A recent RfM thread raised the issue of Mitt Romney's chances--in the context of him claiming to be a devout Mormon--of becoming president of the United States. Given that this is a matter of LDS-related doctrine and practice, it's relevant to discussion here on this board.

As RfM contributor "AmIDarkNow?" perceptively noted in a post entitled, "The Problem with Mitt Romney For President Is This":

"In the Temple Mitt bowed his head and said yes to the Law of Consecration and he did it for others by proxy and to be sure he never ever forgets these covenants he donned the church approved underwear that carries the symbols to remind him of this fact 24 days a week 365 days a year.

"The Law of Consecration requires 'that you do consecrate yourselves, your time, talents and everything with which the Lord has blessed you, or with which he may bless you, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for the building up of the Kingdom of God on the earth and for the establishment of Zion.'

"So when it is time to put pen to paper where will Mitt’s loyalties actually be? This in my mind is a very relevant question for non-mormons and the next presidential run. The oath of the Law of Consecration does not include any loyalties to country. This oath BTW, the general public is utterly unaware of."

("The problem with Romney for President is this," posted by "AmIDarkNow?," on "Recovery from Mormonism" bulletin board, 14 February 2011, 4:07 p.m.)
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Bingo.

When Romney first ran for president a few years back, I was contacted by then-senior editor Dave Astor of the trade magazine "Editor and Publisher," who asked for my take on Mormon Mitt's honesty (or lack thereof) and the prospects of a Mormon (Romney, in particular) becoming the nation's chief executive.

The interview was published under the headline, "Ex-Mormon Cartoonist Steve Benson Says Romney Not Telling Truth."

The article sparked a backlash from TBMs, resulting in a follow-up article by Astor on the eruption among the faithful in defense of their deceitful Brother Romney. Both are provided below.

First, the original article:

"NEW YORK: As an ex-Mormon, 'Arizona Republic' editorial cartoonist Steve Benson has strong opinions about current Mormon Mitt Romney. He said the Republican candidate's recent [2007] speech on religion should not be trusted by media people and other Americans.

"In his talk, Romney said 'I believe in my Mormon faith' while also noting that the church's 'teachings' would not influence his decisions if elected president.

"Yeah, right,' responded Benson, adding that 'Romney also believes in misrepresenting what his Mormon Church actually espouses.'

"Benson is the grandson of former Mormon leader Ezra Taft Benson.

"He told E&P that a Mormon believer is required by church doctrine (as dictated by the church's 'living prophet') to 'obey God's commands' over anything else. He said 'Romney, like all "temple Mormons," made his secret vows using Masonic-derived handshakes, passwords, and symbolic death oaths that he promised in the temple never to reveal to the outside world' -- and that Romney also secretly vowed to devote his 'time, talents, and more' to the building of the Mormon religion on earth."

"So, said Benson, the only way Romney could be truly independent of the church as U.S. president would be to disavow Mormon doctrine. 'He hasn't done that,' said the 'Creators Syndicate'-distributed cartoonist.

"'When Mitt says he belongs to a church that doesn't tell him what to do, that's false; it's a 24/7, do-what-you're-told-to-do church,' added Benson, who won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1993.

"That was the year Benson left what he calls the 'Mormon cult.' One reason for his decision was disgust with the way Mormon officials tried to fool church members and the general public into believing that Ezra Taft Benson--Steve's then-94-year-old grandfather and church president -- was still capable of leading the church. 'He was not mentally or physically in a place where he could make any meaningful decisions,' recalled Benson. 'I know it because I saw his condition with my own eyes.'

"Benson--who was contacted by 'E&P' for this story--said journalists have basically given Romney a free pass on the 'fundamental contradiction' between being an observant Mormon and a U.S. president. 'Most journalists don't know about actual Mormon teachings and practices,' noted the cartoonist, adding that they instead see the religion as perhaps 'strange' but 'rather benign.'

"Romney 'needs to face an informed member of the media with "cojones" who has a working and perhaps personal experience with Mormonism,"' said Benson. 'It would be harder for Romney to do his well-practiced duck and dodge."'

