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Romney’s Faith, Eyed Warily by Religious Right, Wins Him Sympathy From Jewish Republicans
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More in NewsWashington - As a diehard Republican who lived in Los Angeles County for more than two decades, Jonathan Lange is accustomed to defending politicians he favors against attacks from the left. But in the course of recent discussions about Mitt Romney, the 45-year-old businessman admits he has also grown plenty alarmed by the views of the Christian right.
“It bothers me as a Jew that so many people allegedly, or so the story goes, won’t support a Mormon,” Lange said last week at a presidential forum hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington. His sympathy for Romney was echoed throughout the event, and while Rudy Giuliani may have received the lion’s share of the attention, many attendees said they wanted to learn more about Romney, a challenger with a record of success in business, a Harvard pedigree and, like them, the problem of having to explain one’s religion.
As the former Massachusetts governor continues his quest to win over Christian conservatives deeply suspicious of his Mormon faith, Jewish Republicans are sounding a note of tolerance within the GOP. Many long ago came to view their party’s Evangelical wing as a close ally in the fight to protect Israel. At the same time, though, some Jewish Republicans say they would be uneasy if Romney fails with the party’s base solely because of misgivings about his faith.
“I don’t think Jewish Republicans are focused on a quota issue; we’re focused on ideas,” said Jeff Ballabon, an Orthodox activist and GOP fundraiser from Long Island, N.Y., who was backing Sam Brownback before the Kansas senator exited the race last week. “We don’t focus on faith, and we would be uneasy with any conversation that veered from merit on to prejudice.”
Romney’s political stock has risen in recent weeks. Conservative Christians are still deeply divided over whether to back former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who remains the GOP’s frontrunner in national polls but is a supporter of abortion rights and gun control and has twice divorced. While many Christian leaders are expected to throw their support behind former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson or former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in the coming weeks, others are beginning to take a closer look at Romney, a lapsed pro-choicer who currently leads the primary polls in Iowa and New Hampshire. In advance of the “Values Voters” summit organized in Washington last week by the conservative Family Research Council, Romney picked up the endorsement of Bob Jones III, chancellor of the fundamentalist Christian Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C.
“As a Christian, I am completely opposed to the doctrines of Mormonism,” Jones told The Greenville News. “But I’m not voting for a preacher, I’m voting for a president.”
Nevertheless, some of Romney’s most prominent Jewish supporters say that such an attitude has been the exception rather than the rule on the Republican fundraising circuit. Brent Sembler — son of RJC board member Mel Sembler — traveled to Israel with Romney last January and came back eager to raise funds for his campaign. But the Florida developer, who says he moves in predominantly Christian circles, said the task proved harder than he had expected.
“I’ve been surprised,” Sembler told the Forward. “A lot of folks say they would not support him.”
At the RJC event, which preceded the Family Research Council’s parley by several days, the Jewish audience saved its most enthusiastic applause for Giuliani, who played up his Jewish bona fides with asides like, “I remember the moment when I knew Ronald Reagan was going to be president of the United States — I was at a bar mitzvah reception.”
But several attendees expressed their worry to the Forward that Giuliani’s moderate positions and “bull in a china shop” persona could ultimately cost him the nomination, or the general election. Many of these attendees saw Romney as a potential alternative, if concerns about his faith could be eased.
“What is it about the [Mormon] faith that scares people so badly, and is there
some way to overcome that fear?” Leroy Bernstein, a Las Vegas pediatrician, asked Romney during a question-and-answer session.
The question hung midair, and Romney gamely ducked. He was probably not the one to ask, he said, but his “neighbors might know.”
Comments
Good points. Romney is smart, successful, and honest. Mormons get their business DONE! My wife, who was raised as an Evangelical Protestant, swears that the real reason that Trinity-Christians don't like Mormons involves their fears of Mormon success. Afterall, Mormons have been making it on their own for "a lot of years".
Evangelical Christians should be alarmed and ashamed at what the Republican Jewish thinks of their discrimination. I was raised as an Evangelical Christian and (1) taught that the Jews were God's chosen people, and (2) that Mormonism was a cult.
#1 is true, #2 is not.
People tend to fear what they don't understand.
Mitt Romney will make a fabulous president. I have three requirements for the candidate I will vote for, a three-legged stool, if you will:
#1 conservative policies, #2 executive experience, #3 a proven track record of success
Mitt Romney is the only candidate that satisfies all three.
