2012 has seen more headlines -- based upon Ross Douthat's book, "Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics" -- that we have indeed become exactly that!
There seems to have been an even more rapid departure from what Americans were saying in late 2006:
If you click here: Election 2008: 43% Would Never Vote for Mormon Candidate (Rasmussen Poll)
Per excerpt found there: The Rasmussen Reports survey found that 35% say that a candidate's faith and religious beliefs are very important in their voting decision. Another 27% say faith and religious beliefs are somewhat important. Ninety-two percent (92%) of Evangelical Christian voters consider a candidate's faith and beliefs important. On the partisan front, 78% of Republicans say that a candidate's faith is an important consideration, a view shared by 55% of Democrats. However, there is also a significant divide on this topic within the Democratic Party. Among minority Democrats, 71% consider faith and religious beliefs an important consideration for voting. Just 44% of white Democrats agree.
So…what % of the following groups found that a candidate’s faith and religious beliefs are an important consideration for voting?
(1) Americans: 62%
(2) Evangelical Christians: 92%
(3) Republicans: 78%
(4) Democrats: 55% [still a majority]
If they didn't think a candidate's other-worldly worldviews mattered, we wouldn't have seen these kind of numbers.
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Now, who are the "heavyweights of authority" to a Mormon president:
(a) The Mormon "prophet" -- whoever that might be 'tween 2012-2020...
(b) The Mormon "god" as one of who knows how many "gods"?
Nevermind, for a few posts, the Mormon "prophet." What tends to get neglected in these discussions is...
A few previous articles have cracked a window on this:
* Mitt Romney mirrors his Mormon church [Lds writer says Romney flip-flops 'cause Lds church has/does]
* Who is Mitt Romney? [Ex-Lds author reveals why Mitt's wishy-washy culture waffles & flip-flops]
In the first linked article above, Mormon Neal Chandler highlights how in the 19th century...
* Mormons forced communism upon its people -- and then not (United Order)
* Adhered to theocracies under its first two "prophets" -- and then slowly drew back
* Encourage its Utah Territory voters to be Democrats -- and then told whole groups of people wholesale to "balance it out" as Republicans as statehood approached
* Excluded blacks -- and then late in the 20th century not
* Said polygamy was a condition of the highest degree of glory -- and then not (and that was after polygamy was condemned as an "abomination" in the 1830 Book of Mormon and monogamy fully embraced in the 1831 and 1832 Lds "scripture" Doctrine & Covenants...all as Joseph Smith supposedly had polygamy "secretly" revealed to him to start it up in 1831!
We can see from these historical examples how the Mormon "god" loves to change his mind on a whim!
From the second article linked above: What makes Mitt the kind of person he is — ruthlessly opportunistic, dishonest, insincere, willing to say anything for advantage, lacking in conscience, preoccupied with appearance, etc., on the one hand, yet squeaky clean, family-oriented, disciplined, boring, and predictable, on the other? My new e-book, A Mormon Story, sheds light on the culture that produced Mitt Romney.
Good question. (It's one I've raised -- and answered numerous times on various FR threads)
The answer, says this ex-Mormon in the book referenced above is: (From the article): The book reveals a value system that ultimately has no absolutes, other than the need to conform to deep-seated, highly-controlling authoritarianism that pervades LDS culture. That culture emphasizes a Mormon tradition known as "eternal progression" — undoctrinal spiritual evolution in which even God is changing. It also emphasizes the notion that the latest words of governing church leaders trump the Word of God found in the scriptures (including LDS scripture).
IOW, EVERYTHING in Mormonism -- from its theology to its social practices -- is up for potential change at the whim of the Mormon god. Bottom-line: There is no bottom-line in Mormonism! There is no bedrock doctrine that cannot be replaced!
There isn't even an Ultimate god in Mormonism...Nobody knows who the gods are that were part of the council which appointed the god of this world -- a former man, say Mormons.
So there's not even any Ultimate Authority in Mormonism!
This is the same cr@p that the the anti-Catholics were posting when Kennedy ran
God have mercy on us.
This is the same CR@P that was said when Kennedy ran for Pres.
It’s the economy stupid. Did Mass. become a Mormon state?
Do you occasionally catch flies and eat them?
One can be totally opposed to the Mormon religion, due to its false doctrines about Christ and the Holy Trinity--and still be in favor of a Mormon holding a political office. That, in fact, is where I stand.
No one would be raising these questions if we didn’t have a Mormon bishop as the GOP candidate.
We can accuse Colofornian of being a bigot, and certainly this issue is central to him—but I haven’t seen any misrepresentations of what Mormons do and believe.
The major problem is that Romney has a record as a baby killer, a gay activist, and a big government socialist. He put through taxpayer funded abortion as a part of Romneycare, and he was single handedly responsible for making Massachusetts the break-through state that forced gay marriage on us.
And, whatever Mormons profess to believe, they line up to vote for Romney, no matter what he does.
Yes, one can argue that having a gay, socialist Muslim in the Whitehouse is worse than having a gay activist, socialist Mormon in the White House.
But that’s the problem. The GOP has never given us any other choice but the lesser of two evils—with the sole exception of Reagan, who managed to defy the establishment and beat their candidate. As a result, we have been going from bad to worse in this country, as far as the federal government is concerned, ever since the time of Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt.
I would suggest that people read what Colofornian posts before condemning him for bigotry, since everything he says is, regretably, factual. Unpleasant, and I sorely wish it were unnecessary. But Romney and the GOPe have put it all front and center, where we have to deal with it.
It’s a bit like asking, who would you rather be ruled by, a Shiite Muslim or a Sunni Muslim. Well, actually, neither.
You’d prefer Obama, then?
Half muslim, half black-liberation-theology racist?
A guy who actually — not theoretically — THREATENS Christian freedom of religion daily?
As a Christian, I don’t understand how ANYONE could prefer Obama. So I assume you’re not Christian?
Yes, Mormonism is a cult. A creepy micromanaging, guilt-loading cult.
Yes, the Mormon god is not the God of Israel.
But the article seems to imply that Willard will be the first non-Christian heretic in the White House.
I suggest that there were a few there before Willard in the last couple of centuries.
Here’s how I see it. We had four, count them, four, years to find a man to replace the abomination who now occupies the office of president. We are a day late and a dollar short in finding Mr. Perfect. Mitt will do. I like, but do not love, Mitt Romney. I will give him my support in the belief that the demon we now have in the white house will be knocked into political obscurity. I am a PRAGMATIST on this issue. Let us make the best of what we have to work with. Mitt is misguided where religion is concerned but I can and will pray for God to guide him while he is at least exercising Godly principles in his life.
NO thanks!
If religion is to be the determinant then the Mormon is superior to the Moslem. The Moslem wills our death or enslavement. The Mormon doesn’t.
Yes, we know, we've endured your threads long enough.
Sir, I am calling you out as a religious bigot - one who does not belong here. This is still America - where one can believe in any whacked out belief he or she wants to. I personally have sympathy for Mormons, but no hatred as you do.
He has also shown himself to have a soft spot for Islamic rule.
Romney is no worse in this regard that the current OCCUPIER in Washington.
I’d rather have a Mormon for president than the Islamist we have now.
I’m going to try to say this as nicely as I can. F*ck off a$$hole!
And the god of the current Marxist in chief is not a false god???
Religious zealots, of any kind, make me want to puke.
Religious bigotry is never pretty and always harmful.
I am not Mormon and I do not defend Mormonism, and I am not a crazy zealot and I do not support the nonsense of crazy zealots.