Billy Graham just threw Mitt Romney a bone and officially removed Mormonism from the Cult List on his website, just in time for the election. Scientology and Jehovah’s Witnesses are still on the list.
As its most famous reverend and head of the highly influential Evangelical Association, Billy Graham has served as the face of the Evangelical movement. George Bush helped launch him past mainstream popularity to political power when he credited Graham with rescuing his soul from alcohol and drugs. Graham featured prominently in Bush’s 2000 campaign, and over the next eight years the Republican party’s values melded with Evangelical values.
Which presented Romney with his biggest challenge in securing the Republican nomination. He wasn’t one of the party establishment on religious grounds. He was to the twenty-first century what Kennedy was to 1963, when being a Catholic was being a religious outsider to mainstream Protestantism.
That he was able to secure the nomination with his religion listed as a cult on the website for Graham’s Evangelical Association probably speaks more to the dearth of strong candidates in this year’s primary field than it does a mass movement toward religious tolerance. Rick Perry just wasn’t a viable contender, no matter how well-liked his religious worldview.
But here we are three weeks before the election, and Mormonism has officially been removed from the Cult List kept by Evangelicals. Though Romney’s campaign hasn’t exactly been a plea for tolerance and support for all people, one unintended consequence of his run has been to de-stigmatize one more religious belief set.
And why not? As many people have pointed out, when you get down to it what’s the difference between Mormonism and Scientology, with their beliefs in extra-planetary theology, and mainstream Christianity, with its belief in virgin births and resurrections? Or Buddhism, for that matter, with its belief in reincarnation? Can you really say that one is objectively nuttier or less credible than the other?
A judge in Florida recently ruled that a schizophrenic man could be sentenced to death because his belief that he was acting according to God’s will and would be resurrected at Jesus’ right hand after death is basically the same view held by mainstream Christians. He’s got a point.
Granted, the notion that all religious beliefs are equally unfounded and a matter of simple personal preference is probably not the logic that compelled Graham to remove Mormonism from the Cult List. But sometimes it takes ascendency in power to broaden the scope of our tolerance, and not the other way around. Accidental or not, this has been one area in which Romney’s campaign represents a net gain in progress.
October 19, 2012 at 6:01 pm, ShawnandKatie Mitchell said:
sigh….
October 19, 2012 at 6:37 pm, Adam Hughes said:
Wow….all I have to say is wow!
October 19, 2012 at 10:12 pm, Benton Wyatt said:
How very convenient. Guess this is proof that power corrupts, and even the once great Billy Graham wasn't immune to trading in his faith for political power.
October 19, 2012 at 6:34 pm, Bruce Wilson said:
"Unofficially", Billy Graham's BGEA organization website still portrays Mormonism as a "cult". See: http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/10/15/193647/78/
October 19, 2012 at 8:32 pm, Danny Haszard said:
Destructive cult or benign religion?
The *Cult* word gets overused, but in some cases it is appropriate.
The definition of a destructive religious cult is like alcoholism-if booze controls you instead of the other way around you are an alcoholic.
I was in the Watchtower society Jehovah's Witnesses, they are not benevolent and won't let you leave their organization in peace.The Jehovahs are not without scandals-child abuse, deceptive mind control tactics, sex scandals, money scams, general bad behavior.
Is it a cult?
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck….
Danny Haszard *tell the truth don't be afraid*.
FMI http://www.dannyhaszard.com
October 19, 2012 at 8:45 pm, Jeff Jonas said:
Religions complaining about other religions, the pot calling the kettle black…
October 20, 2012 at 3:01 pm, Thomas Johnson said:
CULT: n. 1. Church down the road that I don't believe in, that I want others to fear and hate.
2. any religious group that's not mine (Linda Fiatoa).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a cult. The Church fully believes and teaches that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior and Redeemer. It also accepts the Bible as scripture. Church members participate fully in society in public schools and employment, pursue secular knowledge, and accept and abide by all civil laws. The Church now consists of over 14 million members in 150 countries, is politically neutral, and has many limitations on Church leaders acting in a dictatorial or tyrannical manner.
October 21, 2012 at 1:29 pm, Michael Mellnick said:
politically nuetral- hardly
abide by the laws – unless they can use millions and millions to change them
and sorry but just cause you have allot of members dont make you less of a cult
October 23, 2012 at 4:51 pm, Jesop Ash said:
Case in point Michael: Joel Olsteen
October 20, 2012 at 11:36 am, 19 October 2012 | MormonVoices said:
[...] http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/189908/billy-graham-removes-mormonism-from-cult-list-just-in-time-fo… [...]
October 22, 2012 at 4:28 pm, Phillip C. Smith said:
Phillip C. Smith, Ph.D. 10.220.2012
CORRECT, SCIENTIFIC DEFINITIONS OF CULT AND SECT.
Many people, inconsistent with and contradicting valid science, use the terms “cult” and “sect” improperly with reference to religions. In its historical usage in Christendom the terms have a pejorative connotation and refer to movements said to espouse heretical beliefs that often deviate from orthodox practices. Valid, ethical science enlightens and thus avoids such pejorative applications of the terms cult and sect.
The intent here is to provide scientific definitions of these terms in hopes of helping others avoid future application misuse. I will apply the use of these terms to the religions with which I am most familiar, namely the Church founded 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ, and his Church as restored by Joseph Smith, namely The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereinafter the Church).
Cult: A small, recently-created, innovative religious group, headed often by a single charismatic leader, that exists in some state of tension with the predominant religion or with more established and conventional sects and denominations.
The Christian religion, as it existed in 30 CE, might have been considered a cult early since it involved one leader and 12 or 70 devoted disciples as followers, but is now far too large and universal. The Church restored by Joseph Smith and a few followers also met this definition of cult early, but has outgrown this label to become an established religious denomination of over 14 million members.
All major religions likely began as cults. As they became larger they shed their cult-like qualities and, as is the case with both early Christianity under Christ and restored Christianity (Church), they are today properly and accurately classified by thoughtful, knowledgeable people as religious denominations.
Sect: A small religious or political group that has broken off from a larger group, for example from a large, well-established religious group like a denomination, usually due to a dispute about doctrinal matters.
The Church Jesus founded some 2000 years ago was not a sect, since Jesus spoke as one having authority from God, not in effect breaking off from any other group. In addition, as the Bible implies, he himself was the author of the religion of the Jews, even though they did not recognize him as such. His restored Church is also not a sect, since the prophet-founder Joseph Smith belonged to no other religious group but claimed to receive his doctrinal knowledge in the main directly from deity.
As defined by science, then, any religion breaking off from another, as many have, is a sect. Thus within Christianity the Protestant movements fell into this category. As each of the Protestant groups grew larger, of course, they are more properly, accurately and kindly referred to as religious denominations.
December 27, 2012 at 10:28 am, Peter Evans said:
mormonism claims.that an angel called moroni gave a man called joseph smith.special revelation.through some.secret golden plates.the book of mormon revolves around.this cultish teaching.and actually goes against what the disciples warned.about in galations chapter one verse.eight(if anyone even an agel.try and teach a.different gospel then what they.taugjt.let them be cursed) mormonism.therefore curses itself by tjis garbage.teaching.
December 27, 2012 at 10:28 am, Peter Evans said:
mormonism claims.that an angel called moroni gave a man called joseph smith.special revelation.through some.secret golden plates.the book of mormon revolves around.this cultish teaching.and actually goes against what the disciples warned.about in galations chapter one verse.eight(if anyone even an agel.try and teach a.different gospel then what they.taugjt.let them be cursed) mormonism.therefore curses itself by tjis garbage.teaching.