Posted on 06/23/2007 1:28:02 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(AP) SALT LAKE CITY -- Mitt Romney said Saturday that criticism of his Mormon religion by rival GOP presidential campaigns is happening too frequently.
“Clearly, any derogatory comments about anyone’s faith—those comments are troubling. The fact they keep on coming up is even more troubling,” Romney said during a fundraising trip in the home state of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Mormon church is one of the fastest-growing religions and claims about 12.5 million members worldwide. But many evangelical Christians in crucial primary states such as Iowa and South Carolina consider the faith a cult.
Romney’s remarks follow an apology from GOP rival John McCain’s campaign for comments about the Mormon church allegedly made this year by a volunteer.
Also recently, Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, issued a similar apology for a campaign worker’s e-mail to Iowa Republican leaders that was an apparent attempt to draw unfavorable scrutiny of Romney’s religion. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani apologized after the New York Sun noted that a campaign aide had forwarded to a blogger a story about unofficial Mormon lore. Legend has it that a Mormon would save the Constitution, the story said. The campaign aide passed the story along with a note: “Thought you’d find this interesting.”
Romney said in a large presidential race there always will be some volunteers or workers who cannot be controlled. But he said the difference between derogatory comments that originated from the McCain campaign and others is that the Arizona senator has not personally apologized to him.
“In the case of Senator Brownback and Mayor Giuliani ... they called immediately. They each spoke with me personally. I don’t have any issue with that at all,” Romney said.
He said McCain “can do whatever he feels is the right thing. There’s no need for me to suggest how people respond to things that go on in the campaign.”
Tucker Bounds, a McCain campaign spokesman, said the McCain campaign has already apologized.
“It’s a very sincere apology. There is absolutely no place for those type of comments in our campaign,” he said.
Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, said he had not spoken with McCain since the last presidential debate, on June 5.
Romney used a fundraiser hosted by Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller to criticize the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. It banned unregulated, unlimited contributions from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals to national political parties and federal candidates.
“The bill ought to be repealed,” he said. “It’s been the wrong course for American campaigns.”
Romney said he favors unlimited donations as long as they are immediately disclosed on the Internet.
Romney was attending fundraisers in Salt Lake City and in Logan on Saturday.
I believe in The Holy Trinity.
Do you have a question other than that?
I really like it too!:)
Here we go around the mulberry bush. Don’t expect a responsive answer.
June 24, 2007
An Open Letter to Shirley Dobson
Chair, National Day of Prayer Task Force
Dear Mrs. Dobson:
I poured out my heart to you, telling you how hurt I am because as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I am excluded from your National Day of Prayer. I received your two-page form-letter response dated 6/19/07 and I am more hurt than ever. You have insulted me personally and you have insulted my heart-felt beliefs. Furthermore, and most grievous, you have insulted my Savior, Jesus Christ, whom I love with all my heart. I am a daughter, as you are, of our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost is my witness. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died for my sins to save me and I love Him and thank our Heavenly Father for sending His only begotten Son to die for me. This is the first time in my life that I truly understand what it feels like to be discriminated against.
You, madam, are ignorant about my Church and my beliefs. You lumped me in with the Muslims. You talk about theological interpretations and how we Mormons make you feel uncomfortable. You said the LDS community is not compatible with the Evangelical community. You said, “The Book of Mormon is too far outside that belief system to accommodate.” Even people with disabilities are supposed to be “accommodated” for God’s sake.
We Mormons, for your information, include the entire Holy Bible - Old and New Testaments, King James Version, cover to cover - in our Scriptures. We read and study the Holy Bible. I have read the Holy Bible at least three times through. The Holy Bible is precious to me and I believe it to be the inspired Word of God. The Book of Mormon is also precious to me and I believe it to be the inspired Word of God. The Book of Mormon speaks of the Messiah, the Savior of the world Jesus Christ, the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, and my personal Friend and Redeemer. The Book of Mormon is a history of the early inhabitants of North America. You have obviously not read the Book of Mormon or you would not make such ignorant statements about it. The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ.
Because the Catholics have additional Books in their Bible, are they excluded from the National Day of Prayer? I guess so, because I found the Catholics stuck down in the left-hand corner at the bottom of your official letterhead along with the Jews and other Protestants with whom you also do not feel comfortable.
You should be fired immediately so as not to hurt any more innocent believers out here with your exclusionary, ignorant, cliquish practices. Bottom line: If an American does not practice “Evangelical Christianity” exactly as you dictate, then that American is “outside” your good graces. You scare me. The worst part is that you are thoroughly convinced that you are right and all of the rest of us who do not believe exactly as you do are wrong.
