Posted on 03/26/2012 5:27:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
While GOP presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney is not known for a willingness to discuss his Mormon faith in detail, at least during his political speeches, a family member and former Mormon has come out to accuse The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of being a cult and a fraud.
"I became convinced that it's a fraud," Park Romney, an ex-Mormon high priest and Romney's cousin, shared with the BBC. "I am alienated from my family. Their doctrine, their protocol and their culture as enforced by bishops encourages the families to disassociate themselves from the apostate."
Expanding on his reasons for why he was led to believe the LDS Church is a fraud, the Republican's cousin revealed:
"There's compelling evidence that the Mormon Church leaders knowingly and willfully misrepresent the historical truth of their origins and of the church for the purpose of deceiving their members into a state of mind that renders them exploitable."
However, members of the LDS Church disagree with Park Romney's accusations, and maintain that their religion is not a cult, and does not try to divide families by shunning members who have openly disagreed with the church's teachings.
"If I had a son or a daughter who left the church or was alienated or had a problem, I can tell you I would not cut that child out of family life," LDS Church elder Jeffrey Holland told the BBC. "We don't use that word and we don't know that practice," he said when asked about "shunning" ex-members.
"If that is what they believe, it's probably a good thing they leave, because we're not a cult," Holland continued. "I have chosen this church because of the faith that I feel and the inspiration that comes, but if people want to call us a cult, you can call us a cult. But we are 14 million and growing."
Mormonism, however, is still considered a fringe belief system by many Christians in the country, with some calling it a cult religion and asking people avoid voting for Romney based on his involvement with the LDS Church.
"Evangelical Christians should not vote for Mitt Romney because he's a Mormon, therefore not a real Christian," Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, has said on several ocassions.
"This nomination would be in the bag if it weren't for the Mormon factor," John Geer, a professor of political science at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, who works on the intersection of religion and politics, told the New York Times.
A recent poll by the Pew Forum revealed that Mormons themselves still do not feel they are being accepted by the larger American society, with 62 percent of Mormon respondents saying that Americans know little or nothing about Mormonism. No less than 46 percent of them also believe that Americans discriminate against Mormons – they identified only gays and Muslims as facing a higher level of discrimination in the U.S.
However, more than half – 63 percent -- believe that the acceptance of Mormonism is indeed on the rise, which is tied with Mitt Romney's surge in popularity and the increasing likelihood that he will become the Republican presidential nominee to challenge President Barack Obama in November's general election.
“Claims LDS Operates Like Cult”
It IS a polytheistic cult.
Can anyone here believe that Romney dead would become a “god”?
They do expunge and cut out family members NOT of the Mormon belief...I used to work for a mormon bishop and had to type a letter to parents of a young woman getting married in the mormon church but her parents WEREN’T ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE WEDDING BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT MORMONS!
Let me tell you that the arrogance, conceit and disdain that this Mormon bishop stated to these poor folks who were disdraught at being CUT OFF of their own daughter’s wedding was so Maddening to me that I quit shortly after that incident.
“This nomination would be in the bag if it weren’t for the Mormon factor,”
Nonsense. I know there are some FReepers who foam at the mouth about mormons and mormonism, but I think most conservatives reject Mitt because of his lack of conservative values and willingness to modify his opinion based on context.
I think the Mormon church is all that this cousin and others have said but that would not be the cause of my support or lack of it for any candidate.
The cousin should be running for office.
ML/NJ
Watch out for the Avenging Angels.
The Mormon boss I used to work for was one of the best bosses I’ve ever had. He would stay late and help me do menial paperwork tasks when he could have left at 5:00pm and had me stay very late and do it all.
I hear pastor Robert Jeffress preach on my car’s radio sometimes, and he’s a good preacher/teacher.
I don’t agree with him about not voting for a Mormon, though. A CONSERVATIVE Mormon would be a far, far better president than the last three democraps we have had.
I would pick a Mormon over a Christian if I were sure that the Mormon was more committed to smaller government and cleaning up the stains of corruption in D.C.
I cannot bring myself to vote for Romney when he becomes the GOP representative. I can't even HOLD MY NOSE and do it.
I guess I won't be voting for a president.
SAD, SAD state of affairs. A Mormon running as the GOP representative. SAD.
Amen to that. Sad for you. What a shame!!
The Mormons don't have a faith because a true faith doesn't change its doctrine and morality. The Mormons didn't allow Indians in their faith. Now they do. They didn't allow black people. Now they do. A faith that keeps morphing its doctrine/morality into something slightly different isn't a faith. It's NOTHING.
“I hear pastor Robert Jeffress preach on my car’s radio sometimes, and he’s a good preacher/teacher.”
Pastor Jefress is the guy who thinks the Catholic Church is a babylonian mystery religion becasue of ancient fish helmets or something, if I recall. So he is a wackadoo in my book. Rick Perry agreed, and condemned his wackadooism about the Catholic Church. I think it’s kinda funny though that a Christian preacher would basically agree with the LDS about the Catholic Church, but hey whatever.
“I don’t agree with him about not voting for a Mormon, though. A CONSERVATIVE Mormon would be a far, far better president than the last three democraps we have had.”
He called the LDS a cult, but I don’t think he meant it like how folks usually think of cults. He was sort of railroaded over the course of several days as the story of what actually happened unfolded at the media’s pace. It turns out he actually later said he would vote for Romney if he unfortuanately wins the nomination, so this article is wrong about that.
“I’ll hold my nose and vote for Mitt Romney.” He went on to say: “I believe a non-Christian who embraces Christian principles is more palatable than a Christian, and I’m accepting that Barack Obama is a Christian by his own statements, I would rather have a non-Christian who embraces Christian principles than a professing Christian who governs by un-Biblical principles.”
But that wouldn’t have been a story. I doubt if he would do that if a Satanist won, or a Scientologist. I don’t think he would vote for what is normally considered a cult in everyday usage.
I bet he would vote for a pro-life LDS over a pro-abortion Baptist though, in the primary or the general. Or a pro-life Catholic, although I don’t know what he thinks of Santorum or Gingrich. I don’t think it is shocking that a presumably conservative Baptist preacher would prefer his own religion over LDS, especially considering the political history of canidates involved.
Freegards
Americans know little or nothing about Mormonism.......most mormons know little about mormonism.
Would they admit to “shunning”?
A mormon who claims to be a Christian.
or
A muslim who claims to be a Christian.
Not much of a choice, huh.
A LIBERAL Mormon running as a GOP representative.
That tells you that he isn't even a real Mormon. By their nature they aren't liberal. bishop Romney, President Romney.
No.
He's a fraud - he doesn't belong in the GOP and his religion is a fraud - he's not Christian. He's a walking lie.
I will vote for Romney if he is the candidates.
I will vote for Santorum if he is the candidate.
I will vote for Gingrich if he is the candidate.
I would vote for head lice for president and maggots for vice-president over Barack Obama.
To do otherwise, to sit home, or vote third party, is to give the election to Democrats and be responsible for destroying what's left of freedom and the USA.
I would put anyone who chose that course in the same category as Obama.
“This nomination would be in the bag if it weren’t for the Mormon factor,” John Geer, a professor of political science at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, who works on the intersection of religion and politics, told the New York Times
***********************
Not really. There is the whole left of Bill Clinton record of governance in Massachusetts thing. The Mormon bit is just the curl on top of the pile that is Willard Hartpence Romney.
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