The Wrong Kind Of Religious

The New Republic: Despite His Efforts, Romney's Mormonism Always Held Back His Campaign

(The New Republic)  This column was written by Peter Keating.

---

Mitt Romney suspended his presidential campaign yesterday, after his poor showing on Super Tuesday made a victory over John McCain all but mathematically impossible. As much as McCain and Mike Huckabee loathe Mitt, it's been easy to imagine them conspiring to deliver the killing stroke. Conventional wisdom says Huckabee won five southern states outright and helped turn others, such as Missouri, to McCain by taking conservative votes away from Romney.

But Romney probably wasn't going to earn those ballots anyway. Southern states have GOP primary electorates dominated by evangelical Christians, specifically by Southern Baptists. And many of those Southern Baptists are committed to blocking the ascension of a Mormon to the presidency.

For the conservative pundits backing Romney who missed this story, ideology trumps theology. But for many evangelicals, it's the other way around. Southern Baptists and Mormons are not only two of the four largest religious denominations in the country, they are the most aggressive of American missionary faiths, and have been on a collision course for generations.

Protestant leaders have been objecting to various tenets of Mormonism for 175 years, but Southern Baptists grew especially alarmed when Mormon churches moved into Georgia and Texas in the 1980s. Since then, the Southern Baptist Convention has moved aggressively to warn its members about the "dangers" of the Mormon faith, characterizing Mormonism as a cult in books and teaching kits it has offered to its members. As Columbia doctoral student Neil J. Young put it, "Probably no other organization in the nation has played a bigger role in perpetuating the idea that Mormonism is a cult than the Southern Baptist Convention."

In 1998, the Southen Baptists held their annual convention in Salt Lake City, opposing the "cult" head-on. As one minister called Mormonism "counterfeit Christianity" and the convention passed a resolution stipulating "biblical revelation [as opposed to, say, the Book of Mormon] as the sole source of saving truth," 3,000 Baptist volunteers went knocking on doors in the heart of the world capital of Mormonism, attempting to evangelize local residents.

Something else happened at that 1998 confab: The governor of Arkansas and former president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention, a fellow named Mike Huckabee, addressed the Pastors' Conference, a two-day meeting preceding the actual convention. "I got into politics," Huckabee told his fellow Baptist ministers, "because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives." Reporters attending the Pastors' Conference found copies of Huckabee's most recent book, Kids Who Kill: Confronting our Culture of Violence, in the press room. They also got a book called Mormonism Unmasked.

The Baptists' propaganda efforts have been successful. In November 2006, 53 percent of evangelical Christians (compared with 43 percent of all Americans) told a Rasmussen survey they would never even consider voting for a Mormon presidential candidate. Last December, the Pew Research Center found that of white evangelicals who attend church regularly, 52 percent believe Mormonism is not Christian.

Maybe because the kind of Republicans Romney hung out with at Bain Capital and the Olympics don't share this outlook (62 percent of white mainline Protestants told Pew they think Mormonism is Christian), he rather blithely dismissed the views underlying these numbers. But they cropped up almost from the beginning of the presidential campaign. Last August, for example, in advance of the Iowa straw poll, a group called U.S. Christians for Truth circulated a flyer that stated: "We strongly believe that Jesus Christ, if he were alive in the flesh in this time and voted, would NEVER vote for Mitt Romney under any circumstances. ... Mitt Romney represents Mormonism which is counterfeit Christianity, a cult."

On December 5, the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board launched a three-part website series called "Is Mormonism Christian?" Among the highlights of the second installment: "Deceived or deceiver? Either way, it seems pretty clear that Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God. Accordingly, despite the fact that the Mormon church embraces a few beliefs in line with biblical Christianity it is demonstrably a false religion." The following day, the series declared, "Mormonism is a theological cult." And in addressing the question of Romney's candidacy, it stated that while his issue positions could be what matter most, "others may argue, a Mormon president would provide Mormonism with visibility beyond anything it has had up to now and consequently give a boost to Mormon missionary efforts."

