Questions For Mitt Romney

Richard Packham (revised by Bonaparte) | unpublished | Richard Packham (revised by Bonaparte)

[Bonaparte]

News reports say that Governor Romney, looking ahead to the possibility of presenting himself as a candidate for the U.S. presidency in 2008, has met privately with Christian leaders to allay their concerns about the fact that he is a Mormon. (See Boston Globe, Nov 2, 2006 at http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/11/02/romney_consults_evangelical_leaders ) These leaders apparently are concentrating on areas such as Romney's view of gay marriage, abortion, and whether Romney is really a Christian. Undoubtedly Romney's answers in those areas will satisfy most of these Christian leaders.

However, not knowing much about Mormon doctrine and practices, many Christians are unaware of some of the areas in which the idea of a Mormon as president could raise serious doubts in their minds. They simply don't know what to ask the governor.

Below are some suggested questions which might profitably be asked of Governor Romney, both by Christian leaders and by journalists.

• According to Mormon scripture, the founder of your church (Joseph Smith) was told by God in 1820 that all the churches of the day were "an abomination." Do you agree with God's view of other churches, as quoted by Joseph Smith? (Pearl of Great Price, JS-Hist 1:18-19)

• According to your church's Articles of Faith, number eight, the Book of Mormon is the "word of God." Do you believe that?

• According to the Book of Mormon there are only two churches: the "church of the Lamb of God [presumably the Mormon church]" and the "church of the devil," "the whore of all the earth." Do you agree with that Mormon scripture? (Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:10)

• According to the Book of Mormon a dark skin is a curse imposed by God on the unrighteous and their descendants as a punishment for sin. Do you agree with that doctrine? (Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 12:22-23, Alma 3:6, 2 Nephi 5:21-22, Jacob 3:8, 3 Nephi 2:15-16, Mormon 5:15; references to the "Lamanites" are taken to be referring to Native American "Indians".)

• According to Mormon doctrine, the president of the Mormon church is a prophet of God, receiving revelations and commandments (God's laws) directly from God. Do you believe that? (Doctrine and Covenants , 21:5, 43:3, 58:18)

• One of the most sacred rituals for adult Mormons, performed only in a Mormon temple, is a ceremony called "the endowment." Have you undergone this ritual? If so, in what year?

• To be admitted to the temple for the endowment ceremony a Mormon must be "in good standing" in the church and undergo a personal interview with church leaders, who examine the member as to whether the member obeys church commandments, supports church leaders, pays full ten percent tithe, wears the prescribed Mormon underwear, abstains from coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco and extramarital sex, and other matters. If the member answers correctly, a pass to the temples (called a "temple recommend") is issued, good for two years. Do you have such a temple recommend now, indicating that you are in good standing in your church?

• In the secret Mormon temple ceremony Mormons take an oath of obedience to "the law of the Lord." Did you take that oath?

• Before 1990, the endowment ceremony required members to take an oath of secrecy not to reveal anything that happened in the temple under penalty of death. Did you take that oath?

• In the temple ceremony Mormons also take a secret oath to "consecrate your time, talents and everything which the Lord has blessed you, or with which he may bless you, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints..." Did you take that oath? Would you consider the office of the presidency of the U.S. to be a "blessing" with which the Lord had blessed you?

• Mormons teach that by obedience to all the commandments of Mormonism, a Mormon may attain the highest degree of heaven and ultimately become a god, creating and ruling over his own dominion. Do you believe that? Is this your ultimate personal goal?

• Although your church presently condemns the practice of polygamy, the scripture commanding it is still in the Mormon Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132. Many early Mormons were polygamous and married ("sealed") to numerous wives "for eternity." Do you believe then that there will be polygamous families in Mormon heaven?

• The extensive interest of Mormons in genealogical research is to enable them to perform "baptisms for the dead," thus posthumously inducting previous generations into the Mormon church. Many non-Mormons become angry when they learn that the names of their ancestors - having often been faithful members of some other religion during life - have been used in this way. often without permission of the living descendants. The posthumous baptism of many holocaust victims caused considerable anger among Jewish groups, and your church agreed to stop the practice as to them (but also admitted that it was unable to do so). Do you feel that such anger is justified? (Would you feel anger if some voodoo cult was using your deceased grandparents' names in some voodoo ritual, and then announcing to all the world that they were now voodoo worshippers?)

