Quite a few readers took great exceptions to the comments about Mormonism in the e-mails I posted last night. Just two points from me: I didn’t endorse them, or any other comments, as anything more than interesting. When I put up omnibus email posts like that, I think that’s self-evident. Second, I’ll put up a couple e-mails in response, but that’s it. We’ve done the Mormons & Christianity thing before around here, and it’ll probably come up again. But I have no desire to spend my Sunday refereeing such a discussion again. So, from some readers:

Re: the two uniformed sideswipes at Mormons from readers in your Muslim postings today. It’s interesting how people who really know nothing more about Mormon theology except what they think they know (a little humility a la Socrates might help here) feel justified tossing a little anti-Mormon statement into a discussion on Muslims. Must be the alliteration. (If they’re as uninformed about Muslim theology as they are about Mormon theology, I’m not sure I would trust them, either). I guess since us Mormons are so new and so weird it’s okay, though. For example: Mormons do believe Christ is God in some sense. The hang up comes in how to define “God” – but a statement like Mr. Coptic Student’s “Mormons don’t believe that Christ is God” is false on its face.

And:

On the other hand, for Christians, that Jesus is both Son of God and God Himself (true God and true man) is really a central, defining belief. In fact, many take that particular belief to be the litmus test of whether to call a particular religion “Christian” or not—this is why many Christians don’t think Mormons can be called “Christian”, because Mormons don’t believe that Christ is God.Just to clarify, Mormons in fact do believe that Christ is God. It’s really quite simple. There is one God, which is the Godhead, consisting of three separate beings in the way that the Bush Administration is one administration consisting of many people. God the Father, Jesus Christ who is also God, and the Holy Ghost, who is also God. They are one in purpose. It’s not more complicated than that. Mormons do not believe in the Nicean Creed, but Christ’s role is not undermined. This is very different from Islam.Judaism, however, at least can say they met the man and judged him within his context. Islam is basically a lot more like Mormons. After that many centuries they are just offering their opinions and views. Nothing to commend it but for the fact they really say it’s trueThis is another fallacy. Mormonism maintains a simple claim of restoration of true Christianity, the original Christianity taught by the Savior, unpolluted by centuries of drift without revelation. The claim that Mormonism is a mere offering of opinion and views could as easily be said about any other Christian religion.