Posted on 11/30/2009 6:01:03 PM PST by delacoert
I’ll just leave this here…
Before a defense of any kind of religious discrimination, one ought to make all of the necessary disclaimers: of course I oppose government-sponsored discrimination, and I certainly would not support the kind of absurd treatment described by Steven Reinhart in his piece featured below. That being said, there is a legitimate case to be made for judging any candidate for office by his religious convictions.
In late 2007, Mitt Romney made his somewhat-famous speech on religion, where he spoke the following words:
“Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.”
Similarly, Romney has stated: “I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it…my faith is the faith of my fathers. I will be true to them and to my beliefs.”
If freedom requires religion, if his Mormon faith sustains his life and he will be true to those practices, then I’m at an utter loss as to why we should ignore Romney’s religious beliefs when evaluating his fitness for the White House.
We ask plenty of questions of any Evangelical Christian candidate: what do his beliefs about the nature of God, the nature of the cosmos, and the meaning of man’s life mean for his potential tenure in office? But for whatever reason, these questions are looked at as unnecessarily piercing and prejudiced when asked of a member of a minority faith.
When Sarah Palin gave her fumbling answer about Israel’s settlements, several commentators jumped on her faith, wondering whether she subscribed to the bizarre but potent sect of modern Christianity that believes in the imminence of the End Times. Will anyone ask Mitt Romney about the oddities of the dogma of the Mormon Church? There are plenty of Mormon doctrines that may strike people as a bit odd — and rightly so. It is established in the church that the devout can reach the upper echelons of heaven and eventually become gods themselves, able to create their own universes and govern them as they see fit (all while supervised by the One True God). Why is it that when I bring this up to Romney fans, I am dismissed as a bigot?
As an atheist, I both understand and accept that in a predominantly Christian society, my thoughts on religion are necessarily going to open me up to questions. If I were to ever run for office (don’t count on that, by the way), I would not expect my supporters would try to ward off any questions about my atheism with the victim-card of discrimination. One’s philosophy of religion contributes profoundly to his worldview and thus is a completely valid criterion by which to partially evaluate a candidate’s fitness for office.
I view all religions as equally bizarre and irrational. But mainstream Christianity is often adopted as a cultural guise, meant for purposes of assimilation with the majority. Probe most self-described Christians and you’ll find plenty of deviation from standard dogma. Devotion to Mormonism, which is completely outside of the American mainstream, requires a certain level of commitment. To what extent will Romney’s faith influence his decision-making? I ask that question of devoted Evangelicals and judge them accordingly, and I will do the same of a Mormon. And I am not going to apologize for that.
As does Islam, so we have common purpose.
At least I fight my own fights lady, I don’t make nasty little remarks and ping other people for self-congratulatory high-fives.
Sorry to me Islam is a greater threat than those evil Mormons... Remember it wasn’t Mormons who hijack airplanes and have them crashed into the World Trade Center and killed 3000 American Citizens... To me I don’t care if a person is a Mormon or not..
That’s OK Romney would not have been Pastor-in-Chief...
Romney wasnt a pastor...
Anyway mormons dont have pastors...
Higher than that...
Romney was a bishop...
Romney wants to be Bishop-in-Chief...
Well for a start...
No had Romney won he would have been a Commander in Chief.... Besides have you read the Constitution??
The sharing of creeds, the shared core beliefs the shared similarities in liturgy and doctrine to varying degrees, the acceptance of certain sacraments and rituals between the various denominations.
I think the issue you seem to have is one both Reaganaut and I have pointed out, you are getting caught up in lumping everything even remotely labeled “Christian”, everyone and everything that simply invokes the name of Christ into one big pile. There are and have been many sects come and go that say they are Christian, but like the extreme example I gave you earlier of giving a Muslim a pass because they say they are “Christian”, saying it and being one in realty are two different things. The words are not enough, whether they be on the lips or on the building.
The core “denominations”, the Catholics, the Orthodox, and the main line Protestants share far more in common than they have disagreed on, something that becomes more and more a part of the Christian world every day. Indeed the many historic disagreements that over the centuries under wrongheaded guidance and leadership inspired by the Evil One, would have set us at each others throats are fading to some extent, at least in importance, as we all stress the commonalities that we share.
Are there exceptions, certainly, but oddly enough the exceptions have been always in the hands of the few (and growing fewer) But I am blessed to live in a time were I see Fire and Brimstone Southern Baptist cry with their Catholic friends when their beloved Pope passes, where I have seen a hundred Methodists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Baptists and others, both lay and clergy, stand in a circle together holding hands while an Anglican Priest from African with one of the most beautiful and distinctive voices I have ever heard offers an almost poetic prayer to end a weekend of sharing Christ's message of Grace and Salvation with 42 prisoners, to follow a historic tradition where whether I am standing in an Orthodox sanctuary or a Methodist prayer meeting I feel at home surrounded by fellow followers of Christ.
My ego is rather small.
My Confidence however...
Did you take yours with water only again ???
You know that ...
a spoonful of honey helps the medicine go down,
the medicine go down,
the medicine go down,
a spoonful of honey helps the medicine go down,
In a most delightful way....
Sweet...
I don’t make nasty little remarks and ping other people for self-congratulatory high-fives.
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Kid someone used your FReeper name to make this comment to Enosh...
“Thank you, my work here is done. Although I fear this unserious attitude towards Islam will kill us all.”
Now I know you dont have an ego...
and I know you are humble...
Because YOU told us so...
Really CinC ???
You sure he wanted to be that ???
After all Romney is scared of guns...
Wants to grab ours...
Has never served...
Comes from a family that has never served...
Was a 2 time draft dodger..
and had a peacenik father ...
In other words, Romney loaths the military...
As a veteran I wouldnt want him in charge of anything to do with our troops...
You are making it personal and mind reading!
It is one thing to cream ones opponent ideas and actions but the extreme is like in “Rule for Radicals” when one has such hatred toward another human being they will pound away at them because they want to annihilated to the point of damning them to hell!
If someone points out a different understanding they are to be also vanished from the kingdom.
And that is not enough they will form a monocracy mentality just like SEIU!
In the mean time what they profess that it is they who is upholding the Constitution when the Constitution clearly says there will be no Religion litmus test!
with attitudes like this it no longer a Republic it is a mockery it is a tyranny because all have to brown nose or walk on egg shells...
So, you’re over your head and now obfuscating to avoid trying to answer and expose your ignorance. ... Oookay. Have a pleasant evening, Resty.
A PROFESSOR, in common 19th century English, meant “one who professes”. It has nothing to do with teaching.
If I say “I profess the Christian faith”, then I am a “professor of Christianity”, not that I am a teacher.
Therefore, a “professor” of a sect, is one that professes the beliefs of a sect, that includes ALL members.
If someone points out a different understanding they are to be also vanished from the kingdom.
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Vasnished ???
Sounds like witchcraft to me...
Joey Smith was into the occult though..
Or is that like be got rid of, wiped out, killed ???
Got a source on that ???Any old source will do...
Its not Biblical so I’m not fussy...
In the mean time what they profess that it is they who is upholding the Constitution when the Constitution clearly says there will be no Religion litmus test!
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Where does the COTUS say that ???
Care to point that one out for us?
Pretty much...........
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