Christians vs. Mormons

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/2011/october/romney.html

Being an atheist I'm on the sidelines on this one.

In addition I have about 14 non-religion-connected reasons for laughing at the very idea of ever voting for Willard Rmoney for any public office.

Interestingly, I just saw a poll wherein 10 per cent of republicans and 18 per cent of independents said they would not vote for a mormon. Well, that may be telling.

It could be worst - at least Willard isn't an atheist secret muslim like Barack (except hardly anyone holds that against him except republicans, who weren't going to vote for him anyway - LOL).

Iʻm not often nostalgic, but the name "Willard R Money"
makes me think wistfully of that unforgettable Walt Kelly character in Pogo}: "F. Olding Money". Well, true, he was a "minor" character, but you know how nostalgia is -- not very aware of relative importances.

I dunno. I think a mormon would still fare better among Republicans if he had some of that weird cult of personality thing like Obama somewhat still has. On the issues they're neck and neck, so those cancel each other out. Mutual hatred by party members for the other party also cancels out. So come this November it's really going to be about personality just like any other high school popularity contest. You can count on creepy motivational speakers beating slimey used car salesmen seven time out of ten.

If Romney is elected feudalism may be reinstituted or the movie Rollerball may be reified or who knows what - but at least Bill Maher, as his fellow member of the one per cent, will get a nice tax cut and still, no doubt, continue to make fun of his benefactor, e.g. -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gCJn85isxE&feature=related

I once had a Mormon explain to me their doctrine that God has a physical body with no blood. Not God's Son - God. A very interesting interpretation of "in his image." Also every time I meet a black Mormon I wonder what they think about the pre-1970s church.

That said, they do seem to have tight-knit communities, and the missions practice works great. But being Catholic I have a hard time getting the appeal of a religion in its infancy. :P

#5: But being Catholic I have a hard time getting the appeal of a religion in its infancy.

From a Zoroastrian or Jew or Hindu, I might find that less silly, but the first Christians are fairly well documented and were surrounded by ancient religions; do you not get why they joined?

"Mutual hatred by party members for the other party also cancels out." (3)

I wouldnʻt count on that, Lunar, (relying on what I can glean from the media.) I see the Republicans as
hating Obama much more than the Democrats hate
Romney. This extreme hatred is what might bring
the "Regulars" and the "TeaPartyers" of the G O P together. Many Tea Partyers no doubt hate Romney only a little less than they hate Obama. But it doesnʻt add
up to this intra-Party clash translating into any votes
in protest FOR Obama. The Romney-haters will either
stay home, or invoke the old "Lesser-of-2-Evils" explanation and go ahead and vote for Romney. Since they got many veteran G O P legislators out of office, I suppose, they could forward a "Ross Perot" or a "Ralph Nader" as a candidate to beat
the G O P nominee, having the decisive effect that some think* Perot had against Bush I in 1992, and Nader
against Al Gore in 2000. But I think itʻs too late to organize even such a "decoy" campaign.




* Iʻm not one of those who claim that Perot (1992) or Nader (2000) had any effect, but thatʻs a different topic.

But being Catholic I have a hard time getting the appeal of a religion in its infancy. :P

The way you are confused about the appeal that Mormonism has for Mormons? Yeah, that's how nonbelievers feel about Catholicism. And pretty much every other faith.

I should clarify. As a Catholic who also is currently studying Buddhism and practicing meditation, one thing I love about these traditions is how unfathomably vast they are - geographically, temporally, etc. There are always more different strands of philosophy and theory, different ways to practice, cultural traditions, and so on. So I never got the appeal of younger religions that wouldn't have such a vast tradition, or of reform movements that reject the richness of the tradition. To paraphrase religion scholar James Carse, sometimes you walk into a church in America (like some of these megachurches) and get the feeling Jesus died last week.

Not to say that Mormons don't do some things better than Catholics. I just like a vast tradition to explore. My own idiosyncrasy.