Osmonds, Romney, Mormons and Catholics

Mormon Times ^ | March 3, 2010 | Joel Campbell

[Colofornian]

The MMO takes the media pulse in three areas: slimy tabloids intrude into the Osmonds' sacred space in the wake of a tragedy, the media still can't move beyond Mitt Romney's faith, and U.K.'s Guardian takes a jaded view of Mormon-Catholic cooperation.

Intrusion into a family moment

Leave it up to the tabloid press to exploit the Osmonds once again as they reported on the suicide of Marie Osmond's son, Michael. The Mormon Media Observer will not reprint or link to the myriad of tabloid articles filled with speculation and innuendo. Let's just say this, the kind of press coverage the suicide got in the British and American tabloids is journalism (if you can call it that) at its worst. At least, more mainstream newspapers played the story with a bit more respect, but how do journalists balance celebrity without exploiting it for sensational value. I appreciated the Mormon Times post by cousin Don Osmond which gave us insight into this tragedy. A Belief.net blogger also took a much gentler approach.

Media can't move beyond Romney's Mormonism

On Feb. 22, USA Today ran a front-page story about Mitt Romney, "Is it Romney's Time?" The paper points out that the book doesn't "try to explain or defend his Mormon faith, an issue in 2008." It continues: "And the refusal of some to support a Mormon? 'There will always be some who do, and that's unfortunate,' he says. But for most Americans, 'when it comes to voting, and they think about who's going to lead the country, they select the person that they think will do the best job'."

So the question to the reporter is why this even important to the story? Doesn't the media bear some responsibility for making his faith an issue in the public mind?

Scott Hindes of Gig Harbor, Wash., wrote in a letter to USA Today: "If one wants an explanation of the faith, then read the Book of Mormon, and visit Salt Lake City or a house of worship belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since when is religion a requirement or a subject that should be raised as an issue?"

A recent article from Reuters also raises the faith issue this way:

"Romney has been a controversial figure in national politics, in part because of his Mormon faith -- he would be the first Mormon president if elected -- and in part because of his personal fortune, estimated at more than $200 million."

So why does his faith make him controversial? Journalists need to do better than just throwing unsupported terms like "controversial" around.

Catholics and Mormons

The U.K's Guardian newspaper picked up on the story of a U.S. Cardinal speaking at Brigham Young University. Could the columnist, Riazat Butt, be any more skeptical? Here's her take:

"So why the cosying up? There is an increasingly secular mood in the US and religious groups are all too aware of it. The Roman Catholic hierarchy knows it cannot rely solely on its congregations to campaign on touchstone issues and a 'vital bulwark' -- in the shape of the devout, wealthy and organised LDS church -- is just what's needed to help it."

Give me a break.

[Colofornian]

From the column: So why does his faith make him controversial?

Why? Because if you take ANY POTUS candidate and if he/she were to say, "You know, my highest spiritual leaders tell me I am a 'god-in-embryo;' therefore, this is just a career stepping stone move where I will go from the great White House to the great White Throne, where I will be worshiped, prayed to, adored, and otherwise treated as the 'Sovereign I AM'" then you'd have a definitive media & FR gasp. [But, somehow, already what happens most of the time is: "Oh, he's 'Mormon?' Well, then, most of us will give this 'god-in-embryo' a free pass on his 'highest ambitions.'"]

From the USA Today article cited by this column: But he doesn't discuss his conversion from supporting abortion rights while running in his home state to opposing them when he sought national office. Nor does he try to explain or defend his Mormon faith, an issue in 2008. In an interview, Romney dismisses a question about abortion. "I've got nothing new to add on that," he says. "My position on that is the same as it was in the 2008 presidential election." And the refusal of some to support a Mormon? "There will always be some who do, and that's unfortunate," he says.

(Of course, Romney doesn't address abortion in his book; too much qualifying would be involved).

[Tennessee Nana]

Of course, Romney doesn’t address abortion in his book; too much qualifying would be involved).
________________________________________________

However Romney did address abortion in a debate during the 2008 primary...

and was proud of his pro-abortion stance of 40+ years ...

and boasted that his mother Lenore Romney had run on a pro-abortion platform in Michigan for US Senate in 1970, THREE YEARS BEFORE Roe V wade made abortion legal...

