What does Catholicism and Mormonism have in common?

[minutz3]

Well, as I wrote in my introduction, I'm curious about what Catholicism and Mormonism has in common, since I've heard - and read - that they do have a lot in common when it comes to morals and ethics, for example in touchy subjects such as abortion, self-abuse (masturbation), sex outside Marriage and homosexual actions.

But are there any more things that Catholics and Mormons agree on?

(I mean, I know our faiths are very different, such as Mormons believing in plenty of gods, and even that one can become a god, and that Earth's god, I believe, copulated with many women...)

[mnn727]

I don't want to hijack your thread, so please forgive me, the the early Church Fathers of YOUR Church believed we could become Gods also (so thats another thing we have in common)

Here is St. Irenaeus in the 2nd century about 140 years after the crucifixion:

"If the Word became a man,

It was so men may become gods."(1)

Also in the second century, Saint Clement of Alexandria wrote, "Yea, I say, the Word of God became a man so that you might learn from a man how to become a god." (2)

Still in the 2nd century, Saint Justin Martyr insisted that in the beginning men "were made like God, free from suffering and death," and that they are thus "deemed worthy of becoming gods and of having power to become sons of the highest." (3)

In the 4th century Saint Athanasius (a tireless foe of heresy & the man for whom the Athanasian creed is named) also stated: "The Word was made flesh in order that we might be enabled to be made gods...Just as the Lord, putting on the body, became a man, so also we men are both deified through his flesh, and henceforth inherit everlasting life." (4)

Athanasius stated,

"He became man that we might be made divine." (5)

And finally, Saint Augustine states: "But he himself that justifies also deifies, for by justifying he makes sons of God. 'For he has given them power to become sons of God' (John 1:12) If then we have been made sons of God, we have also been made gods." (6)

(1) Irenaeus, Against Heresies, bk 5, pref.

(2) Clement of Alexandra, Exhortation to the Greeks, 1.

(3) Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 124

(4) Athanasius, Against the Arians, 1.39, 3.34

(5) Athanasius, De Inc., 54

(6) Augustine, One the Psalms, 50.2

[Guest ceeboo]

I don't want to hijack your thread, so please forgive me, the the early Church Fathers of YOUR Church believed we could become Gods also (so thats another thing we have in common)

Iterpreting the Early Church Fathers " a whole new and lengthy thread ":)

As to also not continue to hijack the OP's thread, I will simply say, from my perspective, they did NOT believe we could become Gods!!.

BTW, The Early Church fathers are not of " YOUR CHURCH " they were the Early Church Fathers of the only Church ( Christian ) on the planet at the time.

So they were ALL of our Fathers!!!

God bless,

Carl

Edited November 25, 2008 by ceeboo

[Misshalfway]

I think one commonality is that we both believe that priesthood authority is an essential component to the true church of Christ.

[Misshalfway]

(I mean, I know our faiths are very different, such as Mormons believing in plenty of gods, and even that one can become a god, and that Earth's god, I believe, copulated with many women...)

This is just an FYI based upon your last statement.

I just want to make sure that you understand clearly what LDS church believes and what we don't.

We believe in three Gods: God the father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe they are three separate entities and that the father and the son have resurrected, perfect, glorified bodies of flesh and bone and that if either of them visited us today in our living rooms, that we would recognize them as having features like we do. The Holy Ghost does not have a body of flesh and bone. His body is one of spirit so that he might fulfill his duties properly. We call this threesome the Godhead. But understand that we only pray to one of these, and that is the Father. We pray to the Father in the name of Jesus and we receive answers thru the holy ghost. They are one god; one in purpose. And we think of them as one god but do not subscribe to the trinity.

While LDS do suppose that there might be other Gods in other universes or spheres or dimentions, we do not know of any of them and we do not pray to any of them. The idea that our Father in Heaven isn't the only god of his kind is the only idea at play in LDS theology and beyond that introductory idea is only supposition and intelligent speculation. Make sense???

Next.......We believe that man has great potential to become like God and that our Heavenly Father wants to make us like him so that he can bless us will all he has. We couldn't become like him alone. We needed the help of a Savior. And so one was provided and thru his Atonement unlocked the doors of death and sin and made progression thru the gospel of Jesus (Faith, repentance, baptism, etc) to become like our Father possible. We can become like him physically, thru the resurrection, because all of us will obtain a perfect body that will never die. And then spiritually we can become more like the divine in our actions and nature thru obedience and repentance. In this sense, and ONLY this sense, can we become a god. It is very similar to a child growing into an adult. Boys grow into men. Girls into women. Humans.....well, they can grow into lots of degrees of righteousness depending on their choices. But, we have the potential to become like our Father and he has promised to give us all that he has IF we follow the laws of such happiness. This is what we mean when we say we can become gods. But please understand clearly that we CAN'T become anything or fulfill our divine potential without the help of a loving Father and the help of the Atonement. We can become a god with lots and lots of help and lots and lots of obedience. But make no mistake about it. The goal of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to raise us as a parent would raise a child to the best we can become.

If the quotes listed by Mnn727 are correct, it is clear to me that the Catholic church....at least some of its earlier leaders.......understood that man has a divine potential.

The last statement about Earth's God......well, I don't know where on earth you came across that belief. It just isn't part of our theology as far as I tell.

Edited November 25, 2008 by Misshalfway