February 6, 2005

Ravi Zacharias
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
Phone: (770) 449-6766
Fax: (770) 729-1729
http://www.rzim.org
Re: Questions for Ravi Zacharias

Dear Ravi:

Thank you for taking the time to answer the following questions centering around your November 2004 speaking engagements in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Christians need to be accountable to the body of Christ, whether their ministry is a local pastorate or international. This is true especially when controversy follows our actions and questions remain unanswered. The questions are from pastors, evangelists and apologists who care deeply about the body of Christ and the truth of God's word. The questions are based on documented information.

Please be assured that our reasons for presenting this questionnaire to you is to seek the truth on an issue that has caused a great deal of controversy within the body of Christ. These questions will be posted on several websites to give you the best possible exposure to clarify your position and speak for yourself. Should you choose not to answer the questions, this questionnaire will be updated with a notation that reflects your decision.

The meetings in Utah took place in a public forum, which means that this issue does not fall within the guidelines of Matthew 18:15-17. Therefore this questionnaire and your reply will be made available to the body of Christ. Public issues deserve public responses, as seen several times in Scripture (Acts 15:6-7; 15:38-39; 1 Corinthians 7:1; etc.).
We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to your reply in a timely manner.


Sincerely in Christ,
Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
www.christianresearchservice.com


Questions


1. According to the 11/5/04 Salt Lake Tribune article, "Evangelical to speak in LDS Tabernacle" ( http://www.standingtogether.org/itn_110504.html ), "Robert Millet, who holds The Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding at BYU, travels with Johnson around the country speaking to evangelical and LDS groups. He and Johnson met with Zacharias in Atlanta last summer, and Zacharias assured Millet he will say nothing to offend his hosts."

Q: Have you, at any time, assured Robert Millet, Greg Johnson or anyone that you would say nothing to offend the Mormons?

2. The same article quotes Robert Millet stating that you, "...won't deal with theology but why Christianity is the answer to the world's problems." The implication here is that you will not deal with theological differences between Mormonism and Christianity, since Millet is the speaker.

Q: Is it true that you agreed not to deal with [Mormon] theology during your November 14, 2004 speech at the Mormon Tabernacle?

3. During your November 2004 speaking engagements in Utah, did you receive any monetary compensation directly or indirectly from the Mormon church?

4. Upon death, do you believe a dedicated Mormon will spend his or her eternity totally separated from God in hell?

5. During his November 14, 2004 speech at the Mormon Tabernacle, Richard Mouw: apologized to Mormons for the "Evangelicals" who "have often misrepresented the faith and beliefs of the Latter-day Saints," stated, "Let me state it clearly. We evangelicals have sinned against you" and added that "both camps have tended to marginalize and simplify the others' beliefs," hoped that "... many in the evangelical community will take part in" the "200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birthday next December" and "several scholarly events planned to celebrate during the coming year" as well.

According to Christian sources who attended the meeting and the DVDs of your lectures obtained from Standing Together Ministries, you did not respond to Mouw's statements either during or immediately after his speech.

Q: Do you agree or disagree with Richard Mouw's statements?

Q: As an admitted apologist, why didn't you respond publicly to Richard Mouw's statements either during or after the event?

Q: Should evangelical Christians join with Mormons to celebrate Joseph Smith's birthday?

6. As a result of your November 2004 speaking engagements in Utah, approximately how many Mormons have contacted your ministry (RZIM), renounced Mormonism, repented of their sins and received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?

Q: Prior to speaking in Utah, how many Christians and former Mormons wrote or called you telling you it was wrong or a bad idea for you to speak in the Mormon Tabernacle?

7. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 and Galatians 1:6-9 reads,

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Q: In light of these two passages, do you consider the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) a non-Christian or counterfeit religion?

8. You edited the 2003 edition of THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS. Concerning Mormonism, Walter Martin once stated, "Without fear of contradiction, I am certain that Mormonism cannot stand investigation and wants no part of it unless the results can be controlled under the guise of 'broad-mindedness' and 'tolerance'" (Martin's InfoNet at http://www.waltermartin.org/mormon.html ).