"Benson himself drew a post-Romney speech cartoon that pictured John F. Kennedy saying, 'Ask not what your country can do for you . . . ,' followed by Romney saying, ' . . . [D]o whatever it takes for me to win Iowa.' (Many people believe Romney gave what he hoped would be a JFK-like speech on religion because he was losing support in Iowa.) But Benson said he hasn't heavily focused on Romney's Mormonism in other cartoons. 'Religious issues are very touchy,' he said. 'I do what I can, but I pick my battles.'

"Another reason Benson distrusts the words in Romney's speech is because the candidate has changed his public positions on issues such as abortion and gay rights to woo conservative GOP voters in states like Iowa rather than the more liberal voters he once courted to become governor of Massachusetts. 'He flips and flops like Jesus is coming tomorrow,' said the cartoonist. 'It's like Romney is reading from the Mormon Church playbook.'

"Benson explained his last comment by noting that the Mormon Church has also 'publicly flipped 180 degrees when it feels it's necessary for its image, for its financial solvency, and for political expediency.'

"He mentioned, by way of example, that black Mormons weren't allowed into the priesthood until 1978. And while polygamy has been publicly disavowed by the Mormon Church, Benson said 'the church still holds that it will be practiced as a matter of eternal doctrine in heaven. The church also currently performs polygamist marriage "sealings" in its temples around the world.'

"Benson predicted that Romney will not win the Republican presidential nomination. If Romney somehow IS nominated, added the cartoonist, he will not defeat his Democratic opponent.

"Voters, said Benson, 'are not ready for someone in the Oval Office who has committed to absolute obedience to a religion they feel is extremely odd and not in the American mainstream. I trust the rational U.S. electorate, not the weird Mormon God.'"

("Ex-Mormon Cartoonist Steve Benson Says Romney Not Telling Truth," by Dave Astor, "Editor & Publisher," 18 December 2007)
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Hair-pulling, chest-beating believer blowback to the original article resulted in this "E&P" follow-up, entitled, "Steve Benson, Editorial Cartoonist, Reacts to Reaction He Received for Ripping Romney":

"NEW YORK: When editorial cartoonist Steve Benson criticized current Mormon Mitt Romney in an 'E&P' story earlier this week, reaction was fast and furious.

"Many blog posters backed Benson, but many others blasted the grandson of former Mormon Church President Ezra Taft Benson.

"For instance, they asked why the 'Arizona Republic'/'Creators Syndicate' cartoonist didn't also criticize Mormon politicians such as Democrat Harry Reid, and they said Benson's 1993 switch from Mormonism to ex-Mormonism made him as much of a 'flip-flopper' as he accused Republican presidential candidate Romney of being.

"E&P called Benson again today to get his response.

"Benson--who contended in the earlier story that a devout, 'temple-endowed' Mormon U.S. president can't be truly independent of the Mormon Church--said he didn't criticize Reid because the Senate Majority Leader 'is not making an issue of his Mormon devotion. He's not standing up in a carefully orchestrated stage play and explaining his religion to the American people. Romney's speech was a tactical move to woo fundamentalist Christians in the hotly contested Iowa political caucus. He invited this scrutiny. And, unlike Romney, Reid's not running for the most powerful position in the free world.'

"The cartoonist continued: 'Besides, it doesn't seem that Harry Reid's religion is as strong an operating force in his life or decisions as it is for Romney.' Benson added with a laugh: 'How could it be, given the conservative politics of most Mormons. Hell, Reid's a Democrat!'

"Responding to the flip-flop charge, Benson said he left Mormonism because church leaders were misrepresenting his aged grandfather's health and because of the 'sexist, racist, and homophobic' aspects he saw in the religion. But Romney, said the 1993 Pulitzer Prize winner, has jettisoned liberal positions out of 'political expediency' as the former Massachusetts governor tries to convince conservative GOP voters to make him their presidential candidate.

"'I'm not running for political office,' said Benson. 'I left Mormonism with no pretense of remaining devout--and I didn't do the Romney act of staying in while changing my spots faster than a leopard on steroids.'

"When asked his reaction to the negative e-mails he has received and the critical blog posts that have been written since the 'E&P' story, Benson said he isn't surprised that Mormons are very defensive about his comments.

"'One of my Mormon critics called me a "turncoat,"' Benson e-mailed after today's phone interview. 'So I asked him to be a good Christian, do what Jesus would do and give me his own coat. Haven't see the coat yet. Anyway, like the old saying goes, "hit pigeons flutter."'

