Comments on: Romney, Fund-Raising and Religion: Comments and Predictions http://www.article6blog.com/2007/04/03/romney-fund-raising-and-religion-comments-and-predictions/ "Religion, Politics, the Presidency: Commentary by an Evangelical Christian and A Mormon" Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:32:54 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: SS249 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/04/03/romney-fund-raising-and-religion-comments-and-predictions/comment-page-1/#comment-2414 SS249 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:02:02 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/04/03/romney-fund-raising-and-religion-comments-and-predictions/#comment-2414 Understood--but I think the mistake is similar. As a Mormon (LDS church member, whatev), I wouldn't dream of going to Church headquarters for political reasons, even to stand outside with a violin and a donations hat. But going to BYU to engage alumni, or find out if there are legitimate ways to do so, makes some sense. Given the frequent and unambiguous reminders read over every LDS pulpit about the Church's neutrality in political races, I believe the campaign and the LDS church when they both say that support was neither sought nor offered, although political journalists do not. Romney's no idiot, and he presumably has enough business sense to know what tax-exempt means. Understood–but I think the mistake is similar. As a Mormon (LDS church member, whatev), I wouldn’t dream of going to Church headquarters for political reasons, even to stand outside with a violin and a donations hat. But going to BYU to engage alumni, or find out if there are legitimate ways to do so, makes some sense.

Given the frequent and unambiguous reminders read over every LDS pulpit about the Church’s neutrality in political races, I believe the campaign and the LDS church when they both say that support was neither sought nor offered, although political journalists do not. Romney’s no idiot, and he presumably has enough business sense to know what tax-exempt means.

]]> By: JohnS http://www.article6blog.com/2007/04/03/romney-fund-raising-and-religion-comments-and-predictions/comment-page-1/#comment-2413 JohnS Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:59:14 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/04/03/romney-fund-raising-and-religion-comments-and-predictions/#comment-2413 Thanks for the comment, but there is one difference, BYU is owned by the LDS church. HArvard is an independent institution. However, I think boht as non-profit are forbidden by law from direct political effort. Thanks for the comment, but there is one difference, BYU is owned by the LDS church. HArvard is an independent institution. However, I think boht as non-profit are forbidden by law from direct political effort.

]]> By: SS249 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/04/03/romney-fund-raising-and-religion-comments-and-predictions/comment-page-1/#comment-2412 SS249 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:44:48 +0000 http://www.article6blog.com/2007/04/03/romney-fund-raising-and-religion-comments-and-predictions/#comment-2412 Quick question. If Romney contacted a former Harvard president and the Harvard alumni office to check in about potential support, would anyone go ballistic? That people are flipping out about the Jeffrey Holland/BYU connection strikes me as absurd, given that Romney's bachelors degree was from that school, and that Holland is one of the best-known former presidents of BYU. It would be wise to avoid contact with senior LDS leadership--okay, lesson learned. But having reporters trying to keep track of traffic in and out of the LDS Church Office Building in order to prove a nefarious plot is complete madness. Besides, don't those poor reporters know about the secret tunnel from the Salt Lake temple? :-) Quick question. If Romney contacted a former Harvard president and the Harvard alumni office to check in about potential support, would anyone go ballistic? That people are flipping out about the Jeffrey Holland/BYU connection strikes me as absurd, given that Romney’s bachelors degree was from that school, and that Holland is one of the best-known former presidents of BYU. It would be wise to avoid contact with senior LDS leadership–okay, lesson learned. But having reporters trying to keep track of traffic in and out of the LDS Church Office Building in order to prove a nefarious plot is complete madness.

Besides, don’t those poor reporters know about the secret tunnel from the Salt Lake temple? :-)

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