Less than a week later, The New York Times Magazine quoted Huckabee as saying he didn't know much about Mormonism and asking, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" Huckabee later said he was speaking out of unfamiliarity, with no harm intended. Sure he was. Just like the commenters on Huckabee's website who slammed Mormonism for weeks afterward were, too.

By the end of 2007, some Mormons were wondering if the cross that famously appeared in the window of Huckabee's Christmas ad was directed specifically against their faith, which focuses more on Jesus' rising than his death. Various churches in South Carolina devoted Christmas-season sermons to anti-Mormon lectures. Evangelicals helped get out the vote for Huckabee in Michigan. "If we turned out every evangelical Christian on election day, Gov. Huckabee would get six times as many votes as Romney!" Huckabee supporter Gary Glenn wrote in an e-mail on January 6. Glenn listed the churches the campaign needed to mobilize: "Assembly of God, Baptist, Church of God, Nazarenes, Lutheran, non-denominational, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Reformed, Word of Faith." And which to avoid: Catholics and Mormons, who were lumped together with "any church you know to be liberal on issues such as abortion and protecting traditional marriage."

Obviously, there are reasons beyond faith for the failure of Romney's campaign. The guy's a puling phony, and McCain and Huckabee are both funnier and better under pressure. But maybe Romney's campaign was doomed for the simple reason that as he exposed his Mormonism to a greater number of right-wing Christians, he branded himself as unacceptably impure, a priori, to a critically large subset of them. And maybe the reason Romney got so little bang for his advertising buck is because the cost of luring evangelicals to support a Mormon - of conversion, if you will - is essentially infinite.

Going back at least to the Clinton years, politics in America has been realigning across rather than along denominational lines. We are increasingly divided as seculars vs. traditionalists, and these days, conservative Catholics often believe they have more in common with conservative Protestants than with casual Catholics. Keeping these religion-first voters in lockstep at the polls has been an important part of Republican strategy. And few groups have proven as reliably willing to vote for ideological allies outside of their faith as Mormons, who have been fanatically Republican for decades.

But sometimes denomination still matters. Southern Baptists were always ready to draw the line at supporting a Mormon candidate for President. Their traditions say Mormons are false Christians. The Internet gives them a way to spread their teachings and attacks. And the Huckabee campaign provided evangelicals who wanted to stop Mitt Romney a way to cast their vote for a Southern Baptist.

Romney probably should have cast himself as the take-charge northern governor he is, as many commentators have suggested. Among Southern Baptists who see him as antichristian, Romney's effort to become the candidate of the religious right never had a chance.

[ki8911]

Holy Smoke! This was a very interesting article. I wasn''t aware of the ferocious competition between Mormons & Southern Baptists. To even have the SB conference right in the heart of Mormonism, to knock on doors of Mormons, that took some serious cajones! I couldn''t help but guffaw at their audacity. Here in Nevada, there''s a good sized population of practicing Mormons. Growing up, I had good friends who were of that faith. It wasn''t my cup of tea, but they were good folks. It''s just a bummer to watch all these different faiths saying that they alone have the truth & the only right way to worship god & jesus. Anybody who didn''t believe like them was going straight to hell. That''s what turned me off, among other things, to ever want to join a faith. I didn''t want Romney because of his faith, but rather something about him just didn''t click. This will be an interesting year.

[perception5]

Mitt''s religion had ZERO to do with him not winning the GOP nomination.

The most corrupt institution in America, our MSM wolfpack press, like The New Lying Republic with their 1930''s German style propaganda machine had "everything" to do with Mitt not getting the GOP nomination.

If America''s corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack had "promoted" Mitt like they are and have been with Obama then Mitt would have been the 44th POTUS.

We need MAJOR reforms in our corrupt press and this "fictional story" is just one reason why.

Really sad indeed.

