Evangelicals Against Mitt

The American Spectator ^ | 1/3/2008 | Carrie Sheffield

[tantiboh]

Mitt Romney is facing an unexpected challenge in Iowa from rival Mike Huckabee, who has enjoyed a groundswell of support from religious voters, particularly evangelical Christians wary of the clean-cut former Massachusetts governor because of his Mormon religion.

The common worry among evangelicals is that if Romney were to capture the White House, his presidency would give legitimacy to a religion they believe is a cult. Since the LDS church places heavy emphasis on proselytizing -- there are 53,000 LDS missionaries worldwide -- many mainstream Christians are afraid that Mormon recruiting efforts would increase and that LDS membership rolls would swell.

...

THE ONLY PROBLEM with those fears is that they don't add up. Evangelicals may be surprised to learn that the growth of church membership in Massachusetts slowed substantially during Romney's tenure as governor. In fact, one could make the absurdly simplistic argument that Romney was bad for Mormonism.

...

ONE WAY TO GAUGE what might happen under a President Romney would be to look at what happened during the period of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Held in Salt Lake City, they were dubbed the "Mormon Olympics."

...

Despite all the increased attention, worldwide the Church grew only slightly, and in fact in the year leading up to the games the total number of congregations fell. Overall, from 2000 to 2004, there was a 10.9 percent increase in memberships and a 3.6 percent increase in congregations.

...

The LDS church is likely to continue its current modest-but-impressive growth whether or not Romney wins the White House. Perhaps the only real worry for evangelicals is that, if elected, the former Massachusetts governor will demonstrate to Americans that Mormons don't have horns.

Carrie Sheffield, a member of the LDS Church, is a writer living in Washington, D.C.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Off topic, but that picture (and name) proves nothing.

For example, the Scientologist use a cross as their symbol, and they (apparently) believe (in their highest revelation) that the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob is evil and that the Devil -— the light bringer — is good. (Oh, and L.Ron Hubbard is the light bringer.)

[Colofornian]

Re: Post #114: This commercial was paid for by the Restore the Mormon gods in place of the Christian God Committee. Fred, Treasurer.

[tortdog]

>Go figure this one...the housekeeper we had while growing up was Mormon. She trusted a Mormon with her children but won’t trust one to lead the country.

Well, people said they would not trust Bill Clinton with their kids, but they loved him as President.

[tortdog]

Right. And Christ prayed that we would be one as he and the Father were one.

Does that mean that you are waiting to be melded into the Trinity one day?

[Badeye]

‘After all, Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, taken on their own, don’t make me think too fondly of Catholics and Baptists. ‘

The irony is in 1976 the headline was ‘Evangelicals for Carter’....(chuckle)

We all know how that worked out....at least those of us born before 1960 do.

[CommerceComet]

I am a Christian. I base my life around Him. I do so because of my Mormon faith. Whether you like it or not, that is the truth.

What Tennessee Nana is telling you is that the Christ that you worship may be a figment of your imagination. Matthew 7:21-23 is one of the most sobering warnings in all the Bible and sadly I think that it applies to Mormons.

I do not hate Mormons. I have many friends who are Mormon. I hate the LDS church for leading people away from the true Jesus Christ. As the Bible tells us, our battle is not with "flesh and blood" (that is, individual people) but with "powers and principalities" (that is, the false churches). Sometimes, evangelicals lose sight of who our enemies actually are.

[Domandred]

what is the “B” word?

Bigot. Way back in post 6 MichaelP went to "religious bigots" before the thread really even started. Course he was talking more about the article in context then he was about a particular post or reply. Either way made a lier out of me for this thread.

[TheThirdRuffian]

I’ve got a religious bias question, for you.

If relgion is not important, why do 92% of Mitt Romney’s donations come from Utah?

Could it be that Mormons (such as yourself) disproportionately favor Romney because he’s a fellow Mormon?

Sounds like religious bias to me.

[rickomatic]

I am a Christian. I base my life around Him the con-man Joseph Smith's lies. I do so because of my Mormon faith. Whether you like it or not, that is(what I have been taught is) the truth

Calling yourself a Christian does not make you one. No more so than Chevy Chase could claim that he is a Bel Aire. A self appointed title does not make one something. If that were the case, then I suppose that Hillary is qualified to be president...because she told us she was.

[DelphiUser]

There is a joke that in Utah, the separation of church and state is the 2 blocks between temple square and the capitol bldg.

Good one, actually, I hadn't heard that one, but now it will be part of my list of jokes, Thanks!

DU

[Migraine]

Certainly not “liberal” by today’s standards -— but Nixon did all sorts of big government things -— the EPA being the worst mistake.

