http://althouse.blogspot.com/2012/06/making-mormons-look-bad-helps-others.html

Reading this thread, I encounter the usual anti-Mormon trope. Paddy O writes:

"I think Mormonism is a "non-Christian religion" but I don't see that as somehow being anti-Mormon."

Actually, it is completely anti-Mormon.  

A "Christian" religion is a faith that asserts Christ atoned for our sins. This believe, of course, is a central tenant of the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (lest you forget the real name of Mormon church.) So Mormonism is Christian, and Mormons are Christians.

But calling Mormons non-Christians is a game that anti-Mormons like to play. But they can't play it using the commonly accepted definition of "Christian" because Mormons are so obviously Christian using that definition. So, first they identify some difference between LDS doctrine and other Christian faiths' doctrine that they think is out of the mainstream, and then they define being "Christian" as rejecting that difference, even though the belief in question does not call alter Mormons' belief in Christ.  Regardless,  anti-Mormons then declare that Mormons are non-Christians, with the effect, if not the intent, of giving others the impression that Mormons do not believe in Christ or his atonement.


So in this thread we see Paddy O saying Mormon's aren't Christians because they "add a whole other book to the foundations." So, having the Book of Mormon, (subtitled, Another Testament of Jesus Christ) makes you non-Christian.  (Do variances between the Catholic bible and protestant bible make Catholics non-Christian, too?) Or Freeman Hunt writes, "Under [Mormonism], men seek to become God, just as God is God, perfected beings in control of their own universes. This is incompatible with the latter which sees God as one and only." (Except that its More than Just Mormons who believe that God the Father is separate from Christ, and the Holy Ghost, who are also gods.)  So again Mormons, who believe we can only become like God through Christ's atonement, are again, non-Christians. Obviously, neither of these doctrinal differences casts any doubt on Mormons' belief in Christ's divinity.


Other than misleading the ignorant about Mormon doctrine, the only other reason anti-Mormons (let's face it--mostly evangelicals) can possible care so much about labeling Mormons non-Christian is that they want to make sure people understand loud and clear: Mormons are not part of our group! But these ardent and sustained efforts of  other Christians to disassociate themselves from Mormons are, by definition, anti-Mormon.