• It is well documented that Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, secretly had many wives. Some of those women were at the same time married to other men, meaning that Smith brought them into a state of adultery. Some were as young as fifteen. He claimed that he was commanded by God to enter into these marriages. Do feel that these early polygamous and adulterous marital practices of the church founder were really commanded by God? (See the book In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith by Mormon historian Todd Compton for detailed biographies of these wives.)

• Mormons believe that when Christ returns to earth, a millennium of peace will begin under Christ's rule (Article of Faith number ten), presumably as a single theocracy. Most Mormons believe that during that time, Mormons will be Christ's appointed officers and that the law will conform to Mormon teachings. Do you believe that?

• According to Mormon scripture (Doctrine and Covenants 135:3), Joseph Smith did more than any other man except Jesus Christ "for the salvation of men in this world." Do you agree with that, keeping in mind the contributions of men like the Apostles, Saint Paul, Thomas Aquinas, Saint Augustine and others?

[Bonaparte]

"To avoid restating the obvious, we are electing a president, not a spiritual adviser. I think most Americans are smart enough to realize that."

Did you read what I said in post 13?

Did you read the other questions at the head of this thread?

It's not about electing a "spiritual leader."

It's about electing a President who has the state of mind to work constuctively with diverse groups of Americans.

It's about finding out just how sincerely this candidate holds his purportedly professed creed. Because if he is not sincere in his acceptance of the doctrine his own church propounds, then how sincere will he be in more mundane matters, such as those political positions he currently claims to subscribe to as well?

[Vigilanteman]

There are places in the United States where Mormons have a voting majority. They tend to be family friendly, low taxes, have local governments which act as your servant rather than your master, and police who are strict with criminals. I have not heard of any such localities who even try to impose a state religion. The very fact that the Mosque attended by the trolley square murderer is still standing and untouched indicates to me that they are far more tolerant of other religions than you are of them.

So there's your answer and you probably don't like it.

Did you have a Mormon neighbor give you a bad loaf of wheat bread or something?

[JCEccles]

Ask evangelicals about the rapture, how some believe that when God calls a faithful Christian bus driver up into the clouds, why it's just too bad if the innocent children of the "non-Christian" infidels (including Mormon children) in the now-driverless bus crash and burn to death in a ditch.

Of course, that's a silly and unfair question and it has no bearing on a evangelical Christian candidate's fitness for public office. I don't know any Mormon who would raise the issue or anything like it.

What Mormons want to know about a candidate are: has he been kind and completely faithful to his wife? Does he have children and does he seek to raise them to be God-fearing, honest, honorable, self-sufficient, and caring for others? Does he believe that work is good, idleness is evil, that he is a steward over what he has been blessed with and is personally responsible to God Who blessed him with it?

Does he strive to be honest, fair, and just in his dealings with his fellow man? Does he demand excellence of himself but is he forgiving of others for their shortcomings? Does he love this country and believe its Constitution is one of the grandest treasures ever to come from the brow of man? Will he defend this nation with his life if necessary, and will he honor and sustain the law?

Don't you think these are the more important questions?

[redgirlinabluestate]

[Bonaparte]

Ask evangelicals about the rapture, how some believe that when God calls a faithful Christian bus driver up into the clouds, why it's just too bad if the innocent children of the "non-Christian" infidels (including Mormon children) in the now-driverless bus crash and burn to death in a ditch."

If such evangelicals were running for President, I (and many others) would question them about such a gross misunderstanding of concepts like "rapture" and, more importantly, of God's mercy to children and to others.

"Don't you think these are the more important questions?"

They are indeed important to me as they are to you. But I do not think questions relating to Mr. Romney's view of black people, his view of adherents to denominations other than Mormon and the sincerity of his belief in his own church's doctrine are inconsequential. On the contrary, I think they a are quite important.

Character counts.

[Bonaparte]

Thankyou for your thoughtful, well-reasoned and fact-laden response.

[redgirlinabluestate]

You deserved no less and certainly no more. FR should be above this.

[JCEccles]

No Mormon I know would judge a candidate for public office according to a litany of doctrinal beliefs (or misapprehensions of beliefs) such as has been published here by Bonaparte.

Every Mormon I know would judge a candidate according to the type of questions I've outlined in post #23. That's why Mormons will eagerly and enthusiastically support evangelical, Catholic, Lutheran etc candidates who exemplify these qualities in their everyday lives.

May I suggest that Mormon candidates be judged according to the same judgment Mormons employ in judging non-Mormon candidates? Isn't that the biblcal way?

