Faith Under Fire In IA & NH

It is starting to get dirty pretty quickly. They haven't even had one primary or caucus yet. But this time around they may find this stuff backfires on the campaign associated with it (it is done through a third party).

Greg,
I thank you for your coverage of this story. It is a sad day for America when such bigotry and slander is tolerated and not rebuked . I for one will not stand idle while such injustice takes place. Mormons are Christians. If anyone questions that fact simply look the two definitions up in the dictionary. They are congruent. I implore all the voters to please….please….check the facts for yourself. Go to the LDS website and read for yourselves what Mormon faith entails. Do not assume that the slander spoken by bigots is fact. If you needed heart surgery would you go to a dentist or cardiologist? So why would you go to hate web sites or listen to a prejudiced company for Mormon information. Ask a Mormon what they believe or go to the LDS web site. By allowing this type of prejudice to exist we are regressing back to a time where slavery was turned a blind eye to and women were seen as property instead of humans. No other religion would be so humble as this one. Most would have every media channel in the nation calling for this company to be held accountable.

This is awful. A person has rights to faith without being attacked. What is wrong with us?

Anyone ever heard of freedom of religion & free of persecution.

I have met and gotten to know three Mormons in the past few years. They are some of the finest people I have every come into contact with. I don't know much about their beliefs but something they do must be right to produce such good people. It's a shame that people are so small minded that they feel like they need to belittle others' beliefs. Live and let live people.

God help these poor souls who feel it is moral to degrade, mock, persecute, belittle, and disrespect someone about thier faith. Everyone no matter if you are mormon, baptist, or atheist has the divine right to worship how they choose. This man Romney has not hurt anyone but the other candidates. They can not find the immoral dirt on him that they can on Rudy so they are left to attack his faith instead of his behavior. Just me but actions speak louder than words. Romneys actions say he is a christian does Rudy, and McCains?

Elections are getting worse each time. I am 61 years old and since JFK I have not seen a candidate disrespected in such a vile manner. I know several Mormons. They are good neighbors. I had back surgery and it was not my fellow church members that brought my paper to the door, cooked me casseroles to freeze, brought me things from the market, and even carried me to the doctor once it was my "cult" Mormon neighbor. Shame on you all for judgment . That is Gods job.

What people do not seem to understand is that the Mormon religion is based upon a fraudulent man named Joseph Smith, a mayor of the largest city in Illinois at one time, who also desired the office of President of the United States, but was killed because of his inappropriate actions as a public official in destroying a newspaper office that criticized him and his polygamy. Now we have a man who follows this religion who desires to be President. How can we elect a President who follows a religion based upon fraud? We have the Egyptian documents for the Book of Abraham, one of the books that Romney apparently considers to be Holy Scripture, if he is a Mormon. It is clear that Joseph Smith did not properly translate these documents at all. How can anyone consider electing a Mormon to be President of the United States? Romney needs to address these issues or be considered plain stupid by those of us who know a little bit about his religion.

DavidM-
What people like you do not understand is this: Regardless if you feel Mormonism is fraudulent or not religion plays no part in politics. Judge a candidate on the issues, his conscience, and behavior- not his specific faith. Joseph Smith was not “killed” he was persecuted and murdered. I do not know of any newspaper that was destroyed by Smith- can not find that anywhere as a HISTORIC fact. Atheist, radical Islam, and Jews to name a few think Christianity by definition is fraud,---Does that make Christianity a fraud? Does that exclude all Christians from being president? Under your standards of if someone thinks a trait, faith, or person is a fraud it would exclude all Christians from office. Furthermore, under that standard everyone pack their bags and head for the hill. Because under that litmus test no one would ever be eligible for office.

Most religions preach goodness, kindness, honesty etc. If that is the basis for a person's beliefs what is wrong with that? Funny how Democrats are never questioned about their religious beliefs. Maybe they have none therefore no basis for any beliefs.

If this bigotry toward a Christain faith- LDS Mormons & Mitt Romney bothers you then contact the company that did it. Demand an investigation, results, and termination of those involved.
701 East Timpanogos Parkway
Building M
Orem, UT 84097
Phone: 801.373.7735
Fax: 801.379.5073
Email: contact@westernwats.com

Leave our faith alone!!!!

One thing holds true of our faith, and ask anyone...1 out of 10 people will tell you they've not met a dishonest LDS member. Sure we have a few bad eggs, but so do many other religions...Chalk it up to personal being. One thing we are taught in the church is Free Agency.

