Mitt Romney reads scripture on his Apple iPad
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney
Romney and his wife, Ann, who are Mormon, made the high-tech disclosure in an interview with The Huffington Post. Asked what he did to keep himself "spiritually grounded," Romney said that he goes to church every Sunday and "I read Scripture regularly and seek the counsel of my creator on a daily basis."
He added, "I pray every day. I don't read Scriptures every day. Probably should."
At that point Ann held up an iPad. "There we go," Romney said. "I've got them on my iPad."
Religion has been a sensitive issue for Romney. Many attribute his loss in the Iowa caucuses four years ago to the inability of the state's Christian conservatives to rally around a Mormon. ,/P>
He has seemed more comfortable talking about some aspects of his faith this time around. He often refers to his time as a Mormon missionary in France in the late 1960s as a period where he truly understood the greatness of America.
He also recently said that he doesn't at all mind door-knocking, a staple of retail campaigning, as he did it daily in France and for one stretch "we didn't convert one person in five months. So, you understand rejection."
In a sign that the issue may have receded since 2008, particularly given overriding concern about the economy, Romney's specific religion did not come up in The Huffington Post interview.
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I'm a factory worker. The company I work for is close to losing 20,000 jobs due to mismanagement and greed. Our biggest competitor was recently bought out by a Mexican company. I've been supportive of Obama, and of some of the "occupy" protestors, and of some of the Tea Party. I don't know who I will vote for, but, as far as I can tell, Obama has done nothing to help the working man. He has come out in support of the banker who epitomizes everything that the occupy movement is protesting and Obama seems to know more about what happened to the lost billion than anyone. He also should know what has happened to the lost trillions. Obama and Newt are no less privileged than Mitt, and both are classic flip-floppers (see U-turn President). They are part of the problem. Mitt might be also, but, so far, he is the only one I can see that has the experience to come in and fire the greedy people who have created this bankrupted mess. I honestly don't know if I will vote for Mitt, but ask that we don't let petty anti-religious feelings decide the fate of our country. (Can't say the word that truly defines it). We are all Americans. We need to work on this together. It is not wise to refuse to look into anything, and to vote for the person on your team, regardless of what it will do to America.
Lastly, using double-standards and dishonesty to negatively paint my religious minority is not what is best for anyone, especially when it is for political gain.
Belief that we will rule our own planet: I haven't read this in LDS scriptures and don't know where the critics get this claim (they tend to dig through everything said by a Mormon and find all sorts of things that aren't necessarily doctrine). However, LDS do accept the Christian and Biblical Doctrine of Deification. (See my reply below to goplies).
Love of money: This is not true. There are many Mormons who are rich, and Mormons do tend to be very educated (relative to most Americans), but the love of money is discouraged by our Church founder, who is the Son of God. I don't know how easy it will be for Mitt to enter Heaven, but if riches make a person a bad President well..... then we are in trouble. They are all rich relative to me.
Belief in magic underwear. This seems to be an anti-Mormon belief, I know no LDS who believe this. We do wear priesthood clothing, many religions do this (I don't know if Jewish people, Priests, and others are mocked for their priestly clothing, but I don't generally see it tolerated in comment sections, except if it is said about Mormons.)
Discrimination against gays: The LDS Church has repeatedly called for tolerance and have spoken out in support of any laws protecting people from discrimination. The LDS also agrees with most Americans that gay marriage is not needed and would not be good for America.
Mormons are a cult: I guess that depends on who is defining cult. If Jesus is a cult leader....well, we are a cult. If not, then we are not a cult. It's that simple. He is the Head of our Church. He founded it in His day, and reestablished it through Joseph Smith.
Gotta run, will try to cover more later. Just want to end with the comment above.
Some are professional anti-Mormons (often paid by religious groups) others are special interest groups spreading rumors for political gain, and others just don't like Mormons. Then there are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who try to clear up some of the defamation, but if we answered every accusation against us we would do little else. That's me : ).