If Mitt Romney is the eventual GOP nominee, millions upon millions more evangelical Christians than Jews will vote for him in November 2008...and not only because of the relative sizes of their populations in this country. As a percentage of the total of each faih's self-identified members, Romney would probably get 70% to 80% of evangelicals but 10% to 20% of the Jews. Given how qualified and wonderful Romney is, the low level of likely Jewish support is more worthy of coverage, don't you think?
Boy am I fardreyt. What's a Christian? Aren't Mormons Christians?
“What is it about the [Mormon] faith that scares people so badly, and is there some way to overcome that fear?”
If the testimonies of 12 million Latter-Day Saints are true.... that there are modern day prophets and apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth today....continuing revelations....additional scripture....more depth in understanding the nature of God and his relationship to his children....temples such as were in ancient times....angels visiting the earth as in ancient times....add to that the astonishing number of good wonderful people embracing the gospel from missionaries following the Lord's teachings to take the gospel to all the earth...the beliefs stated in the LDS 13 articles of Faith....the belief that every person born into this world is a literal spirit children of God not just his creation. The magnitude of that knowledge, being a spirit child verses a creation is pretty astounding.
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8: 16-17)
If these things are true then something of immeasurable importance has been restored to Christianity.
Maybe a religion that can not claim to know these things would fear that they are missing something of great importance.
"Is there a way to overcome that fear?" Be comfortable with who you are and allow all the men/women the same privilege.
LDS 12th Article of Faith states: "We believe in worshipping the Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience and allow all men the same privilege. Let them worship how, where, or what they may.")
These are my thoughts. I do not speak for others in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
To Jeffrey Blustein's question. Mormons (Latter Day Saints: LDS) are Christians. It's just that Evangelical Christians do not recognize the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Christians as Christians either.
On the most basic level, Christian reject Mormonism for a similar reason that Jews reject Christianity and Christian reject Muslims: i.e. they claim a later, supecessionist revelation to the Bible. The Book of Mormon consist in the revelations of Jesus's word to his apostles in America -- Western upstate New York to be exact -- through the prophet Moroni! It's weird, but so are all supernatural religions. Romney is probably the most competent and accomplished person running in either party. He was a great, and not a divisive, governor in one of the most liberal states: Massachusetts; he has an amazing history of success in the private sector. Most importantly, he is a brilliant "fixer" with a superb record of fixing broken government and broken coroporations. Compared the him, the rest of the packs from Hilary and Rudy to Obama and Thompson are a bunch of shleppers and fakers.
(the aboved is the latest revelation of God, to his prophet in the Pocanos)
The Mormons are the only people who consider us Gentiles. Nonetheless, Jews should steer clear of Romney.
Like most mainstream media you fail to talk about Rep. Ron Paul: the only real conservative Republican in this race and the only one who is igniting grassroots (and netroots) enthusiasm.
For whatever reason, the power manipulators and conformist commentators setting the agenda of DC politics have decreed that Dr Paul "can't win" and is a "maverick". They are doing their best to make that a self-fulfilling prophecy, but Paul is picking up campaign money (from hundreds of real voters, not vested interests' PACs) and more from serving military people than other so-called top tier GOP candidates. Mitt and Rudy arouse precious little fervor among their base.
Paul is of libertarian instincts and hands-off inclinations; a devout Baptist who does not wear his faith on his sleeve, because he believes the Constitution in the secular sphere should trump ALL sectarian and pressure-group fixations as well as the liberal and kritarchical follies of judges.
Paul has never in his life voted against his strict interpretation of the Constitution and what he takes to be its founding principles and spirit. That means not being "pro-life" or "pro-choice" at the Federal level (it's a matter for states); not taking sides in foreign conflicts such as the ME, since they are not our business; and not taking a cent from Americans which they can better choose how to spend themselves.
As the USA continues to rend itself asunder with racial and other groups prioritizing their selfish obsessions (and you don't have to look too far hereabouts to know what I mean) the dispassionate, small-government, non-interventionist conservatism of Rep. Paul is far from being 200 years out of date, as the big-government types sneer. It is the only philosophy that suits an age of pluralism and individualism and reconciles those evolving impulses with what we have in common as patriots in a common home.
Paul is no hardened Washington careerist. He is about the only GOP runner with a service record, as well as a backstory of work in the real world- he was a gynecologist who delivered 4,000 babies.
