Posted on 08/08/2007 8:00:00 AM PDT by greyfoxx39
Mitt Romney's own Republican Party has made religion fair game, and Romney will be asked how his faith would affect his policies.
-SNIP-
But Mitt Romney is a serious contender in 2008, rich and disciplined, and he's running in an era when presidential candidates are virtually expected to parade their religiosity. This is particularly true in the Republican camp, where religion and politics are now routinely intertwined; indeed, candidate George W. Bush upped the ante in 2000, when he said that his favorite philosopher was Jesus, ''because he changed my life.''
So it's no surprise Romney is facing questions about his lifelong devotion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the breakaway theology that considers itself humankind's ''one true church.'' He had hoped to stonewall this issue, insisting in a TV interview 18 months ago that ''I'm never going to get into a discussion about my personal beliefs.''
But today word is circulating that Romney will discuss his faith in an autumn speech - and seek to disarm the skeptics much the way John F. Kennedy in 1960 dampened fears that a Catholic president would take orders from Rome.
Romney is dealing with potential hostility, fair or not, on several fronts. Many Christian fundamentalists, particularly southern Baptists, dismiss Mormonism as a cult (thereby imperiling Romney in the GOP primaries, particularly in pivotal South Carolina). Many secular voters are uncomfortable with the church's passion for proselytizing and its superior attitude, particularly its scriptural insistence that all nonbelievers are worshiping ''the church of the devil.'' Pollsters say that at least 30 percent of voters won't back a Mormon.
Romney's biggest problem is that skeptics are simply weirded out. They cannot quite envision having a president who believes that a man named Joseph Smith dug up a book of golden plates, long buried in a hillside, with the help of an angel named Moroni in 1827; that these plates, written in Egyptian hieroglyphics, spelled out the precepts of the true Christian faith; that Smith translated these hieroglyphics by wearing decoder glasses and burying his head in a hat; that Jesus visited North America after the resurrection; that the Garden of Eden was really in Missouri.
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Some questions do seem appropriate. First, the Mormon faith puts a high premium on ''faith-promoting'' information, sometimes at the expense of unpleasant facts. As a high-ranking Mormon leader said in a famous 1981 speech, ''Some things that are true are not very useful.'' Would Romney be able to assure swing voters that he would not merely perpetuate the faith-based thinking, and the rejection of empirical reality, that has trapped us in a ruinous war?
Second, since the Mormons consider themselves stewards of ''a quintessentially American faith'' (Romney's words), and since Mormons believe Jesus will return and rule the world from U.S. territory, does this suggest that a President Romney might wave the flag a bit too fervently, at a time when we need to repair our relations around the world? The Mormon faith is heavily rooted in what is commonly called ''American exceptionalism,'' the belief that we are special and we know best. Would Romney govern accordingly, and, if so, would that be a help or a hindrance in the war on terror?
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What matters, in other words, is not whether he really thinks Joseph Smith met an angel in 1827. The crucial issue is whether, or how, a devout Mormon would apply his faith on the job in 2009. His supporters have suggested that any such questions are symptoms of religious bigotry, but it is the Republican Party, over the past several decades, that has put religion front and center. They have made Mitt Romney fair game.
Are those NAND Gates?
This is a bit disingenuous of you, don't you think?
"Tough questions"? Puh-LEEZE.
These are people who are trying to make Mitt's campaign a referendum on Mormon theology. They'd like us to believe that were electing Mitt to be the Pastor in Chief, or that we're voting for a national religion.
It's entirely irrelevant, and honest people know that.
n the early Latter Day Saint movement, seer stones were used as method of divination and played a significant role in its history and theology. Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, owned several seer stones from his earlier career as a “money digger.” Other early Mormons such as Hiram Page, David Whitmer and Jacob Whitmer also owned seer stones. Seer stones are mentioned in the Book of Mormon and in other Latter Day Saint scriptures. James Strang, who claimed to be Joseph Smith’s designated successor, also unearthed what he said were ancient metal plates and translated them using seer stones.
