I'd vote for him again. Don't you wish he'd been the candidate last round instead of Mac. Maybe he would have won and we'd be finished with this depression by now. Silly sheeple being told how to vote instead of doing your own research and praying sincerely to move past your hate.

This was very good article. Very intelligent and open. Most Mormons I know are sincere in helping others and honestly believe they are serving God. With that ideology, the Mormons should get along with anyone except brother Beck.

Evangelicals showed their true colors in 2008. They are sheeple who will vote for a slimy candidate like Huckabee instead of truly doing their homework. If we had a Romney white house right now, we'd be well out of this recession and the spending spree would have never started. There is absolutely no doubt about this in my mind.

Mormons' (and Mitt Romney and Glenn Beck) theology is based on First Century Christianity, not Fourth Century Creeds. Mormons' views of Baptism, Lay Ministry, Trinity, Deification, Faith vs. Works, and the Diety of Jesus Christ more closely comport with First Century Christianity than the Fourth Century Creeds to which other Christian faiths adhere. And a UNC 2005 study found that Mormon teens exhibited more Christian characteristics than any other denomination, by a wide margin:

http://MormonsAreChristian.blogspot.com

Evangelical Christians can continue their bigotry if they wish, but it only degrades their Christianity.

Let's face it, southern evangelical peckerwoods will never vote of a member of the LDS faith because Mormons just are not their kind of Christian. The evangelicals are truly America's version of the Taliban.

Is he truly intelligent enough to head up any kind of political post? Seriously.

Brooks decries that Iowa Evangelicals voted for Huckabee but not the fact that 90% of Utah Mormons voted for Romney. How was that any different?

Prop 8, blacks not allowed the priesthood until 1978, allowing polygamy to go unchecked in southern Utah (Texas is now bringing them to justice) and now you are going to start calling the kettle black. Good job.

McCain won thee nomination without the evangelicals. He didn't even compete in Iowa. Mitt can win Michigan, New Hampshire, Florida and California without any evangelical support at all. Of course, I hope most of them are smart enough to realize he is he best man for the job. The mose competent conservative with real world executive experience. No training wheels needed in Romney's Oval Office.

Last time Mitt started out focusing on social conservatism, but his strength is in his fiscal conservatism and his leadership skills. The issue right now is the failing economy and jobs,jobs jobs. Mitt will focus on those issues because it makes sense, not because he is avoiding the evangelical vote.

But what about all the flip-flopping? And his health care plan in Mass. Also if he was a Mormon in good standing before 1978, did he support their ban on blacks?

It's a non-starter. 'nuff said.

Hey, sorry to burst your bubble but Mitt Romney will NOT win the nomination in 2012...especially without the Evangelical vote. There is a slight chance Sarah Palin will get it but I think it will be someone who can bridge both the Evangelicals and the Country Club Conservatives. My pick is John Thune (South Dakota) - Social Conservatives and Fiscal Conservatives both like him. Mark my words folks...in July 2008 I predicted (much to everyone's laughter) that Sarah Palin would be McCain's pick for VP...just sayin.

Mitt Romney has my vote. All I hear is that he flipped against abortion and had Rep and Dem approval on the Massachusetts health care. If that is all that is against him, I am for sure voting for him. I have never in all my 69 years seen so many lies, false statements, and ineptness as with this Obama administration. If Mitt Romney doesn't get the next Presidency, we are all doomed.

So the Evangelicals won't support Romney. It seems to me they are afraid "it gives legitimacy to the Mormon Church", and if people joined the unpaid ministry Mormon Church, WHAT WOULD THEY DO FOR A JOB???? POCKETBOOK WOULD SUFFER???? Keep the Mormons out at all costs!!!

Romney and his campaign managers need to grasp that his belief system is deeply offensive and hurtful to Christians . Mormon beliefs such as God the Father being married , Jesus being the Devil's brother and mankind originating from a planet near a star called Kolob are truly shocking . Further Evangelicals will not forget that Mitt Romney participated in secret ceremonies involving mock throat slitting and ridiculing the Christian Pastor .

Romney's background and consistent record of making things happen while holding to sharp fiscal discipline - this is what this country really needs right now. The government needs Presidential leadership in order to control spending, and Obama does not have the ability or willingness to pay more than lip service to fiscal control.

Mitt and Ann Romney for President and First Lady!

I truly hope Romney is our President in 2012! He is the man we need in the Oval Office! Ann will be a wonderful First Lady as well!

