|
Summarized by Gregor McHardy
Churches hold massive gathering but don't invite Mormons
(Phoenix) AZ Republic (AP) 31Jan00 D1
The Associated Press
Bank One Ballpark, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, was full of
worshipers on January 15th. Thirty-eight thousand Christians from Mesa,
Arizona filled the stands for The Festival of Faith 2000, an ecumenical
worship service. But it seems you have to profess a certain brand of
Christianity in order to have been allowed to attend, because members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were specifically
DISinvited.
In the initial planning stages the Church had been invited, but the
invitation was later rescinded. Rev. Gary Kinnaman said "They want to
participate and they want recognition in mainstream Protestantism and
mainstream Christianity. Their doctrinal positions on the fundamentals of
the Christian faith are radically different from the position of historic
Christianity."
Letters to the editor in the paper for days subsequent to the breaking of
the story were from predominantly non-Mormons. And the heavy majority were
disgusted that an ecumenical gathering of Christians would disallow Mormons.
|
