so ... Mitt Romney.

[Irvine511]

politics and policies aside, let's take a look at the man.

much of the discussion from the right wing of the country since George W. Bush appeared on the scene has been about how religion and faith matter, that we don't need and shouldn't want a firewall between political life and religious life, and it's fairly clear that many have voted for W mostly because of his evangelical protestanism.

so ... does Romney's Mormanism make you more or less likely to vote for him?

be honest.

[nbcrusader]

Romney wouldn't make me follow Mormonism any more that Bush makes me follow Christianity.

This is an excellent question as it forces separation of the political/cultural issues from the personal faith of a leader.

[Irvine511]

Originally posted by nbcrusader
This is an excellent question as it forces separation of the political/cultural issues from the personal faith of a leader.

yes -- this is precisely what i'm hoping to get at.



(eagerly awaits more responses)

[melon]

Romney loves to take credit for a lot of things he really can't take credit for. For all his recent national spotlight, it should never be forgotten that he's nothing but a figurehead governor thanks to the overwhelmingly Democratic legislature that overrides every veto he dishes out.

And as for whether he's a Mormon would affect my vote? It doesn't help that the Church of Ladder Day Saints is one of the most virulently homophobic ones in the country, but, even then, his actions and words speak louder than his religion. If he was the same person with the same words and actions and was an atheist, I'd hate him all the same.

So I guess his religious affiliation really doesn't register too directly in my distaste for him.

Melon

[A_Wanderer]

Is he a "compassionate conservative"?

[Irvine511]

Originally posted by melon
If he was the same person with the same words and actions and was an atheist, I'd hate him all the same.

but doesn't this beg the question of whether he would be the same man if he were an atheist? (and as an aside, could an atheist ever be that homophobic, or does contemporary homophobia need religion to operate? but that could be another thread ...) i understand your point, but the argument that has been made by the right wing is that faith and politics directly inform one another, as they rightly should. therefore, it seems as if your distaste for Romney, by their view, is directly due to his religion.

[melon]

Originally posted by Irvine511
but doesn't this beg the question of whether he would be the same man if he were an atheist? (and as an aside, could an atheist ever be that homophobic, or does contemporary homophobia need religion to operate? but that could be another thread ...) i understand your point, but the argument that has been made by the right wing is that faith and politics directly inform one another, as they rightly should. therefore, it seems as if your distaste for Romney, by their view, is directly due to his religion.

Well, I'll be a little more realistic in my comparison. Romney could theoretically be Roman Catholic or Southern Baptist and hold identical theological beliefs at the political level.

I haven't exactly seen Romney hold an exclusively "Mormon belief" politically, that's all. In practice, though, I guess most Mormons running for office would be on the far-right, and I'd never vote for someone who holds conservative beliefs.

Melon

[U2democrat]

His being mormon wouldn't affect my vote either way, its whether or not he would force his beliefs on others that would change my mind.

[anitram]

Who cares what religion he is? Why do Americans care about stuff like this?

I know our Prime Minister is Christian but I have no idea what denomination nor do I care nor do I find it particularly relevant to anything. Especially given that Christianity is so pervasive in US politics, I don't really see any difference between a Mormon and a Baptist insofar as policy is concerned.

Apart from that, he strikes me as incredibly fake.

[melon]

Originally posted by anitram
Who cares what religion he is? Why do Americans care about stuff like this?

Because Americans, statistically, vote on image instead of substance. It's probably why we have a rather consistent record of voting in idiots.

Melon

[nbcrusader]

Originally posted by U2democrat
His being mormon wouldn't affect my vote either way, its whether or not he would force his beliefs on others that would change my mind.

The problem with the discussion is the broad and varying definition of "force his beliefs on others."

Too many mix the institution of political/cultural positions with 'forcing of religion' - which is exactly what Irvine was trying to avoid.

[diamond]

Originally posted by melon


. In practice, though, I guess most Mormons running for office would be on the far-right, and I'd never vote for someone who holds conservative beliefs.

Melon

ignorance isn't always bliss:


Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, Democrat-Mormon?

No other member of the LDS Church has served in a higher leadership position in Congress.

dbs

[blueyedpoet]

Is he ^ Mormon? I suppose that explains his conservative stance on abortion.
I need to work on my disliking political leaders because of their religious beliefs. Prejudice is prejudice.
Nevertheless, I wish a person's religious beliefs didn't come into play at all in American politics.

[deep]

Originally posted by nbcrusader
Romney wouldn't make me follow Mormonism any more that Bush makes me follow Christianity.

This is an excellent question as it forces separation of the political/cultural issues from the personal faith of a leader.

should an elected official use their personal faith to inform what laws they want to enact?

[BVS]

Religion shouldn't matter in politics until it becomes apparent.

[deep]

Originally posted by BonoVoxSupastar
Religion shouldn't matter in politics until it becomes apparent.

/\ the difference between Romney and Reid?

[A_Wanderer]

Originally posted by blueyedpoet
Is he ^ Mormon? I suppose that explains his conservative stance on abortion.
I need to work on my disliking political leaders because of their religious beliefs. Prejudice is prejudice.
Nevertheless, I wish a person's religious beliefs didn't come into play at all in American politics.

There is good prejudice, one need not be tolerant of intolerance

[melon]

Originally posted by diamond
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, Democrat-Mormon?

I forgot about him being a Mormon. Thanks for the reminder.

However, if you remember correctly, he was appointed to that position, because Democrats wanted to look conservative...heh.

Melon

[MrsSpringsteen]

Originally posted by anitram
he strikes me as incredibly fake

He is

I don't care one iota about the fact that he is a Mormon, I do care that he is becoming more and more like an ultra conservative whatever and "changing his mind" on several things in order to become President. I also think he has been a poor Governor- then again he was just using it as a stepping stone, of course he's not the only one to ever do that. I didn't vote for him and I would never vote for him for President.

[verte76]

His Mormonism doesn't mean anything to me. I have a Mormon friend who claims she's the only Democratic Mormon on the planet. If I lived in Massachusetts, I don't think I'd be voting for this guy based on on his policy, not his religion. It works the same way with Catholicism. Yesterday I got a fund-raising thingie in the mail from some right wing Catholic group that's crucifying James Carville for being pro-gay-marriage and a liberal in general. It ended up in my friendly local trash receptacle.