Do Americans Have Faith In Romney?

Former Massachusetts Governor's Run For The White House Puts Mormon Religion In The Spotlight

(CBS)  Monday night is family night for Brian and Jennifer Williams and their four children. They gather in the kitchen of their Maryland home to prepare food for a local homeless shelter.

Later at home, they sing and pray.

Family is central to the Williams' religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; the Mormons. While their family life seems comfortable and familiar, the beliefs and practices of their Mormon faith are now in the spotlight, because one of their own is a credible contender for the presidency.

Mitt Romney, the 60-year-old former governor of Massachusetts, leads among Republican candidates in most polls in Iowa and New Hampshire and often fields questions about his religion.

"I'm not running as a Mormon, and I don't think ... and I get a little tired of coming on a show like yours and having it all about Mormon," Romney said during an interview on Aug. 2.

But if the surveys are right, a significant portion of the American electorate does not see the Mormon faith as just another branch of Christianity, reports CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield. In fact, they see some of its history and beliefs as unusual enough to give them pause about putting a Mormon in the White House.

Some of this doubt is likely rooted in the past; the recent past.

Most world religions have histories that go back thousands of years. The Mormon faith was born much more recently; in 1827, when Joseph Smith claimed to have uncovered a set of golden plates in upstate New York which told of ancient prophets in the New World.

Mormons believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. They also believe that Jesus had siblings and that after his resurrection, he preached in the Americas. They believe the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Mo., near Kansas City. Also, they once embraced the practice of polygamy.

Despite their differences, Mormons say they are Christians.

"We teach the Bible. We believe the Bible. We are firm believers in Jesus Christ," says Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican who has represented Utah in the Senate for more than 30 years.

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Only On The Web: Sen. Hatch On Mormon Faith

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There are now 15 Mormons in Congress. Three are Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. But they all come from Utah, the center of American Mormonism, or nearby states.

In a national election, Mormonism may be a key issue for Mitt Romney, especially among evangelicals.

"When they learn some things about what Mormons believe, many of those things seem very strange, because they're out of their own experience," says John Green of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

"It does make us unique, but not because we're different from our neighbors, but because when we're asked those questions, we have a unique, truly fascinating, truly American story to kind of tell," Brian Williams says.

John F. Kennedy famously confronted doubts about his Catholic faith in 1960 by inviting skeptics to question him. Should Romney's campaign flourish, say his advisers, he will need to do the same.

[randalds]

Hey Mitt! Want to show some faith in your hawkish support for this debacle of a war? Send some of kids to fight it! Otherwise you just come off as all of the other gutless cowardly chicken-hawks who cheer on other people and other peoples kids to go off and die in a war you say you support, but not quite enough to put your own as*s on the line. You know, like Bush and Cheney.

[pepperp1]

Sorry he lost my interest when I read the story about the pooping dog strapped to the top of the car with his small children in the car, something not right there.

[starleo146]

I have a lot of relatives in Mass. and they just despise him. They said he was just as bad as Bush almost destroyed Mass. Got a lot of money and can buy his way into anything.

[jsilver2th]

I am tired of these media lies that this guy will be the first Moron in the White House- look at the current one...

[rushlimpdrug]

"Do Americans Have Faith In Romney?"

About as much faith as I do in CBS crackpot reporting.
Do some REAL reporting then get back with me.

[bot14]

The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is a restoration of First Century Christianity
1) Baptism by immersion by the father of the family:
http://www.imj.org.il/eng/exhibitions/2000/christianity/ancientchurch/structure/index.html

2) Lay ministry

3) The Nicene Creed: The oldest Greek version of 1 John, read: "There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three are one."

Scribes later added "the Father, the Word and the Spirit," when translating into Latin, according to Dr. Bart Ehrman, Chairman of the Religion Department at UNC- Chapel Hill. . . .He no longer believes in the Nicene Trinity. . . Scholars agree that Early Christians believed in an embodied God; it was neo-Platonist influences that later turned Him into a disembodied Spirit. .

