Finding Truth in the “Would Not Vote for a Mormon” Polls

RomneyExperience.com ^ | 7/26/07

[tantiboh]

Democratic political consultant Mark Mellman has a very good piece up today at The Hill on the baffling and illegitimate opposition among voters to Mitt Romney due to his religion. I liked his closing paragraphs:

In July of 1958, 24 percent of respondents told Gallup they would not vote for a Catholic for president, almost identical to Gallup’s reading on Mormons today. Two years later, John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic to assume the oath of office. Within eight months, the number refusing to vote for a Catholic was cut almost in half.

[snip]

Mellman also discusses an interesting poll he helped construct, in which the pollsters asked half of their respondents whether they would support a candidate with certain characteristics, and asked the other half about another candidate with the exact same characteristics, with one difference. The first candidate was Baptist, the second candidate was Mormon. The Baptist had a huge advantage over the Mormon candidate, by about 20 points.

[snip]

However, more recent polls have attempted to fix the anonymity problem. A recent Time Magazine poll (read the original report here), for example, got to the heart of the question by asking respondents if they are less likely to vote for Mitt Romney specifically because he is a Mormon. The result is not as bad as some reporting on the poll has suggested. For example, while 30% of Republicans say they are less likely to vote for Romney because of his religion, fully 15% of other Republicans say that characteristic makes them more likely to vote for him. And while many have reported the finding that 23% of Republicans are “worried” by Romney’s Mormonism, the more important (but less-reported) number is that 73% say they hold no such reservations...

[Homeschoolmom]

If I have a choice between two non-Christians, I’ll vote for the one who can do less damage eternally.
I do not limit God and his ability to work through immoral, lost, and even sincere people who are sincerely wrong.

However, I will not have a hand in helping to legitimize a religion that would send people searching for truth to Hell. I believe the bigger question is not such a temporal one as you see. I see it as an eternal dilemma that can not be overcome.

[hunter112]

Please stick to the political ramifications of Romney’s religion.

Tant, good luck on that one! It seems that many people here believe that every post against any sect other than the one they belong to is going to get them some additional reward in the afterlife. That's the only explanation I can figure for the amount of religious tussling that goes on here.

Governor Romney makes reference to JFK's struggle to overcome resistance to his (nominal) Catholicity. That would seem to be a good parallel, but like all analogies, it limps. Kennedy could not be said to be seeking societal legitimacy for Catholicism, it was a firmly established religion in the US of 1960. It's my contention that a lot of people of faith traditions that have seen LDS missionaries attract away members of those faiths over the last few decades do not want to give the missionaries another "look who's one of us," beyond the members of the Osmond family.

I would submit that many here are trotting out the "Mormonism believes such-and-such" statements in preparation for the counter-proselytizing that they envision they will have to do if Governor Romney does become President, or even the Republican nominee. I can only guess as to whether or not such things occurred in 1960; back then, we had these old guys called 'editors' that sought to avoid showing the dark underbelly of what they considered to be the nasty side of politics.

For better or for worse, we have the uncensored Internet today, where at least people can get some truth about what their neighbors will not say to their faces.

[muawiyah]

The Catholics were much farther South. You actually find Church of the First Born members out there establishing permanent, year-round hunting/trapping basecamps long before the first Hispanic moved North to build a shack.

Utah conditions were such that development took a higher level of technology and cooperative social organization than could be provided out of New Spain or Mexico.

The LDS were prepared for the experience and followed COTFB into the area.

[night reader]

Short of renouncing his faith, is there anything that Romney could do to convince you that he’d be an acceptable vote to cast as President?

That wouldn't work. Then they'd accuse him of being wishy-washy!

[muawiyah]

Billzo's baby-daddy was a member of the Apostolic Charismatic General Assembly and the Church of the First Born.

Billzo's just a fake Methodist.

[Homeschoolmom]

As I stated earlier, I do not believe that is what Mormonism teaches. Mormon’s own teachings do not assert that salvation is a free gift from Christ alone and is based in His grace. We could go around and around, and I could quote you things from the book of Mormon, if that’s what you’d like.
However, my intention is not to get into a theological discussion. I answered honestly why I would never vote for a Mormon. If I was the only one who felt this way, I’d probably have refrained from answering. I know, however, from talking to other Christians that I am not alone in my concerns about Romney.

[tantiboh]

~”I have talked to a few Catholics and they seem open to Romney. For one thing, they can relate to the anti-Mormon rhetoric. They’ve been having to put up with it, too.”~

Personally, I feel more a kindred spirit with Catholics than with any other denomination. I’ve only run across one Catholic Mormon-basher.

I think conservative Catholics, by and large, will have no problem pulling the lever for Romney.

It seems the “Would not vote for a Mormon” lobby is concentrated amongst Protestants, particularly Evangelicals.

Interestingly, the “would not vote for a Mormon” group is a higher percentage amongst liberals than conservatives - a point made in the original article. This indicates to me that liberals are particularly afraid of Mormons. Sounds to me like a good reason for our detractors to reconsider their position.

[Saundra Duffy]

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is my Messiah, my Savior, my Lord, and Personal Friend. The Holy Ghost is my witness. Heavenly Father sent His Only begotten Son to die for me.

The things you said in your post insult my Savior and hurt His tender feelings.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Your statements about my Church are not true.