[mswolfestock]

I lived in Utah for three years, and I couldn''t wait to get out of there. Whether or not you agree that Mormonism is a cult, they are judgemental, self-righteous, and narrow-minded. They actually call non-Mormons "Gentiles." They do not drink alcohol, which is fine, I have no problem with their choice, except for the fact that they think that NOBODY should drink. The State of Utah controls the liquor stores, and that means that there are hardly any liquor stores anywhere outside of the major cities, the prices are high, and the selection is terrible. When you go out to eat at a nice sit-down restaurant, the waiter or waitress cannot serve you an alcoholic drink. They will bring your glass with ice and mixer, then you, the customer, must get up and go to a little window or kiosk and purchase the liquor in mini-bottles. Here again, the prices are outrageous and the selection is very poor. Mormons also discourage their women from working - they are supposed to stay home and have large families. Again, this is fine for them. But in my case, I was not a Mormon and I had a HUGE problem finding a decent job. I was even asked at a job interview if I wouldn''t be happier married and having children. Mormons in Utah are extremely naive; they have insulated themselves from the rest of the country, and for that reason, I would never want a Mormon in the White House. They are extremely out of touch, and they are prejudiced against all non-Mormons.

[senorbahen]

You saying that, Mormons believe that if you''re not Mormon you''re going straight to hell, shows that you don''t know that much about Mormon beliefs.

[senorbahen]

mswolfestock actually sounds like the prejudiced one. I lived in Utah as a young child and moved back for a year during my 20''s. Utah is very much as described. My advice is that if drinking alcohol is that important to you, you might not want to live in Utah. They do take traditional family values very seriously.

[billpl-2009]

Romney got only 51% of his home state, but 90% of Utah

....not rocket science

[bobbyduck1]

This is a case of fanatics calling extremists wacko. Neither group represents Christianity nor Christian principles, and even if they did there is, by definition, no place for their views in government. (Remember the little thing about seperation of church and state..?) Both sects/cults in this discussion are bigoted, intolerant, and spend most of their time trying to form the world and everyone in it to their narrow views that are not supported in Jesus'' teachings. The good thing is that finally most thinking Americans are catching on and telling the religious right of ALL flavors to go back to church where they belong and leave the governing to adults!

[cpaide]

"Mormons believe that if you''re not Mormon you''re going straight to hell, shows that you don''t know that much about Mormon beliefs."
Posted by SenorBahen

jesus told me that mormans don''t have a hell, except for murderers and rapists and child molesters--just 3 different heavens. guess you don''t know that much about morman beliefs either. and jesus said he would take the lowest level of morman heaven over the evangelical christian zealot heaven any day. too much noise and yelling and such.

[senorbahen]

You missed my point. You are mostly right about the "3 heavens". So Mormons don''t believe that non Mormons go straight to hell. Wouldn''t you say that is an accurate statement.

[bot14]

Mitt is not a Creedal Christian. However, he does believe in the Jesus Christ of the New Testament:
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often accused by Evangelical pastors of not believing in Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion. This article http://mormonsarechristian.blogspot.com/ helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early Christianity''s comprehension of baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) adheres more closely to First Century Christianity and the New Testament than any other denomination. For example, Harper%u2019s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says %u201Cthe formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.%u201D


One Baptist blogger stated %u201C99 percent of the members of his Baptist church believe in the Mormon (and Early Christian) view of the Trinity. It is the preachers who insist on the Nicene Creed definition.%u201D It seems to me the reason the pastors denigrate the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is to protect their flock (and their livelihood).

[tomanyt]

All religions are cults!!!

[calisea1]

The little thing about church and state bobbyduck was intended to seperate church from state, not religion from politics. Its also defined in a great and often misinterpretted "wall of seperation" metaphor in Thomas Jefferson''s letter to the Danbury Baptists. It''s not part of our Constitution.

