June 20, 2011: In U.S., 22% Are Hesitant to Support a Mormon in 2012

Gallup ^ | June 20, 2011 | Lydia Saad

[JediJones]

[Me: The title of the article says "hesitant," but the article says that 22% is a flat "no" in answer to the question ending with "would you vote for that person?"]

Though the vast majority of Americans say they would vote for their party's nominee for president in 2012 if that person happens to be a Mormon, 22% say they would not, a figure largely unchanged since 1967. [Me: Is less than 4 out of 5 really considered "vast?"]

The new Gallup poll, conducted June 9-12, finds nearly 20% of Republicans and independents saying they would not support a Mormon for president. That is slightly lower than the 27% of Democrats saying the same.

At 22%, Americans' resistance to electing a Mormon president, even one nominated by their own party, is exceeded only by their opposition to electing someone who is either gay or lesbian (32%) or an atheist (49%).

The stability in U.S. bias against voting for a Mormon presidential candidate contrasts markedly with steep declines in similar views toward several other groups over the past half-century, including blacks, women, Catholics, and Jews.

This may be less troubling for Romney in the GOP primaries, where the vote could be highly fractured anyway, than in the general election, where -- should he win the Republican nomination -- he would need nearly complete support from Republicans to be competitive with President Obama.

[SENTINEL]

I wonder if Romney will resort to LDS DOCTRINE about Christians against Santorum ?

"Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and then kicked on to the earth." - FLDS/LDS "Prophet" Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 6:176

"What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world" - FLDS/LDS "Prophet" Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270

A Christian family from the time of the founding "prophets" of mormonism that they spoke so harshly against.

[Osage Orange]

Good post.........

[greyfoxx39]

In my case, if asked to uphold one cultist or the other, I will always support neither, no matter what the cost or penalty.

AMEN!

[onyx]

The number will grow when they see this:

http://www.tnr.com/sites/default/files/tnrcover_20120216_0.png

His teeth are like Ted Bundy’s.

[Utah Binger]

We really have a lot of work to do.

Wow! Ted Bundy. You realize of course he was a Mormon.

Now we have that little bastard Josh Powell who decided to kill because she wanted him to get a temple recommend.

Story behind the story is that she was a young Mormon girl that believed the dogma. How sad that confused little girls get themselves killed because they want to obey. Blind obedience to Mormonism is deadly!

[Ozymandias Ghost]

“I would have expected a higher percent of republicans to have an issue with Mormonism than democrats.”

___________________

You may be correct; however, I don't think it is because the poll is necessarily “BS.” I would suggest that it may be many of the poll's respondents are reluctant to admit their true feelings about Mormons because they feel this will make them appear bigoted.

I expect a similar type of psychology engenders the polls which show that Obama has a high “likeability” factor; even though he has a relatively low level of approval for his performance/policies.

It's the “PC” factor; which was created as part of an overall strategy to both control and shape freedom of speech and thought.

Personally, I dislike Romney because he is a liar and a liberal. I could care less about his religion.

Take care,

-Geoff

[greyfoxx39]

That’s SCARY!

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Under no circumstances will I ever stand before my Maker and explain that because he was the lesser of two evils, I supported a baby-killing cultist who directly or through his organization proclaimed that:

1. There are more gods than the one God revealed in the Bible.

2. God is a glorified, perfected human being with a body of flesh and bone.

3. God is polygamously married to dozens (at least) of wives, and spends eternity as a type of Celestial Stud engaged in endless copulation producing countless spirit babies.

4. Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer.

5. Jesus is the literal Son of God who was conceived through direct sexual intercourse between the Virgin Mary and God the Father -- or in other words, that God committed incest with his daughter Mary.

6. A person is saved into heaven by virtue of their good works.

7. A person must accept Joseph Smith in order to receive salvation.

8. A person must pass in judgment before Joseph Smith before being admitted into Heaven.

9. A person must believe in Prophet Lorenzo Snow's famous couplet: As man now is, God once was ... As God now is, Man may become.

10. Non-whites are loathsome and cursed because of something they did or did not do in the dawn of pre-existence whereas people of European descent in general, and Mormons in particular, are white and delightsome.

11. A person must aspire to be sealed in a Masonic-based temple ceremony to his/her spouse for time and all eternity so that they may someday become gods and goddesses ruling over our own planet.

12. Wives will only be resurrected if their husbands call forth their Temple Name from beyond the veil.

13. Christianity ceased to exist after the death of the twelve apostles, to the point where all Christian Churches (especially the Baptists, Catholics, Methodists and Presbyterians) are an abomination to the Lord.

14. The Mormon Church is Christian.

Furthermore, I can't believe that any true Christian anywhere would ever contemplate supporting any candidate for any public office that espouses such horrible heretical and blasphemous doctrines -- be they Muslim, Mormon, or whatever.