According to Robert Millet's Bio at http://religion.byu.edu/FacWebs/millet.htm ,
he "Now holds a joint appointment with Church Public Affairs (Manager of Outreach and Interfaith Relations)."

Q: With these two things in mind, is it possible that Mormon officials and sympathizers used your name and popularity to promote Mormonism as being Christian?

9. A five page FAX, written on November 19, 2004 and obtained on January 17, 2005, provides a summary of notes taken during your meetings and speaking engagements in Salt Lake City, Utah between November 11-15, 2004. (original on file; FAX online at http://www.christianresearchservice.com/notesonrz.htm ).

According to the FAX, "Friday morning Greg and Ravi had an appointment with the top three leaders of the Mormon Church, the First Presidency, which consists of the President/Prophet and his top two advisers." The FAX states the meeting with Gordon B. Hinckley lasted "about 25 minutes."

Q: In light of 2 Timothy 4:2 and Acts 20:27-31, did you take the opportunity to share the whole Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ with Gordon B. Hinckley and his advisors? In other words, after you left, did they know that they were lost eternally without Christ? If not, why?

10. The FAX states that during your visit to Utah, you were presented with "...two gifts, the Book of Mormon and a bronze bust of Brigham Young."

Q: Out of curiosity, what did you do with the gifts?

11. According to the FAX, "One of the faculty members is a former Presbyterian minister from the PCUSA who was dismissed from his church because he was too liberal. For a while he had no job, other than driving a taxi, and when a position became available at BYU he decided that Mormonism was where it's at and joined the Mormon church. He's probably seen as a trophy."

Q: Did you, at anytime, take the opportunity to draw the differences between Mormonism and Christianity, encourage the former minister to renounce Mormonism, repent, and return to Christianity?

12. The FAX states that "We were back in Salt Lake City by about 2:30 pm and that evening there was a dinner for about 120 pastors and others who have supported Greg's efforts to bring a cordial atmosphere between the evangelical Christians and the Mormons in Utah, where they can discuss their differences without being antagonists. This weekend was an important event in reaching that goal. There were brief comments brought by Greg, Craig Hazen from Biola University, Craig Blomberg from Denver Seminary, Joe Tkach the leader of the Herbert Armstrong Worldwide Church of God (it is he who has led them back into Orthodox Christianity), Ravi and one other. The others have all been involved in the dialogues. There was a sense of real anticipation and the belief that only God had brought about the events of this weekend."

Q: Since God is "not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:33), and since the event caused controversy and division, how can you be certain that it was God who "brought about the events of this weekend"?

13. The FAX states, "When the meeting closed in prayer a couple of Mormon philosophers who were on the platform with Ravi told him that there was not one word he had said that they didn't agree with, even though he had touched on the biblical doctrines of the fallenness of man and the Trinity, which are very different from Mormon doctrine. And the former Presbyterian minister came to Ravi with tears in his eyes and said, 'Tonight I have fallen in love with Jesus all over again!'"

Q: Were you disturbed to learn that the Mormon philosophers agreed
with every word you said?

Q: Did you bother asking which "Jesus" the former Presbyterian minister was talking about (Mormon or Christian)?

14. The FAX states that, "We were also told after the event that 15 minutes before the service began President Hinckley had asked that it all be piped into his apartment so he could hear it. Although he wasn't present in the Tabernacle one of the quorum of seventy, the president's representative, was present and was on the platform, as well as several Mormon Elders who were present in the audience. Fortunately there was no problems with the protesters, although an email that we received in our office the next day from a Christian who was there described the evening as 'worse than I had thought it would be...to see Christians and Mormons praying together and singing worship songs together.'"

Q: Since Mormons worship another Jesus, believe in another gospel, and are overshadowed by another spirit (2 Corinthians 11:3-4), in retrospect, do you approve of Christians and Mormons praying and singing worship songs together?

15. The FAX states that, "Craig Hazen closed the service in prayer but before he did he suggested that this become an annual event, suggesting 'Don't you have a larger hall than this across the street?' They have built a beautiful 21,000 seat conference center across the street. Isn't that something to pray about?"