[ambotsaimo-2009]

When you go to a Mormon church you never hear anything about any other church but what Mormons believe. They never have long sermons detailing why other religions are false or producing movies that %u201Cwarn you of the dangers of other religions%u201D. Mormons are not in the business of demeaning other religions to put theirs up, just trying to live their own. I admire that. It%u2019s like those bullies you meet at school who always have to put people down so they feel better about them selves. Sure there are always those Mormons who may be tactless and naive but every religion has those members. For the most part Mormons are good people willing to help anyone out. They aren%u2019t weird%u2026 Most people are inherently good no matter what religion if you take the time to get to know them and understand them. Shame on all of you who judge without trying to understand.

[senorbahen]

Mormons also do not have a paid clergy. They frown upon people recieving money to spread God''s word. Every office in the church is voluntary.

[calisea1]

Wolf,

I have many non-Mormon friends that live in Utah and they love it there because of the very same values you tend to disagree with.
My wife is an extremely well paid medical professional who has worked outside the home her whole life while raising three great, socially responsible, kind, respectful, well educated children, who are all professionals now. That''s called free agency. It was her choice to do that and nobody has ever held it against her. Furthermore, I know many professional non-Mormon women who are very well employed in Utah, both in more rural areas and in SLC. Of course they are all well educated and have strong employment backgrounds. Not sure what your issue was.
I don''t find myself as any of the words you used to describe all Mormons. I don''t think I''m better than anyone else, but I sure try to be the best I can be for myself and my family. I never referred to anyone as a Gentile and never heard anyone else use that term in day-to-day conversation.
As far as Mormons being insulated.....well, perhaps that isn''t so bad in some ways. In other ways I never knew a religious population to be more well travelled and worldly in terms of getting outside their community.
Finally, my best friends are non-Mormon. My three golf buddies are non-Mormon. My son is dating a non-Mormon. We invite non-Mormon to dinner parties. They invite us. You must have been locked down in a remote bastion of the old days.

[denn034]

Actually, Baptists have attacked Mormonism from the very beginning. Saying that Baptists grew especially alarmed "in the 1980s" ignores the fact that Martin''s Kingdom of the Cults attacked Mormonism in the 1960s and his Maze of Mormonism attacked it in the 1970s. Yes, Ed Decker''s ministry began in the early 1980s but, Martin as well as Jerald and Sandra Tanner have been around since the 1960s attacking Mormonism. I was in Salt Lake and waiting at a bus stop when someone that seemed to be waiting suddenly stood in front of me and others there and began to preach against Mormonism but, the evangelical street preachers here are worse so everyone took it in stride and ignored it (i.e., they probably only converted about, what, 20 people). Now, that "cult" label should be understood as being defined differently by psychologists, sociologists, religionists, and media which, leads to some religions getting labeled cults by one approach and not cults by other approaches, the lack of an overall definition of cult being the problem. Let me finish by saying that the title of this op ed ignores the whole concept of freedom of religion for all, even those we don''t like.

[tomanyt]

denn034...Since "cult" is a problematic word for you, then we''ll just refer to Mormons and every other religions on this plant, as ''FREAKS''.

[denn034]

"FREAKS."
Posted by tomanyt

Where''s the acceptance of freedom of religion and acknowledging another''s right to differ in that?

[calisea1]

Tomanyt,

The fact that you believe we all live on a plant explains your position in full. No further comment required. Go smoke another bowl, but please don''t drive.

[anonbene]

Why do you religious nuts always have to bore the rest of us with your brand of hoodoo? Can''t you ''followers'' just live with a doctrine of right and wrong and forget the ''my religion is better than your religion'' nonsense? You people sound like idiots because you are idiots. Keep the religious nuts out of government, look what this last one did to us after hearing god talk to him. Anyone notice all religious types do is make excuses for why their god is impotent? That means powerless in this case kids.

[calisea1]

anonbene,

You must be bored if you''re engaging in a conversation that you seemingly have an issue discussing.

Just so I''m clear, you''re talking about Jefferson and Franklin, and Washington, and Madison, and all of the founders, right?

And then those who followed them based on the principles of democracy and religious freedom that they all so embraced. Yes, many were Diests and nearly all were believers at the least and the Constitution and the values of the nation are shaped on the foundation they set.

