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Holocaust survivors halt talks with LDS
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It's the same thing. The principle behind baptism for the dead is that it gives them the *choice*. Nothing is forced on anyone. We don't add them to Church membership lists, we don't claim they believe now. We just let them choose.
That said? I absolutely agree that if anyone is trying to put Holocaust victims back on the lists despite the Church promising not to, that should stop. Now. We all promise to sustain our leaders, so let's not make liars out of them.
Please note, I would not be the least bit offended by a practitioner of another religion, be it Santeria or any other, charitably applying what he may believe to be a saving ordinance of his faith to my dead ancestors. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to hear that Catholic last rites may have been administered to my Grandfather, who died in a Catholic hospital.
That is not to say that I believe these rites would have the least effect, but I can appreciate the intent of a faithful adherent of another religion charitably performing an act of love and human kindness.
Why can't you?
Well actually yes I would like that, my mother died before her time, If a Voodo priest, or Mormon or Hindu or Catholic or Athiest can and is willing to resurrect her, fantastic!!!
And even if I didn't like the idea and he wanted to do it, I think the choice would be between her and him don't you?
Freedom of choice, try it sometime, its the American way. I don't understand all the people in this forum that presume to know what these holocaust victims want, I certainly don't know,
These people are very pushy and presumptious to think they know best and not give people on the other side a choice if indeed that is what baptism for the dead does.
Anyway who cares, get a life.
The self appointed Jews who are fighting this fight remind me of my sister.
It seems that a lot of folks didn't read the church's official response.
To quote:
"The understanding reached in 1995 determined that the Church would remove Holocaust names from its public database immediately, which the Church has done. It further said that Jewish groups would provide to the Church any names that reappeared on the database so the Church could remove them. The Church cannot understand why Mr. Michel has refused now to provide those names to the Church so the Church can maintain the spirit of that 1995 understanding."
Seems some people don't know a good deal if it hit them over the head.
Oh well I guess that is the human condition, we need something to tussel over, we love it.
Mormonism is not ... it is not......
I truly believe that my baptising them will help them achieve heavenly glory. When I die and meet them, if I was wrong, let THEM tell me. At least they will know I cared about them, thought about their welfare, spent my time actively trying to be connected to them and LOVED THEM!!!
The man was ecstatic afterwards, saying I was now automatically saved. I did not, nor do I now, believe that, but I was nonetheless touched by his sincere concern for the welfare of my soul, and so I accepted his well-meaning gesture in the spirit it was intended.
If some Satanic organization was doing some rites for my name and my ancestors, seriously, I would not care. Why? Because I know it's not true, it's not affecting me, and they're doing it to everyone else anyway, so I know I'm not being singled out.
Get a grip, folks. Relax. Life is good. Life is way too short to get worked up over trite issues such as this.
She thought that that was a lot of extra temple work.
Redneck Rufus partied most of his adult life and I assured her that 3 baptisms was not near enough.
/change their Jewishness?
lol
We have about 300 relatives that died in the Holocaust, I will not have a none related person tell me what to do with my relatives.
2 issues:
Apparently, there are LDS Church members who feel like the church's decision to abide by the Jewish leaders requests to stop baptizing Holocaust victims does not apply to them. They continue to submit names regardless of the decision by LDS Church leaders to discontinue the practice.
Then, there are Jews who are bothered regardless of any and all efforts taken by LDS Church leaders to fulfill their agreement with Jewish leaders.
It can be worked out if both parties can get their members to abide by the spirit of the agreement.
On the one hand there are actually only about 4000 Family History Centers, but you were probably going for hyperbole.
On the other hand, with New Family Search submissions of names can be done from your own home.
Actually though I think it was easier to do mass submissions with the old system.
I think though you must start with the assumption that people acted in good faith. The people who submitted these names for temple work truly believed they were doing the best thing for these people.
I think another fact ignored is what if a member had a grandfather who was the only survivor out of all his cousnins and second cousins. Since this person would be the closest living relative to all these peole, is it not legitimate for him to do the work for all his grandfathers cousins?
Don't fool yourself, the ones who do it, love what they do, or they wouldn't do it. Think of all the notariety this person gets from being able to report back to their fellows and report what the Mormons are up to.
Educate yourself beyond what you learned in sunday school so that the rest of us don't have to defend your ignorance.
There are multiple things you can not prove. One is that the agreement has been broken. You can not prove that people have not limited the work to their relatives.