4) The Deity of Jesus Christ For members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS), Jesus is not only the Son of God but also God the Son. Evangelical pollster George Barna found 33 percent of American Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists agreed that Jesus was %u201Cwithout sin%u201D, but 70 percent of Mormons believe Jesus was sinless. http://www.adherents.com/misc/BarnaPoll.html

5) Christ's resurrection is a better symbol than the Cross (which became a common Christian symbol in the Fifth Century)

[mattcbsmatt]

well yes what a stuid question :)

[randalds]

All religions are cults at one point or another in their history. The idea that Joesph Smith read with the help of seeing stones in his hat is no more odd then the idea that Jesus healed leprosy with a touch, brought back the dead and walked on water. And of course there's the magic trick with the loves and fishes. as far as I can tell all religions have their bizarre stories and none is anymore believable then the others. I don't like Romney, but not because he's Mormon. I don't like him because he's a slick and slippery right wing republican that will say anything to get elected, even outright lies. He reminds me of an unethical lawyer or slick used car salesman. He oozes in and out of the room and leaves little puddles of slime behind him, sort of like Rove does.

[john3-1516]

Quit googling and ask a real Mormon what he or she believes. There are tons of websites that purposely put out misleading and untrue statements about the LDS Church. Think about it!
And Webster's dictionary says a cult is a group that attracts a small number of devotees. The LDS Church has over 13 million members worldwide. Nothing they do resembles a cult. These are honest, hardworking, selfless and caring people that DO believe in Jesus Christ and that HE is our Savior. Like I said, ask a real Mormon what he or she believes.

[hypnotoad72]

Time will tell. But, right now, I'm more inclined to vote for him than I would for Hillary.

Which is sad, we need more articles discussing what they stand for. But I don't think I'd be inclined to vote for Hillary whatsoever. I don't trust her. Especially given the diatribe accorded her during the 1990s. What about her has changed?

[hawksprings]

It's sooooo revealing about CBS's slant when you look at what stories they allow posting comments on and which ones they don't.

The one on Dems face tough questions on gay issues does not allow comments.

...

[randalds]

The one on Dems face tough questions on gay issues does not allow comments.

...
Posted by hawksprings at 10:48 PM : Aug 10, 2007

They did for most of the day, but then stopped allowing it because so many people were saying hateful and disgusting things about ga*y people.

[billfitzger]

If I was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I would ask myself, what is up with all of the phony cut down stories about this church? If even half of the crazy stories were true then how can there be over 13 million members? Simple, the made up stories are false and Joseph is a Prophet and the Book of Mormon is the word of God as is the Bible. I gained a testimony in my first meeting with missionaries. The most important message on the earth today is that the heavens are open once again and a Prophet and twelve Apostles walk the earth and the restoration has taken place as spoken of in Acts 3:21

[jeffchandle1]

Hey, all you fellow Mormons, SHUT UP. I am Mormon and I get embarassed by your inappropriate preaching. This is neither the time nor place to convert people. I have never seen Mitt Romney take the pulpit and try to convert people.
And for all you non-Mormon readers. Yes, there are some of us who are actually normal. I have to apologize for some of these other idiots. I don't know them.

[billpl-2009]

"Like I said, ask a real Mormon what he or she believes."
Posted by John3-1516

...and you can start right here:

http://www.childbrides.org/

[geschwarz]

To jeffchandle1,

Your comments are rude and unbecoming of a member of the Mormon church. Perhaps you are a recent convert, so I will have you know that we shouldn't talk that way in public or private as it is not how we are taught to speak. We are deciples of Jesus Christ which means that we should always strive to act like him. Your comments are an embarasment to the church. To you non-Mormon readers, you can see that we are not all the same nor are we perfect, but we strive to be our best, most of us anyways.

[oakishpines]

most get sick tax world folk most time remind us relentlessly that most folk most time song dance skit kit get well feed world songs rallied round sick beds that drift amoung tens millions spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail groups and most folk shopgift grass and dirt for cures for cancer and other margaritas and invest money and votes in non-charity and taxation and hike naked and dance dressed for life and lunch the musical epic quest to cure the common death and the wondet supet flora poet ballot ballet bowl. thou shalt not hold hands and weave bouquets nor drip compost fertilize and drip water irrigate. noisy sirens are the quietly screaming battered small kids ******* berated by 99 plus % of all punishments. praise discipline

[oakishpines]

to abandon four year olds in detentions run by school folk, to abandon adolescents to school room interrogations by dare staff, to abandon whole schools of kids to shock and awetists

to dare and shock and awe and discipline and war that starves and slaves and tortures and rapes millions and billions of babies and small children

to dance get sick tax world songs in a world get sicked and taxed plenty already

or to dance get well feed world songs in a world get welled and fed plenty already

that's a question?