There is a great book that was published about the anti-Mormonism during Romney's 2008 campaign. The book is titled A Different God? Mitt Romney, the Religious Right and the Mormon Question. The book takes Romney to task on certain points but really shows in black and white the bigotry that prevailed during the presidential campaign.

There is a distinction to be made here between social conservatives as a group and evangelical Christians as a group for political purposes.

While it would be true that many Evangelical Christians might identify as social conservatives, it is not the case that all social conservatives are Evangelical Christians-- or even Christians.

Cases in point: Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and many Muslims, Jews and Hindus, as well as a good number of "mainline" Christians, would end up identifying as "social conservatives" on a variety of issues such as abortion, homosexuality, gambling, and restrictions relating to alcohol and drugs.

So Romney's choice, assuming it has been made, may not have been so much to abandon evangelicals but rather not to address the social conservative issues as core issues in his campaign, and instead focus on economic (and probably military/industrial/financial) conservative issues.

That's still a calculated political decision and not without risk. Connecting at the level of values that move people to action at a social level-- whatever those values are-- can be an effective means of strengthening one's base politically. The calculation in this case is whether an economic/fiscal conservatism communicates powerfully enough without a social conservatism message to support it that social conservatives (many, though again not all, of whom may also be fiscal conservatives) will still be willing to come along for the ride.

Many social conservatives have lashed fiscal/economic conservatism to their own agendas as a means of widening their own tents over the years. So maybe this news from the Romney campaign means they've looked at the numbers and think they can actually still capture enough of the socially conservative vote as well (through that "lashing" effect) that they can focus efforts on trying to create a "broader tent" by appealing primarily to economic/fiscal conservatism alone.

One need not have been influenced by Fuller Theological Seminary to recognize Mormonism for what it is: an insidious and dangerous cult. I am not a "fundamentalist" by anybody's definistion of the term; in fact, I am a devoted member of a "liberal" Church that ordains women and openly gay people. Still, I recognize Southern Baptists and United Methodists as fellow Christians. Mormons frighten me more than Sarah Palin.

This controversy is reminiscent of the arguments about JFK and Catholism in the early 60s. We should vote for the man and his policies, rather than worrying what his religious beliefs are.

After 38 years as a member of the LDS Church, I can unequivocably state that there is no danger within the church or the religion. In fact, my health is significantly better than anyone in my non-LDS family, I have greater peace, I have a sense of purpose in life, I have stronger values that keep me from indulging in behaviors that truly do pose danger, and I give back to my community in significant ways. Latter-day Saints are always amongst the first responders (if not THE first) at disasters around the world, providing millions of dollars of assistance in the form of food, clothing, hygiene kits, physical labor, and other resources. We have been heralded time and again by governmental leaders for our unselfish service that always goes beyond the call of duty. By New Testament standards, we give significant Christian service in a truly Christlike fashion, as Christ intends for us to do. Romney had my vote NOT because of his religion, but because I knew his business acumen would be needed after the election, and that he could make the hard decisions with both near and distant future in line, contrary to what the present administration is doing.

Shouldn't every candidate be required to express their religious convictions! Non Mormons should read the book "Mormons under the Microscope" by Ed D. Lauritsen. It will remove most misconceptions about Mormons.If we want a Pres.
that has proven character, financial know-how
and leadership, Mitt Romney is your man.

I found the article interesting, but being that I was a student at Fuller during much of the 1980s, I don't know what the author is talking about when suggesting that Fuller was the hot bed of "spiritual warfare" against Mormons. Now, there was "spiritual warfare" stuff happening -- mostly around C. Peter Wagner, but that was only a small part of Fuller. The anti-cult stuff goes way back and includes people like Walter Martin who had nothing to do with Fuller.

Wow, these comments certainly seem to prove what was discussed in A Different God? I noticed the book has already been mentioned. I highly recommend A Different God? Mitt Romney, the Religious Right and the Mormon Question as it addresses the very issues being mentioned.

It's not often a highly principled man, with great integrity that also has the ability and a proven track record to deal with financial management issues presents himself to the American public to run for the presential office. The American people would be crazy not to vote for Romney. Haven't they had enough of really bad presidents yet? Haven't they sufffered economically long enough? A persons underwear doesn't interest me nearly as much as a persons ability to lead our country with ability and integrity. Let's not let the evangelical extremists derail us from seeing Romney for who he is and what he can do for our country.

The nation had a chance to elect a proven leader but because of religious fanatacism and progressive liberalism we got what we as a nation deserved. Now we have to live with it.