I used to be a Baptist and I used to be a Pentecostal. Baptists think the Pentecostals are full of the devil because the Pentecostals speak in tongues and believe in “holiness” living. The Pentecostals think the Baptists are full of the devil because the Baptists believe in “once saved always saved” and because the Baptists don’t speak in tongues.

I became confused by the double speak and contradictions. I don’t know what your religion is but I would say you need to be very careful about telling other people of faith that they are bound for hell in a handbasket. No one knows my heart except my Savior. He will be my Judge. Jesus is the ONLY way home to Heavenly Father. I love Jesus Christ and I am not ashamed of Him.

There’s a whole industry of anti-Mormon literature, tapes and videos. That doesn’t mean you have to swallow it all hook line and sinker.

[Saundra Duffy]

Yep. And the media types REALLY can’t stand Mormons. That is a good sign, too. Did you read the piece where they see Mormons as “Christians on steroids”? That made me laugh and feel particularly good.

We are a peculiar people; I’ll give them that.

[rodeo-mamma]

You have a right to your opinion, I'm not being emotional I am just a little concerned. Of all the ways people go to hell you are worried about where someone goes to Church? I really don' think God is going to be sending decent people to hell over things like that, I think he is talking about the dangerous phony ones, you know the ones who rape their secretaries and con people out of money for their own selfish gain such as wealth or adulation all in the name of God. By the way, these types are not as uncommon as you might believe and they are far more harmful then anything the Mormons might be teaching. I stand by my assertion that the Mormon Church is just one among many imperfect Churches.

[night reader]

Reading your posts, I do not know who you are for. Why not try supporting someone rather than denigrating other Christians and other Republicans. We’ll never win playing defense.

[Homeschoolmom]

I don’t believe that our Savior has His feelings hurt so easily as you. I believe that He spoke Truth unashamedly and boldly. He never sugar-coated the truth about false teachings, either.
He will someday judge the living and the dead. He will cast unbelievers in an eternal fire. He is loving, yes, but He is also a God of righteous judgment.
Do I say that to hurt you? A thousand times, no! I say that so that you might be rescued.

[Saundra Duffy]

Gladys Knight is a Mormon but I don’t know about the Pips. Ha!

[hunter112]

Gladys Knight is a Mormon but I don’t know about the Pips. Ha!

I think one of them was Catholic, so theoretically, you could have had a Pope Pip.

;)

[jude24]

Paul in Galatians says the entire book of Mormon is from Satan and is to be accursed.

That's a real trick, since St. Paul wrote Galatians about 1800 years before Joseph Smith was walking around New York or Missouri.

[Saundra Duffy]

“Show me the perfect Church”

This Pentecostal preacher used to say, “If you ever find the perfect church, please don’t join it because you’ll destroy it!” Ha! I thought that was funny.

[freeplancer]

Replying to your ignorant post # 48. Please tell me how you are going to lead someone to your beliefs, if you start out by calling them evil and absurd? God would I love to meet some of you peons in person.

[Homeschoolmom]

“Reading your posts, I do not know who you are for. Why not try supporting someone rather than denigrating other Christians and other Republicans. We’ll never win playing defense.”

My intention is not to denigrate anyone. My intention was to honestly answer an honest question asked by the OP. You may not like my answer, but it is the way I feel.

I find it curious that so many of you are so defensive about your religion. If you said to me, “I think you are going to Hell because you aren’t _______” (Fill in the blank), I would simply dismiss it. Not because I think I’m no wise and you’re not, but because I use the Bible as my absolute authority on what I believe. The Bible tells us the way to salvation and that’s what I accept as truth.

[tantiboh]

~”Tant, good luck on that one!”~

I must admit, in addition to genuinely wanting to discuss the political ramifications of the religious element, I’m engaging in a bit of social experimentation: can the anti-Mormons restrain themselves?

So far, by and large, they’re doing pretty well.

~”It’s my contention that a lot of people of faith traditions that have seen LDS missionaries attract away members of those faiths over the last few decades do not want to give the missionaries another “look who’s one of us,” beyond the members of the Osmond family.”~

I agree that’s the motivation of some; still, I find the assertion laughable. Look at how the Masons and Quakers have taken over the country!

Indeed, I suspect that a Romney presidency might well hurt the Church more than it helps. About the only thing it gives Mormonism is name recognition; otherwise, every little policy difference that some people have will automatically be attributed to Romney’s faith, resulting in a lower estimation of the LDS Church.

Frankly, when I first learned of Romney, I was, for this reason, quite nervous about his candidacy. Of course, while I’m waiting to see what Thompson brings to the table, I’m leaning significantly in Romney’s direction these days. My growing understanding of him as a compelling candidate in his own right are overpowering my initial concerns.

I’m too young to have been paying attention during the Reagan years; but I’m beginning to think that Romney may just have that level of potential as a champion of conservatism.

I’m looking for someone to inspire me as a member of the conservative base. Romney seems to fit that bill.

[R W Reactionairy]

"Oliver B. Huntington wrote the proceeding statement in 1881." And "aMorePerfectUnion" wrote it in 2007. Smith died about 40 years before Huntington reduced his recollection to memory. There are a lot of very strange things that happened in the early days of the Mormon church, but to seize onto this one [which may or may not have happened] is an indication that you are either very gullible or worse.