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Who is afraid of Mitt Romney's Mormonism?
Washington Post ^ | October 7, 2011 | Michael Gerson

Posted on 10/08/2011 9:42:43 AM PDT by greyfoxx39

As a Mormon who did his missionary work in France, Mitt Romney knows something of uphill battles. Imagine spreading a faith that renounces smoking, coffee and alcohol in the cafes of Paris.

-SNIP-

Even without recourse to calumny, it is clear that evangelicals will not be reconciled to Mormon doctrines without ceasing to be evangelicals.

 Presidents are elected for their policy views, leadership skills and character, not their soteriology. Such theological convictions about salvation may be infinitely important, but they are politically irrelevant.

But presidential primaries are not always the best place to maintain such distinctions. In interfaith relations, it is the lack of familiarity that breeds contempt — and portions of America still view Mormonism as a threatening novelty. Among conservatives, however, this opposition is more likely to fade than build. No primary opponent of Romney's can exploit these sentiments, at least in an overt way.

-SNIP-

Mormons are one of the nation's strongest conservative voting blocks. A serious Republican candidate simply can't run an anti-Mormon campaign.

-SNIP-

..the desire for influence tends to overwhelm theological differences. If Romney looks like the likely nominee, mainstream religious conservatives are more likely to build bridges than torch them.

-SNIP-

.. in 2008, Mormon leaders raised their heads in support of Proposition 8 — the California initiative against gay marriage. Their commitment to the traditional family runs deep, and no issue is currently more likely to provoke liberal ire. Secular progressives will add this transgression to a history of Mormon offenses against women and minorities and raise, as usual, the specter of theocracy.

-SNIP-

Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are, by most measures, the moderates in the current field.



(Excerpt) Read more at deseretnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: antimormonjihad; antimormonzealotry; hemanmormonhaters; inman; propaganda; religiousintolerance; romney; zots4romneybots
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To: Erik Latranyi
This is how the leftists in the media and liberal Republicans innoculate Romney against Cain, Perry, Gingrich, etc.

...and, to their discredit the other candidates will buy into this ploy by, as we have seen, jumping on the bandwagon blaming Perry for someone else's comment.

21 posted on 10/08/2011 10:25:10 AM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Joseph Smith, AmericaÂ’s first Comic Book author. He Produced the Adventures of Nephi-Mormon-Moroni)
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To: South40; Beagle8U; greyfoxx39
Can you cite anything more recent wherein Mormonism preaches the killing of innocents?

How about the oaths in their secret temple ceremonies? The blood oaths that Romney took are secret, but they called for the slitting of throats and ripping out of bowels and stuff like that to people who dared to reveal the secrets contained in their temple rituals.

Frankly this is kinda like Black Sabbath stuff.

I think they may have modified the ceremony but when Romney took it he swore blood oaths and I assume he meant what he swore to. After all he was swearing to god (small g intended).

The problem for Romney though is if he gets the nomination all the racist crap that the Mormon Church taught for 140 years will come out and since he is running against a Black man, it will sink his candidacy. If Romney gets the nomination Obama will get re-elected. He is the only candidate in the field who can't defeat Obama.

I'm not so worried about his politics as his religion. His religion will be an albatross around the necks of all Republicans if he gets the nomination.

22 posted on 10/08/2011 10:25:40 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: greyfoxx39

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Romney’s problem is his liberalism, not his Mormonism.


23 posted on 10/08/2011 10:25:53 AM PDT by Redcloak (Sans Couth)
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To: P-Marlowe
His religion will be an albatross around the necks of all Republicans if he gets the nomination.

Well said.

24 posted on 10/08/2011 10:28:13 AM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Joseph Smith, AmericaÂ’s first Comic Book author. He Produced the Adventures of Nephi-Mormon-Moroni)
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To: P-Marlowe
Secret oaths? Really? lol!

Mormonism doesn't bother me. Liberalism and the black liberation theology Obama subscribes to bother me.

25 posted on 10/08/2011 10:31:22 AM PDT by South40 (I will vote for Perry if he's the last man standing against Romney. ~ Jim Robinson 10/5/2011)
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To: greyfoxx39

No one ever seems to comment about Harry Reid’s Mormonism.


26 posted on 10/08/2011 10:31:44 AM PDT by reg45 (I'm not angry that Lincoln freed the slaves. I'm angry that Franklin Roosevelt bought them back.)
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Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

Comment #28 Removed by Moderator

To: South40
I couldn't care less about his religion, other than the fact that it is IMO silly. ( Magic underwear??)

I don't like him because he is a worthless abortion supportin’, queer agenda pushin’, gun grabbin’ big government, liberal bastard.

29 posted on 10/08/2011 10:32:16 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Free Republic -- One stop shopping ....... It's the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: greyfoxx39
I think we really need to start pounding into the minds of voters just how weird a religion the LDS Church is. If we don't do it before the Primaries end, then the MSM is going to do it if and when Romney gets the nomination. We need to post all those racist comments from the LDS Prophets who claimed that black skin was a curse from God and that black people were not worthy to hold the priesthood.