Some early nineteenth-century Americans used seer stones in attempt to gain a revelation from God or to find buried treasure. Beginning in the early 1820s, Joseph Smith was paid to act as a “seer” in (mostly unsuccessful) attempts to locate lost items and find precious metals hidden in the earth. Smith’s procedure was to place the stone in a white stovepipe hat, put his face over the hat to block the light, and then “see” the necessary information in the stone’s reflections. His favored stone, chocolate-colored and about the size of an egg, was found in a deep well he helped dig for one of his neighbors. In the words of Richard Bushman, there is ample evidence that Smith never “repudiated the stones or denied their power to find treasure. Remnants of the magical culture stayed with him to the end.”
You call the ignorant superstitious fool who founded Mormonism just ODD? He was a charlatan, huckster, bamboozeler, swindler, cheat and lier, and anyone puts faith in the pagan-tainted word out of this non-prophet risks heading straight to hell.
I hope Mitt won’t take the bait.
The MSM keeps drawing an analogy to JFK’s speech on Catholicism, hoping to sucker Romney. BUT JFK WAS A DEMOCRAT. THE MATTER RESTED AFTER THE SPEECH BECAUSE THE MSM WANTED IT TO REST. If Romney makes “The Speech,” it won’t settle anything. It will just give the MSM and the anti-Mormons another jumping off point. They will claim that Romney made it an issue, and they will just hammer harder.
First off, I doubt that it's a DEFINING issue in this case.
But, would you say the same thing, if the candidate was a Wiccan, a Muslim, or a Satanist?
While I'm not equating Mormonism with those religions...I think it is an "issue" and it's worthy of discussion.
FWIW-
Romney’s biggest problem is that skeptics are simply weirded out. They cannot quite envision having a president who believes that a man named Joseph Smith dug up a book of golden plates, long buried in a hillside, with the help of an angel named Moroni in 1827; that these plates, written in Egyptian hieroglyphics, spelled out the precepts of the true Christian faith; that Smith translated these hieroglyphics by wearing decoder glasses and burying his head in a hat; that Jesus visited North America after the resurrection; that the Garden of Eden was really in Missouri.
This attempt at smearing Romney once again is pretty pathetic, and very shallow.
You can do ‘this’ with ANY religion.
Meanwhile, Romney is just cruising along, getting better with each debate.
LOL!
Even if I were to drink your Kool-Aid and believe your version of history, the questions remains: What's your point???
I'm not going to get baited into yet another debate over Mormon history and doctrine. It's all been done before, and by better men than you and I. ...and it's completely irrelevant.
What do you claim will be the negative consequences of Mitt's beliefs if he were to be elected POTUS? What's the harm?
Romney will probably have some trouble with some of the religous conservatives, but I don't think he will have near the trouble that the kooks hope he will have.
The Salt Lake Tribune was founded to be the anti-Mormon paper, and it remains largely so to this day.
“the breakaway theology that considers itself humankind’s ‘’one true church.’’”
Inflammatory. Most churches consider themselves the one true church.
Yeah. Just look at what horrible things happened during his leadership of Bain Capital, the 2002 Winter Olympics and the governorship of Massachusetts.
Oh, the horrors!
ROFLOL!
You guys just kill me. :-)
Don't let reality intrude on a good bit of fearmongering!
I think it’s naive to think that a religious man, would not be influenced by his religion, and act accordingly, especially in those decisions that require a lot of thought.
If his faith is irrelevant to how he will govern, what does that say about his morals and principles?
Nah, that's just his cover to attract cross-over votes from Nevada.
Wow. They really believe all that? As told by a guy that looked into a magic hat?
It says nothing about them at all.
There have been moral and immoral leaders of all faiths throughout history. That's exactly the point.
“I just hope our fellow Christians find this whole Mormon-bashing thing is worth the cost.”
Christians do not get angry or have any self consciousness about speaking on our religion. Why do Mormons? And asking questions is NOT bashing.
If you're interested in what Mormons believe, it's available for all to see. Those who tell you fantastic and bizarre stories aren't particularly interested in historical accuracy, as you might have noticed.
LDS Doctrine: lesson manuals, scriptures online
(I recommend the book Gospel Essentials to get a good, overall idea of LDS beliefs.)
Recent General Conference addresses - LDS sermons in text and audio
Can someone explain that last bit to me?
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