Romney: Attacks On Mormon Religion Troubling

CBS 4 MIAMI ^ | 23 JUNE 2007 | AP

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

(AP) SALT LAKE CITY -- Mitt Romney said Saturday that criticism of his Mormon religion by rival GOP presidential campaigns is happening too frequently.

“Clearly, any derogatory comments about anyone’s faith—those comments are troubling. The fact they keep on coming up is even more troubling,” Romney said during a fundraising trip in the home state of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Mormon church is one of the fastest-growing religions and claims about 12.5 million members worldwide. But many evangelical Christians in crucial primary states such as Iowa and South Carolina consider the faith a cult.

Romney’s remarks follow an apology from GOP rival John McCain’s campaign for comments about the Mormon church allegedly made this year by a volunteer.

Also recently, Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, issued a similar apology for a campaign worker’s e-mail to Iowa Republican leaders that was an apparent attempt to draw unfavorable scrutiny of Romney’s religion. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani apologized after the New York Sun noted that a campaign aide had forwarded to a blogger a story about unofficial Mormon lore. Legend has it that a Mormon would save the Constitution, the story said. The campaign aide passed the story along with a note: “Thought you’d find this interesting.”

Romney said in a large presidential race there always will be some volunteers or workers who cannot be controlled. But he said the difference between derogatory comments that originated from the McCain campaign and others is that the Arizona senator has not personally apologized to him.

“In the case of Senator Brownback and Mayor Giuliani ... they called immediately. They each spoke with me personally. I don’t have any issue with that at all,” Romney said.

He said McCain “can do whatever he feels is the right thing. There’s no need for me to suggest how people respond to things that go on in the campaign.”

Tucker Bounds, a McCain campaign spokesman, said the McCain campaign has already apologized.

“It’s a very sincere apology. There is absolutely no place for those type of comments in our campaign,” he said.

Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, said he had not spoken with McCain since the last presidential debate, on June 5.

Romney used a fundraiser hosted by Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller to criticize the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. It banned unregulated, unlimited contributions from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals to national political parties and federal candidates.

“The bill ought to be repealed,” he said. “It’s been the wrong course for American campaigns.”

Romney said he favors unlimited donations as long as they are immediately disclosed on the Internet.

Romney was attending fundraisers in Salt Lake City and in Logan on Saturday.

[Beagle8U]

“Quite odd, all right. How about this, for instance. God, according to Mormonism, is an extraterrestrial humanoid from a planet near the star “Kolob.” This humanoid had sex (physically) with Mary to produce Christ. Christ, also, like his father, with Lucifer his alleged brother, are allegedly from the same planet.”

LOL..Exactly my point!

Romney should just shut up and hope it goes away!

[Founding Father]

According to the young men who visited my house, the morman belief in the Smith tablets found buried in upstate New York is based on Isiah 29:4

“And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.”

Hence the tablets are the word of God. So, I told them I was ready to join up and would they bring their leader with them the following week so I could do what I needed to do to join up. So the next week the leader came with them. I told them I had just two additional questions.

First I asked if they believed the word of God was the same yesterday, today and forever. They answered quite vigorously in the affirmative.

Then I pointed out the following:

Leviticus 20:27
A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.

1 Chronicles 10:13
So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

2 Chronicles 33:6
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Then I asked them why Joseph Smith should not have been put to death for consorting with a familiar spirit. The young men were shocked and waited for the leader to answer. He didn’t and rushed them out of the house without answering the second question.

I’ve never met a morman who answered my second question.

Satan, the familiar spirit, will always draw attention to himself. That is his prideful nature—and his and his followers downfall.

[COUNTrecount]

Harry Reid is a Mormon, yet there are no attacks on him.Why?

[SWAMPSNIPER]

As soon as any candidate starts trashing based on religion they will lose my support. The actual issues are clear enough to find plenty of ground for dissent, to Hell with what amounts to ad hominem attacks.

[Tax-chick]

I can criticize him for being out of touch with 80% of his party

And an anti-gun, pro-abortion socialist.

