Posted on 08/26/2007 9:41:53 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Jan Mathusek, a Mormon, has raised five children in a place far removed from the strait-laced Utah heartland: North Jersey.
That posed some social barriers for her kids, who, abiding by Mormon values, had to forgo dating, drinking alcohol and R-rated movies.
"All of them have taken a lot of heat," said Mathusek, of Dumont. "But that is why I love New Jersey. It has given my children a chance to decide whether they stand by these things. And they do stand by them."
Now Mathusek is watching the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney with a similar mix of emotions: She's proud that a fellow Mormon is standing publicly by his faith, but afraid that he will come under attack.
"I'm pleased because he seems to be a very fine man," she said, stressing that she has not decided how she will vote. "But I'm worried that it generates enemies of the church."
Indeed, Romney's bid for the Republican nomination is shining a light on the Mormon faith -- a religion that has 13 million members worldwide and is the fourth-largest in America, with about 6 million adherents.
(Excerpt) Read more at northjersey.com ...
A very nice article. Thanks for posting it. :-)
I suppose that any first time brings attention like this. JFK endured the same in 1960. So far, I think that Romney has handled this aspect very well.
You’re very welcome!
: )
Thanks.
The way Romney’s hacks are playing the bigotry card, especially in the West, in heavily Mormon areas, is despicable. It reminds me of the way Jesse Jackson extorts money from corporations.
...you again even on a cordial thread on faith.
Actually, the subject of the article is Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.
IOW, it is you, and Mitt, and the media, that is mixing his “faith” in with politics, not me.
#8 was supposed to be directed to you.
no I read the article of the Lady in NJ struggling in today permissive world only a small part was about Romney, it was on the attention the faith getting because of a LDS running for office, you see the word Romney and like a bull you charge!
Romney’s real bad for your church, restornu.
What's despicable is bigotry.
If the ugly boot fits . . .
Even Alan Keyes would be ashamed of you. He gets along very well with Mormons.
1 Smith, guided by an angel, discovered a new scripture that Mormons revere alongside the Old and New Testaments.
Very poor journalism. This NJ journalist cites this as if, in fact, it was fact.
Even the Bible says to confirm all testimony by 2 or 3 witnesses; and no one saw this "angel" minus Joe. And it was on Joe's testimony that this was even labeled "scripture." The journalist should have wrote:
Smith, who says he was guided by an angel, discovered a new "scripture" that Mormons revere alongside the Old and New Testaments.
2We also see that this journalist chap "softballed" the following w/this mild take:
Mormons believe that Christianity became prone to errors and distortions after Jesus's death, and that the true faith was restored in 1820 when God the Father and Jesus revealed themselves to Joseph Smith in the upstate New York town of Palmyra.
OK? "prone to errors and distortions..?"
Look. All humanity is "prone to errors and distortions..." but not all humanity are deemed out and out apostates (kicked out and self-removed from the one true faith). It'd be one thing if LDS claimed that folks were "prone to errors." It's another thing that they label the rest of the world as "apostates" with a 100% creedal abomination rate [source: Pearl of Great Price LDS "scripture," Joseph Smith - History, v. 19]
3More from this journalist: Mormons believe God placed man on earth to learn right from wrong, much as a parent sends children to school.
Now if this journalist really knew LDS theology, it would be more along the lines of the following: Mormons believe God placed man on earth to sin...what some Mormon leaders have referred to as an "upward fall." They say it was only through man's transgression--through Adam & Eve's disobedience in the garden--that the progressive door was opened that was the ladder to godhood (become gods). So LDS believe disobedience to God was a "good" thing.
Everything that followed in Genesis: Murder, rape, poly-sexualpartners, betrayal, warfare, was all "good." Why? Because, LDS say, it opened the door to godhood...for the progressive path there...what LDS call the "plan of progression" or "plan of salvation." They say that had this not happened, no plan of progression (becoming a god) would have been possible.
4They believe man can continue to progress spiritually even after death and eventually will reside in one of three kingdoms: the celestial for those who live by the church's teachings; the terrestrial for otherwise righteous people who do not live by the church's teachings; or the telestial for sinners.
OK, true, but where's the journalist's reference to LDS belief about becoming a "god?"
5The polling data also suggest that some anti-Mormon sentiment may be fueled by misconceptions. When asked what comes to their mind about Mormons first, the largest segment responded "polygamy" -- a practice that the Mormons officially discontinued in the 19th century.
Not true. First of all, Mormons did not "discontinue" its open acknowledgement (& supposed practice) of polygamy. They merely "colonized" to it to another planet (like Kolob or someplace like that). Ask LDS if they believe polygamy is still practiced in the celestial kingdom, and they'll tell you, "Yes."
Secondly only "some" of those polled pointed to polygamy. I'm sure others pointed to bizarre beliefs like becoming gods, baptizing dead folks, that the Christians creed are 100% abominable before God, that all Christians belong to apostate churches, wearing magic underwear for protection, & their teaching that deemed black skin as a "curse" for "pre-existent spirits" not being valient in the war in heaven (that teaching was never removed even with the door opening to black priests)--whereas white skin is still considered to be "delightsome" (as in "white and delightsome.)"
Surely your reading comprehension and understanding of what journalism actually is are better than this! I cannot believe you retionally consider this to be a good or even average piece of journalism. Oh, but it does do a fair job of creating misdirection and dissembling cover for the cult of Mormonism. That what you liked about this piece of birdcage liner?
Nonsense. But that must be the current talking points strategy, to portray this cult as just as rational as Catholicism and Romney’s high place int he cult as a target for bigots. Fairytales are us is looking for you folks. Pick up the courtesy phone to tinkerbell.
She’s probably saying that it’s a topic that needed to be acknowleged, even if wasn’t done all that well.
Quite a surprise. I thought everyone in NJ was a cafeteria Catholic. ;-)
“What’s despicable is bigotry.
If the ugly boot fits . .”
Yes, your bigotry against Gentiles is alarming. But what are you going to do, ex-communicate us? (like you do to all the other dissenters Mormon’s conveniently ostracize)? Where’s the Danites and blood atonement when you really need them?
I don’t appreciate your words to me. There was no reason for them. Show a little bit of class to a fellow Freeper, even though it at times is rare here. Granted, the article wasn’t a Pulitzer piece, but I enjoyed reading what the interviewees said and felt — it’s just that simple. Can you comprehend that?
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