Ray Comfort Says Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses 'Offer Nothing' to a Dying Person
Evangelist Ray Comfort has claimed that Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses would not be able to offer anything to a dying person, because they believe salvation to Heaven has to be earned.
The outspoken evangelical, who recently released his "The Atheist delusion" documentary arguing for the existence of God, responded on Facebook to a comment that accused him of having a lack of compassion for offering advice on how to minister to a woman on her deathbed, even though she might not have wanted it.
The comment also asked him if he would be just as understanding if a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness came to the hospital bed of one of his loved ones and shared their views on salvation.
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"I am amazed at your ability to judge my motives as being without compassion. I'm also taken back with your ability to predict that a dying woman wouldn't welcome complete assurance of everlasting life," Comfort replied.
He also insisted that he "would be understanding" if a loved one wanted to listen to a Mormon or a Jehovah's Witness, but at the same time argued that the two groups "can't help a dying person."
"They can offer them nothing at all. That's because they believe human beings have to earn salvation .. that they have to 'do' something to be saved. To them, God's grace isn't enough. The Bible says it is (see Ephesians 2:8-9). Everlasting life is a free gift that can't be earned or deserved," the evangelist argued.
"God freely offers everlasting life, and yet you would have us let a dying person perish, for fear of offending them. We, however, will not let them perish without pleading with them to come to the Savior, because we love every human being. Including you sir," he added in his response.
Comfort recently elaborated on his ministering methods, and revealed that he does not lead people in the "sinner's prayer," because he does not want to create what he called "false converts."
"I regularly pray with people off camera. But I think you are talking about leading people is what is often called a 'sinner's prayer.' It's similar to the difference between a 'shotgun' wedding, and one where the bride and groom make vows because they want to," he explained in a video earlier in September.
"Many who make decisions for Christ nowadays are shotgun weddings. They are manipulated by man rather than born of God, and it has filled our churches with false converts," he said.
Comfort added that people should pray and repent of their sins on their own, rather than being led by someone else.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explains in an article on its website that it does indeed believe that people are saved by grace, however.
The Jehovah Witnesses website, on the other hand, says that in order to gain salvation, people must both believe in Jesus, but also demonstrate that faith by "obeying His commands."