In my case, if asked to uphold one cultist or the other, I will always support neither, no matter what the cost or penalty.

What Zakeet said.

[hoosiermama]

The Ingrams were like able. What is Romney thinking when he parades all the granddaughters out in identical Nellie Olson hair dos?

We hate Nellie!

[annieokie]

God bless you, and I do mean the ONE TRUE GOD, the I AM.

[annieokie]

That picture should scare any non believer.

[Sola Veritas]

“In my case, if asked to uphold one cultist or the other, I will always support neither, no matter what the cost or penalty.”

I fully agree. Mitt Mormonism is enough reason for me to NEVER vote for him....even if it means 4 more years of Obama. At least Obama is an obvious evil, and not an insidious one like Mormonisn.

[Sola Veritas]

“Romney vs Obama is not a choice. It’s tofu vs tofu.”

Actually, it is more akin to death by disguised poison verses open poison. Either way you die.

[Road Glide]

“So Obama would have 22% of the vote locked up right out of the gate against Romney.”

That percentage will grow by the time the Obama campaign and the media is done trashing Romney’s Mormonism.

But consider that Obama will almost certainly break from the starting gate with 40-44% of the voters already in his pocket.

What I’m wondering is how many of “the 22%” cross over demographically into that other “44%”.

I’m going to _guess_ that a good number of the 22% is composed of Christian/right voters who were never “Obama’s people” to begin with. And that a number of the rest are of “the mushy middle” who will be easily persuaded by anti-Mormon political propaganda.

Like it or not, Romney (if he becomes the nominee) is going to be attacked for his religion. This — not his wealth, taxes, associations with Bain Capital — is going to be the weapon that does the most damage to his campaign.

[Road Glide]

“So Obama would have 22% of the vote locked up right out of the gate against Romney.”

That percentage will grow by the time the Obama campaign and the media is done trashing Romney’s Mormonism.

But consider that Obama will almost certainly break from the starting gate with 40-44% of the voters already in his pocket.

What I’m wondering is how many of “the 22%” cross over demographically into that other “44%”.

I’m going to _guess_ that a good number of the 22% is composed of Christian/right voters who were never “Obama’s people” to begin with. And that a number of the rest are of “the mushy middle” who will be easily persuaded by anti-Mormon political propaganda.

Like it or not, Romney (if he becomes the nominee) is going to be attacked for his religion. This — not his wealth, taxes, associations with Bain Capital — is going to be the weapon that does the most damage to his campaign.

[Sola Veritas]

I wished I could start a petition to be presented to the GOP convention that clearly states:

“I am a conservative Christian and conservative Republican. I WILL NOT vote for Mitt Romney in a general election anymore than I will vote for Barrack Obama. If the GOP persists in nominating this man, they have lost my vote. I have always, in the past, voted for the GOP nominee, but will not this time if it is Mitt Romney.

[Sola Veritas]

I wished I could start a petition to be presented to the GOP convention that clearly states:

“I am a conservative Christian and conservative Republican. I WILL NOT vote for Mitt Romney in a general election anymore than I will vote for Barrack Obama. If the GOP persists in nominating this man, they have lost my vote. I have always, in the past, voted for the GOP nominee, but will not this time if it is Mitt Romney.”

[caww]

I for one don’t think Obama has any specific religion though he’s stated he’d side with the muzzies if push came to shove. He’s not a believer by any stretch of the word....his God is himself.

On the other hand Romney has a flipping nutcase religion just as binding and regulated as the Muzzies do. If they keep populating nations as the Muzzies are doing freely and with assisstance from host nations, well we are all going to get exactly what’s been asked for.

As for Romney do we support an equal nut case as Obama? I mean what the heck difference is there between them...none that I’ve been convinced of...and neither do I want my signiture associated with. I’ve pretty much decided on that. Too bad if people think I’m throwing in the towel....I just can’t in my mind and heart consider either.

[okie01]

So Obama would have 22% of the vote locked up right out of the gate against Romney.

No. The bulk of the 22% are evangelicals, who would normally vote Republican.

In an Obama-Romney race, they won't vote for Obama. They'd likely not vote at all.

[AnTiw1]

Why a 1995 convert left the LDS church

---

I found this fascinating that she saw so much in such a short period of time - remarkable!
I would like you to keep my anonymity, for reasons of my employment.

My experience may not be as traumatic as some of those on your page, but I have been perplexed by the tenacity of the members of the Mormon church. As a friend of mine put it, ‘they are relentless’.

I have never been a church going person. As of June, 1995, my knowledge of scripture was limited to my childhood memories...

