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Romney: Nice Guy, Weird Religion. What's the Problem?
Boston Herald ^ | August 7, 2007 | Michael Graham

Posted on 08/07/2007 2:43:12 AM PDT by suspects

OK, I’ll admit it. From a theological standpoint, Mormonism is just plain weird.

When I read the story of Joseph Smith, notorious New York con man, finding golden tablets he read using magic rocks while peering into a hat, I snicker too. The special “garment,” the polygamy problem, the Osmonds - it’s all more than a bit odd.

That’s Mormonism’s problem. But could someone please tell me how it’s Mitt’s problem, too?

Left-wingers at the New Republic suggest that Romney has secretly converted to Mormon fundamentalism and plots against the Constitution. Right-wing radio hosts insist that, as president, a real Mormon would crush the constitutional powers of the U.S. Supreme Court. Again and again, Mitt’s faith is portrayed as a risk to American democracy.

I’m not planning on voting for the guy (I’m currently leaning Giuliani), but of the dozens of reasons to vote against a President Romney, his faith isn’t one of them.

I’m not arguing that religious questions have no place in politics, not at all. Tell me you could never vote for a Muslim president because of Islam’s ongoing problems with anti-Semitism and terror, and I get your point. It’s a legitimate concern about a uniquely problematic religion in today’s world.

Tell me you couldn’t vote for a Jewish president because of the political problems it would create for America in the Middle East, and I get that, too. Once again, I don’t have to agree with the argument to understand it.

But nobody has given me even a hint of a rational defense for keeping the White House Mormon-free. We have three Mormons in the Senate right now - Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Harry Reid (D-Nev. and MoveOn.org) - and democracy survives.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bostonherald.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: liberals; media; michaelgraham; mormon; romney
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1 posted on 08/07/2007 2:43:16 AM PDT by suspects
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To: suspects

He is as liberal as many of the rats, he is just lying to sound conservative hoping to win.


2 posted on 08/07/2007 2:44:38 AM PDT by Hydroshock ("The Constitution should be taken like mountain whiskey -- undiluted and untaxed." - Sam Ervin)
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To: suspects

Hold on, grabbing the popcorn, you are in for a ride with this post. Been there, done it. Good luck you bigot /s/


3 posted on 08/07/2007 2:57:33 AM PDT by mmanager (Fred instead of Purebred, Crossbred and the Hothead)
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To: suspects

Talk about your weird organizations, how about a political party and it’s media & university members who more often than not share the views of the terrorist enemies of our nation.

It’s Romney’s constitutional right to religious freedom the Boston Herals is trying to infringe here. Seems to me we heard less about the religion of the first Moslem Congressman, although I do remember that was heralded. The fact he didn’t want to use the Bible during his swearing in was considered quite cool by the media as I recall.

There are some glaring double standards in this nation today.


4 posted on 08/07/2007 3:10:54 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking it's heritage.)
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To: DoughtyOne
It’s Romney’s constitutional right to religious freedom the Boston Herals is trying to infringe here.

A newspaper can't "infringe", the government is the entity that would infringe upon his wierdo religion.

5 posted on 08/07/2007 3:15:39 AM PDT by glorgau
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To: DoughtyOne

Actually Graham pretty much agrees with my opinion in his offering, so I should offer a retraction of my condemnation.

I’m glad he went that route. Sorry I took him to task based on a misimpression from the headline.


6 posted on 08/07/2007 3:18:25 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking it's heritage.)
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To: suspects

I don’t care about his religion, he is from Massachusetts, and that’s bad enough.


7 posted on 08/07/2007 3:23:02 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: glorgau

So individual citizens and organizations can’t infringe on the constitutional rights of others? Would you like to reconsider?

BTW, I don’t think the Herald was wrong here. I misinterpreted intent from the headline, my mistake.


8 posted on 08/07/2007 3:23:19 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking it's heritage.)
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To: suspects
How does a Republican get elected as Governor in a state whose registered Democratic voters out number their Republican counterparts 3 to one, and the state legislature is 85% liberal?
9 posted on 08/07/2007 3:26:50 AM PDT by tiger-one (The night has a thousand eyes)
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To: tiger-one
Because there are many more independent voters in Massachusetts than there are democrats.
10 posted on 08/07/2007 3:44:08 AM PDT by Andy'smom
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To: suspects
I believe that a Jewish Carpenter born 2000 years ago is God incarnate. It doesn’t get much weirder than that.

