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Criticism of Mormonism/Video/The God Makers/Cartoon
< Criticism of Mormonism | Video | The God Makers
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Contents
- 1 YouTube cartoon that was "banned by the Mormon Church"
- 1.1 Question: Is there a YouTube cartoon which was "banned by the Mormon church"?
- 1.2 Claim The film claims that the Church teaches that "trillions of planets" are "ruled by countless gods who were once human like us."
- 1.3 Claim Mormons believe that God the Father was born on a distant planet to an “unidentified god and one of his goddess wives," and that He was "later born to human parents" and "through obedience to Mormon teaching" that he was eventually "elevated to godhood."
- 1.4 Claim God the Father is claimed to live with his "many goddess wives on a planet near a mysterious star called Kolob."
- 1.5 Claim ”Goddess wives” are again mentioned with a reference to “endless celestial sex” producing “billions of spirit children.”
- 1.6 Claim The film refers to "Lucifer and his brother Jesus."
- 1.7 Claim The film claims that Lucifer's plan was to "force everyone to become gods."
- 1.8 Claim Jesus Christ is always referred to as the “Mormon Jesus."
- 1.9 Claim The film claims that those who were neutral in the war in heaven were "cursed to be born with black skin." The cartoon illustrates this change in appearance.
- 1.10 Claim The film claims that those who "fought most valiently" in the war in heaven were "born into Mormon families" and that they would be "lighter skinned people" or "white and delightsome."
- 1.11 Claim The film claims that "[e]arly Mormon prophets" taught that God the Father and "one of his goddess wives came to earth as Adam and Eve."
- 1.12 Claim The film again tries to crudely promote the idea that God the Father came from “Starbase Kolob” to visit the Virgin Mary in order to "have sex with the virgin Mary, in order to provide Jesus with a physical body." The cartoon shows God the Father walking through the streets and knocking on Mary's door.
- 1.13 Claim The film notes that Orson Pratt taught that Jesus "took at least three wives: Mary, Martha and Mary Magdeline."
- 1.14 Claim The film claims that in 421 AD, that the "dark skinned Indian Israelites" had destroyed "all of the white Nephites."
- 1.15 Claim The film states that "a young treasure seeker named Joseph Smith, who was known for his tall tales" claimed to have found the gold plates.
- 1.16 Claim Joseph is claimed to have organized the "Mormon Church, because all Christian creeds were an abomination."
- 1.17 Claim Through "financial and moral requirements" and temple rituals, Latter-day Saints "hope to prove their worthiness and thus become gods."
- 1.18 Claim Joseph Smith is depicted as sitting in judgment between the Father and the “Mormon Jesus," contrary to Latter-day Saint belief that Jesus Christ will be our final judge.
- 1.19 Claim Latter-day Saints are claimed to "expect to become polygamous gods in the Celestial kindom, rule over other planets, and spawn new families throughout all eternity."
- 1.20 Claim The film states that Joseph Smith claimed that he did more for us than any other man, including Jesus Christ, and that Joseph Smith shed his blood for us in order for us to become gods.
- 1.21
- 1.22
- 1.23 Further reading and additional sources responding to these claims
YouTube cartoon that was "banned by the Mormon Church"
| A FAIR Analysis of: The God Makers A work by author: Ed Decker
|
Question: Is there a YouTube cartoon which was "banned by the Mormon church"?
The cartoon is an excerpt from the 1982 anti-Mormon film The God Makers
Some have seen a video circulating on the Internet that claims to be a cartoon which was banned by the Mormon church. Does this cartoon accurately represent the beliefs of the church?
The cartoon is an excerpt from the 1982 anti-Mormon film The God Makers. The cartoon takes elements of certain LDS beliefs and distorts them in an attempt to make them appear ridiculous. In some cases, the cartoon takes statements made by early church leaders and attempts to portray them as official church doctrine. For every point made, the cartoon attempts to convey its points using crude, offensive and mocking terms in order to shock the viewer.
"The film does not - in our opinion - fairly portray the Mormon Church, Mormon history, or Mormon belief"
The non-denomination National Council of Christians and Jews wrote:
The film does not - in our opinion - fairly portray the Mormon Church, Mormon history, or Mormon belief. It makes extensive use of "half-truth," faulty generalizations, erroneous interpretations, and sensationalism. It is not reflective of the genuine spirit of the Mormon faith.