That is also why his brand of conservatism is persuasive. It has made him a safe bet for re-election in the House, not in some oddball libertarian enclave but in a very bland Texan congressional district. Now it is drawing in antiwar Democrats, independents and everyone who is bored to tears by the corporate conformity incarnated by the "left wing" Hillary Clinton and the "right wing" Giuliani, two peas in a machine-politics pod.
Paul's campaign, more than Howard Dean's, is also a portent. Voters glimpse him in the controlled media, like what little they are permitted to see, and go to the internet to get the rest of the story. The gatekeepers are losing their grip.
my understanding of LDS is that one has to be a member of the LDS church in order to be "saved", "perfected," "completed," "get to Heaven" or whatever you want to call it. That is why pairs of guys on bicycles regularly show up on your doorstep. They have THE way, even for your ancestors. That's why they are the world's greatest genealogists. Can Mitt really remain neutral if he really believes this? The big question for us Jews however should be his position on Israel, Jerusalem in particular and would he, could he fix the mess his predecessors have made? I have been trying to get a definitive statement from his campaign on this issue and as yet nothing emerges. I am directed to his web page which doesn't menetion Israel specifically. Just some vagueness about "foreign policy."
my understanding of LDS is that one has to be a member of the LDS church in order to be "saved", "perfected," "completed," "get to Heaven" or whatever you want to call it. That is why pairs of guys on bicycles regularly show up on your doorstep. They have THE way, even for your ancestors. That's why they are the world's greatest genealogists. Can Mitt really remain neutral if he really believes this? The big question for us Jews however should be his position on Israel, Jerusalem in particular and would he, could he fix the mess his predecessors have made? I have been trying to get a definitive statement from his campaign on this issue and as yet nothing emerges. I am directed to his web page which doesn't menetion Israel specifically. Just some vagueness about "foreign policy."
It is not prejudice to be concerned about Romney's faith.
It is not prejudice to be concerned about Romney's faith.
It is not prejudice to be concerned about Romney's faith.
"If Mitt Romney is the eventual GOP nominee, millions upon millions more evangelical Christians than Jews will vote for him in November 2008...and not only because of the relative sizes of their populations in this country. As a percentage of the total of each faih's self-identified members, Romney would probably get 70% to 80% of evangelicals but 10% to 20% of the Jews. Given how qualified and wonderful Romney is, the low level of likely Jewish support is more worthy of coverage, don't you think?"
Ditto Rudy Giuliani! Only he'll receive more than 10-20%! Rudy was a terrific mayor and he'll be a great president. Both Mitt and Rudy are more qualified than any Democrat for public office and that assertion is based on their performance. How is it that cities governed by Democrats are in the dumps? It's their governing policies, stupid! The Forward's endorsement of scum such as Dinkins and Clinton represents a betrayal of its readers' interests--and as a result many are former readers!
Mormons share most parts of the Christian sect, although they have introduced into their faith many decidedly non-Christian elements. They reject the Trinity doctrine, but they do accept that J.C. is god. So they believe in at least 2 gods and actually their Church has held the doctrine that men may become gods themselves. This is also written in one of their sacred writings (Doctrine & Covenants, Section 132 if I´m not wrong.).That´s where it´s stated that men may be polygamous. Nowadays they try to hide this part of their history but anyone who wants to know it will find about. Mormons believe THEY are the true Israel; they believe that American Indians descend from some Jewish families that left Jerusalem after the destruction of the first Temple. In the past, they believed all Indians did; nowadays they say some did. They believe "G-d Father" and "G-d J.C." appeared to their founding "prophet" in persona (both having bodies of flesh and bones, also one of their doctrines) and told him to found the church. And so the fairy tale goes.
Yaakov (Yaacov?) Fairy tale or not, your comments sound more like a Baptist than one who is Jewish. Sure you aren't a Baptist?
I think if people would research the voting history of the candidates, the war policies, their stance on illegal immigration,the ideals on free trade,foreign policy,war,taxes,role of federal gov per our constitution, not the placation of a candidacy, but their actions ...
There would only be one clear choice that would best serve our country and her citizens...He is not one of the frontrunners yet, but in spite of the medias preselected choices for us of president, he is gaining speed through the people as their choice...He has been a member of congress for 19years, he served our country in Vietnam for 6 years,He votes as he speaks, he is known as Dr. NO in congress because he stands up for our constitution, his record in congress is impeccably squeaky clean,he stands for all americans not just the wealthy. He will be in the next GOP debate on nov. 28th and has been in every GOP debate since april... He will be on Jay Leno tonight show 11:30pm october 30th...