[denn034]

"What about the historic Mormon teaching on Blood Atonement in Journal of Discourses vol 4 by Brigham Young."
Posted by Thoughtful4

The word "historic" is the answer. They no longer teach it. Blaming Mormons for the past ignores how different the present is. Period!

[denn034]

"Keep the religious nuts out of government,..."
Posted by anonbene

An odd approach to participatory democracy.

[denn034]

Obviously, the attacks on Mormonism here makes it necessary for me to restate that http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml, http://www.fairlds.org/ and http://www.shields-research.org/ give all Mormon answers to things like this.

[gkc99]

Baptists are cult members also. It''s a cult that believes that a Jewish book of history, mythology and morality defines everything for everybody on the planet.

This does not please Thor. Thor''s coming, and he is pissed. Gonna be some heavy hammer throwing at the Shmuckabee crowd.

[random_radar]

Well, A Mormon and an Evangelical ran for President, and neither one of them won. If there is a message about the unpalatability of a Mormon candidate, it is the same message about the unacceptability of an Evangelical candidate.

What goes around, comes around, and it looks like Evangelicals are going to be left out of this election by both parties since no candidate is acceptable to them. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[random_radar]

"The word "historic" is the answer. They no longer teach it. Blaming Mormons for the past ignores how different the present is. Period!

Posted by denn034 at 05:11 PM : Feb 08, 2008"

I suppose I would be throwing gasoline on the fire if I asked how Evangelicals condemn Mormons for polygamy when their own Bibles say Abraham, Moses, and other prophets had multiple wives?

[random_radar]

Evangelicals are very concerned about the composition of the Supreme court since it impacts their right to life campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade.

If supreme court justices are to be appointed, do Evangelicals honestly believe Mitt Romney would have appointed worse judges that Hillary Clinton will appoint?

They may have a couple of decades to think about what might have been. Will they weep bitter tears?

[perception5]

Mitt''s religion had ZERO to do with him not winning the GOP nomination.

The most corrupt institution in America, our MSM wolfpack press, like The New Lying Republic with their 1930''s German style propaganda machine had "everything" to do with Mitt not getting the GOP nomination.

If America''s corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack had "promoted" Mitt like they are and have been with Obama then Mitt would have been the 44th POTUS.

We need MAJOR reforms in our corrupt press and this "fictional story" is just one reason why.

Really sad indeed.

[calisea1]

Really Randon!?

We already had a Presidential Election? I thought it was just the primary election. Can you tell me who won the Presidential Election that you think we''ve had?

[mcvet]

What is it with these Nazi Rags? They think EVERY Republican is in the Religious Reich. REAL Republican''s did NOT want him... his religion had nothing to do with it. As for the Religious Reich? They normally wouldn''t accept anyone other than one of their own... right now though they do NOT have that option. After Bush I''d say it''ll be a LONG LONG time before they do. Sieg Heil and Amen

[Razzl]

It should be obvious to anyone who has ever read the New Testament, which the Baptists are afraid to do, that Jesus was a liberal and that socialism is the only morally acceptable social order. If you truly believe that you are going to be judged in an afterlife for your actions in life, then you would waste no time in workng to build a society that carries out Christ''s directives regarding the poor, families, children, the sick, the dispossessed, etc. If you behave as these people do then you don''t really believe any of Christ''s message, you''re just using it as political cover.

[senorbahen]

If we had a perfectly righteous leader such as the Savior, socialism would work. I also have a hard time thinking that the Lord would support the liberal stance on abortion and homosexuality, etc.

[rushlimpdrug]

"What about the historic Mormon teaching on Blood Atonement in Journal of Discourses vol 4 by Brigham Young."
Posted by Thoughtful4

The word "historic" is the answer. They no longer teach it. Blaming Mormons for the past ignores how different the present is. Period!
Posted by denn034 at 05:11 PM

Yeah, it''s like blaming God for all the krap that has happened and recorded in the bible including that Satan guy.

