Posted on 08/15/2006 9:20:56 PM PDT by Jeff Fuller
I disagree.
What if Romney was a devout Wahhabi, Muslim? Then we would not vote for him because he is unstable enough to fall for that cult of death.
Similarly, many feel Moronism is a cult. And if Romney is simple-minded enough to fall for THAT cult, can we trust him to be president?
THERE is the issue for people who are gainst Moromns!
So, if one feels Mormons are part of a cult, of COURSE it makes sense to oppose him on the basis of religion!
I'd vote for a Mormon only if he'd promise to stay off my porch.
There is a stronger religious argument against Romney and that is that the LDS Church embraces notions so weird that they disqualify someone who holds them from the support of rational persons. I have heard this argument made on occasion in private by traditional Christians. In other words, to be a good Mormon (assuming he is one), Mitt Romney has had to adopt views that no sane man could hold. Failing the test of sanity in a major area is a good reason to doubt general personal fitness for the job of President. After all, if one ran for President as a member of a Cargo Cult, this would seem good enough reason to dismiss such a person from contention. It should be noted that this is a dangerous argument for any religious person to make without great care. Secular extremists often label any religious idea “nutty.” Minority views are often correct (as Christians in the early era were in my own view!) and so there is no easy majority test for what is acceptable belief in the public square.
So if we assume religious traditions are, at least in part, knowledge traditions, then being wrong about religion does matter. How wrong does one have to be before losing credibility in the public square? Let me propose a few tests and suggest that Mormonism easily passes all of them.Oh, just go and actually read the article . . . then disagree in a properly-formed and coherent argument. That's all I ask. Do you know a lot of Mormons? I'm guessing that if you do, you haven't discussed religion with them much.
Yeah but don't they put on funny clothes and hit each other with mallets through a curtain? I can't see the next President of the good old USA doing that, sorry.
We, as Americans, have a long and proud history of Presidents (good and bad ones) who were members of a cult!
http://www.allaboutcults.org/masonic-rituals-faq.htm
http://www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/masons/mrituals.html
U.S. PResidents that were Masons:
Buchanan, James - President of the U.S.
Ford, Gerald R. - President of the U.S.
Garfield, James A. - President of the U.S.
Harding, Warren G. - President of the U.S.
Jackson, Andrew - President of the U.S.
Johnson, Andrew - President of the U.S.
McKinley, William - President of the U.S.
Monroe, James - President of the U.S.
Polk, James Knox - President of the U.S.
Roosevelt, Franklin D. - President of the U.S.
Roosevelt, Theodore - President of the U.S.
Taft, William Howard - President of the U.S.
Truman, Harry S. - President of the U.S.
Washington, George - President of US, 1st
Oh, just go and actually read the article . . . then disagree in a properly-formed and coherent argument. That's all I ask. Do you know a lot of Mormons? I'm guessing that if you do, you haven't discussed religion with them much.
I think you have a reading comprehension problem if THAT was your response to my post.
I ANSWERED to the point of WHY people might have a problem with Romney's Mormonism. The Mormon religion is a CULT as far as millions of people across this country are concerned. Your claim that Mormanism is harmless is SIMPLY your opinion. The claim in the article that Mormonism "passes" all the tests really isn't "proof" of anything other than the writer's opinion. And OPINION is the entire SUBJECT of this question.
On the other hand, I OFFERED no opinion one way or the other as to Mormonism's legitimacy or status.
So, what I posited is a perfectly legitimate reason to oppose him IF one is voting on religious grounds.
It appears you are acting in a knee-jerk, reactionary fashion. One would imagine YOU are a Mormon all upset that someone called your religion a cult and reacting on that level only. A simple-minded reaction, I should point out.
Again, I said that many feel Mormonism is a cult. And if Romney is feeble minded enough to fall for a cult's teachings, what else would he be feeble-minded enough to fall for when in the most powerful office in the world? That is reason enough for people against Mormonism to be against Romney. the religion does not HACVE to be "dangerous" to make Romney gullible enough to fall for it. Doubts about his judgment are the question, not the relative "danger" of the cult he belongs to.
What about feeble-minded George Washington, TEddy Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Eisenhower etc . . . ? They were members of a cult (Masonry), no?
The argument that believing in Mormonism makes one "feeble-minded" doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Romney's apparently believed the teachings all his life, but how has this religious adherence detracted from his his success as a successful executive in business, the SLC Olympics, or as Mass. Gov.? Obviously in these important roles/jobs we should have seen some evidence of the point you're trying to make. I'm just not seeing it.
They were members of a cult (Masonry), no?
No.
Masonry is more a social club than a "Cult". But that is my opinion.
Still, many hate Masonry, too. There was a backlash against Masonry in the mid 1800s and it never recovered its stance politically after that!
To say that the LDS church is 'a cult' is not an argument, it is mere ad hominem. To respond intelligently to Jeff's piece you need to say what is actually wrong the church. What beliefs or organisational principles does it have which preclude any of its members from serving responsibly in an executive role such as President of the US?
Bear in mind, as Jeff has pointed out, that many members of this church have served as governors, and not only in the one LDS majority state. Romney's father was governor of Michigan, and I imagine he was LDS too. Others have served with distinction in the Senate and in the cabinet. Others have served with considerably less distinction: cf the current Minority Leader in the Senate.
No doubt there are many people who have served as President who are members of churches with which you disagree. Two of the most distinguishe - Lincoln & Jefferson - were not members of any church, but ususally get two of the top three positions when Presidents are rated for their leadership and influence.
Sticking your tongue out and yelling "It's a cult" is pointless. The word means little more than "religious group that I don't agree with".
So please tell us: which of Romney's values do you reject? what views does he have that disqualify him from office? What beliefs of the LDS church disqualify all its members from office?
Three in one day...
THere were some mormons who stopped by my house last week, my athiest roomate was over and damn near went bezerk but i had a nice chat with them. Their religion may be a bit strange to me, but there nice people.
One of the guys I work with had a good trick to keep Mormons away. Whenever they saw some on the street, they's take their smallest roommate, strip him to jockey shorts, paint him red and hang him upside down from the front door.
LOL. I feel bad for the guys though, i live in an area with lots of college aged kids who aren't really into religion. I've seen them working the neigborhood, so they probably get alot of grief here.
I usually tell them not to bother: I am going to Salt Lake City for Christmas. That is usually true. My father-in-law lives there. He is a Catholic and I am an atheist, but it shuts the Mormons up anyway.
"Similarly, many feel Moronism is a cult."
Similarly, many feel Catholicism is a cult.
Similarly, many feel Judaism is a cult.
Similarly, many feel Buddhism is a cult.
Similarly, many feel Hinduism is a cult.
Similarly, many feel Lutheranism is a cult.
Similarly, many feel Pick Your Brand is a cult.
Similarly, many feel Benny Hinnism is a cult.
Similarly, many feel Money Grubbing Opportunistic Televangelism is a cult.
I am totally confident Romney's Mormon faith would be positive. Lotsa Presidents went to different churches during their terms.
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