Salt Lake Tribune: Why Romney SHOULDN'T run...

[_Notoriuswun]

Because it will lead to alot of questions they'd (Mormons) rather not answer.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5250383

[_Notoriuswun]

some tidbits:

I'll tell you what they'll do. There will be discussions of LDS temple ceremonies, temple garments, polygamy, priesthood restrictions on blacks, blood atonement, Adam-God theory, etc., etc. They'll bring up every anti-Mormon bullet point you've ever seen, and probably a few of you haven't. There will be quotes taken out of context, distortions of doctrine and kernels of truth buried in landfills of inaccuracy.

This will put leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an absolute no-win situation: If they try to respond to the doctrinal distortions aimed at Romney they will be perceived as defending him and thus supporting his candidacy; if they do nothing, the anti-Mormon assertions will be seen as true. Your 19-year-old missionary serving in Mississippi will spend the rest of his mission trying to explain the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the Adam-God theory, things he probably knows nothing about.

To get a glimpse of what I'm talking about, look at the comments posted in response to the Feb. 8 New York Times article on Romney and religion. At last count there were almost 700 postings, and many of them are written by "educated" anti-Mormons. These comments provide a small taste of the public relations campaign that will surely come in response to any momentum Romney's campaign might generate.

[_truth dancer]

I'm not even a believing member and I feel uncomfortable with what the fall out will be as Mitt runs for the presidency.

The world will find out about Kolob, the Book of Abraham, and LDS astronomy... that men believe they will become Gods, that they take an oath to obey their leaders. The world will see magic underwear, people believing they have the power of God, and women who are degraded and minimized in a modern society. Members will learn of a lot of things they would rather not have to know, like Adam/God, like the stone in the hat, like Joseph Smith's unethical and sick behavior. Leaders will be in uncomfortable positions (like GBH on Larry King), where they will have to deny doctrine. Polygamy and racism will of course be in the forefront.

Even though I don't believe in the church I feel badly for what may happen. :-(

~dancer~

[_neworder]

I am actually pretty excited that Romney is running. I think it will stir the pot and get a lot of people talking about Mormonism (believers and non-believers). It will lead a lot of people to really find out the truth, whatever that might be.

[_Jason Bourne]

Because it will lead to alot of questions they'd (Mormons) rather not answer.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5250383

Link did not work for me.

But you know, Mormons are not afraid of their doctrine strange as it may be to some.

[_moksha]

I hope Romney does run. It does not do the Church or its members any good to hide in the shadows worrying whether the general public will find out about their quirks. The best way to confront the situation is to do so head on. It would serve to expand the consciousness of both the general public and the church members.

by the way, if the LDS Church was seeking tolerance for themselves, they sure have backed the wrong party all these years.

[_guy sajer]

Because it will lead to alot of questions they'd (Mormons) rather not answer.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5250383

Other relevant questions for Romney include his membership in an organization that systematically marginalizes women and forbids them from having authority over or ministering to men (outside of limited contexts, such as in Primary); that is blatantly homophobic; that has a legacy of racism; that maintains racist beliefs in its holy books; and that still believes in plural marriage (if not in this life, then in the hereafter).

[_Jason Bourne]

I'm not even a believing member and I feel uncomfortable with what the fall out will be as Mitt runs for the presidency.

The world will find out about Kolob, the Book of Abraham, and LDS astronomy... that men believe they will become Gods, that they take an oath to obey their leaders. The world will see magic underwear, people believing they have the power of God, and women who are degraded and minimized in a modern society. Members will learn of a lot of things they would rather not have to know, like Adam/God, like the stone in the hat, like Joseph Smith's unethical and sick behavior. Leaders will be in uncomfortable positions (like GBH on Larry King), where they will have to deny doctrine. Polygamy and racism will of course be in the forefront.

Even though I don't believe in the church I feel badly for what may happen. :-(

~dancer~

I am really not worried about it.

[_Jason Bourne]

Because it will lead to alot of questions they'd (Mormons) rather not answer.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5250383

Other relevant questions for Romney include his membership in an organization that systematically marginalizes women and forbids them from having authority over or ministering to men (outside of limited contexts, such as in Primary); that is blatantly homophobic; that has a legacy of racism; that maintains racist beliefs in its holy books; and that still believes in plural marriage (if not in this life, then in the hereafter).

Let me see, if it were a Southern Baptist running all this applies accept for plural marriage. Would you be for forcing these issues on a candidate who is SB?

[_Notoriuswun]

Link did not work for me.

But you know, Mormons are not afraid of their doctrine strange as it may be to some.

It didn't work for me either (but it did initially...weird)
Here is the article:

Am I the only practicing Mormon who's not excited about Mitt Romney's run for president? It's not like his first order of business will be a $10,000 tax credit for all Latter-Day Saints. (But imagine what that would do for the missionary effort.) In my mind there's very little to be gained from Romney's candidacy, and a great deal to be lost.

First of all, Mitt Romney cannot win the Republican nomination. The Christian/evangelical bloc of the Republican Party will see to that. Do you recall what they did to John McCain in the 2000 presidential primary in South Carolina? McCain was coming off a 19-point drubbing of front-runner George W. Bush in New Hampshire when a surreptitious phone campaign started spreading the rumor that McCain had fathered an African-American child out of wedlock. McCain lost the South Carolina primary and his campaign was effectively over.

The McCain rumor had its roots in the fact that he and his wife have an adopted daughter from Bangladesh whose skin is dark. If McCain's opponents were willing to do this to defeat him, what will they do to Mitt Romney, a member of a church the evangelical right considers a cult?

I'll tell you what they'll do. There will be discussions of LDS temple ceremonies, temple garments, polygamy, priesthood restrictions on blacks, blood atonement, Adam-God theory, etc., etc. They'll bring up every anti-Mormon bullet point you've ever seen, and probably a
few you haven't. There will be quotes taken out of context, distortions of doctrine and kernels of truth buried in landfills of inaccuracy.

This will put leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an absolute no-win situation: If they try to respond to the doctrinal distortions aimed at Romney they will be perceived as defending him and thus supporting his candidacy; if they do nothing, the anti-Mormon assertions will be seen as true. Your 19-year-old missionary serving in Mississippi will spend the rest of his mission trying to explain the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the Adam-God theory, things he probably knows nothing about.

To get a glimpse of what I'm talking about, look at the comments posted in response to the Feb. 8 New York Times article on Romney and religion. At last count there were almost 700 postings, and many of them are written by "educated" anti-Mormons. These comments provide a small taste of the public relations campaign that will surely come in response to any momentum Romney's campaign might generate.

Romney's candidacy has the potential to drag the church into its biggest public relations morass since the Reed Smoot hearings. In fact, it could very well be worse, given the power of the Internet and the blogosphere to disseminate information rapidly and pervasively. The church will spend thousands of dollars and several years refuting the doctrinal distortions that will be used to undermine Romney's candidacy.

Is this what we really want?
In the end I think Mitt Romney could be a terrific president. Given the choice, I'd probably vote for him. But with the minuscule possibility of ever getting that choice, I question the cost. The thought of things sacred to Latter-Day Saints being discussed on "The Today Show" is not something I look forward to.