Posted on 06/03/2011 1:04:28 PM PDT by Colofornian
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced Thursday that he will once again seek the Republican presidential nomination, but four years after his first bid, analysts say he will once again face the same unique hurdle: his Mormon religion.
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Mr. Romney steered clear of his religion when he kicked off his campaign in New Hampshire, but that could change this weekend when he and Mr. Huntsman travel to Washington, where they are scheduled to speak at the Faith and Freedom Coalition (FFC) conference — an event that could provide an early snapshot of where they stand with religious conservatives.
Ben Crosby, an Iowa State University professor who... studied how Mr. Romney handled his faith...told The Washington Times that Mr. Romney’s Mormon roots “absolutely” put him at odds with much of the evangelical Christian community, which plays a key role in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses and can make or break a candidate in the South Carolina Republican primary.
“Mormonism represents for evangelical conservatives a breaking of a particular order, a breaking of tradition, a breaking with convention,” Mr. Crosby said...
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John G. Geer, chairman of Vanderbilt University’s political science department, told The Times that his studies show that while there has been a steep decline in prejudice against many groups in the United States, that hasn’t been the case with Mormons, Muslims or atheists.
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He pointed to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll that shows less than 50 percent of those surveyed said they would be comfortable with a Mormon running for president.
Evangelicals, fundamentalists and other traditional-leaning Christians widely consider the LDS Church not to be a Christian body — claiming it either denies or unrecognizably redefines such Christian doctrines as the Trinity, original sin, the atonement, the continuity of the church and the canon of Scripture...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I like the way this journalist framed that: "the continuity of the church..."
I'll start using that to describe a key distinction with how Mormon candidates like Romney -- and perhaps Huntsman -- view their potential base.
One of the most basic underlying beliefs of true-believing Mormons is that the church did not remain continuous after the apostles died. In fact, they claimed the early church went about 100% AWOL and was dead as a "true" church for 1500-1700 years.
Joseph Smith then came on the scene as the supposed coroner of the Christian church, supposedly felt our worldwide pulse, and declared us dead and was 100% full of "corrupt" people who held "putrid" (what "abomination" means) creeds...In fact, he said ALL of our creeds were an "abomination"; not just some of them.
A Later generation of Mormons then came along and declared what Smith said was "scripture" on these matters. So this wasn't simply a mere "opinion" uttered. You can't just call yourself a Mormon and take or leave the most elemental teaching of the church: That the Mormon church as a "restored" church was built upon the ashes of a destroyed, apostate church!
Hence, since Romney is a former Lds bishop and stake president, he's not exactly a "fringe" Mormon.
Temple Mormons like Romney tend to believe Mormon "scriptures" like D&C 1:30: That the Mormon church is the "only true and living church on the face of the earth." That would mean that Romney and all those wonderful co-worker Mormons & neighbor Mormons you know who are nice to you actually believe that your church is a corrupt, abominable, false and dead church.
Yes, I know they think all that with a smile on their face. But their wallet then pays for that to be translated into hundreds of languages worldwide and poured into books, curricula, articles and online content. (How "nice" of them to spend millions on slandering your church behind your back, eh?)
And Romney -- and perhaps Huntsman -- thinks this will inspire Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox believers to actually consider voting for him/them?
I will not support that liberal.
#1...the word "prejudice" comes from the word, "pre-judge." While we are NOT to pre-judge on issues like race/color of skin & similar things, and while we need to be careful we don't stereotypically assume every member of every religion believes the same thing -- believe me they don't -- it doesn't mean we can't derive character assessments based upon associations and linkages. For example, somebody who belongs to a racist country club can join what he wants; but I can derive some character assessments on the basis of where he places his membership.
#2 (Parallel illustration) If some father comes to me asking for my council re: how this guy who is shacking up with a girl & also wants to date his daughter, guess what...that father & I can "pre-judge" such a person not knowing other details about who he is and what else he stands for...
#3 (Parallel illustration) A corporation could have the best products in the world...but if they are using their profits to filter thru their PACS into Democrats' coffers or other liberal causes, I can "pre-judge" such a corporations' products on the basis of their political priorities.
#4 (Parallel application needed by posters) And, as, Mr. Geer pointed out above, Mormons aren't alone in representing who voters are "uncomfortable" voting for...He mentioned Muslims and atheists as well. So those who want to come on to this thread and start lecturing those who are wary of Mormonism's tenets would be advised to be consistent: Whatever they say about neglecting/ignoring the "ism" of a Mormon candidate likewise applies to neglecting/ignoring the "ism" of a Muslim candidate.
Exactly.
Yes, that conference will be interesting to see how much Romney and Huntsman try to claim that their low-level god appointed by the head of a council of gods is somehow the Ultimate God from all eternity who is the God of Christians.
This can’t be sugar-coated. It’s a huge problem for him, and I expect our friends in the press are already cooking up extended exposés on Warren Jeffs and the more peculiar aspects of Mormonism, along with made for TV cult movies, etc. Huntsman already seems to be going taqiyya on the issue, but Romney is stuck with it.
Mormon beliefs about the Trinity and the number of gods there are: Mormons, when cornered about trinitarian-like passages in the Book of Mormon and Bible often try to hide under a "we believe in the godhead" kind of camouflage "trinity." But make no mistake, they consider it a "pagan" teaching. Whereas when we ask how many gods they worship, sometimes they'll say one -- sometimes two -- adding Jesus. (Be wary of a group when they can't even tell you how many gods they worship).
They believe multiple gods exist, and that the ranks of the gods are increasing over eternity...perhaps in the MILLIONS or more.
Mormon beliefs about "original sin": Mormons believe Jesus took care of whatever "original sin" there was...and even that "original sin" wasn't all that bad.
They say when Eve sinned that it was something to be "celebrated" (their contemporary leader's assessment, not mine). To coin a phrase, Even "fell upward." They believe if Eve had not sinned, she would not have been able to have children. Therefore, they associate becoming pregnant/sex with sin; and then also mankind would not have been able to become eventual gods.
Mormons militate vs. original sin to the degree that they think children are totally innocent for the first eight years of their lives! (Yet they say they baptize children "for the remission of sins"...if they are innocent, what sin?)
The canon of Scripture for Mormons? They say the Bible is -- but add this disclaimer -- "insofar as correctly translated." Joseph Smith revised the KJV into his "Inspired Version"...but since it no longer has copyright of that work, they don't/can't distribute it. And then whenever the Bible disagrees with Mormon teachings, which is often, they have an convenient "out" that it must not have been translated "correctly." They disavow verses like Hebrews 1:1-2...which says that in FORMER times, God communicated thru prophets. But in latter times, He spoke thru His Son, Jesus Christ.
They also greatly downplay New Testament verses which focus on God building a living flesh and blood temple -- the Body of Christ -- to replace the man-built physical temple structures. And then they take Egyptian funeral documents and claim it was the "Book of Abraham" and "the Book of Moses" as part of the Pearl of Great Price. Overall, not very many "scriptures" have been added from non-Joseph Smith sources, making their claim for a "living 'prophet'" who has anything "Scripture"-worthy to say quite spurious.
The media will not allow America to elect a Mormon. Yet, a pseudo Christian with Marxist Muslim roots and no personal history to examine is a different story.
They're BOTH pseudo-Christians...Mormons are among the best counterfeit "Christians" there are...fortunately, many are coming out -- and into the true Christ!
I’ll say it again. If this man is the nominee, I’m sitting this one out and its more than just his religion although that’s a big part of it. I can’t believe we could nominate someone who supports a state’s version of o-care
Not nearly as much of a hurdle as the man himself has become.
Run Romney as the candidate and you’ll see 4 more years of Obama.
Faith is not his hurdle. He is a RINO that will only continue America on it’s way to destruction lying all the way.
Odd that Dingy Harry Reid's faith was never a hurdle for him. I wonder if that (D) after his name had anything to do with it?
He can not win so why does sitting it out hurt? I feel the same way.
For me, it’s not about his religion at all. It’s about his being way too far to the left for what this country needs.
No way I’m ever voting for Willard. I’m forever done with holding my nose and going with the lesser of two evils. It’s a conservative (Palin, Cain, etc.) or I’m staying home on election day and watching 0bama eke out a victory over a RINO.
FUMR!
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