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An Ugly Attack on Mormons
article.nationalreview.com ^ | December 3, 2008 | Jonah Goldberg

Posted on 12/03/2008 8:59:31 AM PST by Publius804

An Ugly Attack on Mormons

The easiest targets for an organized campaign against religious freedom of conscience.

By Jonah Goldberg

Did you catch the political ad in which two Jews ring the doorbell of a nice working-class family? They barge in and rifle through the wife’s purse and then the man’s wallet for any cash. Cackling, they smash the daughter’s piggy bank and pinch every penny. “We need it for the Wall Street bailout!” they exclaim.

No? Maybe you saw the one with the two swarthy Muslims who knock on the door of a nice Jewish family and then blow themselves up?

No? Well, then surely you saw the TV ad in which two smarmy Mormon missionaries knock on the door of an attractive lesbian couple. “Hi, we’re from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!” says the blond one with a toothy smile. “We’re here to take away your rights.” The Mormon zealots yank the couple’s wedding rings from their fingers and then tear up their marriage license.

As the thugs leave, one says to the other, “That was too easy.” His smirking comrade replies, “Yeah, what should we ban next?” The voice-over implores viewers: “Say no to a church taking over your government.”

Obviously, the first two ads are fictional because no one would dare run such anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim attacks.

The third ad, however, was real. It was broadcast throughout California on Election Day as part of the effort to rally opposition to Proposition 8, the initiative that successfully repealed the right to same-sex marriage in the state.

What was the reaction to the ad? Widespread condemnation? Scorn? Rebuke? Tepid criticism?

Nope.

The Los Angeles Times, a principled opponent of Proposition 8, ran an editorial lamenting that the “hard-hitting commercial” was too little, too late.

(Excerpt) Read more at article.nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Utah
KEYWORDS: christians; gaymarriage; homosexualagenda; ldschurch; mormon; mormons; prop8; samesexmarriage
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To: Arguendo

>>Stating that Mormons are not real Christians is not the same thing as Mormon bashing...<<

I disagree. Stating that MormonISM is not Christian is not Mormon bashing would be a true statement, but saying that Mormons are not Christian IS Mormon bashing.

I do not think Mormonism teaches Christianity, but I have Mormon friends that, according to how they articulate their faith verbally, meet the “Biblical” definition of a Christian at least in word.

Most of them, in deed, “seem” very Christian, but we all know how deceiving that can be. So can words frankly. That is why I keep my “bashing” to specifics only. Heck, I use that rule to bash both my church organization as well as myself.


141 posted on 12/03/2008 11:24:33 AM PST by RobRoy (Islam is a greater threat to the world today than Nazism was in the 1930's.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter
There are dozens of ‘em on the FRee Republic tho’, perhaps one will enlighten us.

This'll be good!


142 posted on 12/03/2008 11:24:39 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

Yeah and the Evil Catholics had the Inquisition.

You should read some of the fun things Presbyterians said about Catholics!


143 posted on 12/03/2008 11:25:03 AM PST by netmilsmom (Psalm 109:8 - Let his days be few; and let another take his office)
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To: Elsie

Elsie, you do know that the Catholic Church and Protestant Churches were not without reproach on this subject.


144 posted on 12/03/2008 11:25:55 AM PST by acipher
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To: DieHard the Hunter
What shameful bloody nonsense! “Will I find the Faith on the Earth?” becomes a very valid question. Who knows?

Romans 10:2-4
2. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
3. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
4. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

145 posted on 12/03/2008 11:26:52 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Publius804

“No? Well, then surely you saw the TV ad in which two smarmy Mormon missionaries knock on the door of an attractive lesbian couple. “Hi, we’re from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!” says the blond one with a toothy smile. “We’re here to take away your rights.” The Mormon zealots yank the couple’s wedding rings from their fingers and then tear up their marriage license.

As the thugs leave, one says to the other, “That was too easy.” His smirking comrade replies, “Yeah, what should we ban next?” The voice-over implores viewers: “Say no to a church taking over your government.” “

wow.

The angry left has such a talent for playing the victim.

What they are really saying is that it is the gays who would like to take away the mormons right to vote.

This WAS a vote wasn’t it?
In the most liberal state in the US?

