First of all, I apologize for dropping in the middle of this…new product launch, and I’m dying…one-armed paper hanger going on here. I started to respond a couple times yesterday, and just got overrun. Second, one of my points is all faiths have Warts, however, I won’t Blaspheme my own to make a point about glass houses. Unfortunately, that’s the one I understand. Anyway, since I was dumb enough to engage in this, not willing to point to stuff I know about my own faith, I find myself forced to go get the data on some LDS stuff. Now, since I have a Hobby or two, I am not going to immerse myself in the doctrine of another faith (don’t even do much of that for my own). I did however take a minute to look up a couple things to continue this discussion, but this is where it ends for me…We are flat going to disagree...thats ok with me.
QUOTE=woolybug25;711443]The book of mormon clearly states that American Indians are Jews that are being punished with the mark of Cain. BYoung also banned African Americans from the church because of this mark. This was the case until 1978. This is all fact. Mainly changed in order to continue their efforts to convert poor, undeveloped countries into their religion.[/QUOTE]
…OK…lets back up a second…The reference "Jew” isn't ALWAYS derogatory on its face (anti-semetic). In this case it is used to identify folks by their origin, e.g. house of Israel, or from where they came...pretty common. The story in the book of Mormon I think you reference identified a sect of folks from Jerusalem that end up in America...Lamanites, and” Lamanite” indeed had a negative connotation. They were said to have been marked with dark skin based on their deeds…a far cry from saying they were evil because they had dark skin, or they were given dark skin because they were Jews...lets net it out, Lamanites were said to have hailed from Jerusalem, broke off from another group, and were marked with Dark skin for their deeds. They were to have somehow ended up in the Americas. As well the LDS believe they mingled with the Native American peoples, which to me means they acknowledge not all dark skin people were bad. Couldn't tell if your intent was to say the story portrayed a persecution of Jews, i.e. the anti-semitism reference you made later...anyway, thats not even close to what it was.
I don't know Mormon scripture, but I'd be interested to see the specific passage that says you should interpret that story to mean all dark people are bad for all time...or where anti-semitism plays. The LDS actually claim to be VERY close to the origin of Jewish people, and their FAITHS and peoples all hail from Jerusalem. Those who pay attention understand that, and it makes claims of anti-semitism kinda lose me. You may find a passage that indicates those that were marked were out of favor with God, or something…but I don’t think that extends beyond those people who did the deeds.
So here comes my point about men and interpretation, and their own frailties. Low and behold A MAN, with his frailties (BYoung) seems to have latched on to either the similar Cain and Able story or this story, and used it/them for his immediate purpose. BYoung’s immediate motivation was to stem the tide of people leaving his church to join an offshoot formed by a black man who was a former member. BYoung, the man, issued an angry edict, and the rest is history. The motivation to change a long standing injustice instituted by BYoung may very well have been selfish, and to support missionary efforts...hell I don't know...but neither do you.
Look up the Meadow Mountain Massacre.
Attribution to BYoung is sketchy at best...he guy was a bit tilted in my estimation. But, in fairness, some accounts say he ordered the act...others say he was generally worked up over the Utah War, and his rhetoric may have created an attitude that allowed it, thus he contributed to it. He wasn't actually in Mountain Meadows when this happened, so who knows what he intended.
What you claim either never happened (anti-semitism for one) or doesn’t exist today in the LDS faith (although some of it does exist in the FLDS faith). Conflating the LDS with the FLDS is most certainly an ignorant thing to do…don’t know what the hell you are reading, but WOW. This is not up for interpretation for me…its right in front of me. (I live 30 minutes from SLC, and have a home in St. George which is pretty close to the FLDS folks)…I’ve sought to know the difference, and spoken to those who’ve left both faiths, and even retired investigators who were assigned to the FLDS…I’m quite comfortable with my understanding. The cultish conduct you are dying to hang on Romney…it’s the FLDS dude…and Romney has 0 to do with them. No ties between these groups. In terms of religious text/doctrine…sadly, I’ve never actually read anything authentic originating from FLDS (all I know is what others say), but am told they have similar documentation…not a surprise . But lets take this to the logical extreme…lets say the texts are exactly the same between LDS and FLDS…well, the Quran ***** Bin ***** used is the same one used by about a Billion peaceful Muslims…doesn’t make them remotely alike now does it?
The sum and substance of my issue/argument is not about understanding of the history of faith or religion generally or specifically. Nor is it to pick one, sell one, or kill one. I tried to correct some things you’ve said I believe to be off the mark…but we’ve reached the bottom of my barrel on this topic.
The sum and substance of my issue/argument is looking at the reality of the faith / religion a candidate actually practiced/participated in.
What was said and done when BO was in church with Wright? What did he do? How did it affect his governance. As someone here reminded me, BO chastised Wright in ’08…so what did he do for the stuff Wright said when the light wasn’t on him? Did he contribute to the rhetoric? Was he harder on Wright before the light was on him? I think in that way, faith in practice matters.
You keep talking about what dead guys said and did who never sat in the same church as Romney...never lead when Romney was there. Guys whose conduct and leadership have been gone for 100+ years, and much like all religious leaders...their good is celebrated, their bad covered up. You talk about how Romney's great grandfather was a polygamist...in the end though, the only vestige of any of the bad conduct you claim(real and alleged) that made it to Romney’s time was corrected in 1978...and Romney said he was glad it was. SO WHAT DID ROMNEY DO? What was taught? What did HE participate in? Are there signs of negative things in his governance? I mean lets get right to it…the LDS church had racism going on in Romney’s time, left over from BYoung’s edict…it was also corrected in Romney’s time. Is Romney a racist, or does he seek to correct it? THAT’S THE STUFF THAT MATTERS!
Mitt Romney is not a Polygamist. I'm not represented/judged by any of the things my great grandfather did, nor is Mitt, nor are you. Mitt Romney never did any of the things you place at the feet of MEN who shared, and even lead his religion 100+ years ago. The LDS church Mitt has participated in must have already dealt with any conduct you claim happened in its early history…save the racism issue. The motivations to change most things happened largely before Mitt was born, so its not like he was complicit in behavior or supposed dubious motivations and decisions to change. The LDS church of his time saw injustice and racism and fixed it. As well, the LDS are happy to tell you they change things per guidance of church leadership…in fact they view it as a strength, and somewhat foundational to the LDS religion.
Anyway, IMHO what you are doing is hanging a guy for the sins of his "fathers"... a universally repudiated approach to making any kind of judgment of the person’s worthiness/fitness/ability to do a job. I’d like to think this isn’t being done due to some partisan motivation/convenience.
Look, Mitt Romney has left you plenty of material from which to judge him harshly based on his politics or even his business dealings if you so choose…
As for some of the other things you say…voting in bloc. Ask the LDS presidency how their message on immigration faired. Personally, I think that scared them because MANY simply nodded, smiled, and flat ignored them. I think the Utah immigration legislation stinks, but it is FAR from what the LDS leadership wanted…voting in bloc based on the church leadership’s position being read at church is a 50/50 proposition based on the two times I’ve heard it was done…
And for those of you who decide the term Christianity means anything other than a faith based on the teachings of Christ…we just disagree. I agree there are differences between Mormon practice as relates to god and Christ…but their faith is heavily based on Christ….thus Christian.
I don’t believe as they do…but I’m not going to say they aren’t Christian because Christ is depicted wrong in their “diagram”.