Mormon-Catholic pairing makes for historically unique GOP ticket

foxnews.com ^ | Aug 11 2012 | Tommy Firth

[NoLibZone]

With the choice of devout Catholic Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney, a Mormon, has arguably crafted the most religiously unique ticket in presidential history. Both religions have interesting precedent in presidential politics, however, with varying degrees of success.

John F. Kennedy was famously the first and only Catholic to be elected president. Less than two months before the 1960 election, JFK addressed the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in a hope to allay fears that the pope would use him as a conduit into American politics.

Mitt Romney's father, George, also a Mormon, was a serious Republican candidate for president in 1968. Most political observers believe he didn't get far enough in the process to have his Mormon faith fully examined or questioned. Perhaps facing a more determined press than in '68, Mitt's Mormonism was questioned in his first run for president. He, like JFK, felt the need to address his faith publicly and did so in December 2007.

Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2012/08/11/mormon-catholic-pairing-makes-historically-unique-gop-ticket/#ixzz23GUbjkaK

[ansel12]

As a good Catholic you know that Mormonism is not a Christian religion, that it is a polytheistic religion created by Joseph Smith in the 1830s, that is your churches statement on it.

Does your church want you to remain silent in the face of Mormonism, I doubt it, I haven’t found anything that seems to indicate that yet.

I doubt that they want you fighting for it, defending it to other Catholics and other Christians, attacking Christians for speaking out and defending the Christian faith.

[LukeSW]

I call Mitt Bishop because he was a Stake President, the Mormon version of a Catholic Bishop, and we have never had a presidential candidate that high in a religious order. The Romneys are truly powerful and leaders within Mormonism, they arrived here to serve Joseph Smith 170 years ago and have never wavered, they have produced many leaders, including a candidate for Holy Prophet who died before the decision was made, Mitt’s father was a Bishop as well, the Romney family is royalty within the religion and have brought in tens of millions of dollars, and made 2 consecutive attempts to gain the White House. Mitt Romney sought a meeting with his Holy Prophet to ask permission to run for president in 2005 and then announced. You seem to be overselling your story, try to tone it down a little.

Mitt WAS a bishop and he WAS a Stake President. Like the literally thousands of others who have served in such positions, he WAS RELEASED and is no longer serving in that capacity. So now he is simply Brother Romney. That's it. We don't call him Bishop or President, simply Brother because that what he is.

Mitt's family is no different than hundreds of families which go back to the organization of the Church. My family does as well. My ancestors lived with Joseph Smith, worked for him, ran his household and farm. That doesn't make our family royalty in the Church or anything like that. Just as Mitt's family is not royalty. Please. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not have royalty. Everyone participates as an equal.

As for meeting with the President of the Church, Mitt probably went asking for his advice and counsel. But I guarantee you Mitt was not asking for permission, just as I never did and never would have asked permission to go to Harvard, run for statewide office or go to yet another graduate school. It is just not even remotely part of our culture and religion.

You see, the secret key to understanding how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works is that we have all been given the gift of the Holy Ghost after our baptism. That means each of us has the ability and opportunity to go to the source, the Savior, and seek and receive inspiration and guidance for our own affairs and decisions in life, and receive personal revelation and inspiration. Sometimes it comes as a feeling, sometimes as unanticipated thoughts and events. But it is always personal. And there is never a requirement or expectation to ask permission of some Church leader regarding personal or even public decisions.

And please don't get all insulted and start throwing the tired insulting canards, "it's all of the devil..." "you are a damned cult" "you are going to hell" "you are totally deceived" etc. Instead, I suggest you consider the Biblical injunction, "you shall know them by their fruits."

[mountainfolk]

I think the fact that Paul Ryan is a Catholic helps to make him a comfortable fit for the VP position because he will be working closely with Mormon Mitt Romney when they are the winners of the presidential election in November. Catholics and Mormons have a respect for the religious convictions of others and debating religious differences will not be time consuming for either.
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have a Republic to save and that is where their efforts will be concentrated. God bless them both.

[Revolting cat!]

