Weird (stupid) Sealing Policies

[_Mister Scratch]

If Bill Clinton's relationship w/ M. Lewinski "could have seriously compromised his ability to govern" (and just how might that have worked, I wonder?)

Its called blackmail Scratch, and Dick Morris set could have set himself up for precisely the same thing given the very similar behavior he was caught engaging in as a White House insider.

In other words, Clinton would have become a tool of Monica Lewinski, Linda Tripp, and others? The logic and intellectual seriousness of this are just staggering. Right: Clinton would have been so terrified that someone would blab about the oral sex he got that it would compromise his ability to govern. Yeah, that is so convincing!

The trouble is that this sort of "blackmail" is pretty small potatoes compared to what the Brethren could do to Romney. I mean, which is worse: being threatened with exposure? or being threated with eternal damnation (or something similar)? We already know, based on an account from Dr. Judy Dushku, that Romney had to ask the GAs for permission in order to adopt his non-kosher pro-abortion stance in Massachusetts.

then it seems perfectly reasonable to assume that Romney's various "conferences" with the Brethren (not to mention his temple oaths) might "seriously compromise" his ability to serve the best interests of the American public.

Care to tell us just why this might be?

I suppose it's a matter of determining whether or not the interests of the LDS Church are the same as the interests of the American public. Or of determining just how loyal/faithful/obedient Romney is. Certainly, Dr. Dushku's story paints a very sinister and troubling picture, suggesting that Romney will heavily rely on the Brethren's approval, even if he doesn't wind up becoming a complete puppet president.

[_ozemc]

Anti-Mormons, non-Mormons, ex-Mormons, cultural Mormons, inactive Mormons: Listen up. This is not an issue for you. The only people it will ever impact are fully active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Why do you even bother?

Well, Charity, the reason I bother is because, even though I am a non-Mormon, and never will be, my wife is a Mormon, fully active in the church. So, what the church says on these subjects does impact me through its impact on her.

[_charity]

Anti-Mormons, non-Mormons, ex-Mormons, cultural Mormons, inactive Mormons: Listen up. This is not an issue for you. The only people it will ever impact are fully active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Why do you even bother?

Well, Charity, the reason I bother is because, even though I am a non-Mormon, and never will be, my wife is a Mormon, fully active in the church. So, what the church says on these subjects does impact me through its impact on her.

I am not in a patient mood today. Tell your wife not to worry about it. There is a thousand years to get all the little complications worked out.

[_ozemc]

Romney has repeatedly---and by "repeatedly," I mean literally dozens of times---dodged questions pertaining to the Church, or his loyalty to the Church, etc.

And now you can answer the burning question: what do his theological views have to do with his qualifications to be President? I thought out society might have gotten over this after JFK.

in my opinion, it questions his judgment. If he's willing to believe in the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, that God was a man, etc., etc. then I have a problem with somebody who believes like that with his finger on the nuclear button. To me, it means he's not very rational, and doesn't think things through.

Far more to the point, however, is his flip-flopping on the issues.

The interviewer meant it in the most basic sense: I.e., "Do you, Mitt, believe that God created the Earth in six days? And that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit? And that there was a global flood?" etc. I guess Mitt can feel lucky that he wasn't asked about the Garden of Eden being in Missouri. (Since that would have been just yet another reason for him to demonstrate his embarrassment.)

The answer to the first question is quite obviously no. The answer to the second is yes. To the third, yes, depending upon how the term "global" is understood. The idea of the Garden of Eden being in Missouri is a theological point. You can take it or leave it. Now, let's go over this once more: what do any of these beliefs, regardless of how they are answered, have to do with his qualifications to be President?

If JFK were running today, would it bother you that he believed in the doctrine of Transubstantiation?

Yes, it would be included in my overall view of the person. just like Romney's Mormonism is aslo included in my overall view of him

If your going to go after Romney for standard Christian ideas like creation, the Fall, and the Flood, why not just say that anyone who believes Jesus to be the incarnate Son of God, that he was born of a Virgin, and that after being physically killed, is going to come back to earth and judge the world, has no business running for office?

Would you vote for an American of Chinese descent who held Confusion or Taoist beliefs?

Depends. If I thought that those beliefs would cloud his worldview, and make him (or her) more likely to believe far-out conspiracy theories, for example, then no I probably wouldn't.

Do you even know or care what you are talking about?

Mitt's devotion/loyalty to the LDS Church---which is in and of itself a very powerful ideology---says all sorts of things about his "qualifications to govern."

Such as?

[_ozemc]

Anti-Mormons, non-Mormons, ex-Mormons, cultural Mormons, inactive Mormons: Listen up. This is not an issue for you. The only people it will ever impact are fully active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Why do you even bother?

Well, Charity, the reason I bother is because, even though I am a non-Mormon, and never will be, my wife is a Mormon, fully active in the church. So, what the church says on these subjects does impact me through its impact on her.

I am not in a patient mood today. Tell your wife not to worry about it. There is a thousand years to get all the little complications worked out.

Sorry about your mood swings. There are medications that can help, if you need them.

My wife does not worry about it. I come here to discuss the various tenets of the religion that has such a hold over her life to try and help me understand her a little better.

Being here has helped that.