Mormons are not Christians, that God was once a man and believe they can become gods.

They believe that Jesus is Lucifer's Brother.
That Christin pastors are the hirelings of Satan

That we have a Mother in heaven.

They recently did their temple work and baptized Jesus and Mary Magdeline into the church and married them by proxy

go to www.saintsalive.com for the real truth about this cult.

Bill keller is right.

We need someone like Romney to help the financial situation of this economy. He needs to stress the economic knowledge he has and not spent ad money or vocalization to the negatives of his opposition. Keep the campaign positive in all aspects. He gave a talk in Florida to a group of business people that needs to be repeated. It was show he helped create new companies.

Mormons dumb, evangelicals dumber, rest of America clueless. Unfortunately Mormons are the smartest people in America now. I blame non Mormons for not keeping up with them.

As a convert and long-time member of the Curch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church), I continue to be saddened by the perception that membership in this church, or any other, should disqualify an individual from serving their country or, in my case, my City, where I'm running for City Council this November. Misinformation, bigotry, hatred of another's religion- not one of these will stop me from doing my best to serve the community where I live. It makes no sense to me that I, Mitt Romney, or any other Mormon would run for office for any other reason than to better where we live. Mormons love their country just like others, eventhough it has not always loved them.

I remember a saying my mother use to have. "People are down on what they are not up on". Someone suggested going to the real source for information. Good advice. I have family that are LDS and I've never been afraid of them. My LDS neighbors and family are always there when I need them.
We need a good and decent man for the job, no matter what his religion is. As long as he is an American and at least has a religion.

Many , I suspect most people find it deeply offensive that the Mormons with the full support of Mitt Romney have been involved in baptizing dead Jewish Holocaust victims . If Republican voters are so foolish to give the nomination (which I doubt) to a failed liberal Republican with bizarre religious beliefs and practices - it will hand Obama another four years in office .

A cold day in hell before I'd vote for the Father of RomneyCare and Godfather of ObamaCare. Romney's a big government shill. Only difference between him and professor hopenhange is that while captain kick-ass is on the express train to socialism, Romney is taking the bus. Either way we end up at the same destination....BIG GOVERNMENT!

When have we ever had a candidate with such integrity as Mitt Romney? Not in recent years, that's for sure. Not only is he honest, he is very smart, accomplished in the things this country needs, and he looks like a President!

Fantastically written piece. It seems like well written objective news is harder and harder to come by.
I have no problem with Romney's faith. All the Mormons I have ever met are great people and I think there are a lot of false ideas floating around that most intelligent people don't read into anyway. The issue at hand are his qualifications for the job. I did not vote from Mitt in 2008 but I have been very impressed the more I learn about him and his 'turnaround' record. We need someone who can shake it up in Washington. I like Romney

I think the Romney camp may be correct strategically with this given evangelicalism's long hostilities toward Mormonism. However, it appears that a younger generation of evangelicals, those who "knew not Walter Martin" and the counter-cult approach, seem less likely to make religious affiliations the primary factor in politics. This is also a reminder that evangelicals have a way to go in their stance toward Mormonism, other new religious movements, and issues related to religion in the public square.

If you Americans don't elect someone who understands economics you will be the next Mexico. Lawyers only know how to talk. Economists like Prime Minister Harper of Canada know how to make financial decisions and get things done.
Wake up USA.

I hope Mitt gets the Republican nomination. It will bring the Mormon Church under the microscope and the American public can understand how Mormons are the most offensive, smug, self righteous busybodies you will ever meet. They are racist to their core, dishonest about their history (Look up Mountain Meadows Massacre), they hate homosexual Americans, they refused equality to African Americans until 1978 (google Brigham Young's and Mark E. Peterson's statements) and believe that they alone speak for God and that ALL other religions are wrong. Mitt Romney is a grand double dealing phony, who speaks out of both sides of his mouth--he will only win if we vote for 'Best Hair'. Bring it on MItt, and watch the Republicans further destroy themselves over whose God is best. I can hardly wait.

He wants the most powerful man in the world job so bad he can taste it. It must drive him crazy knowing that Sarah Palin has a better chance then him. And the more he wastes his time and money, the more people will Google mormon history and be appalled at there behavior. All the spin that these mindless drone mormons have been posting are half truths concerning deep mormon doctrine and there demy God, Joe Smith. But don’t take my word for it do your own research. Mormons are not allowed to, they are told by their current prophet how to think.

Romney 2012 !