Q: When Christians worship with Mormons, aren't Mormons worshiping a false god while Christians are worshipping the true God? How can this be done without violation of 2 Corinthians 6:11-16: Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness...light with darkness...Christ with Belial and Ephesians 5:11: Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but expose them?

Q: Can Christians and Mormons truly "worship" together and not offend God the Almighty?

Q: Do you plan to make this an annual event?

16. Greg Johnson issued what is believed to be false information to the Deseret News (September 11, 2004) that "basically, he [Ravi] agreed to lend his name to it [THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS], but he didn't write any of it." So outrageous was Johnson's claim that a Christianity Today writer, Ted Olson, caught Johnson's distortion, calling it "misinformation" and quoted you from the book as proof of his editorial control ( http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/137/51.0.html ).

Greg Johnson and John Morehead made it public that the Tabernacle talk was "nearly halted," ( http://www.christianresearchservice.com/JohnMorehead1.htm ).

A Deseret News reporter also claims that on September 22, he called your secretary and verified that your office was issuing a retraction to Johnson's statement on your website and, as a result of Johnson's statement, you had decided in mid-September not to speak at the Tabernacle. Your secretary verified to him that an announcement was supposed to be on the website that morning. He was told it would appear later that week, but it never did.

Q: Why was the promised retraction of Johnson's false information not posted on your website in September--when the alternative of just letting false information go unanswered is worse?

17. Richard Mouw represented evangelicals as sinners for supposed caricaturizing Mormonism in various books.

Q: Do you believe your first book on Mormonism fits that "sinful" description?

18. Richard Mouw specifically listed Walter Martin's books in his sinful category, yet you are the General Editor of the 2003 edition of Martin's book, THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS.

Q: Do you agree with Mouw that the book you edited is a sinful book regarding Mormonism?

Q: When did Mouw or anyone else first make known to you that THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS may be a sinful book?

19. Unspecific, generalized condemnations are being hurled against evangelical books on Mormonism, but nobody is listing specific offenses.

Q: Has anyone (Richard Mouw, Carl Mosser, Greg Johnson, etc.) provided you with a list of books, page numbers, editions, and the so-called wrong information to back up this claim? If so, where may the list be obtained?

20. The book, THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS underwent several revisions since 1965 (1977, 1985, 1997), of which the most recent was your input into the 2003 edition. Each time, the chapter on Mormonism is sharpened.

Q: Do you think it is fair for critics of evangelicals to use the old editions to criticize Walter Martin, when his revisions showed continual honesty and integrity in research with updated information?

Q: Are there any changes that you think need to be immediately made to the Mormonism chapter in the current THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS?

Q: Do you believe that a Mormon who knows Mormon doctrine (The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price), can be truly born again within Mormonism?

Q: Do you have anything that shows that Mormons are not cleverly using Christian terms, such as grace, to just make Mormonism more palpable, when they are not actually changing anything?

21. Polytheism is the worship of or belief in more than one god. Henotheism is the belief in one god without denying the existence of others. Monotheism is the belief in only one God.

Walter Martin stated that, "Mormon theology is polytheistic, teaching in effect that the universe is inhabited by different gods who procreate spirit children, which are in turn clothed with bodies on different planets, 'Elohim' being the god of this planet (Brigham's teaching that Adam is our heavenly Father is now officially denied by Mormon authorities, but they hold firm to the belief that their God is a resurrected, glorified man)" (Walter Martin's Religious InfoNet at http://www.waltermartin.org/mormon.html ).

Based on the DVDs of your speeches obtained from Greg Johnson's Standing Together website, when the subject of "polytheism" was brought up, you drew an analogy between polytheism and Hinduism, but failed to discuss the fact that Mormonism is polytheistic.

Q: Why didn't you use Mormonism instead of Hinduism to demonstrate polytheism?

Q: What was your intent for speaking at the Mormon Tabernacle, to convert Mormons, or to simply share what Christians believe? How do you feel you succeeded in your goals?