We find particularly offensive the emphasis in the film that Mormonism is some sort of subversive plot - a danger to the community, a threat to the institution of marriage, and is destructive to the mental health of teenagers. All of our experience with our Mormon neighbors provides eloquent refutation of these charges.
We are of the opinion that The Godmakers relies heavily on appeals to fear, prejudice and other less worthy human emotions. We believe that continued use of this film poses genuine danger to the climate of good will and harmony which currently exists between…neighbors of differing faiths. It appears to us to be a basically unfair and untruthful presentation of what Mormons really believe and practice.
- — The National Council of Christians and Jews (see fulltext).
Claims made in the cartoon
Claim
The film claims that the Church teaches that "trillions of planets" are "ruled by countless gods who were once human like us."
Response
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
Claim
Mormons believe that God the Father was born on a distant planet to an “unidentified god and one of his goddess wives," and that He was "later born to human parents" and "through obedience to Mormon teaching" that he was eventually "elevated to godhood."
Response
- This claim is designed to shock the viewer through the mention of plural wives in association with the Father.
- See Was the "Mormon God" once a mortal man on another planet?
Claim
God the Father is claimed to live with his "many goddess wives on a planet near a mysterious star called Kolob."
Response
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
Claim
”Goddess wives” are again mentioned with a reference to “endless celestial sex” producing “billions of spirit children.”
Response
- This is again intended to shock the viewer by associating crude terminology with an alleged Mormon belief regarding the Father and the manner in which Jesus Christ was conceived.
- Jesus Christ/Conception
Claim
The film refers to "Lucifer and his brother Jesus."
Response
Claim
The film claims that Lucifer's plan was to "force everyone to become gods."
Response
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
Claim
Jesus Christ is always referred to as the “Mormon Jesus."
Response
This is done in order to drive home the idea that Mormons worship a different Jesus than the rest of Christianity.
Claim
The film claims that those who were neutral in the war in heaven were "cursed to be born with black skin." The cartoon illustrates this change in appearance.
Response
Church leaders have stated explicitly that there were no “neutrals” in the war in heaven – if we received a body, we made the correct choice.[citation needed]
Claim
The film claims that those who "fought most valiently" in the war in heaven were "born into Mormon families" and that they would be "lighter skinned people" or "white and delightsome."
Response
Claim
The film claims that "[e]arly Mormon prophets" taught that God the Father and "one of his goddess wives came to earth as Adam and Eve."
Response
Claim
The film again tries to crudely promote the idea that God the Father came from “Starbase Kolob” to visit the Virgin Mary in order to "have sex with the virgin Mary, in order to provide Jesus with a physical body." The cartoon shows God the Father walking through the streets and knocking on Mary's door.
Response
Claim
The film notes that Orson Pratt taught that Jesus "took at least three wives: Mary, Martha and Mary Magdeline."
Response
Claim
The film claims that in 421 AD, that the "dark skinned Indian Israelites" had destroyed "all of the white Nephites."
Response
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
Claim
The film states that "a young treasure seeker named Joseph Smith, who was known for his tall tales" claimed to have found the gold plates.
Response
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
Claim
Joseph is claimed to have organized the "Mormon Church, because all Christian creeds were an abomination."
Response
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
Claim
Through "financial and moral requirements" and temple rituals, Latter-day Saints "hope to prove their worthiness and thus become gods."
Response
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
Claim
Joseph Smith is depicted as sitting in judgment between the Father and the “Mormon Jesus," contrary to Latter-day Saint belief that Jesus Christ will be our final judge.
Response
The portrayal in the cartoon appears to be based upon statements made by early LDS leaders that have been removed from their context in order to falsely make it appear that a belief in Joseph Smith rather than Jesus Christ is the key to salvation.[1]
Claim
Latter-day Saints are claimed to "expect to become polygamous gods in the Celestial kindom, rule over other planets, and spawn new families throughout all eternity."
Response
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
Claim
The film states that Joseph Smith claimed that he did more for us than any other man, including Jesus Christ, and that Joseph Smith shed his blood for us in order for us to become gods.
Response
The implication is that Mormons worship Joseph Smith as their savior rather than Jesus Christ.
Notes
- ↑ Brigham Young, "Intelligence, Etc.," (Oct. 9, 1859) Journal of Discourses 7:289-289. Brigham clearly states that Joseph Smith is responsible for this dispensation only: "Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great work of the last days...no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are...He holds the keys of that kingdom for the last dispensation..." (emphasis added)
Further reading and additional sources responding to these claims