I was going to post this question in another topic, then realized that it was worthy of it’s own topic. so:
Flinx,
I ask this question 'cause I am not that familiar with LDS beliefs. From what I gather, y’all have a leader who is empowered to speak for god, is this correct? Is this position analogious to the pope who speaks for god for catholics? If this is so, how do you ( as a mormen ) balance his human nature ( sinful ) with his devine proclamations? How do you have a leader who is both human and devine( as a mouthpiece )? Actually, any catholics who wish to answer for the pope, I would be interested in hearing from them too.
are the standard sites I refer people to when they ask me about Mormonism. The former is comprehensive, and the latter is the LDS church’s official web site.
As a (former?) Catholic I guess I see the Pope as a referee. Times have changed since the Bible was first published and someone has to make the calls for all the new situations.
I just read that two Catholic organizations have asked the Vatican to consider naming a patron saint of the internet (UTNE Reader Mar-Apr page 18).
Now I’m confused.
Catholic doctrine (that some of us will point out has only been enshrined as doctrine for 131 years–although the concept is older) is that the pope is guided by the Holy Spirit when speaking ex cathedra (i.e. from his chair, or formally and officially) on matters of Faith and Morals. In any other context the pope is just a guy with all the normal allotment of human errors.
There have only been two statements by the pope that have been considered infallible teachings, and one of them was decided retroactively–leading to the promulgation of infallibility in the first Vatican Council.
Those two teachings are the Immaculate Conception (Mary was born without Original Sin) and the Assumption (Mary was taken directly to Heaven without dying).
I have spent my whole life without worrying over either of those teachings, so it has little effect on me. Popes are pretty leery of invoking ex cathedra. Even our current guy (with whom I have a lot of disagreements) has refused to use it. A few years ago John Paul II announced that the discussion regarding ordaining women to the priesthood “was closed.” One of his bully boys in the Curia immediately announced to the press that this was an infallible statement, but, to his credit, JP II refused to support that assessment of his declaration.
First off it’s Mormon, it’s a name of a prophet in the Book of Mormon. Second, our prophet isn’t our God. He also isn’t our savior. He’s a prophet, like Moses and all the rest they DO have there faults. Still he would never lead us astray because God directs him not his own thoughts on the matters.
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Originally posted by MeeshkaAnya:
First off it’s Mormon, it’s a name of a prophet in the Book of Mormon.
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Huh?
It’s not a matter of whether he is God, but whether he speaks for God. I don’t see, however, why weirddave picked out Mormonism and Catholicism as being special. Don’t most strains of Christianity teach that the Bible is inerrant in matters of doctrine (and that therefore its writers were infallible)?
Yes, I realized the misspelling, and I’m sorry. Spelling is not my strong suit. The reason I directed the question to Mormons and Catholics is that ( as I understand it,) unlike most Prodistant branches of Christianity, both have a living leader who is empowered to “speak for God” to them. It also spun off a different thread relating to religion.
Hey, does anyone know the exact way they’ll go about selecting a new pope when the current one kicks off? I was raised Catholic, but can’t remember (if I was ever even told). I know they signal that they’ve made a decision with smoke or a bell or something, but who makes the decision? The bishops and cardinals in Rome? What’s the process? Anonymous ballots? Do they pick a name out of the pointy pope hat (yeah, I know there’s a name for that, but I can’t remember that either)?
Sorry. I know it’s a little off topic.
Well Cactus, from what I remember from the last 2 papal elections, the cardials are locked in and not let out until they select a new pope from among themselves through secret ballot. If they’re deadlocked they send oily black smoke up the chimney. When they agree on a new pope they burn dry grass to signal with white smoke. And the pope isn’t always considered to be fallible: If he say, gets a malerial hot flash he can’t say “it’s hot in here” and everyone has to agree. He’s only considered infallible in his well-crafted public announcements, such as on abortion ot the death penalty. If people disagree with him they can leave the church, like the English and most of the Germans did; or if they still like him but disagree then they simply ignore him, like most of the Americans Catholics do; or if they really, really hate him they’ll do as the French have and stay in the church just to make his life miserable.