DavidM:

I want to bring attention to DavidM's comments. He is right that Joseph Smith, with proper authority, and after many, many attempts at rectifying the situation without lawful intervention, did order the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. Thomas Sharp was the "venomous" editor in chief of this ill-will based newspaper set up for one reason: Oppose Joseph Smith and the Church. It became such a nuisance (caused mobbing in the area, threatened bodily harm, etc) that Joseph felt justified in doing so. I've often thought it was an unwise decision on his part, but I wasn't there and our view of what was right then compared with what is right in today's politically correct world are very far apart. So, yes, Joseph did do what DavidM said he did. However, I also know that no matter what Joseph Smith did with that newspaper he wasn't killed because of it. He was killed because he was "different" from the rest of the religious leaders in the area. He was a powerful--albeit rough-around-the-edges--charismatic man who had gathered thousands of followers to him (about 15,000 at the time which rivaled Chicago). This alarmed and threatened the power structure in the area, which included religious congregations and their ministers. The thing is, did this justify murdering Joseph Smith? (And why do you, DavidM, think it is okay to casually and callously mention it without at least pointing out the entire story, condemning it, and making darned sure you're not doing the same thing Thomas Sharp did?) Joseph Smith was assassinated. He threatened the political and religious order of the western reserve at the time, and nothing short of his death would satisfy the threatened parties. Note this readers, nothing Joseph Smith did merited him being butchered like he was. The irony is that among those that ended up killing Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, were all sorts of evil people including some misguided protestant ministers. Yes, there were other people involved, but my point is that DavidM in his own way has contributed a perfect example of how bigotry works. If you dislike something bad enough you'll justify whatever needs to happen to make sure it goes away. If you consider yourself born again Christians (which includes many LDS) think of what DavidM asserts here. Was it somehow okay that Joseph Smith was killed...for any reason? None. I find that more offensive that almost anything I read on these posts. Kind of like dismissing that there was a holocaust or dismissing the fact that racism exists in today's world.

Read "Under the Banner of Heaven" and make up your own mind about mormons.

Tell us about the Mountain Meadows massacre.

Mtn. Meadows happened pretty much as it is portrayed in historic texts. A very, very small group of Mormons in southern Utah (under a false flag of truce) along with some Indians slaughtered a beligerant group of anti-mormon "Arkansas" pioneers. The fact that this group of pioneers was beligerant didn't justify the slaughter. Nor does it prove anything other than a few misguided people did a very evil thing. Nor does it prove that Joseph Smith or Brigham Young or Mitt Romney or your LDS neighbor is a cult or evil or a fraud!

However, I find the book (Banner of Heaven) was skewed against the Mormons, rather than trying to "educate" based on all historical texts--and tried in vain to blame it on Brigham Young. The latest protrayal (the movie) also dismisses historical facts related to whether or not Brigham Young instigated it. He didn't.

So, your point is that somehow a group of men--vigilantes--who also happened to be Mormons (and morons, too) somehow proves that Joseph Smith or the Mormons are a bad group of people. Not buying it.

False logic.

The only way to make up your mind with integrity is to read what the people purport to be, that is, study what it is that they actually believe and practice. In other words go to the source in a fair and open way to find out. THEN, if you can't make up your mind from that kind of reading, go downstream and read what everyone else has to say about them, especially those who hate the Mormons--or want to make a buck off a sad and disgraceful episode in their history such as the Mtn Meadows Massacre.

All religions are nothing more than large cults.

Christian -1. believer in Jesus Christ as savior: somebody whose religion is Christianity
2. Malaysia christianity Same as Protestant (sense 1) Encarta ® World English Dictionary

Mormon Mor·mon- christianity Same as Latter-Day SaintEncarta

cult-religious group: a group of people who share religious or spiritual beliefs, especially beliefs regarded by others as misguided, unorthodox, extremist, or false Encarta

If anyone thinks there religion is excluded from the definition of cult,look again. I can find someone anywhere at anytime that will call one of all religions a cult by definition above.
Judge by character not mere words.
Romneys'character has demonstrated honesty, ability to lead, and ethical choices.

johnny-
Although I feel you are wasting your time to explain historical facts to people who were too lazy to research it themselves I thank you for standing high and holding to the iron rod. It is a sad day when a persons faith must be defended at every turn in a land that was founded based on the desire to have freedom to worship from just such hate.
All others:
Ask this of yourself- You do not choose to believe in GOd. Everyone else believes in God. Should you be demanded to define why, how, and details of your belief? When others disagree should you be subject to hate?

Ask this of yourself- You believe in God. Everyone else does not. Should you be demanded to defend this belief? When others disagree should you be subject to hate.

I hope all said "no". So I ask: why would you demand this from Mormons and then hate them?
We all need to stop being judge and jury of others and worry about our own salvation.

Everyone,

Have we forgotten the real reason why Mitt Romney is running? He is a honest, very smart man that has ran some of the largest corporations in this nation; STRONG FAMILY MAN AND STRONG MORALS; and was a great governor for his state. HE IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND NOT FOR SOME MAN TO PUSH MORMISM DOWN EVERYONES THROATS. So quit being a BIGOT and stop judging others by strickly by their religion but rather by their actions. We all can agree that it is better for someone to believe in god rather than Democrats that will never speak about their religion or beliefs such as our so called perfect candidate named Hillary Clinton.

IF I recall isn't our slogan say, "One Nation Under God?"