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 anyones faiththose 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.
Romneys remarks follow an apology from GOP rival John McCains 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 workers e-mail to Iowa Republican leaders that was an apparent attempt to draw unfavorable scrutiny of Romneys 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 youd 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 dont have any issue with that at all, Romney said.
He said McCain can do whatever he feels is the right thing. Theres 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.
Its 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. Its 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.
9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
And whom say you is the Holy One of Israel?
So, what youre saying is that you feel that our very existence as a religion is an assault on the underpinnings of your faith?
If so, that cant be too pleasant, particularly as there is no relief in sight. ~ Tantiboh!
But I sense a trap here my FRiend. Were you hoping I would say Joseph Smith? ;-)
No trap. You may think me devious, but i’m really too simple a man for that. What do you interpret in the passage you cited from Isaiah? Do you really think it speaks of today and the rejection of Mormonism and you prophet, Joseph Smith?
Similar to modern Christianity... prophets are no more, the bible is all the world needs, etc, etc. Notwithstanding thousands of different denominations teaching different things...
Cheers
The 29th chapter is what you posted and to which I responded. You even went to the trouble of highlighting several verses. Would you like to explain why you chose those verses to highlight?
10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep asleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13 ¶ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Now, in verse 10 he's talking about the darkness of the apostasy.
Verses 11 and 12 speak of an actual event in Church history where portions of the translation of the manuscript of the book of Mormon was signed off on by a professor of ancient languages, but when told they could not bring the plates because they were sealed, he ripped up his endorsement and told them to go their way.
Verse 13 is nearly verbatim what Joseph was told in the First Vision.
Cheers.
We’ve talked a lot about Christ and his love for us all, and his dealings with mankind. Let me simply leave with the final words of Nephi, the first prophet in the Book of Mormon. Wither you think it's all a fraud or not, his final testimony of Christ is to me one of the most powerful passages in scripture.
Cheers all!!
2 Nephi 33:
1 And now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which were taught among my people; neither am I mighty in writing, like unto speaking; for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.
2 But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught.
3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.
4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.
5 And it speaketh harshly against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written save he shall be of the spirit of the devil.
6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
7 I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat.
8 I have charity for the JewI say Jew, because I mean them from whence I came.
9 I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.
10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.
11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge yefor Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.
12 And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day.
13 And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell until that great day shall come.
14 And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day.
15 For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.
I’m afraid I cannot agree, sevenbak.
I was pondering 1 Nephi 15 and see a lot of correlation taking place today! Those who harden their heart or speak harshly can not receive let alone hear!
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_ne/15
Galatians 5:12
As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Matthew 23:15
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
Mark 7:26-27
26. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27. "First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
Matthew 15:16
"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1/19#19
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt;
We've noticed.
Ya gonna remember just WHO you be dealing with here! ;^)
Indeed!
Luke 23:41-43
41. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42. Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. "
43. Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
And now we are back at the start of the circle...
It IS raining!
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