This post will set the cat among the pigeons. But, as a Catholic, one must state certain truths and throw them out into the marketplace at least for discussion. My question is this: What is the Catholic Church's stand on Mormonism as a cult and do Catholics as well as Evangelicals have a duty to consider politicians who follow cults rather than religions?
Now, in a secular society, an atheist, or a practical atheist, that is one who acts like an atheist, gets voted in without any discussion. In addition, we in the States have had at least fourteen provable presidents who were Masons, the arch-enemies of the Roman Catholic Church and the advocates of the heresy of indifferentism, which states that one can get to heaven without religion or God, that all religions are the same and that morality is the only judge of salvation and which states that religion has no voice in the public square. The other heresy which the Evangelicals in Iowa were voting against when they voted for Santorum is and I quote Pope Pius XII in Humanae Generis--Another danger is perceived which is all the more serious because it is more concealed beneath the mask of virtue. There are many who, deploring disagreement among men and intellectual confusion, through an imprudent zeal for souls, are urged by a great and ardent desire to do away with the barrier that divides good and honest men; these advocate an "eirenism" according to which, by setting aside the questions which divide men, they aim not only at joining forces to repel the attacks of atheism, but also at reconciling things opposed to one another in the field of dogma.
Try and Google eirenism. It is the forgotten heresy here condemned, and interestingly enough, the reason why Evangelicals voted for Santorum rather than for Romney. Look at this, Catholic voters, please.
Nine popes have condemned indifferentism and this is the great doctrine of the Post-Modernist. At least two condemned eirensim. Masons also hold these views, and were partly condemned by the Church accordingly. Later, I shall outline the overlaps between Masonic beliefs and rituals and Mormonism.
Now, where does the idea of "cult" come into all of this? In August of 2001, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith clarified that Mormon baptism was not valid as the Mormons do not believe in the Trinity as Christians do; that is, that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are Three Divine Persons in One God. The statement, written by then Cardinal Ratzinger and then Archbishop Bertone clarified the fact that Mormons were not Christians. As an RCIA coordinator, this was an important point I had to share with converts from Mormonism. The document noted that this was not a heresy, but so different from mainline Christianity as not to be Christian.
This leaves us with one choice in the matter, that the Mormon Church, not being Christian, is a cult. This not a statement of prejudice, but one of fact. Religions, by the way, are carefully defined in Domininus Iesus, the bugbear document of the liberal Catholics. However, I digress.
We as Catholics, and the Evangelicals have four choices if Mormonism is not Christian. It is a false "religion" that is, not revealed by God, it is paganism, it is secular humanism mixed with atheism, or it is a cult. Judging by the common definition of a cult, that is, and I like wiki's definition here, The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre, we do not have much choice.
Normally, a cult is begun by a charismatic leader, who can manipulate others into following him- Charles Manson, Aum Shinrikyo, Claude Vorilhon, Joseph Di Mambro, David Koresh, Joseph Smith Jr., Pope Michael, or Brigham Young. As the Catholic Church was founded by Christ Himself, who is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the RCC is not a cult.
Where does that leave us as conservative Catholics trying to make sense out of voting? Pray for discernment and follow the teachings of the Catholic Church always and everywhere. If Romney can distance himself from some of the more weird aspects of Mormonism, the better, as he seems a good man.
