Some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have been bracing for a public feud over their faith ever since Mitt Romney first ran for president. What they surely didn’t expect was that it would be generated by a fellow Mormon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He claimed this week that Romney has “sullied” the Mormon faith with his “47 percent” comments. Mormons, said Reid, have a mandate to help the needy. But that doesn’t require an automatic commitment to federal spending programs. Reid was wrong on substance, but also in his approach: Inviting a conversation about Mormon teachings at this stage of the campaign can only serve to fire up critics of Mormonism. Whatever his intentions, Reid’s comments were off base.
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Mormons only have a mandate to help other Mormons ...silly.
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It's another example of Reid's utter lack of scruple.
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Harry Reid is getting senile....He lies about Mitt Romney's taxes, but you wonder how he became a mult-millionaire on a senators salary and then insult Mitt's beliefs when he donates millions in charities to help others.
Time to step down Harry Reid from senate, especially when you have not had a budget in 3.5 yrs which is your duty to do so.,
And why can't Harry Reid the Mormon criticize Mitt Romney the Mormon on religious grounds? It's not as if Harry's a Southern Baptist or some other religion; he's an active member of that church. He has a right to criticize him.
More than that, he is free to criticize him. Ya know, like in "free speech"...
Religion has been used like a battering ram against Obama for more than four years - he's a Muslim, he's a hater, he's not a Christian. Do most of you even realize what they say in the Book of Mormon? God and his PLANET are described in detail, and they all wear special underwear, and their leaders talk to God regularly and God talks back to them regularly. Most of you won't even take the time to learn about other faiths because it takes work!
And Mormonism is especially rife with requirements for how members live their lives, what is expected of young men, what is expected of young women, what is expected of growing families, what is expected in terms of the relationship with the church-the list goes on and on. That's why Republicans like religion so much; it allows total control. The party of freedom and liberty and rugged individualism is really not all that in favor of independent thinking. Romney is a major leader in the Church.You don't hear much about that in the press but with the church's desire to lead it's followers and Mitt's desire to lead you and I, well it doesn't take being a rocket scientist to figure out the obvious concern from people like myself whom don't believe any of that religious mumbo-jumbo.
I do not like the use of religion in any form in the political discussion. I have always thought the Muslim allegation regarding Obama was outrageous and I consider Reid's comments outrageous. I see some of the rightwing posters here who considered it legitimate to hammered the issue that Obama's real religion mattered whether it was the Rev. Wright or Islam now are outraged at Reid's statements.
I never liked their statements nor do I like Reid's it is to bad these righwingers couldn't take the same position. Religion simply does not belong in the political or policy debate.
Could I strongly second what you said, attaturk? Since before the time of the Crusades, religion has been used to justify violent death, repression and empire building in ways that have hurt tens, if not hundreds of millions of people. Certainly, human beings are perfectly capable of finding their own, different cockeyed justifications for despicable acts. But, now more than ever, religion should have no place whatsoever as a political weapon or as a rallying point for violence.
Perhaps the Globe could take a similar position when the "Catholic league" president degrades fellow Catholics for positions that he finds offensive
Perhaps the Globe could take a similar position when the "Catholic league" president degrades fellow Catholics for positions that he finds offensive