Please read posts 3, 4, 5.
What most people don't get is they tend to judge Mormonism by the average Mormon they know. If you'd been around in 1840s Nauvoo, IL -- judging Mormonism by the average Mormon you knew back then...that, too, would have been a mistake...because shortly before Joseph Smith died, he moved into emphasizing multiple gods and becoming a god yourself. That was a change.
If you would have known Mormons in the 1830s...saying, "Gee I knew Mormon XYZ and he didn't think of himself as a god..." that's where you make the mistake of judging a dominion-based religion -- or at least potentially so depending on what Lds "prophet" is at the helm...with your average Mormon.
Sorry...as Damon Linker says in this article: Your average ward Mormons tend to be quite deferential to your political and religious authorities. Some Lds "prophets" on other hand, have a track record for dominionism.
And when it comes to POTUS, that's where it matters. Because he could be the "prophet's" puppet.
“And when it comes to POTUS, that’s where it matters. Because he could be the “prophet’s” puppet.”
Well, I haven’t read all the post for this thread, but I have paid attention to the Romney debacle for the past 15 years of so, and I’ve read pretty much everything Walter Martin and the Tanners and others have written about Mormonism. I’ve lived in a Mormon community, converted a Mormon missionary in my living room, made friends with Mormons, and found Mormons I can’t stand, none of which matters when it comes to my opinion of Romney. I have no doubts about him being a progressive, Republican intellectual, in his own mind, and that means he will make a horrible president. I seriously doubt that we need to fear the LDS church using Romney as a puppet to dominate America with Mormonism.
Let me clarify my point about dominionism. I am no more wary of Mormon dominionism than I am Calvinist dominionism, Historicist dominionism, or Catholic dominionism. I hate them all equally as much as I hate leftist dominionism and ivy league dominionism, and that includes neocon dominionism. Don’ t let me forget my utterly vile contempt of Islamic dominionism. I don’t need the Mormon church to despise Romney. I would despise him if he were to convert to a Methodist, and I would keep despising him until I could see sincerity and a change of character because of his devotion to Christ.
I have no problem with the points you are trying to make. Bringing religion into your decision about a candidate for president is perfectly reasonable, and it is perfectly reasonable for you to share your convictions with the rest of us. Thank you. You bet I’ll consider someone’s religion before supporting them or voting for them. As I got so snidely told in the previous response to me, religion should have an influence on what someone’s character is. That isn’t always true, and personally I don’t think it has much to do with Romney. ...Now I’ll get someone telling me I’m a Romney apologist.