[geschwarz]

To singinrick,

You evangelicals sure do spend a lot of time digging for arcane stuff. The persons you have cited are not prophets of the church. The books they wrote are not official church publications. The things they wrote are a reflection of their own personal beliefs and do not necessarily reflect the actual teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The things you cited are all foreign to me as I have been a member of the church all my life.

All you are doing is trying to slander the church with stuff that is unrepresentative of actual church teachings.

[randalds]

All you are doing is trying to slander the church with stuff that is unrepresentative of actual church teachings.

Posted by geschwarz at 12:40 AM : Aug 11, 2007

Slandering churches, religions and people are ricky's stock in trade. He comes here professing to be a christian, but then does Satan's work of hatred, bigotry and intolerance. He is one of the people that makes me the most glad to be atheist, just so I don't have to be associated with a demon serpent trying to speak in god's name like him. He can make any claims about being a christian that he wants to, but if there was a god he wouldn't allow an evil soul like his speak in his name. He is NOT a Christian by any stretch of the word. H is a satan in sheep's clothing.

[billpl-2009]

Thanks, SinginRick for proving how anal and petty the Mormon religion is,
unfortunately you also proved that Christianity isn't much better.

[geschwarz]

To singinrick,

What is your aim? The simple purpose of the Mormon church is to bring people to christ. This is no different than any other Christina church. So why are you on the attack? As mortals we know almost nothing about God and what he has done and how he has done it or anything else. All we have are some scriptures written by prophets. It is a bit naive of you to assume that some scripture is right and other scripture is wrong and that you know the difference. It would be wise of you to humble yourself and stop picking on other people and just try to be a good person and serve your fellow man.

Incidentally this is what the Mormon church is all about; to be good, wholesome, productive, patriotic, and above all else %u201C%u2026when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.%u201D Mosiah 2:17 of the Book of Mormon.

[oakishpines]

most get sick tax world folk most time remind us relentlessly that most folk most time song dance skit kit get well feed world songs rallied round sick beds that drift amoung tens millions spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail groups & most folk shopgift grass & dirt for cures for cancer & other margaritas & invest money & votes in non-charity & taxation & hike naked & dance dressed for life & lunch the musical epic quest to cure the common death & the wondet supet flora poet ballot ballet bowl. thou shalt not hold hands & weave bouquets nor drip compost fertilize & drip water irrigate. noisy sirens are the quietly screaming battered small kids ******* berated by 99 plus % of all punishments because they are 99 plus % more likely to suffer injury or death as a result. praise discipline for there are no eternal storyboards swimming in oceans of eternal storyboards (jus porn'n)

[randalds]

You could care less about people. If you did, you wouldn't slander people and childishly insult them all the time for not conforming to your atheistic beliefs and your bold claim that God does not exist.

Posted by singinrick at 12:56 AM : Aug 11, 2007

Another lie ricky? Not too surprising. Unlike you I have never tried to get anyone to think like I do. You use the bible and your "faith" as a weapon to try to browbeat people into believing your particular version of Christianity and I have never tried to tell anyone they should be an atheist like I am or a self-righteous pompous as*s like you are. Still go ahead and lie away ricky if it makes you feel better. In your heart you know they're lies and they'll eat you alive if you actually have a soul, which is suspect right now. I used to be a very devout christian ricky. Witnessing on street corners and preaching the faith, but I'm proud to say I was never a bigot with a bible like you are.

[randalds]

What is your aim? The simple purpose of the Mormon church is to bring people to christ. This is no different than any other Christina church. So why are you on the attack?

Posted by geschwarz at 12:58 AM : Aug 11, 2007

Because you don't believe exactly the way about Christ that he does, therefore you're wrong and in his eyes will roast in Hell. He is the classic face of right wing religious Christian bigotry in America today as promoted by such people as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and George W. Bush. To them being a Christian is not good enough. You must meet with THEIR approval, not gods.

