Comments on: Today’s Reading List - February 26, 2007 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/ Religion in the 2008 Presidential Campaign: Commentary by an Evangelical Christian and a Mormon Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:34:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: CarlH http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/#comment-562 CarlH Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:31:31 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/#comment-562 The AP's story on Romney's polygamous roots--shock!--appears to be a rehash or at best a do-over of a Salt Lake Tribune piece on the same topic from August 21, 2006, noted <a href="http://www.article6blog.com/2006/08/22/todays-reading-list-august-22-2006/" rel="nofollow">here</a> on Article VI Blog! <a href="http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MzM5ODMzNGFhNmNiZGJmYmZjMDAzYzA5NzczOWEwMGY=" rel="nofollow">K-Lo</a> remembered it too. Unfortunately to link to the SL Trib's article no longer works. The AP’s story on Romney’s polygamous roots–shock!–appears to be a rehash or at best a do-over of a Salt Lake Tribune piece on the same topic from August 21, 2006, noted here on Article VI Blog! K-Lo remembered it too. Unfortunately to link to the SL Trib’s article no longer works.

]]> By: coltakashi http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/#comment-539 coltakashi Mon, 26 Feb 2007 23:23:25 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/#comment-539 The part of Romney's Mormon religion that is really relevant for him to address is, How does ANY Mormon view his or her relation to government? Fortunately, the basic LDS beliefs on government in America are very clear and affirmative. What Romney should do whenever someone asks about his religion is to quote one of those official doctrinal statements, which affirm obedience to properly constituted government; which affirm a fundamental commitment to freedom in general, and to freedom of worship in particular; which affirm a belief that God has blessed the United States in bringing it into existence and giving it a Constitution that guards those freedoms. If someone asks about other Mormon teachings, Romney can refer them to the Church web page (lds.org), and then go right back to citing another Mormon statement on how Mormons view their relationship to government and their commitment to obey the law and the Constitution and support the freedom of all Americans. The news media will either print those quotes or get tired of asking the question. And those official statements go to the actual beliefs of Mormons and respond to the silly accusations that Mormons seek political power over non-Mormons. The other tack that Romney should take is to point out that there are 6 million Mormons in the US, who have every civil right of any American, including not only the right to vote in elections, but also to run for office, regardless of their religion, and ask questioners if they think Mormons should be denied their civil rights. Mormons are diverse, living in not only Utah but also over a million in California, and hundreds of thousands each in states like Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. There are thousands in other states across the country, including Massachusetts and the Washington, DC, metro area. Mormons are from all walks of life, and all races (including Asian, Polynesian, Black, Hispanic (not just Mexican), American Indian, and European), which can be seen if you visit Brigham Young University. Mormons are accused of being insular, but the truth is that many Mormons have lived in foreign cultures, and in cities outside Mormon-dominated areas, because (a) half of all Mormons are converts in all parts of the country, (b) Mormon men and women often serve as volunteer missionaries around the US and in foreign countries (as Romney did in France, and as Governor Huntsman did in Taiwan), (c) Mormons often go to other parts of the country for college and graduate school (as Harry Reid did, from Nevada to Washington, DC, for law school), for jobs and for military service. As the 2002 Winter Olympics demonstrated (bringing in Romney's unique resume), Mormons are much more cosmopolitan in their sophistication and linguistic fluency than they are often given credit for. Interpreters for all venues were provided from the local population, and didn't have to be imported from LA or NY. If another question is asked about Mormon underclothes, Romney should simply answer that they provide a minimum standard for modesty in personal dress, so a practicing Mormon man is not going to wear a shirt that shows off his chest hair, and a Mormon woman is not going to wear clothes adapted from street walkers. If Mormons are "weird", it is not because Mormons are like the Amish, living completely apart from society, and avoiding electrical appliances and the internet, but rather because they are people who have found a way to maintain a sober (but not dour) religious-oriented lifestyle despite being fully engaged in the modern high-tech world with its increasing international emphasis. Mormons are far less distinctive in their appearance and customs than Orthodox Jews. Mormons have not bought into the media notion that their dress and behavior should emulate truly weird celebrities like Britney Spears or Tom Cruise. The part of Romney’s Mormon religion that is really relevant for him to address is, How does ANY Mormon view his or her relation to government? Fortunately, the basic LDS beliefs on government in America are very clear and affirmative. What Romney should do whenever someone asks about his religion is to quote one of those official doctrinal statements, which affirm obedience to properly constituted government; which affirm a fundamental commitment to freedom in general, and to freedom of worship in particular; which affirm a belief that God has blessed the United States in bringing it into existence and giving it a Constitution that guards those freedoms. If someone asks about other Mormon teachings, Romney can refer them to the Church web page (lds.org), and then go right back to citing another Mormon statement on how Mormons view their relationship to government and their commitment to obey the law and the Constitution and support the freedom of all Americans. The news media will either print those quotes or get tired of asking the question. And those official statements go to the actual beliefs of Mormons and respond to the silly accusations that Mormons seek political power over non-Mormons.