Bonaparte, your judgment criteria are not righteous. They are superficial and ignore the deeper matters of the soul and heart.

[Vigilanteman]

Looks like nobody took Bonapart’s bait and it has slithered back into its’ snakehole to keep Fred Phelps company.

[Bonaparte]

"Did you have a Mormon neighbor give you a bad loaf of wheat bread or something?"

Thankyou for your thoughtful, well-reasoned and fact-laden response.

And you still don't get it.

It has nothing to do with whether Mormons in general are nice people with conservative politics.

It has to do with Presidential contender Romney's views about minorities and other groups that he will have to consider if he becomes President, representing and leading all of us. It also has to do with his character, that is, his faithfulness to the statement of faith and doctrines of his own church (to which he must subscribe to be a Mormon in good standing). If he is out of covenant with his church, then I must wonder who else he will be "out of covenant" with.

[TAdams8591]

"It's about finding out just how sincerely this candidate holds his purportedly professed creed. Because if he is not sincere in his acceptance of the doctrine his own church propounds, then how sincere will he be in more mundane matters, such as those political positions he currently claims to subscribe to as well?"

Why not require this of all candidates, Bonaparte? Why single out Romney?

[Bonaparte]

"FR should be above this."

And thankyou again for your thoughtful, well-reasoned and fact-laden reply.

And btw, if you truly believe that the questions posed at the head of this thread are beneath the standards of Free Republic, you have a moral obligation to hit that "abuse" button and report it to the moderator immediately.

[TAdams8591]

VERY much agreed, redgirl! You couldn’t be more right! : )

[Bonaparte]

"Looks like nobody took Bonapart’s bait..."

Actually, a number of people have "taken Bonaparte's bait."

The problem is that they're having trouble digesting it.

"... and it has slithered back into its’ snakehole to keep Fred Phelps company."

Thankyou for your thoughtful, well-reasoned and fact-laden reply.

[Bonaparte]

"They are superficial and ignore the deeper matters of the soul and heart."

You don't believe a church doctrine assigning inferiority to black people is a "deeper matter of heart and soul"??

It's right there in the 4th question enumerated above. It's even sourced with cites to the Book of Mormon itself. And not one passage, but many in that book.

I know you will never concede this, but if Romney agrees with this point of his own church's doctrine, he is a racial bigot. And if he does not agree with it, then he disputes his own church's doctrine.

No matter how many times you hurl personal insult at me, there is no getting around this.

[Bonaparte]

"Why not require this of all candidates, Bonaparte? Why single out Romney?"

Great idea, Teri! Except for one thing -- no political candidate in America is "required" to answer any question at all. And all Americans are at full liberty to ask any candidate any question they want to ask. There is nothing stopping you and others from posing similar questions to any candidate of your choosing. Please do so and go with my blessing.

[Vigilanteman]

It has nothing to do with whether Mormons in general are nice people with conservative politics.

It has everything to do with it. Look at any number of state or local governments (Utah, southeast Idaho, parts of Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming) dominated by Mormon leadership.

Are any of them the hellholes of Detroit, Boston or other places dominated by members of other religions? Do they relegate minorities to second-class status in any manner similar to Zimbabwe, central LA, DC or any number of other examples?

On the contrary, they are all fairly pleasant places to live not just for the majority Mormons, but for their neighbors alike. Last time I checked, there are no Jim Crow Laws in Utah. Never were. The same can't be said about much of the rest of the country.

Even Massachusetts got pulled out of the economic toilet by Romney's economic policies, although they seem damn determined to crawl right back in. Don't these real life examples give you a clue as to Mormon attitudes on government? Or their actual execution of political power when elected?

Or, are you so blind with your hatred of all thing Mormon that you can't see what's patently obvious to the rest of us? Argue all you want against their theology, but don't bring it into a political forum. Find a smokey chat room somewhere and whine to your heart's content. But as far as your "questions" (which aren't questions at all but statements disguised as questions), you don't have a pot to p*** in.

Now, slither back into your hole and keep Fred Phelps company!

[Bonaparte]

Thankyou yet again for your thoughtful, well-reasoned and fact-laden response.

[Bonaparte]

Just look at all the thoughtful, well-reasoned, fact-laden replies on this thread!

Inspiring, isn't it?

[JCEccles]

Summoning the entire Pharisee Council to hold a fidelity court?