Sola Scriptura will not be on the program!

[Vigilanteman]

When I walk past a crazy man sitting at a street corner, I typically toss a dollar into his hat.... and I walk away.

A whole dollar? Man, you are generous! I typically drop them a gum wrapper. On rare occasions, it even still has unchewed gum in it.

FWIW, I think these yahoos might actually provide the margin to pull Romney/Ryan over the finish line. They are the mirror image of the racist boogeyman who goes to the Obama events and shout the n***** word.

Only their type of jerks actually exist in substantial and vocal numbers. Fair-minded American's won't even have to imagine that they are sticking it to the peanut gallery by voting for R&R, because the peanut gallery wants to be noticed more than anything else.

[Revolting cat!]

Scientology / Nichiren Shoshu for me!

[Revolting cat!]

Now, if we had a Sunni / Moonie ticket that'd be the news!

[greyfoxx39]

You see, the secret key to understanding how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works is that we have all been given the gift of the Holy Ghost after our baptism. That means each of us has the ability and opportunity to go to the source, the Savior, and seek and receive inspiration and guidance for our own affairs and decisions in life, and receive personal revelation and inspiration. Sometimes it comes as a feeling, sometimes as unanticipated thoughts and events. But it is always personal

I hate to break the news to you Luke, but millions of Christians have the "opportunity to go to the source, the Savior...with Christian baptism that has nothing to do with the mormon church.

[ansel12]

Man you love to talk about yourself, you didn’t even know about Mitt’s seeking the meeting and asking permission, you still don’t, yet you are lying and “guaranteeing” that he did not do so.

All your rambling nonsense and details about your personal life is just bizarre and unfocused.

[RaisingCain]

“I think the fact that Paul Ryan is a Catholic helps to make him a comfortable fit for the VP position because he will be working closely with Mormon Mitt Romney when they are the winners of the presidential election in November. Catholics and Mormons have a respect for the religious convictions of others and debating religious differences will not be time consuming for either.
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have a Republic to save and that is where their efforts will be concentrated. God bless them both.”

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You should rethink your phrase “God bless”.

2Jn 1:9-11 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (10) If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: (11) For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

[mountainfolk]

Save your bull sh-t for your like minded friends. I did not ask God to bless you but I repeat, God bless Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

[RaisingCain]

“Save your bull sh-t for your like minded friends. I did not ask God to bless you but I repeat, God bless Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.”

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It’s a twofer. Not only is Mitt Romney a leader in a cult, he’s also a known pathological liar. I can understand sympathy for Glenn Beck, who has done good work for our cause... but “blessing” Mitt Romney even after seeing that scripture? It proves you don’t care about the moral character of your leaders, but then you still expect God to bless them and the country that elected them. Quite foolish.

This country does not have a Barack Obama or Mitt Romney problem. It is a spiritual problem. And that is why we have the “leaders” we do. The farce that is today’s politics reflects the farce in our own visions of “righteousness” and what is a priority.

[SoConPubbie]

No he doesn't. Not even close.

Romney is still the "Father of Gay Marriage" in America, he still supports gays in the Boy Scouts, he still supports Gay Adoption, he is still weak on Abortion, he still nominated 27 of 36 extreme left-wing Progressive Liberals to judgeships in MA, he still implemented his Socialistic Healthcare called RomneyCare.

In short, his record still stands, Paul Ryan wipes none of that away.

You're only hope as a Romney supporter is that there are enough ignorant and enough unprincipled conservatives out there to put Romney over the top.

However, after the convention, what you want to bet that surrogates of Obama will be hammering his hypocrisy where conservative principles are concerned, pointing out how similiar their records are on many important conservative principles?

[Salvation]

Biden has excommunicated himself by supporting abortion and other non-Catholic issues. He should not be received Communion. However, I don’t know if his bishop has acted formally as Sibelius’ did.

[mylife]

Amen

[ansel12]

If the Catholic church has excommunicated the vice-president of the United “States, I think it would make the news.

You are not a trustworthy source for the claims.

[MDspinboyredux]

Okay, who WOULD you have voted for?