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,, Won't you at leaste get his name right ??? -- Yeshua bar Yahosef bar Yaqub

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,, Christians hated the man because he said,, "You can't know me if you are not born Jewish" & he would have ruined thier story --- His God given name was,, Yeshua bar Yahosef bar Yaqub

[randalds]

You have claimed boldly that you "know for a fact" that God does not exist on these boards on numerous occasions, and you have also taken every opportunity to attack Christians every chance you get.

Posted by singinrick at 01:14 AM : Aug 11, 2007

A half truth and then another lie. Yes it's true that I don't believe in god any longer. However it's a lie to say that I attack Christians. I don't. I attack you and you're many things, but you are not a Christian. You are a self righteous, pompous, sanctimonious, holier-the-thou bigot, who uses faith as a weapon to hurt, rather then as a balm to sooth. Then when I point it out to you, instead of realizing the truth of my words, you hide behind scripture by claiming that the bible says you're blessed for being attacked in Jesus' name. But you're wrong ricky, because the people here who hate what you say and what you try to push on others don't hate you because you're a christian. They hate you because you're a phony one and even you don't realize it. You are a phony ricky, but you don't realize it, even though it's plain to everyone else around you here.

[unclereggie2]

I could give a flying *** about pander boy's supposed "faith." Hopefully his savior receives a brand of unwavering, heartfelt devotion than the self-serving lip service this greedy, vapid, daddy-wanna-be insincere car salesman delivers on issues that matter to the American people.

Oh, and if he wins the Iowa straw poll, what planet is Iowa on? One where a candidate%u2019s self-absorbed sons are considered selfless because they server their paymaster? God Help us and forgive them.

[j-whitman]

Think about it Rick,,,, If Yeshua bar Yahosef bar Yaqub (the dude you call Jesus) would have lived,,, What would have happened to the story & Christianity ???

[j-whitman]

John 15,,,, That's the part that says,, If the world hates you, it's ok

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,,, Who do you pay your rent to ??? ---- That's your Lord

[j-whitman]

Rick,,, What would you know,,, You think Yeshua bar Yahosef bar Yaqub,,, is white, American, republican & still alive.

[randalds]

Oh, and it is not a "half truth" that you have said you "KNOW" that God does not exist either. You have stated SEVERAL times on these boards that you "KNOW" that God does not exist, and don't even try to claim otherwise.

Again Randy, unlike you, I care about the Truth, and not winning a popularity contest on a message board with a bunch of atheists.

Posted by singinrick at 01:26 AM : Aug 11, 2007

Another lie ricky. I did not claim the part about being an atheist was a half-truth. I said that about your claim that I attack all Christians. Then again I shouldn't be surprised that you attack before you understand. Rant on ricky. Back in the day I used to see some like you come to church. You know every verse of the book, word by word and you think you understand what they say, but you don't. Oh you know the literal translations, the legalities of the words, but you haven't the slightest concept of the spirit of the message. You just don't get "it". that's the difference between you and me. I did get it, I just reject it now. You never will get it because you're blinded by your own bigotry and prejudices. Yes, I've seen you before ricky in many places. You are lost but are positive you're on the right path and you don't even realize you're traveling with your eyes closed to the REAL word.

[j-whitman]

How about attacking Christians who think stopping freedom of coice for women & ignorant assaults on abortion is more importatnt than stopping wars Rick & dishonorable governments Rick ?????

[billpl-2009]

Jesus is Lord of all. Posted by singinrick

...Not Me, so you're wrong

[j-whitman]

2 Timothy 4:3 is here Rick ---- We are sick of your Bush ***** & your extreme views

[randalds]

Posted by singinrick at 01:50 AM : Aug 11, 2007

Rant on ricky. You're a biblical lawyer, minus the degree or training, sitting in judgement on those you have no right to judge, with a mandate that no one but yourself has given you. I pity you ricky. I really do. Not as much as you disgust me as the false prophet that you are and not as much as I'm glad that I no longer associate with hypocrites such as you, but still I do pity you. People like you are one of the main reasons I turned my back and realized that I am atheist. I knew that people like you, by your very existence, prove that there is no god. he/she/it would never allow someone like you to speak in his/her/it's name.

