Two familiar debates have recently resurfaced: Should a candidate’s religion have any bearing on his or her ability to serve in a public office, and is Mormonism a true form of Christianity or a cult?

As a born-again Christian, I don’t think that a candidate’s faith should matter, although it could, eventually.

But what is Mormonism?

Comparing Christianity and Mormonism, I reached these conclusions:

Christianity: God is a triune being, one god in three persons.

Mormonism: The father was a man who became a god. Jesus Christ and the holy spirit are separate gods. Men can become gods.

Christianity: Jesus Christ, the second person of the trinity, is God. He always existed and he created all things. He “came in the flesh” (was born of a virgin), died on a cross to pay for our sins, and physically rose from the dead in total victory over sin, spiritual death and the devil.

Mormonism: Jesus Christ, a separate god, was born through sexual union and he was married. His death doesn’t provide total atonement for sins. According to church teachings, his younger brother is Lucifer.

Christianity: The holy spirit, the third person of the trinity, is God and he teaches, guides, comforts and dwells in believers.

Mormonism: The “holy spirit,” differing from the “holy ghost,” is a force emanating from God. The “holy ghost,” “a personage of spirit,” is referred to as “it.”

While we’re free to choose, we shouldn’t confuse.

David T. Theriault, Rumford