Romney, anti-Mormon sentiment and political games.
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:00 am
The candidacy of Mitt Romney and what is playing out in the zeitgeist right now should be of great importance to Latter-Day Saints, both LDS and ex-Mormon, jack-Mormon or otherwise, and to all those who understand the history of the Latter-Day Saint movment as a whole, both believing and non-believing, both "member" and "non-member."
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.c ... 8&fsrc=RSS
Mitt Romney will not get the nomination for the Republican party. It just won't happen. Mike Huckabee is riding a wave of anti-Mormon sentiment to surge in the polls.
Media outlets are all a flurry with talking heads airing Mormon histories dirty laundry and exploiting prejudice and religious dogmatism to thwart Mitt Romney's efforts.
These attacks are not coming from Liberal elites in ivory towers. These attacks are not coming from Democratic politicians. They are coming from "The Right", the faction that Mitt Romney has unfortunately chosen to ally himself to, after years of a decent populist stance. And they hate him for it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/0 ... 75985.html
Most of what he says is true in a historical and certain theological perspective. His "outrage" isn't over Mitt Romney as an individual, out of policy, or out of argument. It isn't about Mitt Romney's record of personal propriety in the public sphere. He doesn't disagree with Romney's recent unfortunate flip-flops to conservative "positions" that I don't agree with. It isn't his record in office, his achievements as a business man, or any thing like that. He is angry because of certain historical things that taint Mormonisms supposedly inspired history. It is exploit the biases and prejudices of those who carry theological biases against those of different beliefs.
Don't get me wrong. I am not endorsing Romney as a candidate. As you can clearly see I support Obama, and don't anticipate changing my mind. What I am saying is: Hey you Mormons out there, both believer and skeptic. Look at what these so-called Christians do to your history to make you look bad just to win elections. They aren't your friends and they never have been. The "Right Wing" machine hates Mormonism as an ideology and despises it's right to exist in the fabric of American religious pluralism.
This isn't an argument about if "The Brethern" are really inspired by God, or if the Church is True. Mitt's candidacy doesn't mean anything to that and his failure to be elected will not settle that question once and for all. It isn't about elections and it never has been.
But the Right Wing looks to exploit anti-Mormon sentiment to their advantage and I'm pretty sure it will work. Mormonism is not particularly well-understood by those who are not steeped in it's theology and history. And though I disagree with it, I respect it's right to exist.
These right-wing attacks are from those who would not agree with that. That Mormonism is an unbridled, uncircumspect, invention of "The Devil." That 21st century Mormons are multiple wife marrying sex maniacs or some such nonsense. Or a 21st fist century Latter-Day saint is at heart a bigot, and a racist, and a homophobe. There are evil men in this world who would fit that description. Warren Jeff's comes to mind, a self-styled prophet who systematically exploited women, and by all accounts is a shameless racist.
People who continue to leverage their so-called "religious" authority for sexual gain or monetary gain. People who exploit and govern unrighteously are "bad" people and I think we can all agree on that.
This isn't an argument over about "that". This is an argument about a strain of thought, that seeks to work against what is essentially the 11th Article of Faith, a declaration that I would say I do not hesitate to agree with.
Most Latter-Day Saints understand such words to mean that we, as citizens of America and the world, have an absolute right to define our own thoughts on what God may or may not be, and reject any call to institute an orthodoxy that hurts the rights of others to do like wise. Most Mormons would never imagine using force or outright coercion to get people to join "The Church."
You invite, and cajole, but you can not force a man.
But Christians on the right do not agree with that idea, apparently, and the attacks against Romney's religion of birth and of service to his fellow believer isn't "good" enough, apparently, to warrant respecting that and actually talking about Romney's ideas and policies as a potential executive officer.
This, I think was the essence of Romney's pleas and one that will probably fall on deaf ears to those whose opinions Romney so desperately wants people to at least agree on. I agree with him on that small point, despite other reservations I have.
But I don't believe it will make a difference. Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians can always get whiped up in a fervor of religious fundamentalism in exploiting and conderming all things Mormon, guilt by association.
Mormons, great and small should realize that there is a uge sector of the Republican party that hates what you think and what you believe, and they bring that religious prejudice in to the ballot box.
This isn't the case with The Left and democratic politicians. When was the last time when you saw talking head's from the Democratic party bagging on Harry Reid for being LDS. Never, that's when.
Republicans are not your friends, people. I hope that the Latter-Day Saint constituency in Utah wakes up and smells that. The right "hates" you for your beliefs, enough to sabatoge an otherwise decent Republican hopeful.
The Right hates Hillary Clinton for entirely different ideological reasons, but conservatives love to hate Hillary in much the same way those some fundie right-wingers hate Mitt's religious background. And they were so gunning to be able to bring such hatred to bear in a general election.
Mormonism can be a "true" religion, or a "false" one and it matters not one bit according to the Constitution, for as long as we people of the United States come together and decide to leave in peace and harmony with one another, that it matters not one whit who is wrong and who is right in the theological debate, but rather who has the best ideas.
I wonder, if when Romney is not nominated, the LDS community will wake up and realize who truly is the "enemy" in the political arena. And it isn't Democrats.