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,,, Do you think God would have invaded Iraq as Bush did ???? ---- Don't you think he cringes every time Bush mentions his name ??? ------ 8 million Iraqi's are facing starvation & another 4 million displaced in neighboring countrys,,, an estimated 20,000 people per day are trying to leave.

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,,, TRY FEEDING 8 MILLION STARVING IRAQI'S WITH A LOAF OF BREAD & A FISH

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,,, His God given name was Yeshua bar Yahosef bar Yaqub ---- Every time you say Jesus, he's covering his ears going la la la la, I don't hear you.... "My name is & always was Yeshua bar Yahosef bar Yaqub"

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,,, The dude you pay your rent to is your Lord & your employer is also your Lord ---- If you don't believe me,,, Don't go to work or pay your rent for 2 months

[randalds]

B.asic
I.nstructions
B.efore
L.e
aving
E.arth
Posted by singinrick at 02:04 AM : Aug 11, 2007

I'll bet that makes a cleaver bumper sticker, for all the good it'd do. You don't get it ricky. To you it's all about the words. A few scriptures. A cute phrase or two. That doesn't make you a Christian. Knowing the bible front to back and every word in-between doesn't make you a christian. Your words here and one other threads, words of intolerance, bigotry and hatred of all who don't believe as you do, show you to be a phony. Your words show you to be someone who just doesn't understand what the words really mean. You don't understand the spirit of them. You just parse them into bite-sized poeces that are easier for you to swallow. Again, I do pity you, if you think you need it or not. Thank god I'm an atheist. Thank god and people like you.

[randalds]

Veteran71. here's ricky bro. It fits him.

He blesses the boys, as they stand in line
The smell of gun grease and their bayonets they shine
He's there to help them all that he can
To make them feel wanted he's a good holy man

Sky Pilot
Sky Pilot
How high can you fly?
You'll never, never, never, reach the sky

He smiles at the young soldiers, tells them it's all right
He knows of their fear in the forthcoming fight
Soon there'll be blood and many will die
Mothers and fathers back home they will cry

You're soldiers of God you must understand
The fate of your country is in your young hands
May God give you strength
Do your job well
If it all was worth it
Only time it will tell

(verse)

He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile
The order is given, they move down the line
But he'll stay behind, and he'll meditate
But it won't stop the bleeding, or ease the hate

As the young men move out into the battle zone
He feels good, with God you're never alone
He feels so tired as he lays on his bed
Hopes the men will find courage in the words that he said

(verse)

In the morning they return with tears in their eyes
The stench of death lifts up to the skies
A young soldier so ill, looks at the Sky Pilot
Remembers the words 'Thou shalt not kill'.

Sky Pilot
Sky Pilot
How high can you fly?
You'll never, never, never, reach the sky

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,, Bush's War Czar Lt Gen. Douglas Lute said a draft might be necessary to meet the needs of the demands on the military -
-- Here's your chance to sign up for some big bucks Rick,,,, $20,000 if you go to bood camp withinn 30 days of signing up.

[unclereggie2]

Wow, Sky Pilot mo less. Trippy!

[j-whitman]

RandalDS --- Great post

[randalds]

Posted by j-whitman at 02:29 AM : Aug 11, 2007
Posted by unclereggie2 at 02:26 AM : Aug 11, 2007

Thanks. I just wish I could sing it as good as Eric Burdon did. Still I do love the song. It's a classic anti-war song that, unfortunately, applies to today too. What a shame.

;-)

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,,,, God didn't write the Bible,,, He never sired a son,,, They dont "Hate us for our Freedoms",,, & They won't "Follow us Home"

[randalds]

Posted by singinrick at 02:33 AM : Aug 11, 2007

And keep hiding behind your book ricky, because as I've said, people don't hate you because you're a christian (or at least claim to be). They hate you because you're a self-righteous, smug, holier-then-thou pompous as*s. I don't attack people like you because of your "faith", but rather because of how you wield it like a club and have no soul, no spirit. You're a hollow robot ricky. Spitting out verses like a machine. You're empty or rather actually full of cr*ap. Still if it helps you to sleep at night to think people dislike you because you're christian then hey, knock yourself out. It's not true and you know it, but whatever gets you through the night.