Secondly, the attempt to represent the holocaust as a religious issue ignores the many Christian converts from Judaism who were killed in it. It also ignores the Gypsies who were the only other group marked for total extermination by the Nazis, but who are still hated and mariginalized in much of Europe.
Thirdly, and most importantly, the whole issue ignores the fact that the church wants as much temple work done as possible. The church removed the names from the IGI. If I understand correctly though, this actually may have made repeat temple work more likely.
The second issue that people ignore is that the church extracts records from various sources. If the church is extrating Italian birth records kept by the state, how are we supposed to know who is a holocaust victim. How many Luigi Del Campos do you think there are?
Another thing that people ignore is the church spends huge amounts of money on preserving records.
Your statements are false. Jews were not judged on religious but on racial criteria. Many baptized Christian were sent to the camps where they died. There were many Christian "Jews" living in the Warsaw Ghetto. In Belgium the Nazis took special care to depaort every Jewish convert to Catholicism as a way to get back at the Catholic leadership in that country for speaking out against the Holocaust.
The Nazis hated Jews as racial and not religious enemies.
In light of your opposition to marriage equality for live consenting Gay people, I'd think you'd think about marrying any unconsenting dead people, period. But that's just me. It really looks creepy to everyone else.
One I would urge people to go back and read the article again. It has been throughly revised since it was first published, and now makes it even harder to understand Mr. Michel's response.
The church is going to flag the names of holocaust victims. New Family Search will make it harder to submit large amounts of names of unrelated people.
I have heard lots of people complain that new family search was released so soon. With the number of duplicate temple ordinaces done for some early church members and their ancestors, and with the dumping of five databases it is a huge mess. Many think they should have waited longer to start it, but the church did move forward.
Another thing people have ignored is that the church has removed 42,000 names that it identified itself.
Mr. Michel's claim that his parents would ever be identified as "Mormon victims of the Holocaust" is ludicrous. Does he think our doing proxy baptisms for Gypsies would make them no longer Gypsies?
As a Christian Jew His laws are without time and beyond mans demands. If we are offended by His law, then we have offended Him and His creations by trying to make His will void. If we have have offense whether Jew or Gentile we should discuss it with its author and creator.
Stop telling me who I can't do the work for just because I'm a Jewish Mormon.
I have every right to practice the religion that I have chosen including doing temple work for my family members.
By dis-allowing the Baptism by Proxy, you are denying Uncle Herschel the option/free agency of making that informed decision!
This Baptism By Proxy GOES NOT MAKE THEM A MEMBER!!!!
to be a member of the LDS Church requires a deliberate decision by the affected person!!!!
No One Else is affected or involved...No One Else!!!!
When a deceased person of another faith is baptized by the morman church does that person then be counted as a lds member?"
Answer: "No".
When a deceased individual has a "proxy" baptism performed for them they are not counted as a member of the LDS faith. Why not? Because we have no way of knowing if they have accepted the baptismal ordinance performed for them here in mortality. All that is recorded is that the baptism was performed on their behalf.
Baptism for those who have passed away is, on the surface, a highly unusaul doctrine. But, if you really think about it, it makes perfect sense.
Why?
Because Christ said that everyone, repeat, EVERYONE, MUST be baptized to enter into His presence after their death (John 3:3-5). How then are those who have died with no baptism, or even no knowledge of Christ, able to be redeemed? Are we to believe that it is fair for a just and merciful god to simply say "Tough break that you were born in Africa in 1542, kid".
They are taught about Christ beyond the veil and baptism on their behalf is offered here.
"Baptism for the dead"
Is mans edict greater than the creator of mankind and King of the Jews. (Jesus)Who are we accountable to?
Do we compromise doctrines to suit the world?
If so then we might as well approve same sex marriage,war as a means of Patriotism,Wealth for the rich,Health care only for the rich,Tithing payment into direct bank accounts and Police check cards for all members and promote the Holy Ghost as a man, yet to be mortalized and resurrected. Is this where we are heading? Are we pleasing the masses to reject the innocent dead? Judge yourselves!
And, finally, as I said it might seem odd that faithful LDS members believe in gospel ordinances performed on behalf of those who have passed away but isn't that what Christ did for you and I?, ie, a work or an act of service done for you and I?, an act that you and I could not in any way perform ourself?
And what was that act?
None other than the Atonement of our sins in the Garden of Gethsemanee and His suffering on the cross that ultimately led to the sure promise of our bodily resurrection.
Proxy acts done by Christ on OUR behalf because we could not do it ourselves.
Cool, huh?
The Gospel, or "good news" of Jesus Christ is simply beautiful and beautifully simple!
I hope that helps.
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