No Apology : The Case for American Romney Greatness
Join us now and support our true American Romney

http://www.americanromney.org/
http://www.romneysheepuk.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ko6hAMEhXw

Romney speaks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rooPPLtK9pg&feature=related

Let us all strive to be a Nation of Sheep

Mitt Romney is a quitter

Romney quit the Massachussett Governor re-election race because he cannot take the pressure and is afraid of losing. He claims that RomneyCare is the best for the people in MA state yet he quit the state and did not work to implement it. He blame the MA Democrats for derailing RomneyCare yet he quit the state and did not stay to fight for his pet project RomneyCare.
Mitt Romney is afraid of losing the MA gubernatorial race and thus chicken out.

Mitt Romney is a quitter.

The title of Mitt Romney first book : Turnaround

When faced with tough questions on Pot, Romney’s response is Turnaround and chicken out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6L-lXbb_uU
When faced with RomneyCare challenge, Romney’s response is Turnaround and chicken out
When faced with Evangelicals, Romney’s response is Turnaround and chicken out

Turnaround, a very appropriate book title for a quitter.

Traditional Christianity also conflicts with Islam, Judaism, Jehova's Witnesses, atheists, agnostics, Buddists, Sikhs, and every other denomination that disagrees with their views. If we start choosing our leaders by their religious affiliation rather than their moral character, than we are in for trouble. There are good and bad people in every religion. The point shouldn't be that you disagree with someone's religious beliefs, but you disagree with how you believe they will run the country.
This is an excellent article Johanna.

This change in Mitt's strategy is not an effort to tone down the Mormon focus. This is a clear statement of how irrelevant the evangelist vote has become. The 'Christian/Evangelist' vote and it's acidic treatment of other faiths, especially the Mormons, is an indication of how marginalized this segment has become. There is no leadership from this group, Think prop 8, only vocalized puke flowing from their collective hate. Remember, Mitt is a numbers guy. If the numbers tell him he can win without the support of what may have been an important group of people 20 years ago, he'll do it.

Here is what the leaders of the LDS church have said the the past of their churches:

"Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the Church of the Lamb of God [i.e.. the Mormon Church] and the other is the church of the devil [i.e.. the Christian Church]; wherefore whosoever belongeth not to the church of the lamb of God belongeth to that great church; which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth." (The Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:10).

"...I must join none of them [Christian Churches], for they were all wrong...that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight" (Joseph Smith History 1:19).

"The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to their knowledge of the salvation of God." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 8:171).

"What! Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute best." (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 13:225).

"What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing...Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest fools; they know neither God nor the things of God." (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 13:225).

"Believers in the doctrines of modern Christendom will reap damnation to their souls (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.177).

"Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the "whore of Babylon" whom the lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornication's and wickedness." (Orson Pratt, The Seer, p.255).

"Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and then kicked on to the earth." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 6:176).

Sorry, but Mitt Romney is weird and we don't need a strange person.

http://www.truthandgrace.com/Mormon.htm

Rather than elect Romney, why not one of the Evangelical leaders such as-
Ted Haggard - illegal drugs and prostitution.
Jim Baker - adultery and fraud.
Jim Swaggart - soliciting prostitures.
Pastor Jeremiah Wright - Hate, Hate Hate.
They will solve all our problems.

I suppose all you Credal Christian Evangelicals who carry a self-proclaimed license to label who is Christian and who is not would much rather endorse wonderful, classical, protestant Christians such as John Edwards and his Christ-like life. Right?

Now there's a real classy comment from a real classy Evangelical. Fortunately I know many evangelicals to assume that your disgusting commentary reflects their views as well. You represent the lowest of the lowest in your trailor park.

Evangelicals could have made the election all of the liberal presidents we've ever had a "sure thing". They vote for candidates that won't win on the Republican side, they divide their votes between losing RINO's because the candidate claims to be a religion the evangelicals "approve of" - (sounds like a southern mob). The hearts of the evangelicals shows through every time they vote. They'd rather lose the election, and subsequently put a hard core liberal/progressive/socialist/aspiring communist in the whitehouse, who will damage our country for years to come, and rip our constitution to shreds, and they do it out of pure spite, anger, black heartedness, lacking the love of Christ. Who wants their vote? They're sheep that follow the hateful teachings of misguided country ministers who are filled with hate! And this behavior hurts our country, hurts our freedom, hurts our children's futures... and all because these evangelicals are too cross eyed to look past religion to see the SUCCESSFUL TRACK RECORD of Romney, the SKILLS he has the could save our economy!! I need a job!!!! So, real conservatives, that aren't buck toothed & cross eyed by their bigoted religions and angry preachers, should forget the hard core evangelicals and move past their ignorance - to a place of rallying behind a candidate that can lead us out of this Great Recession and back to making money so we can feed our families!!