I decided I was interested in reading the bible and other religious scripture. I enlisted the help of several friends who had often invited me to go to church with them, and I did visit a number of churches.

I became interested in reading the book of Mormon. At that time, I had no idea how controlling and authoritarian those people could be. They told me I would not be able to understand the book by simply reading it, that they would like to ‘visit me and explain the book to me’. Had they been vacuum salespeople, I suppose that would have been the proverbial foot in the door.

Their explanation soon became a series of 6 lessons, which I agreed to receive at a rate of one a week. They were very quick to tell me most people have all the lessons in one week.

During that time, I was avidly reading the book, and finding the text familiar. Now I realize that the ‘familiarity’ some feel when first reading the book stems from the fact that significant portions of the book are actually paraphrases from the New Testament.

By the fifth lesson I had visited the church on Sunday twice. At that point in time, I was being harassed by my ex-husband and feeling glad to be out of my home on Sundays, in a place where my ex-husband would not be able to find me. At that point, my intentions were only to continue to visit the church.

On the sixth lesson, the missionary boldly insisted that I ‘set a date’ for my baptism, and suggested the next Sunday. I told him I would have to think about it. He gave me one more week to think. Then they proceeded to call me every day of the week. I gave in, as they re-assured me that the content of the lessons was ‘all that is needed for baptism’.

I was to soon find out that their theology was to be revealed in small installments, perhaps to make it digestible, and that all the priesthood holders believed they had authority over me.

I went to church for a total of six-seven weeks after my baptism. They were very quick to find all sorts of assignments and other activities to occupy my time. Everything was done in haste, as to not allow me time to think. I remember when they set me apart to give me a calling. It appeared to me they had no intention of explaining to me what my duties would be until after I accepted. I explained that my job is very demanding timewise and I was hesitant to make that type of commitment. They insisted that I take the calling, as they needed to announce in the meeting half an hour later. After the sacrament meeting, somebody simply told me to be at a certain place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. I remember her shocked expression when I said that I would not be able to make it due to my work schedule. Two or three weeks went by and I decided not to act on my calling until they gave me the description of my duties in writing, they did not appreciate that. I had no intentions of accepting assignments and duties they ‘made up’ as they went along.

During this period, I started becoming acquainted with some of their queer beliefs, which hardly makes the religion Christian.

The last straw was drawn when they expected me to offer my testimony. The missionaries had taught me that a person should create their own prayers, as opposed to repeating prayers as the catholics do, ‘After all, wouldn’t God could become bored after hearing the same set of words all the time?. I find it odd, however, that hearing ‘this is the one true church’, ‘Joseph Smith is a prophet of God’, or ‘ the book of Mormon is true’ repeated by millions of member does not bore God. I believe these phrases are senseless, if one believes they are true, let him be a Mormon. If one does not believe they are true, let him not be a Mormon. Simple as that. That Sunday, however, after a few members had recited their chorus line, it appeared everybody’s eyes were on me. I did not get up. Immediately following the closing prayer, the missionary came to shake my hand and said, very loudly: ‘we need our friend here needs to give her testimony’. I decided not to come back.

I was absent from church on Sunday for two weeks, a few members called me saying they were ‘concerned’. That is actually a code word. They were simply coercing me into coming to church. I was naive enough to think they were worried about my health and reassured them I was in good health. On the third Sunday, I was out of town. They called and left messages on my answering machine. I came back home very late and did not return any calls. The next day, three officials from the church came to my place of work, but visitors must state the reason for their visit and personal visitors are not allowed at my work place. By that evening, they had called one of my bosses because ‘they were concerned’. I was furious, I had never known such maniacs.

I called the bishop and told him I was not returning to church, but other members continue to call me or come to my home.

I will now try to outline some of their arguments and my attitude towards them:

Argument 1: Aren’t you going to honour the covenant made with God to keep the Sabbath?

Well, I was not aware I made this covenant, so it is not valid. Those maniacs wanted to bring the sacrament to my house. I refused.

Argument 2: You have to accept all the precepts of our theology, there are many things no one understands. If you still do not understand, pray about it.

I don’t have a problem with anyone’s theology. I believe people get used to the doctrine they are taught, and convince themselves they believe it(—possibly by praying). It just happens that I do not believe God is an alien living in Kolob, that people may become gods, that I owe obedience to any church authority, finally, not being a racist, I do not believe blacks or Amerindians became dark through punishment by God.

Argument 3: This is the only true church.

This is hardly Mormonism’s claim to fame. So say catholics, seventh-day adventists, moonies, etc...

Argument 4: The church does a lot of good to many people.

So does UNICEF, the Red Cross and countless other religious charities.

Argument 5: We love you and we want you.

So do my kittens.

exmormon.org