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.
Joseph Smith had a similar experience when he was 14 years old. He fell in love with the Savior. I’m a Mormon. Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. I love Him with all my heart. Because of Him - His atoning sacrifice - we can be saved. Yahoo!
I got tickets (they’re free) to the Oakland Temple pageant coming up in July. It’s going to be so wonderful - 450 singers in a choir for one thing. Have you ever watched the performances on BYU TV channel? I just sit there in awe.
And I don’t care what anyone says. We Mormons have the best choir - the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes referred to as “America’s Choir”. I don’t understand how people could listen to the Mormon Tabernacle and not feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart to love Jesus Christ more and more.
Do the people who put down Mormons think the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is evil? How could they?
“I wish there were a way I could convince you just how nearly identical our beliefs are in these regards”
tant, I have never said a mormon or jehovah’s witness, or
whatever, could not come to completely put their faith
in Christ, apart from what their group teaches.
On the other hand, if Christ alone is what is necessary
for salvation, then the added things of mormonism and the
other groups are simply what falls into an outhouse.
And at worst, keep many from knowing the Real Christ.
best,
ampu
PS - So how does God sort out someone who professes to believe
in Christ, but doesn’t know who the Christ of the Bible
is, or who the God of the Bible is? Or the Biblical teaching
of original sin? Or any of a hundred other teachings
of mormonism? When he makes a profession, yet professes
another Christ, what does that mean?? How can you believe
the truth about one thing and disbelieve the foundational
truths of scripture that it is built upon? And more importantly,
why make the simple and beautiful Gospel of Christ more
complicated by adding to it? Everything you need for salvation
is given in the Bible. Nothing is missing. Which means that
the entire smith story is non-essential and distracts from
the truth of what God has done.
Also remember not to attribute motives or otherwise read the other poster’s mind. Both of those are “making it personal.” The guideline is to “discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.” Click on my profile page for more on the guidelines for the Religion Forum.
Saundra,
I don’t mean to be crass or disagree for the sole reason
of being disagreeable, but...
You may have missed that I sought no treasure using
magic, communed with no familiar spirits, didn’t claim
to have original revelation, didn’t alter the Bible,
didn’t add to the Church, didn’t make false prophecies,
and didn’t change the Gospel of Christ.
I simply took God at His word and accepted His gospel.
That is quite a bit different that what young Smith did.
Get a grip.
best,
ampu
Thank you so much for the engaging Bible study, dear brother in Christ!
LOL! I didn’t realize this was in the news forum. Nevertheless, in any forum, flame wars can be avoided by sticking with the issues and “not making it personal.”
I just got back and you beat me to it. :) Good to see you.
You read that whole thing? You humble me, Girl. Thank you ...
What was that? LOL! This thread was starting to get tired, but that really spiced it up Enosh. Way to go!
I still don’t know if Elsie is an adult. I’ve pretty well determined that for the rest of you though. LOL!
Matt. 19: 28
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Why don’t you chew on that for a while.
You’re quite welcome, dear brother in Christ! But I try to read all of your posts. Indeed, I look forward to them.
So what happens if someone lives their whole life and never hears the name of Christ, never learns of His ministry or His work on the cross? What becomes of that soul?
Is that because you know I’ll probably figure some way to work in the geometry of time into a long post? LOL
If you check an earlier post I was on with these guys, you’ll see where I had this very discussion.
Enosh will tell you they are, in his word, “BBQ.” Nice description for the billions of people who have lived and died in “heathen nations” without having ever heard the name of Christ, accepting him as their Savior, and being baptized.
Actually, I meant earlier “thread.”
So, say I accept Christ and aknowledge His work on the cross and become a devout Baptist or a Catholic or Lutheran and then one day I decide to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm still saved in your opinion, right?
So his god creates men with the foreknowledge he is going to send them to hell for eternity? Wow! No wonder it’s all heart with Enosh.
Hey, that’s my story. I grew up in one of those denominations & converted later on in life. That means I’m in. WoooooHoooooo!
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