Posted on 10/07/2011 5:17:45 PM PDT by freespirited
Texas evangelical leader Robert Jeffress, the Baptist megachurch pastor who introduced Rick Perry at the Values Voter Summit, said Friday afternoon he does not believe Mitt Romney is a Christian.
Jeffress described Romney's Mormon faith as a “cult,” and said evangelicals had only one real option in the 2012 primaries. Continue Reading
“That is a mainstream view, that Mormonism is a cult,” Jeffress told reporters here. “Every true, born again follower of Christ ought to embrace a Christian over a non-Christian.”
Asked by POLITICO if he believed Romney is a Christian, Jeffress answered: “No.”
Jeffress's comments represent the first major attack of the 2012 cycle on Romney over his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, an issue that some Romney supporters believe cost the former Massachusetts governor in his last presidential run.
The attack on Romney wasn’t just faith-based. Jeffress called the Republican presidential candidate a “conservative out of convenience” who “does not have a consistent track record on the subject of marriage, on the sanctity of life.”
“I just do not believe that we as conservative Christians can expect him to stand strong for the issues that are important to us,” he said.
Jeffress said that he had not spoken with Perry about his views on Romney's faith and was “in no way speaking for him.” In an email, Perry campaign spokesman Robert Black said that the campaign didn’t choose Jeffress to introduce Perry and does not share his view of Mormonism.
The Romney campaign did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the campaign of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, the other Mormon candidate in the Republican presidential race.
Looking ahead to the general election, Jeffress warned that in a race between Romney and Obama, he believes many evangelicals will stay home and leave the GOP nominee without their votes.
“I do not think evangelical voters are going to be motivated to go out and vote for Mitt Romney,” he said. The conservative Christian leader said that he himself would vote for Romney and does not doubt that he is a good man.
“I think he’s a fine family person,” Jeffress explained. “It is only faith in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone that qualifies you as a Christian.”
Jeffress said he does not believe that Mormonism is a disqualifier for the presidency, pointing out that constitutionally, the “government can impose no religious test.”
“Private citizens can impose all kinds of religious tests,” he added.
Mitt Romney is a Mormon, not a Christian. Yes Virginia, there is a difference.
“So is Perry now responsible for what a supporter says?”
Oh I dunno....were you at all bothered by Hoffa Jr.’s remarks introducing Obama to a crowd last month?
Christian belief is that life begins at conception. Mormons believe everyone preexists as angels, and some are born into this world. Thus, those that are saved get to "return".
They also believe "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.", to quote fifth LDS President Lorenzo Snow. Joseph Smith even said "Here then is eternal life - to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God the same as all Gods have done before you." Brigham Young is quoted saying "The Lord created you and me for the purpose of becoming Gods like Himself."
You could argue these are not mainstream Christian doctrines, but rather are the antithesis of monotheism. Thus, you could argue Romney is not a "Christian".
Again, I just don’t find much in terms of intelligent discussion but moderate or hardcore anti-Mormon spokespersons.
If you go back to the early centuries of Christianity (Cnstantinople meetings), the evidence of apostasy in terms of the knowledge of God, his son and the Holy Ghost was already lost to the World. That’s where the Catholic church was derived from that we have today, and the Lutheran revisions, while good intentioned, was still coming from an apostate foundation.
Pat Robertson is an age-ridden fool.
Perry’s not responsible...and Romney’s not a Christian. Mormons are not Christians. It’s a weird syncretist cult that has some figures from the Jewish and Christian scriptures in it, just as Islam does, but it’s not Christian.
In Utah the vote was 94% for Romney, so it really is MOST will vote Romney because he is a mormon.
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Do you have statistics that show why Utahan’s voted for him? I’m sure there’s polling data somewhere. You seem to be either forgetting or intentionally leaving out the fact that Mitt was a hometown hero after saving the Olympics in Utah.
“Perry is right about that.”
Perry is right about what?
Really? Have you ever read the lds article’s of faith?
As an example, you are writing much about the jesus as the only yet lds AofF state:
Articles of Faith: #3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
Not Grace of Jesus but works by self.
Then there is this question which jesus are you speaking of?
Even your own leaders do not beleive in the Biblical Jesus:
“In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints ‘do not believe in the traditional Christ.’ ‘No, I don’t. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. He together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages.’” (LDS Church News Week ending June 20, 1998, p. 7).
I also have a problem with the fact that he trades on his religion and he's going to expect that other Mormons will vote for him strictly because of it. That is nothing against the other Mormons, it's against him for trading on it.
From the main-stream Christian apostate perspective, you could argue doctrine that way.
But your views on the nature of God are based on old sectarian notions, interpreting Biblical scriptures in a way to fit your own beliefes, not revelation from God to clarify such issues directly.
Your interpretations are in conflict with 20,000 other Christian churchs. THere is quite a variety of opinions among those 20,000.
Gotta agree. Mormons are generally very, very solid Americans and vote very conservatively.
While I wouldn't necessarily refer to Mormonism as a cult, I don't think they are Christians. Just the same, that has nothing to do with why I don't care for Romney. The problem with Mitt is he a flip flopper, with a not particularly conservative record (and that's being generous).
Still, everyone knew this was coming and many Christians are not going to be terribly excited about voting for a Mormon.
Hey, I just posted something off the mormon website. I’m a Baptist and would never, ever vote for Romney, one reason being he’s a mormon.
I guess this means "evangelicals" would prefer to have a moslem over a Mormon. Brilliant, they are.
That is one of the many reason I wouldn't vote for him.
What is it the paper said which is incorrect? lds have secret temple ceremonies and all that goes with that. Enlighten us about what was said is wrong, rather than attacking the poster personally, if you are able that is.
What particular doctrine are you referring to?
Romney is a phony and a statist. Whether that has to do with his Mormonism or not doesn’t matter.
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