The Mormon Time Bomb for Mitt

[_Chap]

Mormon theology is pretty wacky to most christians but the oaths Mitt made in the temple would / should garner the most attention..

Agreed about the temple oaths. If Romney becomes the Republican presidential candidate, any journalist who cares about the Constitution has to ask him what he would do in the event of a conflict with his Presidential oath, and that must necessarily involve citing the words of the temple oath explicitly.

[_DrW]

I still say candidates' religious beliefs are almost entirely off limits for major news outlets, unless it's positive.

There is no religion stranger (to most people) than Scientology, and the big stars who embrace it slide by with no more than a polite mention of their adherence to it. Exposing "shocking" doctrine and history is left to partisan web sites, little-read books, and edgy shows like South Park.

I, for one, was very nervous when we had an apocalyptic end-times believing Evangelical with his gun-luvin' hands on the nuclear trigger.

[_MCB]

I, for one, was very nervous when we had an apocalyptic end-times believing Evangelical with his gun-luvin' hands on the nuclear trigger.

No crap. And Romney would be more of the same. I think people need to get rid of the stereotype that all religion (except for Islam) encourages ethical behavior. Islam is not the only exception.

[_krose]

I still say candidates' religious beliefs are almost entirely off limits for major news outlets, unless it's positive.

There is no religion stranger (to most people) than Scientology, and the big stars who embrace it slide by with no more than a polite mention of their adherence to it. Exposing "shocking" doctrine and history is left to partisan web sites, little-read books, and edgy shows like South Park.

I, for one, was very nervous when we had an apocalyptic end-times believing Evangelical with his gun-luvin' hands on the nuclear trigger.

No kidding. But that's a good example of how the "mainstream media" ignores a politician's religious beliefs, even when they are pertinent to the job.

[_thews]

"As man is God once was. As God is man may become."

Why is it so shocking?

Baptism for the dead is pretty strange.

So is Catholics believing they are literally eating Christ when they have magic communion. Like a bunch of walking dead. And look at their bloody icons. This is at least as shocking for a major religion. The only reason to look down on the couplet, specifically, is because of cultural bias. You could call it something else, but a bias is basically what it is.

This is a good point. Regarding potential bombshells, what would happen if Obama brought up the fact that men of color couldn't hold the priesthood before 1978? What about gays not being able to be Mormon? How about Mormons continuing to baptize dead Jews? There's many things mainstream America doesn't know about Mormonism. Just because we all know about magic occult rocks placed in a hat and an incorrectly translated pagan document being the vehicles for Mormon doctrine, doesn't mean mainstream America knows... most of them think Mormonism is just another Christian sect. The potential for Obama to use simple questions based on the bigotry in Mormonism will level Mitt.

[_moksha]

"As man is God once was. As God is man may become."

Why is it so shocking?

I wondered that too. Seems like it would hold an appeal for many people, from Star Trek fans to those with polo fields on their yachts.

[_beastie]

Perhaps it's harder for born-in-the-fold LDS or exLDS to understand why this teaching is so shocking, because it's what you've known your entire life. To outsiders, it is shocking and sacrilegious. It does turn God into a kind of star trek alien, which isn't a good thing for mainstream Christian.

[_Jason Bourne]

. The potential for Obama to use simple questions based on the bigotry in Mormonism will level Mitt.

Obama won't touch the Mormon issue one whit. His secular left surrogates might. But not Obama.

I predict this thread will end up being much said about nothing. Sure there will and has been stuff out there about all the weirdness of Mormonism. But I just don't see it being a major issue anymore. We will see.

[_Jason Bourne]

I also believe that Romney's inability to connect with folks on the road is due to the fact that he's Mormon. Mormons grow up "outside" the cultural mainstream. They often have a hard time connecting with gentiles. They can only really relate to other Mormons. (generalizations, of course)

I hardly think so. I have lived my entire adult life outside of Utah and move quite comfortably in non LDS. Also you really think Romney, who never grew up in Utah, who was a leader of a major company that had non LDS owners and dealt with non LDS businesses, who was a governer and all that he is done because he cannot relate to the cultural mainstream? I disagree with this one.

[_Drifting]

. The potential for Obama to use simple questions based on the bigotry in Mormonism will level Mitt.

Obama won't touch the Mormon issue one whit. His secular left surrogates might. But not Obama.

I predict this thread will end up being much said about nothing. Sure there will and has been stuff out there about all the weirdness of Mormonism. But I just don't see it being a major issue anymore. We will see.

If Obama see's any level of serious threat from Romney he will find a way, directly or indirectly, of shining a very bright light on the darkest bits of Mormonism.