For link lovers: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-mormon-church-in-need-of-reform/2012/01/27/gIQA3s44aQ_story.html?tid=pm_pop

Can't tell if it posted or not--Here's my comment:

You can't remove religion from politics because both represent ideologies, which is how we identify in a visceral "our tribe/other tribe." This is what commentators are talking about when they struggle to articulate the baffling (to them) inability of Mitt Romney to "connect" with voters. They tend to think it's his money--the insular patrician aloofness we associate with the moneyed upper class. We exmormons recognize the "oddness" as the superior tone of leaders in the Mormon hierarchy.

Sametoyou rightfully mentions the significance of Romney's deference to Church policy over his wife's natural desire to include her parents in their temple wedding. The banning of non-members is bad enough, but Mormons also ban member parents from weddings if they are not paid-up tithe payers. Many parents are forced to pay unpaid tithing on back income in the thousands in order to see their children be married. Each Mormon family faces an annual Tithing Settlement meeting with their Bishop in which they are asked whether or not they have paid a full tithing. Some are asked to provide payroll receipts to prove they are compliant with the requirement to pay a full 10% on gross rather than net income. Those who fail this test are barred from entering Mormon temples. Mitt Romney conducted these interviews.

When you understand the scope of intrusion perpetrated by Mormon Bishops and Stake Presidents into the private lives of Mormons, it does become significant to our ability to include Mitt Romney as "one of us." For example, did you know that Mormon bishops routinely call young boys twelve and older into their offices without a parent or other adult present to grill them about masturbation? The main culture of America disapproves of an adult male discussing a child's sexuality alone in an office without parental knowledge. Utah leads the nation in suicide for young males because they are hounded and made to feel filthy and unworthy about activities that the rest of the country considers normal. Your child's answers to sex interviews are detailed and kept in a file to be reviewed at any future time (even years later) or worse yet, for the titillation of the interviewer, file clerk, next bishop, ward clerk, or anyone else with access. Mormon obsession with masturbation prevention has lead to youth suicides and distorted views of sexuality. Utah is the state with the highest number of teachers who sexually abuse their students and has ranked as number one in the nation in the consumption of pornography. Mitt Romney conducted those child interviews and wrote those notes.

A Stake President presides over Mormon "Court of Love" where a member is "tried" for serious moral crimes. Male adulterers are excommunicated. The female participant in the same act is given a lesser punishment due to what? Females are less responsible for their behavior than males due to inherent inferiority. Mitt Romney has handed down these biased judgments.

You decide.


Anagrammy (Kathleen Waters)

Let's play a game. I know a lot of RfMers hate Romney, and think he will destroy the country if elected, but let us just for a moment pretend that of all the people in the world, Romney is the best man to be president right now. If that is the case, it is despite of the fact he is a Mormon, and not because of it.

There are a lot of things to be worried about a Mitt presidency. Mostly, with some exceptions like his stance on Gay rights, these problems are more with how the Church will try to use his election, then how well Mitt will do the job himself. Looking at his time as Governor of Massachusetts, there is nothing in his record that makes me think he is either the Messiah his advocates promote, or the devil his critics put forward. Yes, he made some mistakes, show me someone who hasn't. At the same time, he didn't exactly do anything in Massachusetts that will be studied for hundreds of years as an example of how one should lead.

For the most part, Mitt is hurt more by his Mormonism, then he is helped. Like us, he is just another victim of the Morg, though as Mormon Royalty, he probably does not see it as clearly.

BTW, what really scares me about Mitt, is that he might put too many Utah TBMs in too many key advisory positions. As a rule, TBMs in general, but Utah TBMs specifically, do not see the world as it really is. They might be nice people, but they will be clueless when it comes to handling, oh say, North Korea.

Will you be my 2nd wife in the resurrection? :)

Absolutely--I am your number one fan. I am crocheting spirit baby sweaters with invisible yarn.

PS. I was hot when I was 30, how about you?


Ana

It's Somewhere in Time !!!

And I will be stealing much of it for my next facebook battle.

My time and talents are at your disposal any time....

:0

Ana

...dragging religion into politics, trying to convince us it matters, that it's necessary, etc. So I chuckle when the same conservatives whine that it's unfair to criticize a candidate because of his religious views. Even better, it's fun to watch them bicker among themselves, watch them expose themselves as really only wanting a certain kind of religion mixed with their politics. Any other faiths need not apply.

Excellent point, Stray Mutt. Right-wing, religious political activists insisted on focusing on religion. Let them fry under the spotlight.

Personally, I'm looking forward to our first Jewish president.

love it Ana, and very valid points. I tell the Mormons that it shouldn't matter what his religion is...but to the contrary I am playing both sides because I love all that is being exposed about the Mormons the longer Mitt is under the scope. I am glad you are bringing these important things to mind because we don't want our judicial system running like a 'church court of love'.

“Male adulterers are excommunicated. The female participant in the same act is given a lesser punishment…”

Not necessarily. I have read many posts on RfM attesting to the very opposite.

Which way it goes probably depends on the individual bishop's personal bias.

I'll check with President Paternoster. He will fast and pray to Father, Son and Holy Ghost and receive their answer through his portable mini-rock kept in his beanie.

Anagrammy