[Elsie]

Mormon-Catholic pairing makes for historically unique GOP ticket

You come a LONG way, Baby!

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Orson Pratt proclaimed: "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" (The Seer, p. 255).

 

It appears that Mitt no longer 'sustains' this High Priest!!

[Elsie]

Oh God, give this religion thing a rest. /s

Oh; don't worry, Ma'am!

We'll 'rest' after we get home from our years tour on the battlefield.

Right now though; we are engaged in a great religious war, testing whether this nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated to Christ, can long endure it's homegrown heresies.

We are taking the message that Christianity was apostate, until our blessed Joseph RESTORED it to it's former glory, to the streets and pathways of AMEIRCA, 6 days a week - 10 hours a day.

[Elsie]

Keep chipping away at the liars, their influence is waning.

I'm doing whatever I can!!

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"Now the way he translated was he put the urim and thummim into his hat and Darkned his Eyes than he would take a sentance and it would apper in Brite Roman Letters. Then he would tell the writer and he would write it. Then that would go away the next sentance would Come and so on. But if it was not Spelt rite it would not go away till it was rite, so we see it was marvelous. Thus was the hol [whole] translated."

---Joseph Knight's journal.

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"In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us."
(History of the RLDS Church, 8 vols.

(Independence, Missouri: Herald House,1951),

"Last Testimony of Sister Emma [Smith Bidamon]," 3:356.

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"I, as well as all of my father's family, Smith's wife, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, were present during the translation. . . . He [Joseph Smith] did not use the plates in translation."
---(David Whitmer,

as published in the "Kansas City Journal," June 5, 1881,

and reprinted in the RLDS "Journal of History", vol. 8, (1910), pp. 299-300.

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In an 1885 interview, Zenas H. Gurley, then the editor of the RLDS Saints Herald, asked Whitmer if Joseph had used his "Peep stone" to do the translation. Whitmer replied:

"... he used a stone called a "Seers stone," the "Interpreters" having been taken away from him because of transgression. The "Interpreters" were taken from Joseph after he allowed Martin Harris to carry away the 116 pages of Ms [manuscript] of the Book of Mormon as a punishment, but he was allowed to go on and translate by use of a "Seers stone" which he had, and which he placed in a hat into which he buried his face, stating to me and others that the original character appeared upon parchment and under it the translation in English."

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"Martin Harris related an incident that occurred during the time that he wrote that portion of the translation of the Book of Mormon which he was favored to write direct from the mouth of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He said that the Prophet possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone, Martin explained the translation as follows: By aid of the seer stone, sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin and when finished he would say 'Written,' and if correctly written that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place, but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used."
(Edward Stevenson, "One of the Three Witnesses,"

reprinted from Deseret News, 30 Nov. 1881

in Millennial Star, 44 (6 Feb. 1882): 86-87.)

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In 1879, Michael Morse, Emma Smith's brother-in-law, stated:

 

 "When Joseph was translating the Book of Mormon [I] had occasion more than once to go into his immediate presence, and saw him engaged at his work of translation. The mode of procedure consisted in Joseph's placing the Seer Stone in the crown of a hat, then putting his face into the hat, so as to entirely cover his face, resting his elbows upon his knees, and then dictating word after word, while the scribes Emma, John Whitmer, O. Cowdery, or some other wrote it down."
(W.W. Blair interview with Michael Morse,

Saints Herald, vol. 26, no. 12

June 15, 1879,  pp. 190-91.)

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Joseph Smith's brother William also testified to the "face in the hat" version:

 

"The manner in which this was done was by looking into the Urim and Thummim, which was placed in a hat to exclude the light, (the plates lying near by covered up), and reading off the translation, which appeared in the stone by the power of God"

("A New Witness for Christ in America,"

Francis W. Kirkham, 2:417.)

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"The manner in which he pretended to read and interpret was the same manner as when he looked for the money-diggers, with the stone in his hat, while the book of plates were at the same time hid in the woods."

---Isaac Hale (Emma Smith's father's) affidavit, 1834.

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