the divinity of Christ

[nebula]

One thing that used to really get under my skin when I was a Mormon was the constant refrain “did you, that Mormons believe Jesus and Lucifers are… brothers!!!” I used to think that this was nothing but cheap sensationalism, a wilfull misrepresentation of the doctrine of the pre-existence and the belief that we are all spirit brothers and sisters. But, it has finally hit me why this is such a big deal- it reduces Christ to the station of a created angel, quite a fall if you happen to believe that Christ is God incarnate.

Thinking more about this now I’ve also come to realize that the atonement makes no sense unless Christ is in fact God incarnate. How can a created being make a sacrifice big enough to reconcile the infinite God to finite, fallen humanity? If we ever hope to be in God’s presence, we require His hand to come and scoop us up. The sacrifice of a mere created creature can help us no more than the offerings of calfs in the temple did. The only thing in existence that can act as a completely perfect, infinite and eternal sacrifice is God Himself.

Maybe these thoughts are amateurish, I’m sure they are, but they’ve struck me with force recently and so I wanted to share them, especially with the Mormons on the board, so that they can better understand why this is such a problem.

 

[Della]

You’re thoughts make perfect sense, and touch on some of the deeper theology of the Church. So, you’re doing fine.

Another thing to consider is the fact that an angel would not be the proper “species” as a sacrifice for the sins of humans. Since it was a man who sinned and brought sin into the world, it would take a new man, the Second Adam to remove sin from the world. That was St. Paul’s argument, anyway.

 

[nebula]

You’re thoughts make perfect sense, and touch on some of the deeper theology of the Church. So, you’re doing fine.

Another thing to consider is the fact that an angel would not be the proper “species” as a sacrifice for the sins of humans. Since it was a man who sinned and brought sin into the world, it would take a new man, the Second Adam to remove sin from the world. That was St. Paul’s argument, anyway.

Della,

INteresting clarification thanks for adding that. I should add that angels in Mormons are not a differen kind of species than humans are-- they’re simply ‘regular people’ either in the preexistence or in the spiritworld on errands for Elohim, the top God.

 

[Della]

Della,

INteresting clarification thanks for adding that. I should add that angels in Mormons are not a differen kind of species than humans are-- they’re simply ‘regular people’ either in the preexistence or in the spiritworld on errands for Elohim, the top God.

Ah yes. I remember reading something about that. It seems they get that idea from some obscure OT passages about the “sons of God” mating with the “daughters of men.” It figures. Everyone who can read thinks himself a biblical scholar. It’s the reason there’s so much confusion and division among believers, isn’t it?

Of course, if Jesus were an angel I think he would have made that clear to us. But, Luke was quite clear about who Mary was and who her people were. Besides this, St. Paul made a clear distinction between angels and men in Hebrews (taking the traditional view that Hebrews was written/dictated by St. Paul).

Still, anyone who wants to can wiggle their way around any verses or passages in order to believe whatever they want. It takes a God-given authoritative interpreter to tell us what such things mean not some guy who decides to start his own religion.