How Mitt Romney's supporters Are Like Uncle Leo: Is Anti-Mormonism Lurking Everywhere?

We always knew that Mormonism was going to be a touchy issue in this presidential campaign. After all, there are still many Americans who express discomfort with the idea of a Mormon president (up to 40 percent, depending on how you ask the question). But it's one thing when you ask that question in the abstract, and quite another when we're talking about a particular Mormon. In that case, I'm fairly sure that nearly everyone is going to decide their votes on how they feel about Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, not how they feel about Joseph Smith. Even Robert Jeffress, the Baptist minister and Rick Perry supporter who only a couple of months ago denounced Mormonism as a "cult," just announced that he'll be supporting a member of that cult for president, since Obama is so vile unto his sight. But all that doesn't mean that the Romney campaign and its supporters aren't going to be on the lookout for any anti-Mormon slights, so long as they come from Democrats.

You may remember that back in August, the Obama campaign called Romney "weird," and conservatives immediately rushed to charge that this was a dog whistle to anti-Mormon voters, since "weird" is obviously code for "Mormon." And now it's starting up again. Alec MacGillis at TNR has a good roundup of some recent cries of anti-Mormonism from Romney supporters, including the idea that when the Obama campaign criticized Romney for a "penchant for secrecy," they were plainly trying to get people to think "Mormon!" because the LDS church is secretive.

This is all pretty ridiculous, not least because you have a situation where the supporters of one candidate are accusing the supporters of another candidate of dog whistling on a topic both actual candidates have no desire at all to discuss. Furthermore, the voters most likely to feel a strong aversion to Mormonism are evangelical Christians, who vote overwhelmingly Republican anyway, and it isn't like too many of them are going to be persuaded to vote for Barack Obama based on some winking and nodding about "weirdness." There are so many other things that the Obama campaign wants to attack Romney on; they hardly need to invest energy in trying to get people to vote against him because of his religion, which would risk an enormous backlash.

So Romney's supporters end up sounding a lot like the old Jewish man who sees anti-Semitism everywhere. Romney's weird? Anti-Mormonism! Romney's secretive? Anti-Mormonism! Romney's stiff? Anti-Mormonism! It brings to mind this classic from Annie Hall, where Woody Allen is convinced that when someone said "Did you eat?" to him, what the guy was really saying was, "Jew eat?"

The vociferous Mormonophobe Christian Taliban don’t lurk.
They embarass the decent folk on Free Republic and relish doing it

We find it hilarious that you antiChristian mormonism defenders get your underwear in a knot about the posting of factual mormon doctrine from mormon sources by a few dozen FReepers at the same time that your leaders are bragging about the following:

We are grateful for the 52,225 full-time missionaries serving in more than 150 countries.16 The sun never sets on righteous missionaries testifying of the ~~Savior~~ mormon church. Think of the spiritual power of 52,000 missionaries, endowed with the Spirit of ~~the Lord~~ Joseph Smith, boldly declaring that there is “no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come … , only in and through the ~~name of Christ.~~ mormon church temple rituals

"My young brethren of the priesthood, I testify of the majesty, but most of all, of the certainty of this magnificent event. The Savior lives. He will return to the earth (the Second Coming) . And whether on this side of the veil or the other, you and I will rejoice in His coming and thank the Lord that He sent us to earth at this time to fulfill our sacred duty of helping prepare the world for ~~His return~~ the mormon theocracy

."other people, who may not yield full obedience to his laws, nor be fully instructed in his covenants, will, nevertheless, have to yield full obedience to his government. For it will be the reign of God upon the earth, and he will enforce his laws, and command that obedience from the nations of the world which is legitimately his right” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor [2001], 225).

Preparing the World for the Second Coming-LDS.org, April 2011

Anyone who believes that Romney isn't fully immersed in this doctrine and the Law of Consecration is a fool: The Law of Consecration is considered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be a "celestial law." That is, people who are living lives dedicated to the service of God, such that at judgment they would be assigned to the Celestial Kingdom, should be able and expected to live the Law of Consecration. The Law of Consecration is that, if necessary or requested, a person would give everything he has for the building up of the Kingdom of God on Earth. He would be willing to wholeheartedly give of his time, talents, and resources. Thus, the person is "consecrating" all his personal resources to the Lord.

“The law of consecration,” said Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “is that we consecrate our time, our talents, and our money and property to the cause of the Church; such are to be available to the extent they are needed to further the Lord’s interests on earth.” Mormon Temple Covenants

So, whine away. The exposure you provide enables us to post more information that many FReepers and lurkers have not seen about the beliefs of mormons, including Romney.

I just discovered i somehow inadvertently stumbled on to a Raligion Thread. I had sworn an oath not to go there. I will try to stay away from the foul air here in the future

Tell us, Bert...was that a religious oath...or are you the "highest power" you know & therefore 'twas only to yourself???

If it was a religious oath, what are you doing make religious oaths out of the religious thread area? (Doncha know ya gotta keep everything hermetically sealed..."religion" goes in the "religion" box -- I don't think even God knows where your boundaries begin and end -- and "politics" goes in the "politics" box...I guess now we know, Bert, why politicals are always immoral...it's people like you that don't know how to integrate their lives...and therefore they compartmentalize everything ... including those who keep faith-based ethics out of politics)

Your attitude and your comments show you are anything but a ‘good Christian’. Good (believing) Christians defend the faith, not encourage heresies.

Your tagline states ‘crucifixion is coming’ and from your posts I’m betting that you cannot wait to crucify us for speaking the truth.

If you don’t know enough about your own faith to defend it, then leave it to those of us who do. The “Flying Inmans” come from all different Christian denominations, no one here is stating that other Christians must believe exactly like us, but there are essential doctrines that Christians must believe to be considered part of the Body of Christ (like the Trinity) and Mormons denounce every single one of those doctrines.

And YOU are the reason the First Amendment was created, not us. Freedom of Religion goes both ways and your attempt to silence us is UNAmerican and makes FR look bad, so get off YOUR holier than thou, sanctimonious, selfrighteous high horse about those who defend the Body of Christ.

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