"But the cartoonist feels no one has disproved anything he said about Romney or the nature of Mormonism's secret temple oaths and rituals. 'The proof is in the pudding,' Benson said in the e-mail. 'The trouble is, the Mormon Church doesn't want anyone to go poking around in its pudding.'"

("Steve Benson, Editorial Cartoonist, Reacts to Reaction He Received for Ripping Romney," by Dave Astor, "Editor & Publisher," 20 December 2007)

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Edited 17 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 06:07PM by steve benson.

ya got stones i say!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 03:36PM by bignevermo.

Being around that environment in my work-a-day world, it was something I was pretty familiar and comfortable with.

Although I must admit that when the Mormon Church changed its secret temple ceremonies back in 1990 (this time eliminating the bloody death oaths and such), a religion reporter contacted me and asked for the details. I wasn't out of the Church at that point (left three years later), but I recall being inwardly nervous talking about it.

The longer you're out, the easier it gets. And the more the lies and inconsistencies and inhumanities of Mormonism become apparent to you, the easier it gets, as well.

By the time I was ready to blow the Mormon cult coop, it wasn't hard for me to openly discuss LDS doctrines, practice and history in all their silliness, secrecy and poison. I would encourage others to do the same, as the non-spirit moves. :)



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 06:32PM by steve benson.

Steve:

Why is it that the pundits and media DON'T ask the probing questions that, say, you or I could ask. Is it truly that they don't know the interworkings of the church and, therefore, can't ask, say, "..did you really slit your throat and disembowel yourself as directed by your religious leaders while in their temples?". Or is it that Mitt hasn't gotten to the "precipice" yet vis-a-vis the election possibilities? One would think the media would research this to hell's end and back and pelt him with it.

Frankly, I pity the guy. He's going to get his ass fried if this goes too far. And remember, George stated he'd been "brainwashed" in Viet Nam so one wonders "when", not "if" Mitt will stick his foot in his mouth.

Just wonderin'...

Ron

If they do, they fear running the risk of being accused by persecution card-playing Mormon believers as being intolerant, anti-religious bigots--when in fact, if Romney is going to make a public issue of his faith (as he has), then both a public and meaningful examination of Mormonism is certainly warranted.

After all, what does Mitt have to hide? Being a secretive misdirecting Mormon, plenty.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2011 02:10AM by steve benson.

Fascinatin' stuff. Thank you, Mr. Benson!

I think some LD$ would try to make excuses by saying the Law of Consecration is not telestial. Some members mentioned that to me. They can say that in theory as an excuse, but in practice it is lived, and expected. We all know this is why members give so much to TSCC: they go on missions, sell their homes to finance missions, deed their property to TSCC in their wills, pay tithing, rarely refuse callings, etc. Once a member even criticized that I planned to buy clothes from Nordstrom, instead of ZCMI. This was before I went through the temple, and she said I should buy as much as I can from TSCC, and that I would understand later. I bought my things at Nordstrom.

There is a huge difference between sustaining government as mentioned in the AofF, which is only a declaration, and the Law of Consecration, a covenant with deity, and members will choose the LofC out of habit if not by choice. The LofC is engrained in the calls, and instructions for obedience that make up so much of LD$ dogma. It is an inescapable part of brainwashing, and there is no comparison between the words of the two. LD$ have always considered TSCC, the priesthood, and the profit to be gawd's government on earth, which simply outranks a declaration of belief meant to appease, and attract outsiders. This hold on members is strong, because every male member plays a role in this alternate government, is considered inspired with special powers, and a candidate to become a future god.

I think he loses regardless. Playing up devotion to religion to please fundies, while downplaying its influence on him is an oxymoron in LD$ culture. You cannot adhere to its teachings more without being further under its influence, because the temple, and obedience to the "higher laws" is the center of everything, and LD$ believe in a profit whose words come directly from gawd. How do you downplay that? On the other hand, if he marginally believes, but is keeping up appearances, he has lost, because everyone knows his politics change like a chameleon's colors, and much of the public already feels he cannot be trusted.

Also, emphasis on control, and obedience in TSCC overwhelms independent thought, and I don’t think people understand full sheeple mode in LD$, even hypothetically. I grew up around nonLD$, and this is my observation.