). And the bull-oney goes on, and on, and on. . .

O Lord, deliver us!
 
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