Romney to Address His Mormonism

New York Times ^ | December 2, 2007 | Michael Luo

[Zakeet]

Mitt Romney will deliver a speech entitled “Faith in America,” addressing his Mormon religion, on Thursday at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Tex.

His campaign is describing the address as an opportunity for Mr. Romney to “share his views on religious liberty, the grand tradition religious tolerance has played in the progress of our nation and how the governor’s own faith would inform his presidency if he were elected.”

Mr. Romney personally made the decision to give the speech last week, feeling it was the right moment to do so, his advisers said. After he decided he would make it, the campaign consulted with former President Bush’s library, which invited him to deliver it there.

Suspicions about his Mormon beliefs, which many conservative Christians consider to be heretical, have dogged Mr. Romney’s candidacy since it began, with many polls showing large numbers of Americans would not vote for a Mormon presidential candidate.

Mr. Romney had resisted delivering a speech dedicated to his faith up to this point, choosing instead to address questions about his beliefs when they came up from audience members and reporters.

But many, including evangelical supporters, have long urged him to address the questions head on and deliver an address modeled after the one John F. Kennedy delivered about his Catholicism to a gathering of Southern Baptist ministers in Houston in 1960 that many credit with defusing questions about his faith.

[FastCoyote]

[Vegas prefers to hire Mormons in the money counting rooms. Apparently, they are regarded as scrupulously honest.

I read that on a golden tablet I found outside the 4-Queens. Trust me.]

As a Vegas boy, I’m not sure whether they were trusted to do the books ‘scrupulously honest, or scrupulously look the other way.

[Biblebelter]

Despite all the controversey surrounding the CNN Debate, I actually loved the debate. The gun question was priceless. Fred said he owned two guns, Hunter told a sentimental story about a prized shotgun. McCain said he did not own a gun but obviously learned to shoot one while in the military. No one else claimed to own a gun. Romney thought he had the best answer by saying he did not own one, but he was the proud father of a son who did own one. As for Huckabee, he just could not figure how to get Jesus and guns in a one sentence sound byte answer.

[Beagle8U]

I think Vegas Mormons are trusted to know Harry Reid and keep the casino from being audited.

[Cyber Liberty]

Sure. For the record, even Mormon apostates won’t share with me about the underwear thing....

[greyfoxx39]

As for Huckabee, he just could not figure how to get Jesus and guns in a one sentence sound byte answer.

LOL

[Beagle8U]

My guess is that Fred was the only one on the stage to ever have the president of the NRA to personally hit the stump to campaign for them.

[ejonesie22]

Best thing, Fred is sitting back in his chair on the bus, chompin’ on a stogie and laughing his a$$ off...

[JRochelle]

I sure hope reporters question him about his statements that he wouldn’t appoint a Muslim to his cabinet.

Mitt: Bigotry for me but not for thee!

[LeGrande]

Calling out the anti-mormon Cabal again? I bet you just love having a bunch of bitter, angry people to call on : )

What do you think, can you break the 2000 post mark with lies and half truths :)

[Bobbisox]

MITT! MITT! It is not your religion, it’s your Conservative principles which appear to change with each election cycle! Conservative principles are not created by the polls or the election cycle. That is Mitt’s problem among other problems such as illegal immigration which he was for before he was against! Sound familiar?

FRED THOMPSON’s Conservative principles began at an early age and have not changed since then. FRED is FRED yesterday, today and tomorrow! You can take that to the bank.

[SkyPilot]

‘Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man." Joseph Smith's first wife (of over 30 wives he had), Emma, was an eye-witness to Joseph Smith's use of a seer stone during the transcribing of the Book of Mormon.

(David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, 1887, p. 12.)
- Elder Russell M. Nelson, A Treasured Testament, Ensign, July 1993, 61

[MHT]

Islam is a b.s. religion. If nothing else, religion should elevate the way human beings treat other humans. It should change the way we act. It does in Islam--it makes them want to kill everyone else whose slightly different than they are, including their own!

The people who like Mormons the best are---other Mormons. However kooky their theology is by comparison with mainstream Christianity, the outward manifestation of their faith is admirable. Families stay together as mom and dad are committed and supported by others. They generally resist the temptations like alcohol, smoking, etc., that ruin lives. They are fiscally and morally conservative and live by their devotion to God, family, and country. These are all good things.

[rightazrain]

“The people who like Mormons the best are-—other Mormons. However kooky their theology is by comparison with mainstream Christianity, the outward manifestation of their faith is admirable. Families stay together as mom and dad are committed and supported by others. They generally resist the temptations like alcohol, smoking, etc., that ruin lives. They are fiscally and morally conservative and live by their devotion to God, family, and country. These are all good things.”

Mormons are under great pressure by their leaders to put on a “happy face.” However, the truth isn’t so wonderful. Just recently, a study showed that people in Utah are more depressed than any other state in the union. That pressure thing.

I also heard that a very few years ago, the divorce rate in Utah was very high. I don’t know the current stats on that.

It’s not all sweetness and light in Mormondom.

