Preparing an argument for orthodox Christianity against a cult
The name of the cult
Orthodox Christianity greatly differs from most American Christian cults, particularly in their practices and faith. One of the key American cults that I will be addressing is Mormonism, which agrees with Christianity concepts but also supports the revelations generated by Joseph Smith, the founding figure of the cult (Mason, 2017). Orthodox Christianity believes in the Trinity, while Mormonism does not trust in the Trinity, creating room for improper ethics.
The argument to use it in the conversation
Orthodox Christianity believes in God, thus embracing the trinity which guides their beliefs and practices. Consequently, orthodox Christianity holds that there is only one God because God and his son Jesus are two individuals in one God. Jesus and his Father normally share an identical divine substance. Conversely, Mormons do not believe in the trinity; hence God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost create the existence of three dissimilar Gods. The failure of Mormonism to believe in the Trinity generates room for improper ethics by ignoring biblical teachings that aid people to remain faithful and make moral decisions.
Possible objections to the argument
One of the key possible objections that may arise from the argument is that Mormonism is guided by Christianity concepts; hence, cult believers maintain proper ethics. The second objection that may arise from the argument is that the Bible demonstrates the existence of three Gods; thus, it is not only Mormonism that can detect the absence of the trinity.
Sharing the argument for orthodox Christianity against a cult
The time and place of the conversation
To discuss my argument against Mormonism, I met my colleague in a nearby coffee shop to engage in a candid conversation. The conversation occurred on one fine Saturday evening in the town’s best coffee shop. The dialogue went on well, and we thoroughly debated the argument.
The setting of the conversation
The setting, which was the nearby coffee shop, was well organized to avoid disruptions. Consequently, we chose a private room to engage in our conversation to make each party comfortable with their submissions. The private room prevented the public from causing distractions which made it hard to achieve the anticipated objectives.
The conversation partner
Based on the conversation, my partner was an unbeliever because he seemed not to support Christianity’s true teachings and concepts. The conversation partner had a great knowledge level regarding the Mormonism cult by comprehending their beliefs and practices. Additionally, the partner maintained an antagonistic attitude towards orthodox Christianity, particularly on trinity and ethics.
The description of the conversation and reaction to the argument
How the conversation went
The conversation went on well despite the antagonistic attitude of my partner, thus allowing me to comprehend the differences between Orthodox Christianity and Mormonism. I explained to the partner why believing in different Gods goes against biblical teachings, yielding unethical and demonic practices. However, my conversation partner denied that the Mormonism cult creates room for the emergence of unsuitable ethics and that the absence of the trinity can well be detected within biblical teachings. The partner disclosed that people who believe in Mormonism maintain good behaviors despite trusting in different Gods and thus make moral decisions based on Christianity teachings. The conversation partner further demonstrated the lack of the trinity by showing that Jesus had his father, Joseph. Consequently, the partner maintained his stand despite revealing the real teachings of Christianity.
The reaction of the conversation partner to the argument
The reaction of the conversation partner changed after the presentation of the argument. The partner was friendly before the conversation because we could greet each other well and enjoyed our coffee until I presented my argument. However, soon after presenting the argument, the partner became hostile due to people’s negative beliefs about Mormonism.
The areas of improvement
Following the antagonistic attitude of the conversation partner, I would have focused on changing my argument to discuss how Mormonism and Orthodox Christianity are similar. This would have shown some respect for my partner’s religious beliefs instead of demonstrating contempt for his religious stand (Ahdar, 2018). People are free to engage in any religious denomination without being subjected to criticism.
Feelings after the presentation about the strength of the argument
As a believer in orthodox Christianity, the argument’s strength revolves around revealing the existence of one God. This helps people demonstrate good behaviors by avoiding worshipping other gods, which goes against Christianity teachings (Mason, 2017). From a critical perspective, Mormonism has an erroneous interpretation of the Bible and should thus begin in believing in one God because Jesus and his Father share similar divine substance.
References
Ahdar, R. (2018). Research handbook on law and religion. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Mason, P. Q. (2017). What is Mormonism?: A student’s introduction. Taylor & Francis.