>Until 1978, Mormons did not allow African Americans to hold any position of authority in their church.
>>I don't see any American Catholic Bishops that are AA. I visited a lot of Baptist Churches in my time - all seemed to be lily white on the stand. Non-starter for many
>Further, on the issue of Mormon Proxy Baptism, many Christians and Jews are deeply morally and religiously offended.
>>You have me on this one. Then you are dead, you're dead - you are where you are (Or go where you go). Nothing folks do here will change that. OTOH, if you are looking to be offended, there you are.
I'll write this off as I'll just never 'get it', and it's my loss.
>Mitt Romney has been both a stake president and bishop in his church, so it's not just about where he goes to worship. He's been part of the hierarchy of his church.
>>He is involved in HIS community. From the mormons I saw while in NV, most were decent folks at that cared for the community they lived in. I guess I miss this point as well, I'd take it as a plus for most pols.
>It is entirely unreasonable to think that people (particularly African Americans and Jews, but also Christians whose faith are at odds with Mormonism) won't use that or other information to form decisions about Mitt Romney's character and worth as a candidate.
>>True enuf - to a point. I get offended, for example when I see crap like "Jews run the banks" or worse. Enjoy your opinion, don't bash another religion or cast all in the same light - that's my beef.
>I can rattle off the faiths of more than half of all US Presidents. It has always been an issue. Why should Mitt Romney get a pass?
>> Not a pass, but some respect. When JFK was running, I can remember the same kind of bashers saying crap "The Pope will use JFK to start a war" etc, etc. It was crap then, it is crap now
. >You have to wonder where that whole ‘freedom of religion’ thing disappeared to... Seriously? Come on. No one is saying that Mitt Romney can't or shouldn't be Mormon. But do you really expect any candidate anywhere to get a pass on what helps form their sense of morals and their decision making process? >>
No - what I am saying is that I respect a persons choice, that choice may not be my cup of tea (ie Holy Rollers, Snake handlers, TV Preachers, Amish, Mennonites, etc,etc) But I respect that choice and defend their freedom to that choice. That also means I observe what a person does, comment on that. Bashing Mitt as a christless mormon (and I have heard/seen worse) kinda makes that whole freedom of religion thing sound a tad thin, eh? I also have to wonder what folks outside of the US think when they see the level of religious bigotry displayed across the web.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply on this - something not often seen on FR. I hope this makes my views better understood.
Again - there is a lot to NOT like about Mitt, but bashing his church & homies just weakens other arguments folks might make on his policy, politics and choice of tie color.
Have fun, stay safe
There are/have been many African American Catholic Bishops (^). There are black Saints (^), black Martyrs (^) and black Cardinals (^), too. Cardinal Francis Arinze was a very close adviser to Pope John Paul II, and was considered to be on the "short list" to replace the Holy Father when he died. There have been three Popes from Africa (don't know if they were black or not, though).
There are tons of African American Baptists. If I recall correctly, Justice Clarence Thomas was Baptist before becoming Catholic, and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was Baptist, too.
But that isn't the point. Nothing in Baptist Theology or Catholic Theology says that blacks are an inferior race, which is what Mormonism taught and which Mitt Romney followed until 1978. So while it may be a non-starter to you, it isn't to a lot of other people who wonder why anyone would belonged to a church which officially held that blacks are inferior.
True enuf - to a point. I get offended, for example when I see crap like "Jews run the banks" or worse. Enjoy your opinion, don't bash another religion or cast all in the same light - that's my beef.
I find that offensive as well. There is a huge difference though, between vague, untrue, and nasty insults ("Jews run the banks") and a specific, true point ("Mormons didn't allow blacks to participate fully in their church until 1978").
The difference - that one is demonstrably, historically true, is an acceptable metric for judging the thought process of someone who would be a member of that organization.
Not a pass, but some respect. When JFK was running, I can remember the same kind of bashers saying crap "The Pope will use JFK to start a war" etc, etc. It was crap then, it is crap now
What would that "respect" look like, exactly, aside from obviously refraining from nasty name calling and generalized characterizations?
Again - there is a lot to NOT like about Mitt, but bashing his church & homies just weakens other arguments folks might make on his policy, politics and choice of tie color.
Agreed.
As a Catholic, I don't agree with Mormonism, but have found most of it's followers to be sincerely nice people who honor the concepts of family, home, and who tend to live clean and modest lives.
I hope this didn't come off as bashing Mormons, because I have nothing against Mormons as a group of people, though I do disagree with their faith on many points, just as they disagree with me on many points of mine.
45% of African Americans are Baptists and Baptist is the largest protestant faith in America.