And the gays lost it.
Even the most liberal state in the US has decided there is no “right” to change the traditional definition of marriage.

Funny - did they do a similar attack ad on blacks?
No?
Funny that.


146 posted on 12/03/2008 11:27:33 AM PST by Scotswife
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar; All

“It was Joseph Smith who walked out of the woods proclaiming thaqt he had a message from God and all Christians were false and ONLY he was right and he would tell you how right he was or else you would be sorry!”

It is true that Mormons believe that the original Church founded by Christ became corrupted to the point that the Priesthood authority given by Christ to his Apostles and others was taken from the Earth, and a restoration was necessary. That is a foundational belief of our Church. Interestingly, in the 19th Century, it was a belief also found in mainstream Protestantism. My great-great-grandfather, who was a Methodist preacher in South Africa, wrote about the commonly held belief that the existent church at that time was a “fallen church” with a “hireling priesthood.” He was approached by Mormon missionaries in the 1850’s. He studied the Book of Mormon for a year, and decided that it did not contradict the Bible, which he knew “backward and forward,” as he put it. He thought it “illuminated” everything he knew about the Bible.

Mormon belief in the corruption, over time, of Christian doctrine is not that much different than the belief among Protestants that the Catholic Church had become corrupted, and there was, therefore, a need to break away from the authority of Rome. That is a foundational belief of Protestantism.

We Mormons also believe that the Light of Christ exists in all people to some degree, and that much truth and many good people can be found in other religions. We believe that those who believe in Christ as the Savior are Christians, even if they are not members of our Church.

Unlike some other Christian denominations, we don’t believe that good people who die without having an opportunity to accept Christ, are consigned to hell, or some other undesirable fate. We believe that all people will have a fair opportunity, in this life or the next.

We don’t accept the Nicene Creed. Someone referred to the Gospel of John for the concept of Christ’s divinity. We fervently believe in Christ’s divinity. We just don’t accept the concept of the Trinity. The Gospel of John, Chapter 17, also contains Christ’s Intercessory Prayer, in which He explains how he and the Father are “one,” and prays that all his followers will become “one” with Him and the Father in the same way — that is, perfectly unified in holiness.

There is no statement of the Nicene Creed in the New Testament. The closest thing to it is found in I John, and is called the Johannine Comma. It is now universally accepted that the pertinent language in the Johannine Comma was added by a monk, hundreds of years after Christ.

I offer the foregoing only as an explanation of our beliefs. I respect the right of others to adhere to their own beliefs, and I won’t slander you or your church for it. I would much rather have my grandchildren being raised around people who adhere to other religions that maintain decent standards — provided they aren’t badmouthing my religion — than to have them associating with secular, amoral people. We can agree to disagree, and work together to fight all the terrible things that are happening to our country and our culture, can’t we?


147 posted on 12/03/2008 11:28:20 AM PST by lady lawyer
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To: netmilsmom

Just so we are absolutely clear, the Catholic Church does not recognize Mormonism as a Christian sect. While they do admire some of the actions of Mormons (and so do I) they do not qualify as Christians in that sense of the term.

And the Catholic Church is not “bashing” Mormonism by saying so, is it?


148 posted on 12/03/2008 11:28:29 AM PST by colorcountry (To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: netmilsmom
And is why we now have “Ecumenical” and “Caucus” threads. The “Evanglization” got totally out of hand.

Maybe FR should add News threads. Then we could discuss the clearly bigoted ad, rather than argue about the perceived shortcomings of the victim.

149 posted on 12/03/2008 11:29:53 AM PST by SJackson (http://www.jewish-history.com/emporium/)
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To: Jibaholic
It doesn't. Hatred is bad. Religious relativism is also bad.

Oh??

Articles of Faith #6&7 state:

#6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
#7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
 
 
How do you feel about ambiguity?

 
 
 

150 posted on 12/03/2008 11:30:04 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: broncobilly
Is Neoplatonic realism, concepts not found in the Bible, that important?

Doctrines & Covenants - not found in the Bible; are THEY important?

151 posted on 12/03/2008 11:31:12 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: DieHard the Hunter
“Heretic”, tho’, personalizes the term. “Heretic” is a pejorative name and a label. If you called me a “heretic” I would be deeply offended. If I called you a “heretic” you would be deeply offended — and rightly so. Don’t mince with words! You know jolly well it isn’t a nice thing to call anyone.