The other tack that Romney should take is to point out that there are 6 million Mormons in the US, who have every civil right of any American, including not only the right to vote in elections, but also to run for office, regardless of their religion, and ask questioners if they think Mormons should be denied their civil rights. Mormons are diverse, living in not only Utah but also over a million in California, and hundreds of thousands each in states like Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. There are thousands in other states across the country, including Massachusetts and the Washington, DC, metro area. Mormons are from all walks of life, and all races (including Asian, Polynesian, Black, Hispanic (not just Mexican), American Indian, and European), which can be seen if you visit Brigham Young University.

Mormons are accused of being insular, but the truth is that many Mormons have lived in foreign cultures, and in cities outside Mormon-dominated areas, because (a) half of all Mormons are converts in all parts of the country, (b) Mormon men and women often serve as volunteer missionaries around the US and in foreign countries (as Romney did in France, and as Governor Huntsman did in Taiwan), (c) Mormons often go to other parts of the country for college and graduate school (as Harry Reid did, from Nevada to Washington, DC, for law school), for jobs and for military service. As the 2002 Winter Olympics demonstrated (bringing in Romney’s unique resume), Mormons are much more cosmopolitan in their sophistication and linguistic fluency than they are often given credit for. Interpreters for all venues were provided from the local population, and didn’t have to be imported from LA or NY.

If another question is asked about Mormon underclothes, Romney should simply answer that they provide a minimum standard for modesty in personal dress, so a practicing Mormon man is not going to wear a shirt that shows off his chest hair, and a Mormon woman is not going to wear clothes adapted from street walkers.

If Mormons are “weird”, it is not because Mormons are like the Amish, living completely apart from society, and avoiding electrical appliances and the internet, but rather because they are people who have found a way to maintain a sober (but not dour) religious-oriented lifestyle despite being fully engaged in the modern high-tech world with its increasing international emphasis. Mormons are far less distinctive in their appearance and customs than Orthodox Jews. Mormons have not bought into the media notion that their dress and behavior should emulate truly weird celebrities like Britney Spears or Tom Cruise.

]]> By: JohnS http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/#comment-538 JohnS Mon, 26 Feb 2007 22:05:27 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/#comment-538 George Romney's parents were US citizens living in Mexico. Children of citizines, even born on foreign soil are citizens. The constitution forbids "naturalized" citizens - that is those who were not citizens at birth. George Romney’s parents were US citizens living in Mexico. Children of citizines, even born on foreign soil are citizens. The constitution forbids “naturalized” citizens - that is those who were not citizens at birth.

]]> By: Tah http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/#comment-536 Tah Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:03:15 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/02/26/todays-reading-list-february-26-2007/#comment-536 In the AP article Romney's father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, where Mormons fled in the 1800s to escape religious persecution and U.S. laws forbidding polygamy. He and his family did not return to the United States until 1912, more than two decades after the church issued "The Manifesto" banning polygamy. How did he run for President if he was born in Mexico? Did the reporter get this that wrong? In the AP article
Romney’s father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, where Mormons fled in the 1800s to escape religious persecution and U.S. laws forbidding polygamy. He and his family did not return to the United States until 1912, more than two decades after the church issued “The Manifesto” banning polygamy.

How did he run for President if he was born in Mexico? Did the reporter get this that wrong?

]]>