Posted on 02/19/2008 4:46:10 PM PST by Zakeet
In his pursuit of the presidency, Mitt Romney held fast to his Mormon faith, though his religion remains controversial with evangelicals and some other Christians. But his determined (and ultimately futile) wooing of evangelicals led him to make some statements that didn't quite square with Mormon beliefs and culture. And the effort itself may have deepened the impression of him as inauthentic—even to some fellow Mormons.
Early in his presidential bid, Romney was asked what he thought of polygamy. Prompted by what they considered a divine revelation, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued the practice more than a century ago, and the church distances itself from polygamist "fundamentalists." But Romney went one step further, saying he couldn't "imagine anything more awful than polygamy." Many Mormons were privately taken aback. Mormons believe that, in its time, "plural marriage" was a commandment from God, and they are, as a group, fiercely proud of their ancestors, hundreds of whom practiced polygamy. (Romney's own great-grandfather had five wives.) LDS church members loathe the polygamy stereotypes and jokes bandied by outsiders. But hearing Romney—the most recognizable face of their faith these days—disavow it in those terms was mildly unsettling to LDS insiders.
Others were puzzled to hear Romney say he reads the Gideon Bible—a version popular with evangelicals: Mormons uniformly study the King James version, in a Salt Lake edition that is cross-referenced to all other Mormon scripture. "Seems like he just figured he had to say the safest, most Protestant thing he could think of—that was kind of annoying," says Russell Arben Fox, a Mormon professor of political science at Friends University in Wichita, Kans.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
We can stop reading right there. Newsweek's Sally Atkinson reveals herself in over her head and the religious lightweight that she is.
There is no such thing as a "Gideon's Version" of the Bible. The Gideon's primarily hand out the King James Version of the bible. I believe they once started using the New King James Version, but I'm unsure if they've continued with that.
However, there is no "Gideon's Version."
As ever, Newsweek is totally ignorant of religious matters and how they matter. (I'm no Mormon, but IIRC, the Mormons use what is essentially the King James Version of the Old and New Testament.)
lolol!
Did you listen? I once rented the whole video and was laughing hysterically. When I rewatched it on youtube earlier, I did the same thing...tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. There actually was another funny one in the full video I was trying to find...but, it wasn’t there.
Did you ever see the whole video? If so, the one I really wanted to post was his “skit” (whatever it’s called) on kids in the backseat of the car during a drive....and they kept saying “don’t touch me”, etc., (of course, Cosby was being the children/parents). That was a total riot.
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens. ... We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea ... he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the father of us all, dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did. Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 3 (1844)
Mormon scripture declares, "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also, but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us" (D. & C. 130:22).
Joseph Smith also said, "I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three gods" (T. of P.J.S., p. 370).
Talmage said that the Holy Ghost "is a personage of Spirit" (A. of F., p.42; see D.& C. 130:22), but later he claimed an immaterial being or body cannot exist (A. of F., pp. 43, 48). Thus, the Holy Ghost must have a "material" or "tangible body," or He does not exist!
Bruce McConkie declared, "Three separate personages - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost - comprise the Godhead. As each of these persons is a God, it is evident from this standpoint alone, that a plurality of Gods exists. To us, speaking in the proper finite sense, these three are the only Gods we worship. But in addition there is an infinite number of holy personages, drawn from worlds without number, who have passed on to exaltation and are thus Gods" (M.D., pp. 576-577).
Thus the mormon god is a committee of gods among other gods, are not omnipotent, omniscient, but are finite, changing and of questionable composition. Is this polytheistic? What do references say? The definition of polytheism is:
Dictionary: polytheism (pŏlĭz-əm) n. The worship of or belief in more than one god.
http://www.answers.com/topic/polytheism
pol·y·the·ism (pl-th-zm, pl-thz-m) n. The worship of or belief in more than one god.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/polytheism
polytheism Main Entry: poly·the·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈpä-lē-(ˌ)thē-ˌi-zəm\
Function: noun
Etymology: French polytheisme, from Late Greek polytheos polytheistic, from Greek, of many gods, from poly- + theos god
Date: 1613
: belief in or worship of more than one god
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polytheism
"This is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen" (II Nephi 31:21)
The D. & C. 20:28 teaches that the "Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen." mormon scripture says that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are "one God," but it never says they are "one in purpose." (Smith never provided an interlinear English - Reformed Egyptian Hieroglyphics book)
Moroni 8:18--"For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity." Also see Mormon 9:19, II Nephi 29:9, III Nephi 24:6, Mosiah 3:5, D & C 20:12,17.
Ether 3:14: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son,"
Nephi 11:27 says "And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father and the Son, and Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one."
Alma 11:26-29 "And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No."
Other mormon scripture that shows this orthodox Christian concept of Trinity see II Nephi 31:21, Mosiah 15:1-5, Mosiah 16:15, D & C 20:28, Alma 11:38-39, Alma 11:44. The bom clearly teaches One God. Not "one in purpose" not "of this world", but one God period. In the Bible we are taught that God is the God of the entire universe, not just this planet. So, LDS doctrine is contradicted by their scripture!
In light of the above, it is silly to argue Mormonism is monotheistic in any form or fashion.
One of us is certainly being sully, and it's not me.
I guess Joe Smith, Talmage, McConkie, and D&C are sully. But then the bom teaches Trinitarian doctrine - imagine that.
I had to listen, was trying to drive and couldn't watch the vid. The first time I saw it was back in 1985, my wife and I were expecting our second child and going thru lamaz classes. We laughed so hard it hurt then and it is still a riot. Had a LP of a couple of his other routines, but they got broke along life's way.
I had to listen, was trying to drive and couldn't watch
hehehe......then....I'm sorry if you almost crashed in the mountains, lol.
Well, at least I wasn't falling asleep either :P
I think he’s my all time favorite comedians (back from the old days of his stand up routines).
My pop and mom went and saw him perform way back then in Vegas....one of the few times he went there...and they just loved the show. He was a clean act and a true comedian.
I saw his performance at the U. of Montana waaaaay back in 1977(making me feel old). Laughed my head off then too. The way he can sit there with a straight face and put those lines out is just incredible. Glad to see that he is speaking out about problems in the black community, they need to listen to him.
I so agree with you about that!
When my parents went to see him....it was before 1971, I think.....(my pop’s getting really old hehehe)
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