I'm not mincing with words! I'm not going to dance around the fact that Mormonism is false with obtuse circumlocutions. Language should be clear and direct. If the word heresy is offensive then the truth is offensive.

I'm not offended by the fact that Mormons think I'm a heretic. I'm not offended by the fact that Muslims think I'm an infidel. I'm not offended by the fact that atheists think I'm deluded for believing in any type of a higher power.

Praise God that He found you. Now, as you are the Prodigal Son, surely you should know better. Had Christians gone out of their way to label you as a “Wicked Dam’ned Unrepentent Sinner Wallowing in Sin” (as all atheists are) how likely would you have been to want to become a Christian?

The world hates righteousness, and when I was a part of the world I hated righteousness too.

152 posted on 12/03/2008 11:31:22 AM PST by Jibaholic ("Those people who are not ruled by God will be ruled by tyrants." --William Penn)
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To: SJackson

Good point.


153 posted on 12/03/2008 11:31:26 AM PST by acipher
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To: colorcountry
Up is down, down is up - topsy-turvy thinking right there!


 
 
 

 

 
 
 
Welcome folks, to our daily session of Theological discussions about Mormonism: Is it Christian?
 
 
 
 
 
 
Feel free to enter the talks at any time.
 
If you get dizzy, feel free to leave at any point.
 
All points are valid;
and, all points will be discussed.

154 posted on 12/03/2008 11:32:22 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

Can you please clarify? I don’t understand your post.


155 posted on 12/03/2008 11:32:56 AM PST by Jibaholic ("Those people who are not ruled by God will be ruled by tyrants." --William Penn)
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To: Jibaholic
Just read the Gospel of John.

We have no need to read it; for our Teachers tell us what it means!

--MormonDude(I got almost straight A's in class!)

156 posted on 12/03/2008 11:33:40 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

“Let’s not hijack the thread on to mormon doctrine.

The origional add was false and it was not ONLY mormons who voted for Prop 8 but many Christians and non Christians who knew homo marriage was just wrong. After all, 40 years ago marriage was declared unnecessary if you truly loved someone. Living together was all that was needed. The Marriage license was just a piece of paper.

Now marriage is the most important thing a person can do...but only if you are gay!”

you nailed it.
This really shouldn’t be about doctrine - this is about a right to vote one’s conscience.

How many people here have REALLY had a visit from the LDS like this?

I’ve had several visits. I debated with them. I didn’t like what they told me, and they didn’t like what I told them.
But you wouldn’t meet a more polite bunch of people, and they never stated they wanted to take away anyone’s rights!

What the gays really want is for churches to be declared “hate” organizations and shut down.

What is the purpose of the ad? They don’t think mormons should have been able to vote down prop 8?
Really?

This is crazy.


157 posted on 12/03/2008 11:34:06 AM PST by Scotswife
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To: Elsie

The bible is important because it documents the word of God and his dealings with man.

I seriously doubt Neoplatonic realism stems from God.

[If true] then the Doctrines & Covenants also documents the word of God and his dealings with man, just much more recently.

Its easy to see the importance.


158 posted on 12/03/2008 11:34:24 AM PST by acipher
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To: DieHard the Hunter

” have no idea what Mormon thought on that is, as I am not a Mormon. There are dozens of ‘em on the FRee Republic tho’, perhaps one will enlighten us.”

Well, given that the Mormon Temple Ritual (at least until its recent changes) had a protestant minister acting the fool-for-pay for the Devil, I think I have a hunch.

Here:

http://nowscape.com/mormon/mormcr1.htm


159 posted on 12/03/2008 11:35:06 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (Beware of Obama's Reichstag Fire; Don't permit him to seize emergency powers.)
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To: netmilsmom
What you have given is the Apostles Creed. Then there is the Nicene Creed. And finally there is the Athanasian Creed. The Nicene Creed uses the “one substance” statement that is elaborated (one in three and three in one) in the Athanasian Creed. I think anathemas were in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds.
160 posted on 12/03/2008 11:35:21 AM PST by broncobilly
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