On racism accusations see below. I'm not saying there have never been racial issues in the Church of Jesus Christ (even clear back to the first Church President, the apostle Peter, who thought non-Jews were unclean). But, what I am saying, and what Julian seems to be saying, is that most Americans (especially pre Civil War Americans) had some racist ideas, but Mormons are and were less racist than most Americans. If you would like to contrast LDS views to non-LDS check out Black lds.
Another common misconception is that Mormons practice polygamy (some accuse us of this, and at the same time hate us because they believe Mormons forced most Americans to believe marriage should be limited to one man and one woman). Some educated people are beginning to figure out that Mormons are not polygamists (in spite of the anti-Mormon efforts to paint us as such). They still don't know that Utah was first to give Blacks and women the vote, and that Utah women were some of America's first female Doctors and Lawyers and so on.
The Book of Mormon condemns polygamy, except under certain circumstances. Most people don't have issues with those circumstances rising a thousand years ago, but they get very angry that they rose a hundred years ago, even though both eras were completely different times (many people in the 19th Century were practicing polygamy, some Christians even lived in communes, and practiced free love, some of these became LDS, and probably viewed polygamy as a step towards conservatism.)
Those below, accusing LDS of all manner of evil do so dishonestly, and we should question their motivation for doing so.
Some are professional anti-Mormons (often paid by religious groups) others are special interest groups spreading rumors for political gain, and others just don't like Mormons. Then there are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who try to clear up some of the defamation, but if we answered every accusation against us we would do little else. That's me : ).
Here are a few of the most repeated untruths about Mormons:
1 We are racist. My family is racially mixed, and I hope you understand how tiring it is to be constantly called "racist" because I'm a member of Christ's Church. There are some very good articles about this on FAIR lds. Search "Are Mormons Prejudiced against Blacks?" Also, http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/response/qa/blacks_prejudice.htm
And, on Black lds there are a bunch of good ones, here is a quote from one by Juliann Reynolds
"In response to their shockingly polemical treatment of a serious and critical issue facing all religions, I will display to the reader what...(anti-Mormons) cherry-picked in their opening salvo. Next, we will discuss the double standard that anti-Mormons apply to the LDS Church while nervously whistling past the graveyard of their own troubled religious history. Last, it is time to ask a question of those who continue to pit racial groups against one another in the name of Christ. Are they guilty of engaging in a subtle but virulent racism by reducing the black race to nothing more than a convenient brickbat in their polemical assaults on other Christians?" ( Juliann discusses some of the racism in others Churches, America, and so on and contrasts that to what Mormons REALLY believe, and taught previously and now, he quotes conferences and so on.
I have them on mine as well. They are very handy and easily accessible.
http://lds.org/scriptures/formats?lang=eng
Here's one that could easily be applied to this comment board.
Job 21:3 "Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on."
I mean there is pandering and there is PANDERING. For Mitt, it is always the latter.
Hope you will not pick that little punk, Rubio. What has the young punk ever done for this country but take.
A man of color that loves this country and served with honors is Allen West, unlike Rubio.
Palin, would kick Biden's a** in the debate, that's for sure.
This time, Biden has Obama's record to defend.
In the Palin/Biden debate below, she had to defend McCain for the whole debate. Had she been able to tell of her 20 years in public service she would have won big time.
Hope Palin endorses Romney for president..
Hope Romney picks her as his VP..
Would for sure be a "bonanza for the media".
If Romney did pick Palin, below is what the VP debate would look like between Biden and Palin.
See the 2008 VP debate between Biden and Palin right here just click on the link
or copy and paste in your browser.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/VicePresidentialCandidate ....
Now with Obama's record she would go for the truth and Biden would not be able to defend him...
This debate set a record for the "most viewed, almost 85 million", including PBS..
.
You either have a screw loose or you are missing the obvious: Palin has been toast for a hell of a long time politically in this country.