22. During your Pursuit of Truth DVD, (third lecture, Question & Answer period), you quoted two professors who came up to you after the Tabernacle meeting and said, "There's not one word you said tonight that I would disagree with."

Q: Was your plan to speak in such a way that Mormons should agree with your message?

Q: Do you think that the professors and the other Mormons misunderstood your message?

23. Men like Richard Mouw and Greg Johnson are claiming that Mormonism is changing due to their dialogues, yet the central figure, Robert Millet, most recently made it clear that "the Church is not changing" on Mormon doctrine ("Evangelist in Brigham Young's Court," Christianity Today, January 2005, p. 20; online at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/001/2.20.html ). The law of non-contradiction rules that one of these two sources is wrong.

Q: If "the Church is not changing," as Millet reportedly stated, then what is the purpose of the "dialogues" between Mormons and evangelicals?

Q: Do you know of one single Mormon doctrine that has changed as a result of the evangelical dialogues with Mormons?

Q: Do you have anything that shows that Mormons are not cleverly using Christian terms, such as grace, to just make Mormonism more palpable when they are not actually changing anything?

Q: When will you speak out against false prophets like Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, John Kilpatrick and Cindy Jacobs, and false Latter Rain apostles like C. Peter Wagner and his thousands of followers, instead of going to their conferences?

24. In your Question and Answer session from your DVDs in Utah (third night), you said, "I am not for adversarial relationships with those who disagree with me. I am not for that. You do not reach people by yelling and screaming and condemning. You talk to one another in a civil way and try to find out differences." Elsewhere, you quoted an Indian proverb that one does not cut off another's nose and ask him to smell a rose.

Q: Do you have firsthand personal knowledge of the following Christian leadership who evangelized Mormons (those who sold tens of thousands of books each), practiced or taught an "adversarial relationship," as you described, by yelling, screaming, condemning, and being uncivil, or promoted cutting off someone's nose while witnessing? Have you personally witnessed or seen video, heard on tape, or read any book by: Walter R. Martin, John Ankerberg, Jerald Tanner, Sandra Tanner, Ron Rhodes, Josh McDowell, Don Stewart, Alan Gomes, Kurt Van Gorden, Edmund Gruss, Ronald Enroth, Wesley Walters, Marvin Cowan, Thelma Granny Geer, John L. Smith, John Weldon, Eric Johnson, Bill McKeever, Floyd McIlveen, James White, David Breese, Dave Hunt, or Gordon Lewis, where they advocated adversarial relationships, cutting off someone's nose, yelling, screaming, condemning, or incivility toward Mormons, instead of loving Mormons?

25. In the General Editor's Introduction of the 2003 Revised Edition of THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS, you stated, "I remember delivering a lecture in Moscow some years ago at the Lenin Military Academy. It was apparent that I was unwelcome by many of the officers forced to attend, and throughout my talk one officer kept giving me the choke sign. Trying to speak through an interpreter with this constant threat made the task even more daunting. Yet when I finished, I soon realized my blunder and oversight. You see, the officer who was interrupting me immediately stood up and said, 'You have been using the word God for the last hour. What do you mean by that term?'

"I was thoroughly embarrassed - how disconnected I had been from my audience. Here I was speaking to a group of atheists, and I had neglected to define my fundamental terms. Truth is the verbal coinage by which we exchange concepts of value and engender trust. Yet we often fail to explain what we mean when we reiterate the claims of Christ, and hence, when the cultist acknowledges he or she believes the same, we are left befuddled."

Q: Since you did not share the glaring differences between the Christian and Mormon Jesus during your speeches, by your own words, didn't you leave the Mormon cultists "befuddled"--as you did the Russians?

26. In your "Letter from Ravi regarding the Mormon Tabernacle event," you state that, "I have no doubts about the differences between the LDS faith and the historic Christian faith, differences that are deep and foundational in terms of authority" ( http://www.rzim.org/faqs/newstext.php?id=64 ).

Q: Who or what prevented you from sharing those differences with Mormons, as well as Christians who may be unaware of how deceptive Mormonism really is?