Yep. Encapsulating history gets confusing at times! Case in point, the EPA itself: don't forget that the Cuyahoga River through Cleveland caught on fire in 1967, the skies over Buffalo and Los Angeles were orange and rank with the stench of chemicals, Lake Erie was deader than a doorknob. We were in the death-throes of laissez-faire with regard to our pollutants, and the national disgrace of it was a daily reality. The EPA may have been an over-reach, but the laws EPA was supposed to enforce were the cure. Within 10 years of those laws, the problems began to be ameliorated. The problem with the EPA, like every bureaucracy, is that it never goes away -- and starts looking for superfluous targets to justify its existence. A date should have been set for dissolving the agency; but of course it wasn't.

To your point, Nixon also tried wage/price controls to deal with inflation. That was a liberal response if ever there was one. The only good from it was seeing what would happen -- and we learned that wage/price controls actually produced horrible results -- namely, shortages and higher prices.

[Marysecretary]

Yeah, and unfortunately Hillary came out on top. Guess the tears made an impression.

[DelphiUser]

Tant, not many people are brave enough to voice their concerns about Mormonism publicly.

This is easily proven false, a simple Google search on "+Mormons +Wrong" yields 1.3 million hits.

If indeed there is a great concern about Romney’s Mormonism you likely won’t hear about it from many people.

Again, this is easily proven wrong, search FR for Romney threads, and see how many have people complaining about Mormonism.

I’ve put myself out front. I am honest enough to openly state that I believe Mormonism is a corruption of Christianity,

If you always stated that that was just your opinion, things would be very cordial between us (Mormons on FR and you), you often try to state this opinion as a "Fact".

and that Mormonism has a habit of changing and obfuscating it’s positions, history and doctrine.

Everyone who has seen you on a thread on MMM knows that you are a descendant of John D lee, and that that colors your vision there (no pun intended).

That stance doesn’t make me a bigot or a hater, but I have been denounced time, and time, and time again as one.

These stances here are not what has gotten you denounced, but other things you have said have gotten you so labeled, sometimes unjustly so.

This issue will stay just under the surface.

Unless those who oppose the church see an opportunity to bring it up...

I doubt if most people in politics really understand how it is frothing and fomenting and ready to undermine Romney’s election.

But should it?

Some of us are trying to stop the Republican party from committing suicide on the alter of Mitt Romney.

Nice religious connotation there, see how come people think you are over the top?

It takes bravery and committment to do so.

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back, it might impair your ability to post.

[colorcountry]

Nice to see you back on FR doing your service as a Mormon apologist.

We are certain that doesn’t color (excuse the pun) your opinion in any way. ,-)

[DelphiUser]

You are probably correct. In fact since the advent of the Internet, there seems to be little that Mormonism can do to stop the hemorrhage of peole leaving the Church in great numbers.

They are joining faster than they are leaving, it's a sifting process, wheat and Chaff, goats and sheep...

Perhaps the LDS hierarchy are counting on Romney to stench the flow. Even the 50,000 world wide missionaries are having abysmal results.

I have extended family currently serving, they are not having "Abysmal results" also the churches growth rate (which is a positive number) gives the lie to your statement. The National Council of Churches in 2005 (latest figures I can find quickly) lists the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints as the fastest growing church in the USA.

Wouldn't it be much simpler if Mormonism gave up their secret oaths, covenants, clothing, ordinances and reliance upon works of the flesh and simply came to Christ for redemption. It seems the only way.

Yeah, there is an easy path and a straight and narrow one. The only problem with Mormons doing as you say is we have a testimony of our religion, and modern day revelation from God, but thanks for your advice.

[Loud Mime]

Look what Bill Clinton’s philosophy promoted?

[DelphiUser]

Tant,
I think you know most people who should be pinged.
I’m not completely sure I’d classify some of those you pinged as “polite”.
:-)

Hey, I resemble that remark. </Humor>
(I promise to be on my best behavior on this thread, I would hate to embarrass Tantiboh when he invited me here.) You would probably be surprised to know that I agree with much of what you post when it's not about my church.

[DelphiUser]

Certainly not from the Church. Have you ever seen them release data on how many member quit?

Actually, no, why would we want to focus on the?

There are members who quit you know.

Yes, and some even let us know they are not coming back.

A great many. Some estimate the number around 100,000 per year.

And some estimate that the earth is getting hotter and hotter!

But you will never know. Your Church has deemed you too weak to know.

I'm sure if it was important to me I could find the information, but I really don't care that much. Membership totals on the other hand keep going up, so people are joining faster than they are leaving, there was something about a stone cut without hands rolling forth into the earth...

Doesn't that disturb you?

Not really.

[DelphiUser]

Have you ever been to Utah?

Do you know any Mormons?

Oh, okie, I hope this was humor, CC lives in Utah and used to be a Mormon. (LOTS of family, etc)

[Eva]

Don’t feel too singled out because of the anti-Mormon diatribes, I actually had one of the anit-Mormons tell me that he wouldn’t vote for Romney or that papist, Rudy Giuliani.

I’m not a Mormon, or a Catholic, but this religious bigotry really turns me off. These same people will be the first to complain about the secular, anti-Christmas campaign.