General

Mormonism no longer a cult, says Billy Graham

It’s OK to vote for Republican leader Mitt Romney because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no longer a cult, according to American evangelical leader Billy Graham.

According to a report in the Charlotte Observer, earlier this week the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association removed Mormonism from a number of cults listed in an article on its website, with the organizations’ chief of staff saying: “We removed the (cult) information from the website because we do not wish to participate in a theological debate about something that has been politicized during this campaign.”

The move comes after Graham, 93, met with Romney, who is a Mormon, in the evangelical leader’s North Carolina home.

After their meeting, Graham released a statement saying, in part: “It was a privilege to pray with Gov. Romney–for his family and our country. I will turn 94 the day after the upcoming election, and I believe America is at a crossroads. I hope millions of Americans will join me in praying for our nation and to vote for candidates who will support the biblical definition of marriage, protect the sanctity of life and defend our religious freedoms.”

While the cult page has been removed from the Billy Graham website, Slate has the original statement, which reads:

“A cult is any group which teaches doctrines or beliefs that deviate from the biblical message of the Christian faith. It is very important that we recognize cults and avoid any involvement with them. Cults often teach some Christian truth mixed with error, which may be difficult to detect… Some of these groups are Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, the Unification Church, Unitarians, Spiritists, Scientologists, and others.”

Like Maclean’s on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates through the day.

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: