I’ve been forgetting to mention that I got a copy of Hugh Hewitt’s new book A Mormon in the White House. I’ve been a bit intimidated by Hugh Hewitt, worrying I’m not smart enough to read him (I worry the same thing about Victor Davis Hanson).
Anyway, Mitt Romney is my favorite of those currently announced, but the Mormonism is a problem (here’s a blog post from Hewitt on the subject). I’m not going to go into all the points as they are all debatable, but Mormonism can be made particularly creepy sounding (the secrecy certainly doesn’t help). On the other hand, while people complain about Islam being called “the religion of peace” when the actions of so many of its members speak otherwise, it’s thus hard to paint Mormonism as sinister and threatening when all the Mormons I’ve met are some the nicest, most trustworthy people.
I am starting to think of Mormon’s as the Black’s of the Republican party. Bush’s approval ratings in Utah are the highest in the country, they regularly donate to GOP, they really push for their members to join the military, and are by and large willing members of the right wing conspiracy. Yet they are treated like Black’s in the Democrat Party. They can be treated badly by the party yet are still loyal. Clinton came in behind Perot in one Utah election for goodness sakes. I think they have some weird beliefs and I too have been annoyed by the knocks on my door, but really what a bunch of nice people. I guess a group who can have Harry Reid as a member shows true Christlike love (for the mentally handicapped.)
On September 11, 1857 a bunch of hothead mormons waylaid a wagon train. I only know this because they made a movie with Dean Cain in it about this topic…and HE’S WEARING A COWBOY HAT!!GIRLY SQUEAL!! I loves Dean Cain in a cowboy hat, I really do. Yummy!
uhhhh, secrecy? What are we (the mormons) so secret about? The only thing I can think of that might be “secret” are trips to temple. Which are about as newsworthy as a trip to your own church. I have taken an oath to not tell what goes on, simply because we believe what goes on in there is sacred. But for those of you wanting a conspiracy theory i see how it is appetizing. If anyone actually has any questions regarding my religion ask away, i will do my best. And no, I am not voting for Romney, I am holding out for Fred.
Uh RWF, what oath of secrecy? I never took one. However, we do believe the temple is the most sacred place and we don’t parade it in front of the world.
Also, I’m holding out for Fred.
@John:
I never said I took an oath of secrecy…
Keep this discussion going, it is going to be an interesting one. Frank..when I was growing up in the 60’s, the the difference between the Protestant kids and the Catholic kids was HUGE….there was a lot of talk about the “creepiness” of the Catholic church. It was all about the stuff we didn’t understand. You know, sacrificing puppies, drinking blood..all that stuff.
Moving out west where there are lots of LDS folks was weird for me at first. I really didn’t like ’em. Now having been here a while and being a military family where there are TONS of LDS servicemen their families….I realize that it was the same kind of thing. Lots of rumors about crazy stuff, but they have almost all been the nicest, most dependable, most patriotic people I have ever met.
The loony left is going to try to make this an issue, it will either blow up in their faces or else it will set a precedent for all to be judged by their belief in non-secular “fairy tales”. As an evangelical Christian I particularly resent that lefty writers continue to refer to fundamentalist doctrine as evidence of my unlikelihood of voting for Romney. WRONG AGAIN!
Mormons ARE usually nice. Except for that ornery bald one wearing a orange robe I met in the airport. Boy was he ever a grouch.
But I got him back: his Tambourine is mounted over my Fireplace.
I can still hear him cursing.
heh.
there was a lot of talk about the “creepiness” of the Catholic church. It was all about the stuff we didn’t understand. You know, sacrificing puppies, drinking blood..all that stuff.
You mean I wasn’t supposed to be sacrificing puppies all these years? I suspected that those teachers in high school weren’t really priests!
what i don’t understand is what a Morman president could really do as a Morman vs a non-Morman. He can’t make law, He can’t declare war, he can’t appoint a Morman to the supreme court(well yes he could try but that would go no where).
The worst he could do is by executive order, order schools to service green jello salad on fridays.
Never had a problem with Mormons except the missionaries back in school in Mexico that kept telling me I was going to hell for getting drunk all the time.
My wife tell me the same thing now, it’s a reoccurring theme in my life.
Frank, thank you for this post. It’s good to see you don’t have Mormonophobia like the “news” folks are trying to promote.
While Romney seems at this point to be the best out of the three, he still isn’t as strong and liberty-minded as a Latter-Day Saint should be.
And Harry Reid…What a flaming disgrace. It’s unfortunate to say that even William J. Clinton would be a better Christ-loving Mormon than Mr. Reid. Bill may be able to claim ignorance (to a degree), but Harry? Nope; full accountability awaits you amigo.
Frank,
You should read a bit about Captain Moroni and his philosophy for liberty, patriotism, and treason. You would you be surprised how closely match your views.
“And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians. And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.”
“Yea, and he [Moroni] was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.”
The problem with Romney is not that he’s a Mormon – it’s that he’s such a plastic fake. He looks like something from a Quinn-Martin production. Every time I see him speak, I expect some fed-up earnest cop to come up and slug him in the jaw, right before he throws away his badge (roll credits).