There are no jobs out there. We are in a recession and so many people are hurting from it. I know many people who are at the end of their unemployment and they just want to work. I recently found MomHasAJob.com and it's pretty cool. I'm now working for myself from home. A lot of people are still looking for jobs, and this place helped me.

For those of you who are interested if you put in the google search engine ' You tube If we could hie to Kolob - Mitt Romney ' , you will get a rendition of this Mormon hymn accomponied by graphics of Romney and things Mormon.In my jugement this is a first rate satire making a very serious point about Romney and Mormonism . It is worth seeing .

...when the people saw a man of a religion not of their own, on bended knee, praying & professing his love of Christ & giving of his time and talents to his church & his country, some people did not like his love of Christ, because it was unlike their own. In their ignorance they did disparage the man, they did criticize his faith, they did elevate themselves above him as they scorned him and sought to destroy his standing in his country as he was offering his service to his country. Those people who profess love of Christ showed none to this man or the millions of others like him, and they missed the very meaning of Christ's teachings, the most important teaching of all, to love one another as He has loved them.

http://www.salamandersociety.com/romney/

Try to understand his religion thank you

If Romney really wanted people not to discriminate against him for being Mormon, then he'd mend his Conservative political ways and start valuing our Constitutional separation of church and state. Without it, his precious Mormon religion likely wouldn't exist at all, because its earliest adherents would have been legally excluded from public life.

I understand Romney giving up on the Evangelical vote. They have persecuted Mormons for some time and it's highly unlikely that they're going to start voting for him in droves. However, I believe he's making a mistake. The Evangelicals are the base of the GOP and Romney has no chance of getting the nomination without at least some of their support.
It must be difficult to be a Mormon right now. The Left hates them because of their support for Prop 8 in California and the Right hates them just for who they are.
Of course, a big part of LDS mythology is being persecuted so it does help play into that narrative.

The comment that Mormonism is based on first century Christianity is actually false. The gospels were written anonymously in the first half of the second century and cannot, therefore,be counted as the basis of Christianity. The contradictions,thousands of errors,false statements and content testify of a religion based on other older religions which the people, the vast majority of whom were originally Pagan, could understand and accept with only minor changes. From those religions came the concepts of virgin birth accompanied by shepherds, three wise men, miracles of healing and even resurrection, the concept of Jesus' death on the cross his burial and resurrection on the third day and many others. You would all do well by reading the books by Acharya S., D.S. Murdock,Bart Ehrman and many others. These books will clear your minds of all the garbage Christianity has foisted on you. Whether first or fourth century Christianity, it is all equally nonsensical. Only Paul wrote in the first century and half of his writings are not from his pen.

Mitt will say absolutely anything his particular audience wants to hear to get elected.

The numbers that were the most arresting were the ones that deviated the most from the original Weddings Dress versions. A slowed-down "Roxanne" provided room for haunting cello and clarinet solos; "Whenever I Say Your Name" benefited from Vineyard Collection Wedding Dress a sterling violin intro; the brass section provided a suitably martial atmosphere to "You Will Be My Ain True Love," written for the "Cold Mountain" soundtrack; and some sultry trumpet solos provided appropriate atmosphere for "All Would Envy," about the bride dresses relationship between an older man and much younger woman.

I'm glad to see that Romney is ditching the painful and fruitless attempts to woo social conservatives. It was horrific to watch last time around. Still, Romney has more problems than his Mormonism. The main reason why I would never vote for Romney is his repeated displays of dishonesty. In a very real sense, his courtship of the religious right was dishonest to begin with. It went against his previously held political beliefs and it caused him to say some egregious things in the eyes of his fellow Mormons. This is a good move, but it's too little too late. I'm afraid I will never be able to take Romney seriously.

Interesting that not ONE person has mentioned that Harry Reid is a Mormon. Does it bother you more or less that a Mormon leads the Senate than it would for a Mormon to occupy the White House? Or is it because he's a progressive democrat that he gets off the hook for being Mormon?

Based on what history in the LDS record? Based on what history in Mitt Romney's record?

But a lot of different kinds of christian faiths of extreme left and right have a history of ignorance and bigotry, don't they?