Sometime around 2002 a very noticeable shift occurred. Suddenly they wanted to be accepted as a part of mainstream Christianity ...
[E]ven a peripheral study of Mormonism will reveal that the Jesus of Mormonism isn't even in the same universe (literally) as the Jesus of orthodox Christianity. The Jesus of Mormonism is the "spirit child" of his "heavenly parents." He is in no way part of a triune Godhead. ...
At the same time, the official LDS Web site was totally overhauled and some of the more bizarre doctrines held by the Church were carefully hidden deep within the site - doctrines such as "the Fall" actually being a good thing ... the ability to actually become a God and have your own planet to rule over ... that Jesus and Lucifer (yes, Satan) were actually brothers. ...
This is America. You can believe anything you want. ... If you believe it, be proud of it - don't try to hide it. ...
[When presidential candidate Mike] Huckabee ... wondered out loud to the veteran religion reporter Zev Chafets: "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" Well, that's exactly what they believe! Several news outlets immediately accused Huckabee of attacking Romney's religion. Blogs went berserk!
How did candidate Romney respond to someone revealing what his church actually believes? He said, "But I think attacking someone's religion is really going too far. It's just not the American way, and I think people will reject that," Romney told NBC's "Today" show. ...
Does this have anything to do with Mitt Romney and his qualifications to be president? Everyone will have to decide that in his or her own heart. I just wish the Mormons, including Mitt Romney, would simply be more candid and tell us the straight truth about their religion.
And who ran 2002 Winter Olympics when the Mormons were busy repackaging their religion for public (read MSM) consumption? Romney.
The only way John Fund, Hugh Hewitt, Charles Krauthammer and other pundits can call people who are asking inconvenient questions (in other words, doing their jobs for them) "bigots" is to choose to remain ignorant by confined their "research" on Mormonism to marketing materials sanctioned by the Mormon Church. They have abrogated their responsibilities as journalists by not bothering to delve into the "doctrinal folklore" that Fund's colleague Riley briefly touches on in his column – unwritten, passed orally from Sunday school teacher to future priests and missionaries. For instance, Fund once dismissed the "White Horse Prophesy" as a fantasy. Perhaps he ought to bestir himself to look further into it.
To answer Burney's question, if a man can lie about his core beliefs he will lie about everything else – and Romney's record of flip-flopping on abortion and other fundamental issues certainly bears this out. If the pundits weren't so busy ascribing character flaws to people who balk at voting for Romney, the candidate's reluctance to forthrightly discuss Mormonism - further, to lie about its doctrines (second item) – would have raised red flags a long time ago.
As Parker bluntly puts it: "Republicans can win back the hearts and minds of Americans. But they have to get real and get honest. Unlike the former governor of Massachusetts."
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