When does a cult become a religion? It seems to me to be a question akin to the one about a tree falling in the forest. There is no correct answer. Mitt Romney is a Mormon. Is he also a Christian? Is he a member of a cult? That depends on your own personal definitions. I don’t care what religion you believe in, because all of them ask you to believe in some rather strange ideas. Our country is based on the idea that no one’s religious beliefs should preclude them from serving in public office. Without any doubt, Mitt Romney is allowed to run for the position of president of the United States.
That doesn’t mean that you are obligated to ignore his religious beliefs when you make your decision on whether or not to support his candidacy. I think it would be wrong to oppose his candidacy solely because he’s a Mormon, just like it would be wrong to oppose a candidate solely because they are Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist or agnostic. But it can certainly inform your decision making.
I think it is more important to learn whether a candidate puts certain religious dogmas ahead of science. Christianity may be an established religion, unlike Mormonism, but if you reject the theories of evolution or plate tectonics because of your Christian beliefs then you are crazier than Mitt Romney, and less fit for high office.
Leaving aside everything you said, I agree with, let’s focus on the hit Rick Perry made yesterday.
It’s now out there in the jet stream that Mitt Romney is a Mormon and the Mormon church is a cult. It’s a direct hit in this Republican party. Mormonism was a huge part of what brought Romney down in ’08; and it’s one of the main reasons why I think when the voting begins he likely won’t be the nominee. We’ll see.
But one thing is clear; Rick Perry is not going to go out into that good night. He’s going to get into mud and fight this mother out; and Kay Bailey Hutchinson will tell you he’s pretty good fighter. He’s got a huge problem in that he’s crap at the debates and there are a boat load of debates; but the debates aren’t the whole story.
Rick Perry has the money to take Mitt Romney down; and I think he’s made the decision to do that. That’s a problem for the party because if the two disqualify each other; whose going to be the back up plan now that Pawlenty quit?
The Hermanator. Or the Frothy Mix. Or Gingrinch.
I’m just astounded at the ground Cain’s gained; it just shows that actual Republican voters don’t want Romney at all and he has no redeeming qualities or a war record to make him more palatable.
He’s just the flavor of the month. The Republicans hate their candidates and they keep regurgitating them.
I wish I could do that too! They are pretty sickening.
Yup. We saw this same pattern of “We hate our frontrunner, who’s the next savior?” from the Republicans in 2008, too. Remember Fred Thompson? That was just embarrassing.
So far we’ve had Trump, Bachmann, Perry, Christie, and now Cain. Am I missing anyone?
All the while, Mitt Romney just keeps steadily, quietly keeping on, letting one media spasm after another blow over – kind of the way Obama handled himself last time.
It’s Republican donors that want him. He was a Wall Street broker. He’s one of them.
At a brokered convention you could have something crazy happen like Jeb Bush being drafted as a “consensus” nominee. In the early primary/caucus states Perry and Romney will likely neutralize each other. And Romney’s “Mormon problem” is real. Cain is a lunatic and will eventually disintegrate in the fishbowl.
Ron Paul with his low ceiling but high floor will hang around and could be a king maker but not the nominee as the village will never accept him. If Paul is a kingmaker that would hurt a draft Bush movement or perhaps he’ll just be swept aside under the tidal wave of “consensus.”
The scenario that is unfolding is a dream for the Bush crime family. Young George Prescott Bush is cleverly supporting Huntsman who has no chance. And compared to the remaining clowns Jeb will appear to be a grown up modern day Cincinnatus with gravitas. Meanwhile, the corporate media will let him get away with distancing himself from W.
He’ll say something like, “My brother had no choice but to expend blood and treasure in America’s defense. But now it’s time to get our fiscal house and order. And I have my own record in Florida on issues like the environment.”
And of course, in the GOP’s eyes, Jeb can claim to be a “true” Christian.
It’s just crazy enough to happen.
It all depends on Obama’s poll numbers at the time of the convention. If it looks like Obama is really toast, then Jeb will go for it. Else it’s 2016. He can wait for term limits to clear the field, but he can’t wait to 2020. Of course, he might take the #2 spot. That would position him better in the future, win or lose. But he won’t take #2 to a raging loon.
Some historian can correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the only persons to have won the Presidency without prior political experience were popular Generals. That makes Cain’s chances about 44-0 . Now if he held a Congressional seat or at least was state Senator…
It’s just as wrong as opposing Al Smith or JFK for being Catholic.
I don’t wish to insult anyone, but, as an atheist, Mormonism and Catholicism seem just as goofy, except I never heard of Mormons protecting clerical child molesters. Oh, wait, there is that forced marriage to underage girls thing.
So Mitt’s campaign says at least he never killed people to create jobs…and then an evangelial friend of Perry’s campaign says Mitt belongs to a cult and, oh by the way, ALL religions are cults except Christianity. And that’s just this week’s bash fest.
MSM better start gearing up to fact check more of the 9 9 9 plan cause Cain’s headed to be the hold yer nose and vote nominee for the GOP.
I assume this post has to do with the comments made by the minister who was introducing Rick Perry at the “Value’s Conference”. To me, the most important part to note about what the minister had to say was:
Do we want a candidate who is a good, moral person, or do we want a candidate who is a born-again follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?” he said.
Religious belief is but a tinkling cymbal without an adherence to morality. No matter what your belief may be, theologically or not, it is of no consequence if it morally centered.
I completely agree with this post. A religion is just a cult that has become respectable. There is no essential difference between believing in the Angel Gabriel and believing in the Angel Moroni. To an outsider, both beliefs are crazy.
My current flaky prediction:
Obama-Biden
Romney-Cain
Paul-Ventura