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Richard Packham (revised by Bonaparte) | unpublished | Richard Packham (revised by Bonaparte)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

Afraid of hearing opposing views?

BTW, Cymbaline (who I pinged) is a Mormon.

Just an fyi.

And...

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

[TAdams8591]

Convenient response, Richard, and too clever by half.

Your questions of Romney on a public forum, make an issue of his faith, while failing to make an issue of the faith of other candidates, some of whose violations of their faith (Guiliani) are quite obvious.

Most of them do not center upon the supposed Mormon belief of the inferiority of black people (which btw, Romney already has addressed as recently as his appearance on Jay Leno and accordingly is no longer true), and in fact only one does. Rather your questions are directed at Mormon beliefs or past practices which people of other faiths might find peculiar and deliberately so.

You believe you would NAIL Romney, no matter which way he would answer at least one of those questions, and seemingly proudly.

No matter your motivation for posting this thread (you don't like Mormons, you believe Romney isn't conservative enough to get the nomination etc.) it isn't a good one.

I'd like to say I'm surprised and this is beneath you, but I'm not.

[TAdams8591]

It was a clever way to legitmately level charges against Romney (and Mormons) by posing questions (instead of statements) one might ask of him (them) without really directly asking them.

[Graybeard58]

There are many on this forum, including myself, to whom such questions matter a great deal

Yes, they matter a great deal to me.

[Graybeard58]

You have been accused of bigotry and hatred on this thread. I see neither in your post or your replies.

That must mean I'm a bigot and hater too.

[Bonaparte]

"Convenient response, Richard..."

I am not "Richard." Richard Packham is the author of the posted questions. I am Bonaparte, who revised those questions and posted them here.

"Most of them [the questions] do not center upon the supposed Mormon belief of the inferiority of black people (which btw, Romney already has addressed as recently as his appearance on Jay Leno and accordingly is no longer true), and in fact only one does."

Are you claiming that the references to black inferiority cited in the Book of Mormon above are no longer in the Book of Mormon? Or are you saying that the Mormon Church has disavowed those citations in the Book of Mormon? Hard to know what you are claiming here, since I have a recent edition of the Book of Mormon right here and all those passage are right there.

And as I've stated before, I am under no obligation to ask the kinds of questions you would like to me to ask.

You, however, are free to ask your own questions about any candidate you choose.

Please be my guest and ask those questions. Post a thread and do it for yourself, as I have just done.

But please stop whining about how you don't like the questions I ask. If Romney subscribes to a religion that espouses a doctrine of racial inferiority of dark-skinned people, I want to ask him if he accepts this part of that doctrine. You don't have to ask this question and you don't even have to listen to his answer. But I will not surrender my right as an American to ask any question I want of a candidate, not matter how many self-appointed censors of the political process appear on this thread and scream about how I'm offending them with questions they don't happen to be "comfortable" with.

[TAdams8591]

Ping! This is what Mitt AND his supporters (for Mitt is not alone) are up against with some people.

[SkyDancer]

Yep .....

[Bonaparte]

"That must mean I'm a bigot and hater too."

Apparently, anyone who wants to ask Romney potentially embarassing questions that are not on the official "approved list" of questions, is a bigot and a hater.

In fact, as you can see, I'm even being taken to task for failing to ask somebody else's questions to other candidates for them!

So I'm not only obligated to ask only questions that are on the "approved list," but I'm also obligated to ask for other people questions I've already asked as well as questions I don't want to ask.

Makes perfect sense. Don't know how I missed these vital points before they were brought to my attention.

All I can do is thank these folks for their thoughtful, well-reasoned, fact-laden replies to me.

[Bonaparte]

Get ready for a long thread, SD.

And over and over, I will have to turn others' attention to the irrefutable points of post 35. Simple, inescapable logic and not one of them will see it. Watch and see.

[Osage Orange]

We didn’t hear any of this when Harry Reid became Senate Majority Leader.

And why was that?

[WOSG]

We didn’t hear any of this when Harry Reid became Senate Majority Leader.”

Yes! Anytime a buffoon asks the question “Is America ready for a Mormon president?” answer back “Was America ready for a Mormon Senate majority leader when it happened this year?”

[TAdams8591]

"But please stop whining about how you don't like the questions I ask."

"No one is "whining." We have pointed out your unfair tactics and questionable motivation.

" If Romney subscribes to a religion that espouses a doctrine of racial inferiority of dark-skinned people, I want to ask him if he accepts this part of that doctrine. You don't have to ask this question and you don't even have to listen to his answer."

It was addressed on the Tonight Show. Blacks and all people have the right to ascend to any hierarchical level of authority in the Mormon Church which has spread to countries all over the world, including Africa.

"But I will not surrender my right as an American to ask any question I want of a candidate, not matter how many self-appointed censors of the political process appear on this thread and scream about how I'm offending them with questions they don't happen to be "comfortable" with."

Oh, please, give up the self righteous, sanctimonious, pious demeanor. It's unbecoming, overly indignant, emotional drivel not dissimilar to the mean-spirited, accusatory tone of your "questions" and won't win converts to your position.

[Bonaparte]

"And why was that?"

I'm probably gonna wind up with egg all over my face, but I'll take a stab at this question --

Could it be because the overwhelmingly liberal media like hardcore liberals like Harry Reid and maybe even have a secret fondness for a religion that calls itself "Christian" but rejects many of the bedrock principles of Christianity found in the Bible -- such as the triune God, the eternal existence of God as God, monotheism, etc?

It's just a wild guess but sometimes I get lucky!

[TAdams8591]

"And over and over, I will have to turn others' attention to the irrefutable points of post 35. Simple, inescapable logic and not one of them will see it."

Please be careful not to break you arm while patting yourself on the back. We wouldn't want to see you rushed to the ER.

[Bonaparte]

"It was addressed on the Tonight Show. Blacks and all people have the right to ascend to any hierarchical level of authority in the Mormon Church which has spread to countries all over the world, including Africa."

The original question (you remember, the one that was actually asked?) still goes unanswered..

Are the above citations to doctrine of racial inferiority actually found in the Book of Mormon and does Mitt Romney accept that doctrine in the Book of Mormon or doesn't he?

You see? That is the question I actually asked -- not the question you have put in its place by providing an answer to a question I didn't ask.

[Osage Orange]

Bingo.

[Bonaparte]

"... self righteous, sanctimonious, pious... unbecoming, overly indignant, emotional drivel... mean-spirited, accusatory..."

Wow! You sure know how to string an impressive number of adjectives together!

And...

Thankyou for your thoughtful, well-reasoned, fact-laden reply!

[CheyennePress]

Exactly what do you have to question Romney about? You saw the way he governed Mass. Any allegations of racial mistreatment?

And further, if Romney believed in the inferiority of certain racial groups, why does he feature a black preacher in his commercials that he knew as governor of Massachusetts? And why feature him next to black school children? Why sully yourself with the image of people you believe inferior to yourself?

Ask the question if you want. But I think it’s a stupid question.

But then again, conservatives, who support welfare reform and cutting government handouts (well, at least a handful of them, anyway) can just as easily be characterized as disliking minorities. Afterall, most of the handouts go to minorities. But I’d bet you get a little angry if you get questioned along that line. And with good reason.

[Bonaparte]

"Please be careful not to break you [sic.] arm while patting yourself on the back."

Permit me to draw my attackers' attention to my post 35.

Do any of you see its logic?

Hey, Teri! You can prove me wrong about none of you seeing the logic of post 35 and save me from a broken arm, by just admitting you see the logic of post 35!