[nativewoman]

"Twenty times in the course of my late reading, have I been upon the point of breaking out, "This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!" - John Adams, 2nd President of the US

"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise."
"During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution." - James Madison, 4th President of the US

"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." - The Treaty of Tripoli passed by the US Senate in 1797

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ''make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,'' thus building a wall of separation between church and State." - Thomas Jefferson Letter January 1, 1802

As we have not quite become a theocracy just yet, religion should hold no sway whatsoever over politics.

And as religions are exempt from taxation, religious entities should be absolutely prohibited from applying there tax-free funding and pulpit exhortations to the influence of elections, political parties or candidates.

[nativewoman]

"their" not "there".

[lloydbest1]

I suppose at bottom all religions are cults. Even the one which worships the "Flying Spaghetti Monster". I''m not sure just what it is that compels "believers" to insist that their creed and theirs alone has the sole monopoly on truth. Even atheists are not immune...just read what some of them write on these threads. But whatever it is, it is also divisive, fragmentary and costly - both in terms of human lives and good will. Far more humans have died over which god to believe than whether one should believe in a god or not. And far, far more have died than in all secular causes combined.
Not every believer does this, of course. There are some of every faith that validate another''s sincerity in holding to a one that is different from their own, so such acceptance is possible.
Why Baptists and Mormons are at each other''s throats, I don''t know. I don''t care. I wish it would stop.

[bibleprophecy_ndbpsa]

The Church within EVERY Denomination -

The church is within every denomination throughout the entire world.

We who are in Christ Jesus have become a %u201Cnew%u201D creature (Gal.6:15, 2 Cor.5:17). We have BECOME the church of God (1 Cor.10:32, 1 Cor.1:2, 1 Cor.15:9, Gal.1:13), Jesus%u2019 living body (Col.1:24).

No matter which denomination one attends, the living body of Christ is there.


Patricia (ndbpsa )) Bible Prophecy on the Web
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BibleProphecy

[tbweb]

Mitt Romney lost because he kept changing his positions, he was a moving target! As soon as he was attacked on an issue he was on your side wondering what you were talking about! lol What was really hilarious was his campaign signs near the end touting "Change", it looks like Obama''s! Amazing, simply amazing. Will the real Mitt Romney please stand up!

[moneyball90]

This article points out something that I recall talking about when Mitt announced his intentions to run for president. People simply don''t know enough about the Mormon church. This could have been overcome, but it would have to be someone like Harry Reid on the left side of the isle. Dems just don''t care as much and seem to be more accepting - more inclusive than exclusive IMO.

I like how the article uses the word "conversion" to describe how Romeny was trying to get evangelicals on his side - it really is that difficult to change a negative view point from a given culture.

It actually would have been very interesting to see Reid run for President as a dem b/c then the message would be very clear - he''s not conservative and is a Mormon, let''s get out and vote.

[it_oldtimer]

The nature of a candidate''s religious beliefs, as well as just how fanatical they actually are about them, is VERY important to me as a non-religious person who is politically active.

To me, all religious people are suspect, and potentially dangerous. I think they all suffer from an insidious form of mutually supportive mass-delusion. To me, they''re all a bit crazy, to one degree or another.

There are "degrees" of religious wackiness to be considered though: a candidate who only attends church occasionally, and who speaks very seldom (or not at all) about their religious convictions seems far less threatening than one who''s constantly bringing up their religious beliefs in support of their political agenda.

I investigated Mormonism when Romney appeared. I wanted to know just how crazy he might be. What I found amazed me; Mormonism seems to have more in common with Alice In Wonderland''s Through The Looking Glass than with any religion that I''m familiar with.

I don''t want to see an evangelical fundamentalist like Huckabee elected either, but Romney seems even worse. Perhaps it''s just a matter of being more comfortable with the devil that you know than with the devil you don''t, but I''d be NO more inclined to vote for a Mormon than I would a Scientologist.

That anybody could embrace such a strange set of beliefs tells me all that I need to know about their fundamental level of sanity, and thus, their suitability for high public office.