This guy has all the charisma of Wink Martindale. He will make Hillary’s auto-pilot look like Mae West; dark horse Obama will turn into Secretariat.
This election, frankly, is the Democrats’ to lose if the situation in Iraq doesn’t improve soon. However, Democrats are very adept at losing elections, because they frequently fall in love with candidates who spout their liberal orthodoxy, which thankfully more than half the country doesn’t buy.
But there is nothing America hates more than a phony, and Romney’s recent NRA conversion is just the latest example of his, uh, pliability. If Republicans nominate him in the mistaken belief he is the only true defender of the faith, they will hand the White House to, most likely, Barack Hussein Obama.
Frank,
Yes, your right….your not smart enought to read Victor Davis Hanson.
None of us are.
I don’t know what life was like on the planet Kolob with God and his first wife, Gonorrah, but I suspect that when Slick Willy and Harry Reid become gods of their own planets, they will get a methane-filled gas giant or a black hole. Sorry, Hillary.
Thanks for the post Frank. I’ll admit I’m holding out for Fred too. I wouldn’t vote for Mitt because he’s LDS anymore than I’d vote for Reid. My two issues are the WOT and constitutionalist judges. And I just don’t know if Mitt will stand strong.
the most interesting thing about the mormon thing imo, is if people were making junk up 150 years ago (which I think most non-mormons would agree with concerning the mormon Bible), why is it so difficult to believe that people were making junk up 1700 years ago
I have lots of problems with the Mormon faith (it is a cult, really). Their views of the ascendency of man to the status of God (and the notion that God was once just a man on another world), their doctrine that shifts constantly to fit in better with society (apparently blacks are no longer cursed by God like they were in the 1800s, and while polygamy used to be okay, now it’s frowned upon), the notion that Jesus and Satan are brothers (“spirit children” produced by the sexual exploits of God and his harem of celestial wives), and the fact that Joseph Smith was such an inveterate liar (he presented “proof” of his prophecies by showing ancient Mormon writings that only he could read – until the discovery of the Rosetta stone introduced the translation of hieroglyphics and proved that Smith’s “holy” documents were in fact nothing more than pages from the Egyptian book of the dead), among other things.
It bothers me that most Mormons have never investigated these things.
But I won’t speak ill of a Mormon, because you are right – they are some of the nicest people that you’ll ever meet. But remember, they HAVE to be, because in Mormonism you have to EARN your way into Heaven, as opposed to Christianity, where salvation is the free gift of God, received by faith, purchased for us by the blood of Jesus.
I’m leaning toward Mitt right now. I’m a Southern Baptist who believes Mormonism is a cult, but every Mormon I’ve ever known without exception (I suspect yours was a Hari Krishna HKP ;)) have been terrific people (including a couple of my best friends in high school). I’m not electing a pastor, I’m electing a president. For that, the fact that the LDS church shares the same values (and often lives them better) is more than sufficient. Romney’s also a very engaging speaker, and I believe best suited for the necessary task of cleaning out the bureaucratic swamps that are attempting to paralyze the Bush administration.
You have to get over this, for your own sake. Treat him like a rented monkey.
As far as his candidacy goes, I have more problems with Romney’s Flipflopipty-ism, than his Mormonism.
A Mormon in the White House sounds like a mystery thriller that should star Wesley Snipes.
Beo: It bothers me that most Mormons have never investigated these things.
It bothers me you actually believe the stuff you wrote.
One does have to wonder why BYU does not have huge departments of astronomy and archaeology.
Whatchu talkin’ about Willis?
http://astronomy.byu.edu/
http://fhss.byu.edu/anthro/
because in Mormonism you have to EARN your way into Heaven, as opposed to Christianity, where salvation is the free gift of God, received by faith, purchased for us by the blood of Jesus.
Can we put this to rest? It’s a common mischaracterization that results from differences in terminology. We certainly do believe that salvation comes through the grace of Christ and is free to the penitent. What you have to earn is exaltation, your degree of glory in the eternities. Whole different ball o’ wax.
As for the “cult” label, please remember that early Christianity could just as easily be called a cult, and I have no doubt that Saul of Tarsus persecuted it on that basis.
Fools! Soon the Feline Theocracy will have you all in its power. Then shall the unbelievers be forced to toil night and day in the tuna mines!
Muuuhahahahaha!
I don’t think Mormonism is his biggest problem.
Its Multiple Choice Mitt. Life Long hunter except he’s only been twice and hasn’t had a hunting license, and didn’t own a firearm until a while ago. Gun supporter except for assault weapons bans and no concealed carry and other loopholes hat he PRAISES. Small Government conservative stand except for the mandated health care that is already 2 times as expensive as he said it would be – and is leading to socialized medicine in Mass. And regardless of his partisans’ attacks on others, he has flip flopped on abortion in the recent past as witnessed on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4
Multiple Choice Mitt – flip flop king. Mormonism is the least of his problems.
hugh is a fan of dr savages’
trust me frank, smarts are highly over-rated
Which Romney are you supporting? Pro-Choice pro-gay, anti-gun Romney or Pro-life, anti-gay, NRA Romney?