There is no way to get through to you, obviously. Your mind and heart are closed. How very sad.
I campaigned and voted for President George W. Bush. He is my President, too. I saw him on C-Span with you and your spiritual “in crowd” praying on the National Day of Prayer. Can you imagine how it feels, knowing you consider me unfit to pray with my own President? Can your hard heart even have a clue?
You said it doesn’t matter – no big deal – because the National Day of Prayer is “privately funded” and was “never intended to be ecumenical”. Then why is the President of the United States involved? He represents all of us Americans, doesn’t he?
Who appointed you God? Whoever did should fire you before you turn the entire nation into religious factions that are afraid of one another.
cc: The Honorable George W. Bush
P.S. If Mitt Romney becomes President, will you hold the National Day of Prayer without him?
Perhaps you would enjoy Romans 4:4 and following ...
You twist the scripture message to support a different notion than is being taught in the context of Matthew 10:22;
gathering context from the scene, Jesus is instructing his disciples of is the trials of testimony before princes and kings under the duress to come in their witnessing of Him.
Mark 13 ()
7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 ¶ But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
***
D&C 53 (Something we are taught when reading scriptures is to insert your name because all scripture pertain to his children)
1 Behold, I say unto you, my servant Sidney Gilbert,MHGinTN that I have heard your prayers; and you have called upon me that it should be made known unto you, of the Lord your God, concerning your calling and election in the church, which I, the Lord, have raised up in these last days.
2 Behold, I, the Lord, who was crucified for the sins of the world, give unto you a commandment that you shall forsake the world.
3 Take upon you mine ordination, even that of an elder, to preach faith and repentance and remission of sins, according to my word, and the reception of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands;
4 And also to be an agent unto this church in the place which shall be appointed by the bishop, according to commandments which shall be given hereafter.
5 And again, verily I say unto you, you shall take your journey with my servants Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon.
6 Behold, these are the first ordinances which you shall receive; and the residue shall be made known in a time to come, according to your labor in my vineyard.
7 And again, I would that ye should learn that he only is saved who endureth unto the end. Even so. Amen.
I am speaking about endureth to the end, what are you talking about?
D&C 7
7 And again, I would that ye should learn that he only is saved who endureth unto the end. Even so. Amen.
2 And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates.
3 And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord.
4 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did make a record upon the other plates, which gives an account, or which gives a greater account of the wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I done, and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and that these plates should be handed down from one generation to another, or from one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord.
5 And an account of my making these plates shall be given hereafter; and then, behold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and this I do that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people.
6 Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself.
7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels.
8 And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem.
9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.
10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.
11 For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up.
12 And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos. And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers
No, that’s not what I mean. I apologize for the lack of clarity.
For example. Let’s say a man goes to church each week. He says Hallelujah as loud as the next man. He says he has accepted Christ and Grace in his life, and that he has been saved.
He goes home and beats his wife; he lies in his business dealings; he steals from his boss. Then he goes back to church on Sunday, drops his $20 into the basket, and praises the Lord.
What happens to this type of person?
___________________________________________________________
If you are saying they are hellbound then I think you condemn your own prophet, Joseph Smith, who lied in his dealings with his own church, made advances on and slept with other men’s wives, and didn’t drop his $20 into the basket but took his money out of it.
I know its slightly off topic, but I’m still waiting for the Trinity folks to explain the competing “wills” in Luke 22:42. None of the Trinity folks have touched that one yet.
Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
The common view, I think, is that this is the human side of Christ.
Hey Both of you...
Did you hear about the dyslexic atheist who didn’t believe in Dog?
Why did you post the picture of the dudes that WILL do the work that the GEICO gecko won’t?
True; we agree on this point; but how are we KEPT?
Do we keep ourselves in His kingdom BY our good works?
The book of James seems to point this way.
But I've failed to find any Scripture that says: "Ye are saved by garce, IF..."
(I typed this so Restornu would understand ;^)
Then you've just said that Mormonism is unneeded.
We are talking about somewhat archaic terms here.
Then it's time for a NEW translation, of the most perfect book in the world, so that 'archaic' terms are CLEAR!
Check this out:
http://m-w.com/dictionary/want
For a little more clarity, select the noun from the list.
Kinda hard to do, for there are NO nouns IN the list!
3 entries found for want.
To select an entry, click on it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.