Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The Protestant God or the LDS God?

Overall the average member may say that there is little difference. And some members, trying to turn the church into some pseudo Protestant church, promote the idea that they are virtually the same. However I will demonstrate that the 2 Gods are extremely different: There is only a superficial similarity of words.

PROOF
Firstly there is the question of proof. If you are a Protestant how do you demonstrate the existence of your god? The reality is that you can't. There is absolutely NO way to prove your god. Some may talk of archaeological evidence for the Bible. However there is an equal amount of archaeological argument against the Bible. So that gets us nowhere. Prayers may or may not be answered according to our request. Therefore he can't be proven that way.

Protestantism works on a completely blind faith principle. You don't do the things that you would really like to do, and that would make you happy. But do the things you don't want to do, and you won't really enjoy. Then in the end the god will bless you for doing those things you didn't like. I saw an example of this blind faith on my mission. I would bare testimony at the door. In regard my testimony of the existence of Christ, Protestants would almost always reply, "well, we hope so, don't we"?

And that is it in a nutshell: They HOPE so. Blind faith only. Which, of course, is not true faith, as true faith is in things that are true, and is built by demonstrating faith and seeing the good consequences. So we come to have faith (trust) in God that he will do what is right.

If you are an LDS how do you prove your god? Firstly we know that the Holy Ghost can actually communicate with us. And I have had burnings and other communications as have most LDS. Secondly Jesus Christ can appear to you and speak to you personally: Either in spirit form or physically. Thirdly Heavenly Father can appear to you and speak physically or his spirit showing. A fourth demonstration can occur by seeing some of God's glory. Fifthly we can have visions. Sixthly we can be taken to exceedingly high mountains etc and be shown real things. Seventhly we can have prophesies that come to pass. Eighthly we can perform miracles. Wow, what a difference!

BIBLICAL
I have often heard Protestants say how silly idol worshippers are for believing in a god that can't do anything. It just sits there, and that they have only carved it themselves. How can it be a god? But isn't their god the same? When does he talk to them? What does he do? A Protestant may say that their god holds everything together. But the idol worshippers made the same claim of their god. Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to prove their god. He had 2 alters built. One for them and one for him. They called on their god to call down fire from heaven and burn their sacrifice. Elijah mocked them and suggested that they call a bit louder as he may be sleeping. If I posed the same to the Protestant concept of god and the LDS concept of god, which would have fire come down from heaven? It certainly wouldn't be the god of Protestantism. "Perchance he sleepeth," said Elijah. It seems he's been asleep for nearly 2,000 years _ not one word of scripture nor demonstration as shown in scripture. Elijah would refute their belief of a dumb god. The God of the Bible is an awake and speaking being.

"Oh that was then", they will respond. Is God changeable? Or are we so advanced that we don't need him to speak to us? Is he so cheesed off with people having killed his son that he refuses to speak to us now? Is it that he doesn't care any more? Is he no longer a God of love? I re-pose: "Is God changeable"? Protestantism would have us believe he is.

WHAT DOES NATURE SAY?
Let's examine the rationality of both gods.

Protestant God:
Firstly we have a concept that has a god all powerful relative to absolutely nothing. God was out in nothing and was all powerful relative to it. That is an absurdity. How can something be all powerful with nothing to be all powerful relative to? Anything existing in nothing can't have power, for power is relative. Then we have the question of how this god that takes up a whole universe managed to fit into nothing? And what was this god doing in this nothing forever?

Then we have the concept that this god had existed FOREVER, but one day in the middle(?) of eternity he just suddenly decided to make something other than himself. How interesting!!!! Of course he always knew he was going to do this at this point in eternity because he is omniscient. But, in spite of this, he didn't do it before.

He apparently went on a spree and invented all sorts of things: Angels, planets, man, bananas etc. But the Protestants guarantee us that he won't do it again, and that he has never made a planet before. They know this for a fact, they tell us.

This god gave commandments to do things that won't make us happy. Why? Just so he could see some of us obey him. And what will he do to those who don't? He'll burn them in a fire forever and ever and ever. He will never have any mercy upon them. In his fierce anger this god of love will be ruthless and totally unforgiving - two attributes he forgot to demonstrate when here as Christ.