[nowandlater]

The anti-Mormon feverswamp is festering today. Geez, I think I can relate to how the Jews felt about the Protocols of Elders propaganda non-sense pushed by the Muslims. If only learned about Jews from Muslims it would certainly be distorted. Likewise, if someone only learned about Mormons from other faiths it will be distorted.

Other religions are perfectly fine to characterize Mormons in any way they please. But what is troubling to me is that I keep seeing justification for this bigotry in the political arena. Also, their reasoning is never consolidates one a point, it just flails all over the place for the justification of their actions. Why? It is not grounded in any solid principle including anything Biblical. Even Jesus, allowed political power and respect to the Heathen and the Heretic.

[Enosh]

"The actual issues"

Cult membership of a POTUS candidate is an "actual issue."

[donna]

Sure, if that includes baptizing the dead in secret ceremonies and each man being a god of his own planet.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Sure, if that includes baptizing the dead in secret ceremonies and each man being a god of his own planet.

Jesus said what Jesus said. Take it up with Him...

[Vigilanteman]

Mormons are not alone as Non-Trinitarians. In fact, Trinitarianism was agreed upon by the Council of Nicea with the encouragement of the Emperor Constantine in an attempt to unify Chirstian thought.

Even among the originalist Catholics, there has been a considerable amount of change in what the mainstream subscribed to at the time. In Joan of Arc's time, burning witches or heretics, for instance, was considered mainstream Christianity.

While there may be, in some dark corners of Christianity, extremists who still subscribe to such once-mainstream views, most of us have moved on and are happy to welcome into the fold of Christ those who may not entirely share current mainstream views.

I, for one, tire of the self-appointed Christian Taliban who feel that they should decide who does and who doesn't belong among Christians.

I have lived among Mormon majorities at various times in my life and would have to observe that while life there may be a bit dull for some tastes (few bars, night clubs and whorehouses), they are generally pleasant and tolerant places to live. Unlike areas where followers of the Church of Godlessness are a clear majority.

Accordingly, I'm far less concerned about a candidate's particular brand of religion than I am about their character and respect for the constitution. I suspect a vast majority of conservatives feel the same. I also suspect the most vocal Mormon haters might actually gin up sympathy votes for Mitt Romney that he would otherwise not get.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I’m an ex Methodist, left them when they became a cult. My beliefs are more generic now, I make my own conclusions.
I’m not likely to support Romney, but it won’t be his faith that turns me off.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Then I asked them why Joseph Smith should not have been put to death for consorting with a familiar spirit. The young men were shocked and waited for the leader to answer. He didn’t and rushed them out of the house without answering the second question.

Ummmm... perhaps for the same reason Jesus wasn’t put to death for participating in the Transfiguration...?

No, waitaminit! He *was* put to death shortly after the Transfiguration!

Cause? Or Effect? Or Coincidence? Or did He actually die for a different reason altogether like... ummmmmmmm... maybe for our Sins?

In my books your argument does not wash. And no, I am not a Mormon.

*DieHard*

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Cult membership of a POTUS candidate is an “actual issue.”

In which case, GWB being a “Bonesman” should have disqualified him as POTUS?

Or George Washington being a (gasp!) FREEMASON should have disqualified him from being America’s first POTUS?

It’s a non-issue!

[Enosh]

"It’s a non-issue!"

*Sigh*, this again.

Riddle me this:

Would you consider Mr. Anton LaVey's religion an issue if he were running for president?

(Anton LaVey - Author of The Satanic Bible, founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan.)

[RaceBannon]

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism.html

Not tryig to start a fight, bt you need to read a little about just what the LDS thinks and teaches

[RaceBannon]

The Protocols of Zion are a fiction, though

All you need to do is read the ACTUAL documents of Mormonism itself to know

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism.html

[Enosh]

"I’m an ex Methodist, left them when they became a cult."

I don't know anything about that, but I hope your faith itself wasn't shaken.

Best to ya'.

[RaceBannon]

Jesus also told people that if you Dont believe Moses, you wouldn’t believe Him, either.

Mormon’s deny the words of Moses.

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism.html

[Cymbaline]

Like it’s any of your business.