This stuff went on until 1978 and they only changed because they built a Temple in Brazil and could not tell who were the Lamanites who were cursed with dark skin because of the deeds of the followers of Laman and who were the black people who were cursed with dark skin because of their misdeeds in the pre-existence.

Mormonism has always taught and still does teach that dark skin is a curse from God. That will not play well when running against a black man.

If we don't do it, the MSM will. But when the MSM does it, then it will be too late.

30 posted on 10/08/2011 10:41:34 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: greyfoxx39

I’m sure as H worried about Bambi’s Islamism, Muslimism, Jihadism...Socialism, Marxism, Communism, Fascism, Totalitarianism. OK?


31 posted on 10/08/2011 10:48:17 AM PDT by shalom aleichem
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To: greyfoxx39

I could care less about his Mormonism. He is a flip-flopper who is hostile towards the Second Amendment, and that alone means I’ll never support him.


32 posted on 10/08/2011 10:48:43 AM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Progressives spent that time trying to destroy it.)
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To: P-Marlowe
If we don't do it, the MSM will. But when the MSM does it, then it will be too late.

IMO, if Romney actually cared about this country he would drop out of the race and put his money to work helping candidates who could actually win. I see his continuing this hopeless quest as pure selfishness!

33 posted on 10/08/2011 10:52:51 AM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Joseph Smith, AmericaÂ’s first Comic Book author. He Produced the Adventures of Nephi-Mormon-Moroni)
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To: greyfoxx39

Me. I am. I am afraid of anything in the spiritual world not part under Jesus’ spiritual canopy.


34 posted on 10/08/2011 10:55:22 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: P-Marlowe
I'm not so worried about his politics as his religion. His religion will be an albatross around the necks of all Republicans if he gets the nomination.

Actually, that's an interesting point. I think he is a despicable RINO and the only 100% RINO in the race. There are others who have one or another position with which people disaagree, but they are not 100% RINOS. The only one who is getting a pass is Cain, who has never had to explain his support for Romney, his pro-life stance, or, in fact anything other than his economic ideas. But that's not important here.

I think you have made an interesting point I hadn't thought of before. Remember that Mormonism was actually a Jonestown-like cult that came in and took over towns, sometimes got run out and sometimes struck back violently, killed its enemies, and finally was subdued by a combination of the US cavalry and the fact that Utah could not become a state until the Mormons renounced some of their practices, such as polygamy.

This is not a history any US president should be part of, any more than we should have a Muslim Marxist president now. Some people here think that the press is going to attack Romney for being a Mormon, but they won't - they'll defend him for it, and then the GOP will feel compelled to nominate him because otherwise they'll be discriminating. And at that point the press will abandon him, and remind us that Mormons had an anti-black provision written into their religion, etc., etc.

He's never going to be elected president, but the left definitely wants to stick us with him as the candidate, and then, as you say, we will have to defend his Mormonism.

35 posted on 10/08/2011 10:56:50 AM PDT by livius
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To: freespirited
I’m not afraid of Romney’s Mormonism. I’m afraid of his insincerity and fakery.

And his liberalism.

I'd have no trouble pulling the lever for a conservative Mormon.
36 posted on 10/08/2011 10:57:06 AM PDT by Antoninus (Take the pledge: I will not vote for Mitt Romney under any circumstances. EVER.)
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To: greyfoxx39

Willard’s mormonism a problem?

Nah!

No one has problems taking a candidate seriously who:

... Wears magic underwear everywhere he campaigns
... Believes he will not only be president, but become a mormon god with his own planet
... Believes there are millions or billions of gods who get together for meetings at Kolob Beach over Spring Break
... Believes there is not only a Heavenly Father god, but a Heavenly Mother god who have SEX ETERNALLY to create people
... Believes polygamy continues throughout eternity with multiple breeding gods
... Believes your Christian church is false - heck, all are false
... Believes Jesus Christ was a created being who later became one of millions or billions of gods

Nah, no one would mind that kind of New Age Hinduistic belief in their candidate.

I think it’s overblown.


37 posted on 10/08/2011 11:01:54 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion (You know, 99.99999965% of the lawyers give all of them a bad name)
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To: greyfoxx39
"Who is afraid of Mitt Romney's Mormonism?"

Well, the WaPo, for starters.

38 posted on 10/08/2011 11:03:44 AM PDT by StAnDeliver (/)
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To: greyfoxx39

If the Church of “G-d Damn America” and black liberation theology didn’t keep a muslim like Obama from getting into the White House, Romney’s mormonism sure won’t keep Romney out.

Romney, a filthy RINO, needs to be taken out, but addressing his religion won’t do it.


39 posted on 10/08/2011 11:05:47 AM PDT by Gator113 (I don't suport any of them....)
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To: freespirited

I’m afraid of the statism and liberalism.


40 posted on 10/08/2011 11:07:13 AM PDT by grumpygresh (Democrats delenda est)
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