ROMNEY: I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYTHING MORE AWFUL THAN POLYGAMY' Thu May 10 2007 15:43:11 ET
In what may be his strongest public statements against the Bush administration, presidential candidate Mitt Romney says his fellow Republicans in the Bush White House made mistakes in Iraq that the country is still paying for. Romney also deplores the polygamy his ancestors practiced in the 19th Century in a 60 MINUTES interview with Mike Wallace to be broadcast Sunday, May 13 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
"I think the administration made a number of errors," he tells Wallace. "I don't think we were adequately prepared for what occurred. I don't think we did enough planning. I don't think we considered the various downsides and risks," says Romney.
He says President Bush isn't the only one to blame. "He's the person where the buck stops, but it goes through the secretary of defense and the planning agencies, the Department of State -- it's the whole administration," Romney says. "They made mistakes... and we're paying for those mistakes."
The president's "surge" policy of putting additional troops into Iraq may never work, says Romney, but it deserves a chance. "We're going to know in a matter of months if it's working or not working."
Romney acknowledges that voters may have a problem with his religion's history of polygamy. "That's part of the history of the church's past that I understand is troubling to people," he says. The practice, outlawed before 1900, is equally troubling to him. "I have a great-great grandfather. They were trying to build a generation out there in the desert and so he took additional wives as he was told to do. And I must admit, I can't image anything more awful than polygamy," he tells Wallace.
Romney's wife, Ann, who converted to the Mormon Church before they were married, is also interviewed. When asked whether they broke the strict church rule against premarital sex, Romney says, "No, I'm sorry, we do not get into those things," but still managed to blurt out "The answer is no," before ending that line of questioning.
Developing...
I am on the record, I am in full agreement with Romney on this issue.
PS Anyone hear of any series of heart attacks in SLC?
I'm trying to imagine what reporter thought it would be a good idea to ask if they'd had premarital sex. That's pretty f*cked up.
Mormonism ceased being a compelling topic for me when I finally came to terms with its transformation from a personality cult into a combination of a real estate company, a SuperPac, and Westboro Baptist Church. - Kishkumen
Good for Mitt. I think it was wise to make a strong stance against polygamy since that is what non Mormons associate LDS with. I would guess some Christians fear he would bring that practice into acceptance if he's elected.
He will tick off the polygamy defenders in the church though.
"Happiness is the object and design of our existence... That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another." Joseph Smith
Sethbag wrote:I'm trying to imagine what reporter thought it would be a good idea to ask if they'd had premarital sex. That's pretty f*cked up.
Yeah, I thought the same. But there's gotta be more to it than just that random question. Maybe the reporter asked what some of the unique LDS beliefs are, and then she listed a few, including 'not having sex until marriage'. So then the reporter might have asked, 'well did you guys have sex before marriage'?
That would make a little more sense. But i guess we'll see when they show it sunday night.
WK: "Joseph Smith asserted that the Book of Mormon peoples were the original inhabitants of the americas"
Will Schryver: "No, he didn’t." 3/19/08
Still waiting for Will to back this up...
Seven wrote:He will tick off the polygamy defenders in the church though.
I am uncertain that they will take it seriously. They know that Mitt will say what seems to be politically expedient and that his true feelings will remain unknown, although, there is no hard and fast rule about his being truly candid or not. When he revealed that his favorite book was "Battlefield Earth" by L. Ron Hubbard, in an unguarded moment, he was no doubt being completely candid. When he later retracted his statement with the clarification that "Battlefield Earth" was his favorite novel, and the "Bible" was truly his favorite book, he was back to being politically expedient.
[Actually, I think he went a little overboard on his statement of polygamy. I can think of lots of things worse than polygamy - Child molestation, murder, Paris Hilton's music career...
"We of this Church do not rely on any man-made statement concerning the nature of Deity. Our knowledge comes directly from the personal experience of Joseph Smith." - Gordon B. Hinckley
"It's wrong to criticize leaders of the Mormon Church even if the criticism is true." - Dallin H. Oaks
Seven wrote:He will tick off the polygamy defenders in the church though.
I am uncertain that they will take it seriously. They know that Mitt will say what seems to be politically expedient and that his true feelings will remain unknown, although, there is no hard and fast rule about his being truly candid or not. When he revealed that his favorite book was "Battlefield Earth" by L. Ron Hubbard, in an unguarded moment, he was no doubt being completely candid. When he later retracted his statement with the clarification that "Battlefield Earth" was his favorite novel, and the "Bible" was truly his favorite book, he was back to being politically expedient.
By the way, as bat-poop crazy as L. Ron Hubbard was, and as fscked up as his "church" is today, and as retarded, I have to say I read "Battlefield Earth" when I was a teen and it was actually one of my favorite science-fiction novels for a long time. I thought it was very good. The movie, well, that's another story. That movie truly was one of the worst I'd ever seen. I didn't see it for some time after it came out, and finally my curiosity got the better of me - I just had to see for myself why people were saying it was so bad. So I saw it, and yup, it was bad. I felt stupid for not just taking peoples' word for it.
Mormonism ceased being a compelling topic for me when I finally came to terms with its transformation from a personality cult into a combination of a real estate company, a SuperPac, and Westboro Baptist Church. - Kishkumen
SatanWasSetUp wrote: Actually, I think he went a little overboard on his statement of polygamy. I can think of lots of things worse than polygamy - Child molestation, murder, Paris Hilton's music career...
I'm sure he believes molestation, murder, etc. are worse than polygamy. He is saying this in the context of his religious doctrine and what he probably believes God commanded his ancestors to do, in my opinion. His choice of words were not to be taken so literally, but were to emphasize his feelings against the practice of it.
"Happiness is the object and design of our existence... That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another." Joseph Smith
Please correct me if I am wrong but is taking plural wives not an eternal principle? Was it not susspended only for a time? Will it not be practised again in heaven?
If so Mitt will need to soften his heart at some point.
personage wrote:Please correct me if I am wrong but is taking plural wives not an eternal principle? Was it not susspended only for a time? Will it not be practised again in heaven? If so Mitt will need to soften his heart at some point.
You are correct but most Chapel Mormons do not believe they will have to practice it in heaven to have eternal marriage. They are "cafateria Mormons." Pick and choose which scriptures work for their comfort level. This misconception in the church comes from church lessons, conference talks, etc. that eliminate all mention of polygamy in relation to eternal marriage.
It makes sense that they misunderstand the principle because church leaders have been silent on this requirement for many years. They have never come out to say it's NOT REQUIRED for the highest degree of the CK and there are countless teachings of the Prophets along with section 131 and 132 that require plural marriage for exaltation.
Romney may be one of the majority of LDS who believe they don't have to be a polygamist for exaltation.
"Happiness is the object and design of our existence... That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another." Joseph Smith