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.
...
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
I thought you were ‘trying’ to reduce the size of your posts? ;^)
Well then; just post a LIST of them so we less learned can see all the disctintions that are out there.
Some info is just hard to swallow.
“What makes Huckabee’s flip flops more acceptable to you?”
Whatever gave you the idea that I supported the Huckster? (Hint: my tagline indicates my candidate.)
You don’t have a tagline.
Yes and proudly so. We don't need people like you that can't run your own lives trying to run ours.
There must be something wrong with your screen or settings.
I have a tag line, too, but it doesn’t show up on my screen. My tag line is, Benedict Arnold is a war hero, too. Does it show up on your screen?
If it makes you both feel, better, I see both taglines:
“Don’t blame me, I voted for Thompson” (TTR) (Shalom Jubalum, BTW -— great screenname)
Benedict Arnold -— (Eva)
For the record, mine is a rude comment in slang Hebrew about the remaining three RINOs.
Thanks, I wonder why the tag lines aren’t showing up on my screen.
Clearly a case of not holding your mouth correctly.
;-)
(I have no idea what that means, but my mother always told me that when I couldn’t get something to work; annoyed me to no end, but I find myself telling my daughters the same thing.)
Yes, just by being a Mormon she was breaking a law punishable by death :( The Mormons were breaking the law up until the 1980's.
Just another fine example of your 'Christian' Charity in action : ) Kind of reminds me of that other high point in "Christian' history the burning of Giordano Bruno.
She probably meant, smile. It’s kind of like saying, every cloud will wear a rainbow, if your heart keeps right.
It’s funny how those silly sayings stick with us.
My grandmother used to criticize me for cutting of my nose to spite my face, and she would smile and say, I see, said the blind man, when she would hear an explanation or excuse.
My kids got a real kick out of the, I see, said the blind man.
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day;
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, “If only Casey could but get a whack at that —
We’d put up even money now, with Casey at the bat.”
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat;
For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey’s bearing and a smile lit Casey’s face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt ‘twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt.
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Casey’s eye, a sneer curled Casey’s lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped —
“That ain’t my style,” said Casey. “Strike one!” the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;
“Kill him! Kill the umpire!” shouted some one on the stand;
And it’s likely they’d have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey’s visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said “Strike two!”
“Fraud!” cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered “Fraud!”
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn’t let that ball go by again.
The sneer has fled from Casey’s lip, the teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.
I had to memorize that poem in Grade School. Sad isn't it?
That is my second most favorite poem, after Little Orphan Annie ...
Why waste your time with people like this?
Well done. Great analysis and documentation of the viewpoints on the nature of God as explained by early Christians.
Aw don’t like poetry?
This is the first time I ventured into this thread. Perhaps now that the Mormons have been sufficiently marginalized and demonized and Romney has been run out, it can be put to rest.
I apologize for the bigotry of some of my Baptist counterparts.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.