Posted by A FRIEND on August 29, 1998 at 20:01:30:
In Reply to: Definitely not. posted by blue on July 13, 1998 at 22:25:33:
: NEED A FRIEND? JESUS CHRIST CAN BE YOURS! LEARN MORE-
: :
: : I really get tired of hearing the dogmatic whine about how some exMormons have thrown the baby out with the bath water. I've the same experience as rpcman--I left the myths of Christianity rather than specifically leaving Mormonism. I hadn't even seen any "anti-mormon" information until after I became ex-xian (unless you count general skepticism sources as being "anti-mormon").
: I'd be interested to know which "myths of Christianity" you left. Bring it up as a new post, if you care. I'm curious if the same points caused the same problems for different people.
: : I even recall a mindset I had for a short time after dumping Christianity where I felt that even though I couldn't subscribe to Christianity anymore, if I had to be Christian, I'd be a Mormon. At that time I knew all Christianity was moldy baloney, but I felt Mormonism was the "best" of the fiction-based systems.
: : Blue, I know you accept that some people look at the 'false religion' of mormonism and find their way out... but the reality is that the same 'escape' often happens for some from YOUR religion--deal with it.
: There is a subtle point here that you may be overlooking. The Bible is quite clear in its teaching that God chooses who will be saved. It isn't my choice, it's God's. It is also quite clear that "once saved always saved." No one will become a true Christian and then "lose" their Christianity. Your testimony reveals, in a small way, that Mormonism has departed in its teachings from true Christianity.
: I want to put this in gentle terms, but I sense you have been sold a bill of goods in the Mormon representation of Christianity. Once you are a true Christian, you always will be. If you've been taught anything different, you've been taught a lie, and you were wise to leave the lie. But you've also revealed that you haven't been taught Christianity as taught in the Bible as a whole.
: Here's a thought for you: do you suppose if you had lived my exact life, had my experiences, learned what I learned, etc., etc. would you be ex-xian also? If not, why?
: Absolutely not. Because God does the saving. God chooses whom He will regardless of circumstance. Look at the different responses to Paul's Gospel in Acts chapter 17. All heard the same message. All had similar (Athenian) backgrounds. Some were saved. I didn't choose God. God chose me. That is fundamental.