Posted on 01/08/2008 4:09:13 PM PST by 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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
I am not a Mormon. I am not concerned that Romney winning the GOP nomination would somehow legitimize Mormonism. I honestly don’t care that he is a Mormon, and I don’t care if Mormonism is therefore “legitimized” by his nomination.
I do care, however, that IMO, he can not be elected in 2008 America as a Mormon. Voters will not tell a pollster that they will not vote for him because he is a Mormon. But look what the Clintons are doing to Obama, and you know the Democrats and the Drive-by Media will “Big Love” Governor Romney. The smear will be unconscionable; Mitt Romney will be practically attached to Bill Paxton at the hip, but it will be effective because it’s considered politically correct to attack Mormons.
There are a lot of doctrines you don’t mention at first. Heck evangelicalism does it too and it drives me batty.
Mitt himself has downplayed the Jesus and Lucifer familial relationship, the spirit babies that God is making, etc. You know exactly what I’m talking about. The doctrines that divide. (as they should) in order to make everyone feel good about the things we have in common (family values etc.).
Post #1552 shows the need for you to continue regardless of the light the LDS don’t want shinning. I don’t know if restornu would read what you might offer, but it is a certainty some lurkers will, and the exercise will combat to a degree the doubt plowing the LDS posters have been trying to make regarding the Trinity as written of in 1 John 5:7 ... please, continue with your exegesis.
well Hey Mitt seems to think Mormons don’t have to believe that stuff either — he touched on the ‘important’ stuff (exactly what you mentioned in that post). As if that was all they taught or all that Christianity teaches.
Im not Mormon...and not planning on becoming Mormon, or making valuations about Mormonism based on Romney. If I vote for Romney, I would be hiring Romney to balance the books, streamline government, reduce taxes, keep our economy healthy, appoint conservative judges, keep us on offense in the war, and above all, beat the DEMS!
well PUT A/P
last time i looked the MORMON church went to a god forsaken place ...a desert of sand and salt and made it bloom into a paradise
sort of what you’d expect from any group of enterprising americans..... sort of the kind of work MITT HIMSELF DOES....AND WILL DO WHEN HE BECOMES OUR PRESIDENT...BELIEVE ON IT....
I did not accuse you of lying. I did question an education that could get you through the bar exams yet would be useless in comprehending why what you wrote in defense of the specious ‘reformed egyptian’ hoax is pure claptrap. I’m wondering also, how was it that Smith could quote Shakespeare in the b of m and it doesn’t raise red flags in your educated mind?
What more can we do?
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If you folks had one Christ to to offer, it would be easy to decide.
When you all can not even agree with each other on how we are saved, why should we rely on the rest of what you say.
If you find my posts "inflammatory", just use the little red button on them.
THE BOOK OF JACOB
THE BROTHER OF NEPHICHAPTER 224 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.
26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.
27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.
30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
31 For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.
32 And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.
Or even HERE:
1 Timothy 3:2-3
2. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3. not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.1 Timothy 3:12
A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.Titus 1:6
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
First of all, Protestants didn't say the entire Catholic church--every believing "professor"--was "corrupt" as did Smith. Notice the absolute sweeping language Smith uses in the First Vision account...one "NONE" (join NONE of them) and three "ALLs"--ALL wrong, all corrupt, all creeds an abomination.
There's a reason why Luther & Calvin & Zwingli were called "reformers" & not "restorers"--they were trying to renew & reform the church, not label it 100% bankrupt & put it in some spiritual graveyard.
Also, Protestants & Catholics actually agree on most basics--exception being authority underneath God (and if you don't consider the structure of the Church as a "basic"...). Granted, Catholics added certain traditional teachings onto Scripture re: relationship with dead saints, relationship with Mary, etc. but the major thrusts of the faith--who God is, who Jesus is, the 3 in 1 revealed God, the perfect life, death, atonement, resurrection, heaven & hell, etc.--we agree.
Finally, each member of the Godhood Himself testifies thru the Bible that the Church never would 100% apostacize in a universal apostasy. Jesus prophesied in Matthew 16:18; the Holy Spirit prophesied in 1 Timothy 4:1; and God did in Ephesians 3:21. His/their collective testimony is solid & forever true. Yes, the Holy Spirit said SOME would be part of an apostasy--but not ALL (1 Tim. 4:1).
I think youre off on a tangent....
He who hears the truth hears my voice, says Jesus Christ — who IS the truth, who IS God.
I’d like to press that red button too. Your only response to my posts are that I must be a different person. If you have to lie I’d rather not talk to you. But I’m not totally a jerk. If you ever think you’d like to apologize I’ll still be around.
Fred, it seems from your posts that anyone who does not kiss the feet of Joseph Smith and Mitt Romney are going to be called “nasty poster” by you. I am not trying to convert you...you have already been converted
If you find my posts “inflammatory”, just use the little red button on them.
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Again,
Are you trying to convert us to the Christ, as you understand Him, or just to be another nasty poster?
Ok; you got us. We'll have to go with YOUR math, so you'll have an INFINITE number of planets at your disposal.
You are off on a tangent again.
“uh... which church should I join??”
“None of them you bozo! They are ALL corrupt: ‘specially them Presbyterians!”
“Ok; I’ll go tell Mom.”
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Are you trying to convert us to the Christ, as you understand Him, or just to be another nasty poster?
Just the way we Christians feel about you guys who AIN'T Christian.
Why is it necessary?
There you go; just what I've been saying.
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