Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions?
Acts 15:19-21, 28 is the Scripture Jehovah’s Witnesses typically point to as the reason they refuse to accept blood donations. Acts 15:20 says, “Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.” It is clear from the…
What is The Pearl of Great Price in Mormonism?
The Pearl of Great Price is a collection of various materials related to Mormonism, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The Pearl of Great Price is part of the “standard works” upheld by Mormons, who also consider Doctrine and Covenants, the Book of Mormon, and the Bible canonical. Notably,…
How should Christians view the Book of Mormon?
When Mormon missionaries (properly called Latter Day Saints or simply “LDS”) come to your door, they will often offer a free copy of the Book of Mormon and tell you about its author, Joseph Smith. Smith, they will say, translated the Book of Mormon from golden plates he dug up in a hill in New…
Who was Brigham Young?
Brigham Young (1801 – 1877) was the second president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) and a pioneer in the western United States. He has been nicknamed the “American Moses” or the “Mormon Moses.” Born and raised on a frontier settlement, Brigham Young only had formal schooling…
Is Mormonism properly defined as a cult?
Much controversy has occurred in recent years regarding how Bible-believing Christians should view the teachings of the Mormon Church. Mormons call themselves “Christians,” and they take exception to Mormonism being called a “cult.” First, we should clearly define cult. One general definition found in dictionaries defines a cult as “a particular system of religious worship,…
What is Christian Science?
Christian Science was begun by Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), who pioneered new ideas about spirituality and health. Inspired by her own experience of healing in 1866, Eddy spent years in Bible study, prayer, and research of various healing methods. The result was a system of healing she dubbed “Christian Science” in 1879. Her book, Science…
What does the Bible say about ancestor worship?
Ancestor worship involves religious beliefs and practices consisting of prayers and offerings to the spirits of dead relatives. Ancestor worship is found in many cultures all across the world. Prayers and offerings are made because it’s believed the spirits of ancestors live on in the natural world and are thus able to influence the futures…
Witnessing to Mormons – what is the key?
As a preface to this answer, please see our article on Mormonism and what Mormons believe. As Christians, we always want to use the Bible and its timeless truths as our primary tool in witnessing the love of God and salvation through Christ. One of the problems with trying to witness to Mormons is that…
What is Dianetics?
Dianetics is the generic term for the beliefs underlying Scientology. Dianetics is the claim that each person’s painful past experiences create a lasting impression, termed an “engram,” on that person’s “reactive” (subconscious) mind. According to Dianetics, these engrams are the root cause of various diseases, conditions, neuroses, and injuries. According to Scientology, the list of…
What is Biblical Unitarianism?
Biblical Unitarianism, contrary to its name, is not biblical. The problem is their false view of the nature of God and the person of Christ. Biblical Unitarians differ from other Unitarians (such as Unitarian Universalists) in their claim that the Bible is the source of truth—a doctrine that Universalists deny. The term Biblical Unitarianism can…