BUT when he ran for US Senate in MASS and Gov of MASS he endorsed (”sustained”) the CURRENT ABORTION LAWS..

Flip flopper liberal Romney wants abortion whether or not it is legal...

[carton253]

So, this will be a Morman bashing thread?

[Burkean]

I used to describe the spectrum of those who identify themselves as Catholic as going from the “Kennedy Catholic” (social Catholics who make no effort to adhere to the church’s teachings or beliefs) to the “Mel Gibson Catholic” (those who firmly believe and resist any moderating influence such as Vatican II).

But now Mel has pretty much shot that analogy. Who else is there? Laura Ingraham? Newt Gingrich? C. S. Lewis?

[acipher]

It seems like a hobby of Colofornian’s.

[the long march]

How is any of this Mormon bashing????

[ejonesie22]

Why, are you going to say something mean about Mormons or stick to the facts and doctrine of the LDS?

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Far more people take issue with Mitt Romney's liberalism than they do with his faith. Blaming too much on his religion hides the main issue, it's a cop out to avoid discussion of the real problems.

The hot water bath we are boiling in now is the result of decades of compromised principles, yet Mitt Romney seems eager to compromise even more, and he isn't alone.

Millions of Americans realize that we can't slide much further, and still be America. We will have returned, for practical purposes, to the past our ancestors abandoned in disgust.

[Nosterrex]

There are two facts that have to be recognized: 1) Romney is a Mormon. Many Christians will not vote for a Mormon. 2) Romney has a convoluted political history. He is not electable for POTUS. Personally, I think that Romney is a good and knowledgeable man, but that is not enough to be elected as POTUS.

[chicken head]

[Above My Pay Grade]

I think if (God forbid) Mitt gets the GOP nomination, I’ll cast a write in vote for Donny Osmond, just to prove I wasn’t movitvated by anti-Mormon bias.

[chicken head]

[Osage Orange]

One other thing....and perhaps more important.

Government Media...will go after Romney if they sense they are in trouble..and his mormonism will be totally under the microscope.

He and mormonism will be mocked and skewered..for his/their beliefs.

It will be a losing argument for team Romney...and they will not recover from it.

Bet on it!

[Colofornian]

Far more people take issue with Mitt Romney's liberalism than they do with his faith. Blaming too much on his religion hides the main issue, it's a cop out to avoid discussion of the real problems.

Well, I've discussed mega-times on FR Romney's switches on embryonic stem cell research (he switched his pos. 3 x); his switches on forcing employers to treat "sexual orientation" as a minority class status (he switched his pos. 3x); and his positions on abortion (well beyond 3 switches).

But what I'd like to suggest is the two may be connected. After all, if you're someone who so easily leap frogs from one social issue position to another, why would that bother you if while you were a 30-yo tithing member of a church, you saw the head of your church do exactly that re: move from a solidly racist posture to allowing blacks as priestholders?

And then, when he looks @ his spiritual leaders of his past, they did the same social about-faces on issues like polygamy.

I think the two are interlinked: If it's OK for the Mormon god & the Mormon 'prophet' to change his mind so abruptly; well, what's wrong with a public office candidate doing some major social changes in a political world already used to it? The hot water bath we are boiling in now is the result of decades of compromised principles, yet Mitt Romney seems eager to compromise even more, and he isn't alone. Millions of Americans realize that we can't slide much further, and still be America. We will have returned, for practical purposes, to the past our ancestors abandoned in disgust.

[humblegunner]

Why, are you going to say something mean about Mormons

I might.

I'm pretty shallow some ways.

[carton253]

Calm down...retract your claws. I have no beef with the Mormans.

[SuziQ]

C.S. Lewis wasn’t Catholic, he was Anglican. His good friend, J.R.R. Tolkein, who brought Lewis back to Christianity, was Catholic.

[carton253]

Wow, perhaps you need to read the first post.

[DM1]

I dont care if Romney is a Mormon or not
i care that his Romneycare seems to stink and that he flip flopped

[Le Chien Rouge]

The MSM will push hard for a Romney nomination, hoping for McCain part 2 while ACORN infiltrators flood New Hampshire to secure a Romney win during the primaries.

The MSM and the left want NO part of a possible Palin nomination.