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Archiver > APG > 2004-07 > 1089849884


From: "Connie Bradbury" <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Re: Mormon/Jewish controversy
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 16:04:52 -0800
References: <20040628.215822.132.0.garymaher@juno.com>


Every a topic such as this comes up, I cringe. But, in reality, when the
discussion centers around theology, isn't it much to do about nothing? We
are just mortals, what do we know? Is there a heaven? I hope so. Is there
a hell? If there is I don't want to go there. The point is, we don't know.
However we "believe", it is because we have faith. But we don't know for
sure, without a shadow of a doubt, do we.

Bottom line: forget the name calling (Mormons, Jews, Baptists, Catholics,
etc.) and the finger pointing and let's be grateful we don't have to record
genealogy from our memory or someone else's as many did in the first half of
the 20th century.

Connie Bradbury
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 5:46 PM
Subject: [APG] Re: Mormon/Jewish controversy


> I respect Gary Mokotoff tremendously, but that whole fracas completely
> infuriated me.
>
> Here is my take, in a nutshell:
>
> If you believe "posthumous baptism" has any effect whatsoever on the
> person being baptized, that means you believe in Mormon theology and are
> therefore a Mormon by definition (in which case you should be glad your
> ancestor is being baptized). The email extract below cites Mormon
> beliefs as if they govern here. Shouldn't we be looking at it from the
> point of view of the Jewish ancestors or their Jewish descendants? Who
> are we to tell the Mormons that their comments do not fit into their own
> religion? Isn't that their bailiwick?
>
> On the other hand, if you believe posthumous baptism is nothing more than
> the mumbo-jumbo of a religion different from your own in which you do not
> believe, than why on earth do you care if they involve your ancestors
> (who, by the way, may also have Mormon descendants)?
>
> If you truly believe it makes a difference, you might want to start
> attending services this Sunday at your local LDS church.
>
> I'm Jewish by birth and an atheist by choice, but I gotta side with the
> Mormons on this one. I don't believe inter vivos baptism has any effect,
> let alone posthumous proxy sacraments. But of this I am certain:
>
> The elimination of ANY index to otherwise unindexed vital records or
> vital records substitutes hinders all of us who are attempting to piece
> together our family trees, particularly in that war-torn period of
> European history.
>
> Gary L. Maher
> New Jersey, USA
>
> ----------------------
>
> As a person heavily involved in the Mormon/Jewish controversy, I did lots
> of
> homework about the Mormon practice of posthumous baptism and comments
> Chad
> Millner made are off target.
>
> Chad: The deceased person will have complete freedom of choice as to
> whether
> or not he/she wants to accept the baptism.
>
> Fact: This is true, however it is the Mormon belief that only persons who
> accept the teaching of Jesus Christ can live in the presence of God in
> Heaven. All who refuse their posthumous baptism are relegated to a lesser
> level of Heaven. So to the Mormon mind, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists do not
> live
> in the presence of God in Heaven unless they accept the proxy baptism. To
> a
> Jew or Moslem, this would be unacceptable, therefore it constitutes a
> forced
> baptism.
>
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