Criticism of Mormonism/Video/The God Makers/Cartoon

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YouTube cartoon that was "banned by the Mormon Church"

A FAIR Analysis of: The God Makers, a work by author: Ed Decker

Response to The God Makers cartoon segment

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• Question: Is there a YouTube cartoon which was "banned by the Mormon church"?

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).

Response to claim: "trillions of planets" are "ruled by countless gods who were once human like us"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

The film claims that the Church teaches that "trillions of planets" are "ruled by countless gods who were once human like us."

Response to claim: God the Father was born on a distant planet to an “unidentified god and one of his goddess wives"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following 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."

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim contains propaganda - The author, or the author's source, is providing information or ideas in a slanted way in order to instill a particular attitude or response in the reader

This claim is designed to shock the viewer through the mention of plural wives in association with the Father. Many Latter-day Saints infer that because we, as children of God, now live as mortals in this world and have the potential to become gods through the atonement of Christ, that God the Father must have gone through a similar process to be where He is. Early leaders (including Joseph Smith) taught something to this effect. But... it's something about which we know very little, since nothing formal has been revealed to the Church and very little was explained by early leaders. Could it be so? Logically, yes, but we simply don't know very much about it. As far as we are concerned, God the Father has always been our God and always will be, and we leave it at that. Anything else is really just theological speculation—interesting, but not terribly important.

Response to claim: God the Father is claimed to live with his "many goddess wives on a planet near a mysterious star called Kolob"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

God the Father is claimed to live with his "many goddess wives on a planet near a mysterious star called Kolob."

Response to claim: “endless celestial sex” producing “billions of spirit children"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

”Goddess wives” are again mentioned with a reference to “endless celestial sex” producing “billions of spirit children.”

FAIR's 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

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Response to claim: "Lucifer and his brother Jesus"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

The film refers to "Lucifer and his brother Jesus."

FAIR's Response

• Jesus Christ/Brother of Satan

Response to claim: Lucifer's plan was to "force everyone to become gods"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

The film claims that Lucifer's plan was to "force everyone to become gods."

Response to claim: The “Mormon Jesus"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

Jesus Christ is always referred to as the “Mormon Jesus."

FAIR's Response

This is done in order to drive home the idea that Mormons worship a different Jesus than the rest of Christianity.

Response to claim: Those who were neutral in the war in heaven were "cursed to be born with black skin"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following 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.

FAIR's 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]}

• See Blacks and the priesthood/Repudiated ideas

Response to claim: Those who "fought most valiantly" in the war in heaven were "born into Mormon families"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

The film claims that those who "fought most valiantly" in the war in heaven were "born into Mormon families" and that they would be "lighter skinned people" or "white and delightsome."

FAIR's Response

• See Blacks and the priesthood/Repudiated ideas

Response to claim: God the Father and "one of his goddess wives came to earth as Adam and Eve"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

The film claims that "early Mormon prophets" taught that God the Father and "one of his goddess wives came to earth as Adam and Eve."

FAIR's Response

• Church doctrine/Repudiated/Adam-God

Response to claim: 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 author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following 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.

FAIR's Response

• See Do Mormons believe that God had sexual intercourse with Mary?

Response to claim: Orson Pratt taught that Jesus "took at least three wives"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

The film notes that Orson Pratt taught that Jesus "took at least three wives: Mary, Martha and Mary Magdeline."

FAIR's Response

• Was Jesus a polygamist?

Response to claim: In 421 AD, that the "dark skinned Indian Israelites" had destroyed "all of the white Nephites"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

The film claims that in 421 AD, that the "dark skinned Indian Israelites" had destroyed "all of the white Nephites."

Response to claim: "a young treasure seeker named Joseph Smith, who was known for his tall tales"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following 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 to claim: Joseph is claimed to have organized the "Mormon Church, because all Christian creeds were an abomination"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

Joseph is claimed to have organized the "Mormon Church, because all Christian creeds were an abomination."

Response to claim: Latter-day Saints "hope to prove their worthiness and thus become gods"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

Through "financial and moral requirements" and temple rituals, Latter-day Saints "hope to prove their worthiness and thus become gods."

Response to claim: Joseph Smith is depicted as sitting in judgment between the Father and the “Mormon Jesus"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following 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.

FAIR's 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.

• See Joseph Smith/Status in LDS belief.

Response to claim: Latter-day Saints are claimed to "expect to become polygamous gods in the Celestial kingdom, rule over other planets, and spawn new families throughout all eternity"

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following claim:

Latter-day Saints are claimed to "expect to become polygamous gods in the Celestial kingdom, rule over other planets, and spawn new families throughout all eternity."

Response to claim: Joseph Smith claimed that he did more for us than any other man, including Jesus Christ

The author(s) of The God Makers cartoon make(s) the following 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.

FAIR's Response

The implication is that Mormons worship Joseph Smith as their savior rather than Jesus Christ.

• Did Joseph Smith 'boast' of keeping the Church intact?

Notes