He loved us so much that he sent part of himself to suffer on the cross, while this part was also sipping wine with Herod and being in heaven (as he fills the universe and is everywhere).

This god sits there and watches rape, murder, adultery, bashing, child abuse, war, famine, pestilence etc all happening to his creations, and does nothing about it. Why not? Doesn't he have all power? What possible difference could it have if he interfered? He could interfere and have us all forget he even interfered! He has ALL power, and NO restriction. What kind of a god of love is this????

All those people who have lived in nations where the gospel was not preached will go to hell forever because this god invented them in that nation: They never even hear of Jesus Christ, let alone accept him. But, hey, I'm alright Jack!!!! "Sad, isn't it," says Mr. Protestant, with great empathy. "But isn't Jesus Christ wonderful?" "I'm saved by his grace and going to heaven." Isn't that how it goes?

This god invented 2 people and yet in spite of his omniscience didn't realise they would sin. Next, when they did, in his ruthless, unforgiving manner he made everyone else suffer who was born thereafter.

All this is derived from poor interpretation of the Bible and their imagination. The god of Protestantism is a clear demonstration of the heart of man: A ruthless, unforgiving, two faced being with an ego that fills the universe. He tells others to do all the things he doesn't. And tells them not to do what he does. The creators and believers of this god, unfortunately, have this in their hearts, in spite of some good actions (derived from better interpretations of other parts of the Bible).

LDS God:
The LDS God didn't create natural laws. He is an equal part in nature. He is what he is by his compliance with that nature. All things he does are natural. All things that he has assisted in placing upon this earth are as natural as he is. Doesn't space demonstrate the same laws no matter where you are within it? Heat, cold, magnetism etc all work everywhere. Isn't the universe full of matter? These are all natural things that exist. Once again the LDS god comes up trumps. He manipulated existing matter using eternal laws - no magic.

Man is actually made in his image and likeness. That is we are in his image - look exactly the same, and in his likeness - of the same make-up (body, spirit and intelligence). When an artist does a painting it is said to reflect him. Yet nothing the god of Protestantism created reflects him at all (apart from those things mentioned 2 paragraphs up). Some may claim that we think and that he thinks. A poor attempt considering that A. Is that all they can come up with as a reflection between the creator and his creations? And B. What kind of a similarity is that considering that God states the enormous difference between where his mind is and where ours are? A truly poor attempt at a reflection as an invention. Creation and the god of Protestantism are almost diametric opposites. But the LDS god perfectly reflects his creation. He is physical and it is physical. He uses natural forces and it uses natural forces.

The LDS god reflects his concept of marriage and fatherhood. Something that complies with his own commandment. Again the blending of reality and God - no mystical or schizophrenic god.

He loves and tells us that if we love also we can have the happiness he has. See this reflection of reality again. He tells us that happiness can come from service to others. I try it and it actually works. No doing things that won't make me happy and having to believe he will bless me later. And on the other hand the things he says won't bring happiness but appear as if they will, actually don't (as you will find by continual abstinence). All natural. No mysticism or contradictory concept. No magic wand.

The LDS god must allow us to learn by our terrible mistakes. If he changes outcomes we can't learn not to do evil. It is only by war that we learn to make peace with others. It is only by rape and other abuses that we learn to abhor lust and its consequences. It is only by deformity and sickness that we learn empathy, patience and to use wisdom in what we do and take into our bodies. And why do we need to learn these things? Because they are eternal laws that we as an eternal entity must know to grow true happiness inside, that stays with us eternally - to create heaven in us. Again the LDS god has real reasoning and intelligent purpose - as opposed to the whims of the god of Protestantism. He again fits with reality.

I would call to any of my Protestant brothers and sisters to find and accept the true God of Scripture. Christ came and demonstrated the real God - a person that will do ANYTHING he possibly can to help you be saved from hell. A person wanting to make you happy. A person who works 7 days a week, 24 hours a day in our service - "I came to serve not to be served." A person who loves without needing to be loved to do so. A person that doesn't hold grudges - "forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." God is a God of love beyond your comprehension. Forget all your negatives. That was a god given to a hard hearted people of the Old Testament - "do it or else." Open your hearts to the real God. A loving Father. A loving brother - Jesus Christ. The God of LDS, is God.