GOP rivals have different takes on Mormon faith

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Ahimsa

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Romney is highly active and orthodox - he was a top local lay leader in Massachusetts for years, and he has embraced his church unequivocally: “I believe in my Mormon faith and endeavor to live by it,’’ he said in a major speech in 2007.

Huntsman has called his adherence to Mormon practices “tough to define.’’ He has described himself as more spiritual than religious and as someone who gets “satisfaction from many different types of religions and philosophies.’’

The former Utah governor’s seeming ambivalence has surprised and disappointed many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some of whom have questioned whether Huntsman is trying to distance himself from his church for political gain. But others welcome his ambiguity: For them, it highlights a growing debate about whether this relatively new religion can accommodate a more elastic definition of what it means to be Mormon.

“Normally it’s either all in or all out - that’s both how Mormons view themselves, and that’s how people view Mormons,’’ said John Dehlin, a Mormon from Logan, Utah, whose “Mormon Stories’’ podcast (mormonstories.org) has drawn a growing audience of nontraditional and ambivalent Mormons. “Liberals and progressive [Mormons] were elated at Huntsman’s characterizing himself that way, at least the ones I know, because it helps contribute to opening up the discourse about unorthodox Mormonism.’’
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Ahimsa:
I really don’t understand the fascination with his Mormonism. It personally doesn’t bother me in the slightest. He’s not going to establish Mormonism as the official religion or anything so who cares? His Mormon profession certainly can’t be worse than Obama’s practical atheism.

At any rate, I probably won’t be voting for Romney. But not because of his religious beliefs.
 
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Ahimsa:
I would imagine that the same could be said for any Catholic politician and I would hate for anyone to base their view of Catholicism on a “Catholic” politician’s viewpoint. We have more than our fair share of so-called “Catholic” politicians that openly reject the Church’s teachings on marriage, abortion, sexuality, etc. I wouldn’t give Huntsman’s view a second thought.
 
SteveVH said:
I would imagine that the same could be said for any Catholic politician and I would hate for anyone to base their view of Catholicism on a “Catholic” politician’s viewpoint. We have more than our fair share of so-called “Catholic” politicians that openly reject the Church’s teachings on marriage, abortion, sexuality, etc. I wouldn’t give Huntsman’s view a second thought.
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Yes but you have to remember who we see scrapping during this period on the GOP side: the far right wing. The far right wing has had a very cozy relationship with evangelical Christians for some time now and to those folks you might as well have let Charlie Manson out of jail to run for the nomination. To them Mormons have horns and sacrifice virgins on altars in their temples. I’d say more but then we’d risk starting another 300 post Mormon thread and I don’t think any of us want that

😃
 
TheExorcist said:
Yes but you have to remember who we see scrapping during this period on the GOP side: the far right wing. The far right wing has had a very cozy relationship with evangelical Christians for some time now and to those folks you might as well have let Charlie Manson out of jail to run for the nomination. To them Mormons have horns and sacrifice virgins on altars in their temples. I’d say more but then we’d risk starting another 300 post Mormon thread and I don’t think any of us want that

😃
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That’s funny! I tend to agree with the posts on this thread. I run to the conservative side of things, so I’m more comfortable with Romney than with Huntsman (who makes my head explode and is thankfully unelectable). But I just don’t see this country electing an LDS president. Remember the last presidential cycle where Huckabee played the “Jesus and Satan are brothers” card and the media hammered Romney with fringe theological questions.

And if there was a Mormon president, there would be some funky things happening. I attended a conference last year where a former press aide to President Bush spoke. He told about how the press selected a “pool” reporter to attend church with the President and report on the service. This report was then picked up and disseminated by all the various news outlets. The report included some of the content of the minister’s sermon.

Now for those of you who know Mormons or were a Mormon, picture that scenario in the context of an LDS fast and testimony meeting! That’s the meeting that takes place on the first Sunday of each month where any member of the congregation can stand and state and testify to his or her faith. Being a church comprised of lay members who very often aren’t exactly articulate (and sometimes not even coherent), there are some weird things that are sometimes said. How would that be reported?

Or if President Romney decided he wanted to attend the temple in Washington D.C. If conspiracy theorists think George Bush is responsible for 9/11, what kind of plots do you think Romney would be accused of hatching in a building where only communicant Mormons can go inside?

At least we’re not talking about Harry Reid (AAAAGGGHHHH!!!)
 
The way things stand right now, I think I’d be inclined to vote for Rick Perry.
 
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