Mitt Romney defends Mormons, slams atheists
Radley Balko observes: "Romney and his supporters have already deflected as religious bigotry (correctly, in my view) the idea (supported by polls) that America isn't ready for a Mormon in the White House. But Romney has no problem declaring that America isn't ready for an atheist or agnostic in the White House. Frankly, that's offensive."
I agree, but also note this comment from the above video link:
As a Mormon, here are some more of Mitt's specific covenants:
1. God was once a man. He is currently living on a planet near the star Kolob with his wives. 2. Jesus and Lucifer were once spirit brothers. 3. In the afterlife Mormon men will live as kings their own planets and rule over all their heirs. 4. The Book of Mormon was written on gold tablets revealed to Joseph Smith by the angel Moroni. These tablets are now lost. Joseph Smith translated the tablets by putting a magic rock in his hat and sticking in face in it. 5. American Indians are the lost tribe of Israel. Jesus ministered to them in his trips to America. 6. Donny and Marie Osmond were great musicians.
But seriously folks, all you people who are trying to pretend Mormonism is just another branch of Christianity, like being a Presbyterian or a Baptist, are fooling yourselves. Someday maybe Republicans will be making excuses for a Scientologist candidate - they're even more nuts than Mormons, but only slightly.
Hail Xenu!
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8 comments:
But when you're talking about religions, you're not talking about facts, anyway.
I just don't think I could vote for someone whom I pictured wearing magic underwear every time I saw him. How can you take that seriously?
You should do your homework on the Mormon faith before posting Mitt Romney's "covenants." I am a Mormon and half of the items on this list are not even close to our doctrine.
Actually, perhaps you should do your homework on the history of your own religion. Like Christians in general, most Mormons are ignorant of the actual history of the formation of their religion.
Since you are a Mormon, I recommend that you start with a book by a Mormon historian, Grant H. Palmer's _An Insider's View of Mormon Origins_.
Mr. Lippard, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound snappy in my last comment. What I should have said is that the list of covenants posted have some factual base, but none of them are as simple and straightforward as they sound here (except for the one about Donny and Marie). I just got a little worked up over it because I (like probably everyone else in their own religion) want people to understand the history and details behind our beliefs before they are written off as strange and radical.
D,
I, myself, have many mormon family members and have studied mormonism a fair amount. In looking over the above list, I find little to quibble with about it.
I suggest you start getting more specific with your complaints, if you want to make any headway towards improving our understanding of Mormonism.
1. God isn't living near Kolob?
2. Jesus and Lucifer weren't once spirit brothers?
3. Good Mormon men won't have their own planets when they die?
4. The book of Mormon wasn't written on gold tablets? It wasn't revealed to Joseph Smith? They're not now lost? JS didn't translate them while looking in a hat?
5. The Hopi aren't the lost tribe?
What's up?
Dizzlettium: I will certainly grant you that Mormons have quite a bit more to say about each of those items than what is expressed in the sentence, just as Christians have quite a bit more to say about the Bible's claims about talking snakes and donkeys, God commanding genocide and human sacrifice, and so forth. I'm also sure that there are liberal versions of Mormon theology that back away from literal interpretations of original doctrines--this seems to happen as religions mature.
But I don't think such revisions make religions any more plausible unless they actually start discarding the unsubstantiated or refuted claims completely.
Do you guys really want me to go in depth on these items? I would love to try to explain these beliefs to you, but I'm just making sure.
Perhaps the appropriate next step would be for you to make it your blog's first post. Then you could come back here and let us know that it's done.
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