While the Right is eating itself alive on this divisive issue, one that matters to to nut job right wingers, the left has coalesced around their vision for the 21st Century. one free of fundamentalist bigotry, or stooping to such underhanded attacks such as pandering anti-Mormonism.
His name is Barack Obama.[url][/url]
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.c ... 8&fsrc=RSS
Mitt Romney will not get the nomination for the Republican party. It just won't happen. Mike Huckabee is riding a wave of anti-Mormon sentiment to surge in the polls.
Media outlets are all a flurry with talking heads airing Mormon histories dirty laundry and exploiting prejudice and religious dogmatism to thwart Mitt Romney's efforts.
These attacks are not coming from Liberal elites in ivory towers. These attacks are not coming from Democratic politicians. They are coming from "The Right", the faction that Mitt Romney has unfortunately chosen to ally himself to, after years of a decent populist stance. And they hate him for it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/0 ... 75985.html
Most of what he says is true in a historical and certain theological perspective. His "outrage" isn't over Mitt Romney as an individual, out of policy, or out of argument. It isn't about Mitt Romney's record of personal propriety in the public sphere. He doesn't disagree with Romney's recent unfortunate flip-flops to conservative "positions" that I don't agree with. It isn't his record in office, his achievements as a business man, or any thing like that. He is angry because of certain historical things that taint Mormonisms supposedly inspired history. It is exploit the biases and prejudices of those who carry theological biases against those of different beliefs.
Don't get me wrong. I am not endorsing Romney as a candidate. As you can clearly see I support Obama, and don't anticipate changing my mind. What I am saying is: Hey you Mormons out there, both believer and skeptic. Look at what these so-called Christians do to your history to make you look bad just to win elections. They aren't your friends and they never have been. The "Right Wing" machine hates Mormonism as an ideology and despises it's right to exist in the fabric of American religious pluralism.
This isn't an argument about if "The Brethern" are really inspired by God, or if the Church is True. Mitt's candidacy doesn't mean anything to that and his failure to be elected will not settle that question once and for all. It isn't about elections and it never has been.
But the Right Wing looks to exploit anti-Mormon sentiment to their advantage and I'm pretty sure it will work. Mormonism is not particularly well-understood by those who are not steeped in it's theology and history. And though I disagree with it, I respect it's right to exist.
These right-wing attacks are from those who would not agree with that. That Mormonism is an unbridled, uncircumspect, invention of "The Devil." That 21st century Mormons are multiple wife marrying sex maniacs or some such nonsense. Or a 21st fist century Latter-Day saint is at heart a bigot, and a racist, and a homophobe. There are evil men in this world who would fit that description. Warren Jeff's comes to mind, a self-styled prophet who systematically exploited women, and by all accounts is a shameless racist.
People who continue to leverage their so-called "religious" authority for sexual gain or monetary gain. People who exploit and govern unrighteously are "bad" people and I think we can all agree on that.
This isn't an argument over about "that". This is an argument about a strain of thought, that seeks to work against what is essentially the 11th Article of Faith, a declaration that I would say I do not hesitate to agree with.
We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
Most Latter-Day Saints understand such words to mean that we, as citizens of America and the world, have an absolute right to define our own thoughts on what God may or may not be, and reject any call to institute an orthodoxy that hurts the rights of others to do like wise. Most Mormons would never imagine using force or outright coercion to get people to join "The Church."
You invite, and cajole, but you can not force a man.
But Christians on the right do not agree with that idea, apparently, and the attacks against Romney's religion of birth and of service to his fellow believer isn't "good" enough, apparently, to warrant respecting that and actually talking about Romney's ideas and policies as a potential executive officer.
This, I think was the essence of Romney's pleas and one that will probably fall on deaf ears to those whose opinions Romney so desperately wants people to at least agree on. I agree with him on that small point, despite other reservations I have.
But I don't believe it will make a difference. Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians can always get whiped up in a fervor of religious fundamentalism in exploiting and conderming all things Mormon, guilt by association.
Mormons, great and small should realize that there is a uge sector of the Republican party that hates what you think and what you believe, and they bring that religious prejudice in to the ballot box.
This isn't the case with The Left and democratic politicians. When was the last time when you saw talking head's from the Democratic party bagging on Harry Reid for being LDS. Never, that's when.
Republicans are not your friends, people. I hope that the Latter-Day Saint constituency in Utah wakes up and smells that. The right "hates" you for your beliefs, enough to sabatoge an otherwise decent Republican hopeful.
The Right hates Hillary Clinton for entirely different ideological reasons, but conservatives love to hate Hillary in much the same way those some fundie right-wingers hate Mitt's religious background. And they were so gunning to be able to bring such hatred to bear in a general election.
Mormonism can be a "true" religion, or a "false" one and it matters not one bit according to the Constitution, for as long as we people of the United States come together and decide to leave in peace and harmony with one another, that it matters not one whit who is wrong and who is right in the theological debate, but rather who has the best ideas.
I wonder, if when Romney is not nominated, the LDS community will wake up and realize who truly is the "enemy" in the political arena. And it isn't Democrats.
While the Right is eating itself alive on this divisive issue, one that matters to to nut job right wingers, the left has coalesced around their vision for the 21st Century. one free of fundamentalist bigotry, or stooping to such underhanded attacks such as pandering anti-Mormonism.
His name is Barack Obama.[url][/url]