Mormons reportedly baptized slain WSJ reporter

Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is seen in this undated file photo. / AFP/Getty Images

(CBS News) The revelation that slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nearly a decade after his death prompted Mormon officials to call the baptism a "serious breach of protocol," the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

Pearl, who was Jewish, was killed by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002 after being kidnapped while on assignment for the Journal. An excommunicated Mormon uncovered records that Mormons baptized Pearl by proxy in a Twin Falls, Idaho, temple last June, the Globe reported.

The practice of posthumous baptisms intends to provide members of other religions a chance at salvation after their deaths, the Globe reported. Earlier this month, the church apologized for the baptisms of a Jewish rights advocate's parents. In 1995, it said it would stop baptizing Holocaust victims.

Upon learning of her husband's baptism, Pearl's widow Mariane Pearl echoed calls for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is Mormon, to use his front-runner status in the Republican presidential primary race to publicly oppose the practice.

"It's a lack of respect for Danny and a lack of respect for his parents," she told the Globe.

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The church has defended the practice by saying that the baptisms only offer the deceased an opportunity to accept Mormonism in the afterlife. In the case of Pearl's baptism, the church came out against it because a relative didn't perform the rite.

"In a few instances, names have been submitted in violation of policy," church spokesman Michael Purdy said in a statement to the Globe. "Whether this is done by simple error or for other reasons, the Church considers these submissions to be a serious breach of protocol. It is distressing when an individual willfully violates the Church's policy and something that should be understood to be an offering based on love and respect becomes a source of contention."

Read the full Boston Globe article here

[HolyVoice]

Doesn't it take a vocal decision to accept the sacrament of Baptism. Gosh, if the Mormons would just baptise all the Muslims who are deceased--maybe they'd be more saintly.

[TEldenJohnson]

"Mormons" (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) baptize the living on behalf of the dead because of Jesus' statement, "Except a man be born of water and the spirit [baptism], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5) and because the early Christians performed baptisms for the dead (1 Corinthians 15:29). Mormons do not believe that anyone automatically becomes a "Mormon" or is compelled to be a Mormon by such baptisms. The soul of each person decides for themselves whether they will accept the baptism. Mormons also believe in three heavens (2 Corinthians 12:1-2). Instead of being offended, the readers should realize that baptizing Daniel Pearl means that some Mormon somewhere thought that Daniel Pearl was worthy of, and should be offered the opportunity of entering into the third, or highest heaven--in other words someone was trying to honor him.

[ihaveonethingtosay]

Imposing a ritual of your belief upon another, especially if they are of another belief is simply arrogant, selfish, and totally disrespectful.

[bytebear]

Everyone needs to read this article

http://www.jewishjournal.com/jews_and_mormons/item/mormon_temples_and_jews_the_swc_charade_continues_39120226/

"FYI, discovered today: Posthumous baptisms for the parents of Simon Wiesenthal. I am collecting evidence, which will be e-mailed to you, if requested, as long as there is a public stink." - e-mail sent by anti-Mormon genealogy researcher Helen Radkey to Rabbi Abraham Cooper, February 8, 2012

[netjunkie1]

If you're a minority in this religion, you're a fool and traitor to your heritage. Mormons have a 100 year history of occultism, heresy prejudice, slander, rebellion, racism, horse thievery, land theives and in fact invaders.

[netjunkie1]

correction 200 year

[bytebear]

Go to blacklds.org. Joseph Smith preached equality of the races, he baptized and ordained blacks when the good Christians were lynching them. Blacks have always been allowed membership in the church. I am guessing if you pit American Christianity against LDS Christianity on the historic treatment of blacks, you would find the Mormons don't look so bad.

[pammmmmm]

What the heck!?!? The guy was Jewish!!!

[Lindag10]

The Mormons like baptizing dead ancestors of their members. Another strange religious practice along with the "magic underwear".

[mattrick78]

Don't all religions have strange religious practices?

[AnewPerspective]

Hey Folks, here is the Underwear Memo (for those of you who may not have received the "Underwear Memo previously:

Regarding types of underwear; plain, colored, checkered, long, short, very short, open, closed, revealing, new, old, used, very used, worn out, washed, not washed, stained, non-stained and/or etc,

We, the underwear police are offended by the type, style and/or brand of underwear some people wear - being sorely amazed that anyone would choose to wear a style of underwear that we ourselves would not wear.

Forthwith, and forevermore, we adamantly demand and hereby mandate that all citizens of the United States are to no longer wear any underwear whatsoever. We in fact (the minority group) think that it is inappropriate for any person to wear any underwear that may be seen, understood, interpreted or taken in any way as "different", unique, or in any way that may offend another's religion, or basic human rights to not have to be subjected to any underwear either covered or uncovered. As such, we are contacting our attorneys to bring suit against any underwear non-conformists.

Let it be known that any/all underwear wearers found guilty of such impropriety may soon be; fined, jailed, (perhaps imprisoned - should the underwear be especially revolting).

We the minority underwear police, deem it our own moral duty to stand united in preserving our freedom, to be free from subjection to different-than-us-brand-underwear-wearers. We therefore feel it is our duty to harass, ridicule, harangue and otherwise belittle as often as possible any underwear wearers - until there is no sane person left in the United States who would even dare wear any form of underwear whatsoever.

Signed,

We, the Underwear Police (aka linda)

[Rodeo_Joe]

Hocus pocus, hocus-pocus, or hokus pokus is a term used by magicians, usually the magic words spoken when bringing about some sort of change.

Golden plates, or stone tablets - which magically disappear.
Showtime!

[tvwatcher5345]

mormons need to realize real Americans like wearing Hanes or Fruit of the Loom, we don't need any special underwear, and when the president is sworn in traditionally it has been on a bible consisting of the old and new testament.

[newsworthy8]

Romney, get your people on track..this is ridiclious..what the hell do the mormons think..they are not christians too start with..dam them

[AnewPerspective]

Not according to "Doc", he has told us all here that mormons are in fact catholics - which makes them all christians - right?

[OnTheCrown]

"Someone needs to ask the Mormon church if they are ever going to apologize for the Mountain Meadows massacre in which Mormons murdered, in cold blood, about 120 men, women and CHILDREN!!!"

bantamei: It happened two centuries ago. I am pretty sure all those who are responsible are dead.

[AOCGUY]

bantamei, Maybe when the US Government apologies for the No Gun Ri massacre. That was only 62 years ago.