Mormons continue to baptize Holocaust victims

[Trout]

AP (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=3&u=/ap/baptizing_the_dead)





SALT LAKE CITY - Researchers say that Mormons have continued to posthumously baptize Jewish Holocaust victims into their faith despite a promise to discontinue the practice. . .

The practice is primarily intended to give salvation to the ancestors of Mormons, but many others are included, since the church believes that individuals' ability to choose a religion continues beyond the grave. Non-Mormon faiths have objected to the baptisms.

"It's ridiculous for people to pretend they have the key to heaven," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. "And even if they say they want to do somebody a favor ... it's not a symbol of love. It's a symbol of arrogance. . ."

"The Jews have to either accept what the Mormons are doing or take legal action," Radkey said.

[Amazing Rando]

By MARK THIESSEN, Associated Press Writer

SALT LAKE CITY - Researchers say that Mormons have continued to posthumously baptize Jewish Holocaust victims into their faith despite a promise to discontinue the practice.

"We are very hopeful that we will be able to convince the church to stop," Ernest Michel, chairman of the New York-based World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, said Friday. If not, Michel said, his group will consider other options, "possibly legal steps."

Church spokesman Dale Bills said in a statement Friday evening that church officials "do not know what may come of these discussions, but we welcome the involvement of any who seek to resolve amicably the concerns expressed by some of our Jewish friends."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long collected names from government documents and other records worldwide for posthumous baptisms. Church members stand in to be baptized in the names of the deceased non-Mormons, a ritual the church says is required for them to reach heaven.

The practice is primarily intended to give salvation to the ancestors of Mormons, but many others are included, since the church believes that individuals' ability to choose a religion continues beyond the grave. Non-Mormon faiths have objected to the baptisms.

[Xavier]

This thread is a merge between Trout's thread in the LDS forum and Rando's in the PoliSci forum... :smile:

[C. D. Ward]

Although it seems to me more than a little questionable for the LDS church to agree to stop the practice (more than once, IIRC) and yet continue it, I wonder what kind of "legal action" anyone could engage in to force them to stop. Can any court legitimately enjoin a church to cease the practice of its faith absent the violation of secular law?

[Em7add11]

This doesn't refer to a physical, water baptism does it?

[BRNelson]

This doesn't refer to a physical, water baptism does it?
Yes. It is one of their temple ceremonies. They use 1 Corinthians 15:29 as a scriptural basis for the practice.
1Co 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

This is interesting because Paul is really talking about the ressurection here. He uses 'we' for most of his references in ch. 15, and then when he gets to this verse he changes to 'they'. Mormon leaders have made comments to the effect that they don't know much about baptizing for the dead, because the Bible does not clearly specify the practice. This is the only reference in the Bible and it puzzles me that you could adopt this practice based on the context of Paul's message in this chapter.

[Trout]

This doesn't refer to a physical, water baptism does it?
Worthy members of the LDS church are baptized in water, by full immersion, by other members of the LDS church who are priesthood holders, for people who have died and weren't baptized into the LDS church.

Blessings for our ancestors (http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,1300-1,00.html)

Many people have died without receiving baptism (http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,859-1,00.html) and other ordinances that Jesus Christ taught were necessary to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5 (javascript:onClick=openScripture('http://scriptures.lds.org/john/3/5#5'))). Because Heavenly Father wants all His children to have the opportunity to return to Him, He has provided a way for those who have died without these ordinances to receive them.


In holy temples, members of the Church can perform these ordinances on behalf of their ancestors who have died. This makes it possible for those who have not received these ordinances to accept them, if they choose, and return to live one day with our Heavenly Father.