[MHT]

The same was said about the Amish. It is probably true of any relatively-closed community. I've heard the same thing about Hasidic jews as well and the frustration of females within that group. However, compared with national divorce rates, I am going to bet that Mormons have lower ones.

The thing that is amazing me most in the whole thing about Mormonism is how uncharitable and hyper-critical some Christians are of other Christians. If someone believes in God, hopefully accepting Jesus as Savior, and doesn't want to kill you (unlike our Muslim "brothers"), why can't they live-and-let-live? Christians can certainly be an intolerant lot.

[greyfoxx39]

 

Families stay together as mom and dad are committed and supported by others. They generally resist the temptations like alcohol, smoking, etc., that ruin lives.

POPULATION OF Utah: In 2003, Utah had a household population of 2.3 million - 1.2 million (50 percent) females and 1.2 million (50 percent) males. ...

Alcohol Addiction or Alcohol Abuse in Utah Over a One Year Period (Annual Averages Based on 2002 and 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health):

• In Utah it was estimated on a survey-weighted hierarchical Bayes estimation approach that the total number of individuals with an alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse problem over a one year period was 1,320,000.
  • An estimated 118,000 of the individuals with an alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse problem in Utah over a one year period were between the ages of 12-17 years old.
  • An estimated 422,000 of the individuals with an alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse problem in Utah over a one year period were between the ages of 18-25 years old.
  • An estimated 780,000 of the individuals with an alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse problem in Utah over a one year period were 26 or older.

Binge Alcohol Use in Utah Over a One Month Period (Annual Averages Based on 2002 and 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health):

• In Utah it was estimated on a survey-weighted hierarchical Bayes estimation approach that the total number of binge alcohol users over a one month period was 288,000.
  • An estimated 18,000 of the binge alcohol users in Utah over a one month period were between the ages of 12-17 years old.
  • An estimated 90,000 of the binge alcohol users in Utah over a one month period were between the ages of 18-25 years old.
  • An estimated 180,000 of the binge alcohol users in Utah over a one month period were 26 or older

Any Illicit Drug Addiction or Drug Abuse in Utah Over a One Year Period (Annual Averages Based on 2002 and 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health):

• In Utah it was estimated on a survey-weighted hierarchical Bayes estimation approach that the total number of individuals with an illicit drug addiction or drug abuse problem over a one year period was 52,000. For this estimation illicit drugs includes marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or any prescription-type psychotherapeutic used nonmedically
  • An estimated 11,000 of the individuals with an illicit drug addiction or drug abuse problem in Utah over a one year period were between the ages of 12-17 years old.
  • An estimated 22,000 of the individuals with an illicit drug addiction or drug abuse problem in Utah over a one year period were between the ages of 18-25 years old.
  • An estimated 19,000 of the individuals with an illicit drug addiction or drug abuse problem in Utah over a one year period were 26 or older.

Any Illicit Drug Use Other Than Marijuana in Utah Over a One Month Period (Annual Averages Based on 2002 and 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health):

• In Utah it was estimated on a survey-weighted hierarchical Bayes estimation approach that the total number of illicit drug users other than marijuana users in a one month period was 68,000. For this estimation illicit drugs include cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or any prescription-type psychotherapeutic used nonmedically
  • An estimated 12,000 of illicit drug users other than marijuana users in Utah over a one month period were between the ages of 12-17 years old.
  • An estimated 26,000 of illicit drug users other than marijuana users in Utah over a one month period were between the ages of 18-25 years old.
  • An estimated 29,000 of illicit drug users other than marijuana users in Utah over a one month period were 26 or older.

Illicit Drug Use in Utah Over a One Month Period (Annual Averages Based on 2002 and 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health):

• In Utah it was estimated on a survey-weighted hierarchical Bayes estimation approach that the total number of illicit drug users in a one month period was 115,000. For this estimation illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or any prescription-type psychotherapeutic used nonmedically
  • An estimated 20,000 of the illicit drug users in Utah were between the ages of 12-17 years old.
  • An estimated 46,000 of the illicit drug users in Utah were between the ages of 18-25 years old.
  • An estimated 49,000 of the illicit drug users in Utah were 26 or older.

 

[broncobilly]

Don’t trust anyone who can’t take a joke.

---

And don’t trust anyone who takes pleasure in mocking other’s religion.

[greyfoxx39]

Link for #55

[greyfoxx39]

And don’t trust anyone who takes pleasure in mocking other’s religion.

"After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon."

- Apostle George Q. Cannon, Gospel Truth, p. 324

"For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the ‘Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men."

- Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, v. 3, p. 282

[Cyber Liberty]

Oh, you can hear me laughing now? This internet thingy is getting out of hand.

Tell you Mormon friends to stop talking in code, and I'll start taking them seriously. While you're at it, explain the underwear thing to me and everybody else on FR. After 20 years, I still can't get an answer that doesn't make me laugh.

[broncobilly]

Mitt: Bigotry for me but not for thee!

---

Still pushing that lie are you?