Mormons hold peculiar place in politics, survey reveals

PROVO — Mormons are a peculiar people — not only in their religious beliefs, but in the political arena as well...

BYU assistant political science Chris Karpowitz...unique findings were...Mormons are still peculiar...

The study surveyed 35,000 Americans, including 250 Latter-day Saints, and the rough data showed that Mormons are more conservative than self-proclaimed, born-again Christians in some areas and less conservative in other areas.

"The finding is … Mormons and evangelicals may appear to be politically sympathetic, but it's wrong to infer that these two groups are always in sync," Karpowitz said.

For example, it's evangelicals, not Mormons, who more often picked the title "very conservative."

And Mormons overwhelmingly support the church's stance on abortion (only in cases of rape, incest or the health of the mother), whereas evangelicals are more likely to say abortion should never be permitted.

The findings are slightly distressing, Karpowitz explained, because it may mean that Mormons are written off as just the same as all other Republicans, when that's often not the case.

Quin Monson, also an assistant professor of political science at BYU, shared his findings that people refrain from voicing negative views about the thought of women, blacks or Baptists holding public office, but not against Mormons...

"People have bias against a Mormon serving as president," Monson said, "and they're more than happy to say it in polite company."

Judge Thomas Griffith...encouraged Mormons to get...involved, using...religious beliefs as energy.

"The restoration gives us a jump-start," Griffith said, referring to God's appearance to the boy prophet Joseph Smith in 1820. "I think we can do best by bringing our enthusiasm that comes from this modern witness of God's eminence and his involvement in the world to support fellow Christians."

From the article: And Mormons overwhelmingly support the church's stance on abortion (only in cases of rape, incest or the health of the mother), whereas evangelicals are more likely to say abortion should never be permitted.

The Lds position on incest winds up often covering up the crimes of the perp; their position on rape doubly traumatizes the rape victim, whose been a victim of violence, pulling that victim in to the position of aiding in comming violence vs. innocent life; and "health of the mother" ??? Please, that was the big "exception" the rogue judges in Roe used because "health" meant anything. (Not mentioned in this article is how the Lds abortion position also drags their god into the role of abortion accomplice -- as they encourage all their members to "pray about" whether to get an abortion, as if their god's going to "unload" the supposed pre-existent spirit on board this baby, factory-like, and place it in another baby to come!

"People... [are] against a Mormon serving as president," Monson said, "and they're more than happy to say it in polite company."

Since when are other-worldly commitments -- like the belief you'll become a god -- to be removed from discerning candidates? That's a character issue, and whether it's Hillary or Mitt who believe it -- or whether "O" thinks he's a human messiah -- all of those are relevent to the voter.

From the article: "The restoration gives us a jump-start," Griffith said, referring to God's appearance to the boy prophet Joseph Smith in 1820. "I think we can do best by bringing our enthusiasm that comes from this modern witness of God's eminence and his involvement in the world to support fellow Christians."

Wow! What a 180-degree turn: This appelate court judge actually thinks the "restoration" is a jumping-off point to come alongside "and support fellow Christians." (Hmm...I wonder if Mormons tolerate fundamentalist Mormons calling themselves "fellow Mormons?") But aside from that, the "twin doctrine" of the Lds "restoration" is that Christianity 100% fell by the road side -- total collapse & apostasy!

So the belief of the "100% apostasy-restoration" is "supportive" of "fellow Christians?" (Oh, sure. We love being slandered the world over that we're creedally abominable -- 100%; 100% apostates; and that our leaders or believers are "corrupt" -- all teachings of the pimply-faced "boy prophet" Smith who says this was he learned as a 14 or 15 yo boy.)

I think that a key difference between evangelicals and mormons is that evangelicals are more “absolute” in their beliefs while mormons are more “relative” when it comes to spiritual truths.

Yes, the Mormon "dance" -- with the "prophet" as the lone leader & all else are expected to follow.

One wife? (Yup, says the Book of Mormon)
Many wives? (Yup, Joseph Smith tries convincing Emma in the early 1840s -- after he'd already brought on board numerous "partners", unbeknownst to Emma)
Back to one wife (Yup, says the 1890 "prophet")

Lds accusing blacks of being "cursed" with dark skin due to something they did pre-birth? (Yup, said Mormon teachings up until 1978)
Lds doing a 180 on that? (Yup, said the 1978 Mormon "prophet")

Lds saying there was one God (Yup, many times in the Book of Mormon)
Lds saying there was a whole "council" of gods, and that you could become one, too? (Yup, Smith, 1844)

Lds identifying their god as an ex-man? (Yup, Smith, 1844)
Lds identifying that god as the man, Adam? (Yup, Brigham Young for over 25 years, early 1850s to late 1870s)
Lds changing their mind about Adam-as-god? (Yup, later Lds "prophets")

“The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.”

Look at my tagline. I developed that little phrase, partly based on being exposed to so many mormon politicians on the local and national level. Both democrat and republican mormon _politicians_ are very liberal: the Reids, the Udalls, the Hatches, etc.

If a person at their core is convinced of the basic goodness of mankind, then they are more inclined to think that government is qualified to supply right solutions to problems. This attitude is the opposite of political conservatism.

Since the mormon religion denies the basic fallen, sinful nature of humankind, on a political level, there would not be the underlying assumption that government requires checks and balances to restrict wrong behavior.

Although mormons share many cultural assumptions about political issues with Christians, I am not convinced that there are enough commonalities for a lasting foundation between a political philosophy based on Christianity and one based on mormonism.

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