I comes down to faith, either you have it or you don’t.

Faith does not have to go through peer review because its a faith not a science.

11 posted on 08/07/2007 3:47:47 AM PDT by Mikey_1962 (The last Americans to allow unchecked immigration...... were Native.)
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To: Andy'smom
Which means the Independents are electing the 85% Liberal state legislature's. Same voting for Mitt.
12 posted on 08/07/2007 3:55:56 AM PDT by tiger-one (The night has a thousand eyes)
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To: suspects
Does his "religion" believe that you must submit or be killed?

Are zealots in his religion blowing up cities, flying planes into buildings, spreading terror around the world?

Until it gets to that point I could care less about his religion.

13 posted on 08/07/2007 4:07:53 AM PDT by evad
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To: suspects
I find it strange that so many Christians are so quick to put aside their faith and claim it has no or should have no bearing on their choice for the leader of their country.

I am sorry to all those who would call me a bigot, but Romney’s faith does matter - to me. I believe in Jesus Christ and will vote with that belief guiding my decision.

I know that leaves me a devil’s bargain most of the time. But Romney’s faith is antithetical to the most basic of my beliefs and I cannot nor will not support it.

14 posted on 08/07/2007 4:16:21 AM PDT by txzman (Jer 23:29)
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To: Andy'smom

One wonders if those independents take responsibility for
Cadillac Deval and his multibillion$$ plans to provide
education, housing, medical care for illegal aliens
and eloquent rapists.


15 posted on 08/07/2007 4:19:09 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: evad

You nailed the issue.


16 posted on 08/07/2007 4:22:37 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: Diogenesis

Of course not, but it made them “feel good” to vote for him.


17 posted on 08/07/2007 4:44:30 AM PDT by Andy'smom
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To: Mikey_1962

I don’t see what’s weird about this. Are you calling Christianity weird? Isn’t this a Christian forum?

The truth of Christianity is revealed in the Bible. It doesn’t mention anything about John Smith.


18 posted on 08/07/2007 5:02:43 AM PDT by TraditionalistMommy
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To: DoughtyOne
I see no reason why Romney’s religion should be an issue. Doesn’t the Constitution forbid religious tests for office?

Of course, people are free to vote as they choose. Islam preaches Jihad, the violent kind. We are infidels in their eyes and deserve to die or to live as second class citizens with no rights. They have made war upon us. I think voting for a Muslim is voting for someone who will betray our country when the time is right.

Ann Coulter makes the case that liberalism is a religion. The possible sticking point is the idea of a Godless religion. I gather that there are some (Hinduism? Budhism?). Certainly atheism is a world view, at least. The people that I've known who had the greatest drive to convert are atheists. I think environmentalism rises to the level of a religion for some people. Anyway, liberals do often prefer our enemies to our friends. Voting for liberals strikes me as suicide, be it slow or fast.

Those are the only two religions that cause me problems. Islam because it is murderous and has no allegiance to my country. Liberalism because it is anti-market, and often prefers our enemies to our allies and defenders.

19 posted on 08/07/2007 5:31:37 AM PDT by ChessExpert (Mohamed was not a moderate Muslim)
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To: suspects
My own take on the book of Mormonisim is that it was a product of Spiritualism. Upstate New York was a hot bed of spiritualism at that time. My guess is that Joseph Smith and his friends were tipping tables and got the message. Probably from a disconnected part of his own consciousness that acted as a separate entity. I don’t think it was a very highly spiritual part of his consciousness any way (my opinion). Being simple folks they swallowed it and then when they had a hard time selling it they invented stories of angels appearing in the bed room and golden tablets being taken up into heaven etc. The wilder the story the more believable it became. I basically believe that there is a broad religion and the religions are gnerally linked through an esoteric or hidden side. I do not see this side in the Book of Mormon or in the Koran which was a channeled book also(and from a dubious source as well).
20 posted on 08/07/2007 6:21:40 AM PDT by bilhosty
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