So much of religious doctrinal debates are all about truth, blasphemy, and perceptions. By that I mean that what I perceive as truth, you perceive as blasphemy. And, conversely, what you perceive as blasphemy, I perceive as truth. What’s funny is that the item in question is often the very same thing, and is not, in and of itself, in question.
A good example is the thing that Mike Huckabee threw at Mitt Romney not long ago. Do Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers?
Now, Huckabee is throwing that out there because he thinks it’s blasphemy. How can anyone believe that a being so good and a being so evil can be brothers? Mitt is pretty much ignoring the slur because there are other things more important to talk about.
Do Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers? The simple answer is, “Yes, we do.” And we believe that all humans are also brothers to both of them. Lucifer copped an attitude early on, before the world was built, and got himself cast out, because he wanted God’s glory. A full third of his (and by that I also mean “our”) brothers and sisters followed him and became his minions.
They rebelled. THEY rejected God and Jesus and so, became Satan and his servants. Hey, every family has it’s outcasts…
So, now Huckabee is trying a strange twist to anti-Mormon efforts, that is, accusing us of believing something we actually do believe. As opposed to telling us that someone a long time ago said a speech that is now misinterpreted to mean something totally different and so now because this person attended a class on how to save Mormons, he knows what we REALLY believe. I, of course, who have spent my life as a Mormon, have no clue what I actually believe.
But my response to the “Satan is Jesus’ bro” question is simply to say, “You say that like it’s a bad thing…”
It’s also like a lot of other church doctrines that Mainstream Christianity considers to be blasphemous:
- Eternal Marriage: If my wife and I treat each other well and live as God wants us to live, we can be married even in the hereafter. Our children will be our children, too. A big happy family! That’s a good thing, right?
- Eternal Progression: If my wife and I are good and learn what we need to learn here on earth, and repent and accept Jesus’ atonement, we can become like Heavenly Father. We can, in the heavens, be as Gods. You say that’s a bad thing. I think it’s great how God, our Father, wants us to be like Him.
Same concept, different perspectives
It even plays out in some of the more speculative areas. Like: Was Jesus married? Honestly, “Who cares?” is my response. I don’t have any problem with the concept of a married Savior. But some other people do.
It’s funny. The concept doesn’t change, but the two perspectives of it are completely opposite.. Is the human race all one big dysfunctional family? Does it include Satan and his legions of evil spirits? Huckabee wants to belittle us for believing it does. I think understanding it makes life a little clearer.
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com
PS, a quick note to those that want to post comments to try and prove that my beliefs are wrong. Go ahead and quote your scriptures and your own interpretations of them. Go ahead and quote that Journal of Discourses chapter someone showed you. You’ll forgive me if I don’t comment back. You’ll also forgive me if I don’t feel the need to take up the challenge by going to your blog and calling your cherished beliefs blasphemous. ‘Cause it’s all about perceptions, right?