[runningralph]

The posts on this article have been surprisingly easy going. The nastiest as usual coming from atheist leftists. I want to point out that no one has been machine gun ambushed, suicide bombed, or poison gassed over this huge religious conflict in the US. Islamic countries should take note and try to emulate the United States of America.

[ioweign]

The posts on this article have been surprisingly easy going. The nastiest as usual coming from atheist leftists. I want to point out that no one has been machine gun ambushed, suicide bombed, or poison gassed over this huge religious conflict in the US. Islamic countries should take note and try to emulate the United States of America.

Posted by runningralph at 06:59 AM : Feb 09, 2008



They have been for sometime...

[runningralph]

IOWEIGN,
You''ll have to explain that one to me, pal. All I can see going on between Islamic churches is guerilla warfare. But it''s all good, whatever makes them happy.

[billpl-2009]

"The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) adheres more closely to First Century Christianity and the New Testament than any other denomination.....blah, blah.."
Posted by Bot14

According to your logic, if you''re truly Christians, it would make FLDS?.... truly Mormons.
BETTER Mormons at that.

FREE Warren Jeffs!!!!!!


not

[rowdytexan2]

I can''t understand why so many keep bringing religion into the election process. The war we are waging is about greed and corruption. Is it because the ones commiting it CLAIM to be Christians that hold dear family values, when in fact they are just thieving bastwards???

[neobrian-2009]

The GOP IS EVIL as We Know it Today !
The Present day GOP is a VERY EVIL SECT ,..led by Their King W...Greed,Oil,Perversion,..The G O P
Friends Don`t let friends vote republiCon !

[myidoncbs]

runningralph says "that no one has been machine gun ambushed, suicide bombed, or poison gassed over this huge religious conflict in the US."

Not so! What about the family planning clinic bombings and murders of doctors who perform abortions? What about the hit lists posted on the internet, encouraging other wackos to do the same? What about the good Christian KKK killing black people? What about that good Christian Timothy McVeigh? (etc., etc.)

As more and more "Christian" denominations adopt the G.I. Joe version of Jesus (the guy that''s going to lead them all to destroy, i.e., murder, all of the Muslims and other "unbelievers" in Armageddon), I expect we''re going to see more violence from the "Christians" in this country. If they ever do manage to kill all the Muslims, Jews, atheists, etc., next they will turn their attention to killing one another over trifling little differences in scriptural interpretation. It''s a long and bloody path, and they''ve already taken the first steps. (Not to mention their history of doing the same for thousands of years throughout europe, africa and the middle east!)

Christianity is the single most violent, bloody religion of all time!

[guysdigdirt]

What about the family planning clinic bombings and murders of doctors who perform abortions? What about the hit lists posted on the internet, encouraging other wackos to do the same? What about the good Christian KKK killing black people? What about that good Christian Timothy McVeigh? (etc., etc.)

Christianity is the single most violent, bloody religion of all time!
Posted by MyIDonCBS

Just because one commits a crime and belongs to a religion does not mean the religion condones that crime.

You are expressing your views but I do not assume the company you work for agrees with your views. How is religion any different?

[guysdigdirt]

investigated Mormonism when Romney appeared. I wanted to know just how crazy he might be. What I found amazed me; Mormonism seems to have more in common with Alice In Wonderland''''s Through The Looking Glass than with any religion that I''''m familiar with.

I don''''t want to see an evangelical fundamentalist like Huckabee elected either, but Romney seems even worse. Perhaps it''''s just a matter of being more comfortable with the devil that you know than with the devil you don''''t, but I''''d be NO more inclined to vote for a Mormon than I would a Scientologist.

That anybody could embrace such a strange set of beliefs tells me all that I need to know about their fundamental level of sanity, and thus, their suitability for high public office.
Posted by IT_Oldtimer

Tell us where and how you did your research. Did you find all your education at the anti-mormon web-sites or did you talk to a number of them and find out the truth of what they believe?