As for the rest repub or dem are pro amnesty,pro trade with strings (nafta),very far right or very far left, you can't serve all the people like that... The times we are in,the average citizen currently working 2 or 3 jobs just to exist and pay their bills,the lack of industry and corporations that have gone overseas, the crime, the hatred of religions,the rampant extremists that proliferate in our political arena as well as our religious arenas, the john hagees and ilk of the world that think israel bombing iran will bring armageddon the second coming of christ...It will be the end of life as our earth knows it if we bomb iran... Russia,china middle east will not sit idle, it will be WWIII...
Do as I did go to google search hagee fundalmentalists, aipac, Christians United For Israel,click wikipedia links for these...They are not our friends, they are no ones friends these people are sick...BTW bush is an evangelist fundamentalist...I do not have all the answers nor do I profess to be a gypsy teller, but the pieces do all fit the puzzle... Our media is terribly censored, I get my news from many other countries and many different free press papers sometimes news that either doesn't make the alphabet media or if it does, is several weeks later as an after fact...
Watch the debates, fox is the worse... PBS does a good job as does tim russert... Lou Dobbs does a unbiased job on his show on CNN...The only fair debates are the ones that ask the same questions of all the candidates, the rest are merely propaganda puppet shows...Use youtube.com all the debates are in there uncut.
One piece if the puzzle is the bush push for illegal immigration...It all ties in with nafta,the integration of USA,Mexico and Canada into the NAU (North America Union)ALL ONE BORDERLESS COUNTRY. much like the EU...SPP (Security for Prosperity and Partnership) it undermines Congress our check system per our constitution...Many states are against nafta and spp... NC DMV has the logo of the NAU on the drivers license...Search out on google lou dobbs ron paul click away
I think if people would research the voting history of the candidates, the war policies, their stance on illegal immigration,the ideals on free trade,foreign policy,war,taxes,role of federal gov per our constitution, not the placation of a candidacy, but their actions ...
There would only be one clear choice that would best serve our country and her citizens...He is not one of the frontrunners yet, but in spite of the medias preselected choices for us of president, he is gaining speed through the people as their choice...He has been a member of congress for 19years, he served our country in Vietnam for 6 years,He votes as he speaks, he is known as Dr. NO in congress because he stands up for our constitution, his record in congress is impeccably squeaky clean,he stands for all americans not just the wealthy. He will be in the next GOP debate on nov. 28th and has been in every GOP debate since april... He will be on Jay Leno tonight show 11:30pm october 30th...
As for the rest repub or dem are pro amnesty,pro trade with strings (nafta),very far right or very far left, you can't serve all the people like that... The times we are in,the average citizen currently working 2 or 3 jobs just to exist and pay their bills,the lack of industry and corporations that have gone overseas, the crime, the hatred of religions,the rampant extremists that proliferate in our political arena as well as our religious arenas, the john hagees and ilk of the world that think israel bombing iran will bring armageddon the second coming of christ...It will be the end of life as our earth knows it if we bomb iran... Russia,china middle east will not sit idle, it will be WWIII...
Do as I did go to google search hagee fundalmentalists, aipac, Christians United For Israel,click wikipedia links for these...They are not our friends, they are no ones friends these people are sick...BTW bush is an evangelist fundamentalist...I do not have all the answers nor do I profess to be a gypsy teller, but the pieces do all fit the puzzle... Our media is terribly censored, I get my news from many other countries and many different free press papers sometimes news that either doesn't make the alphabet media or if it does, is several weeks later as an after fact...
Watch the debates, fox is the worse... PBS does a good job as does tim russert... Lou Dobbs does a unbiased job on his show on CNN...The only fair debates are the ones that ask the same questions of all the candidates, the rest are merely propaganda puppet shows...Use youtube.com all the debates are in there uncut.
One piece if the puzzle is the bush push for illegal immigration...It all ties in with nafta,the integration of USA,Mexico and Canada into the NAU (North America Union)ALL ONE BORDERLESS COUNTRY. much like the EU...SPP (Security for Prosperity and Partnership) it undermines Congress our check system per our constitution...Many states are against nafta and spp... NC DMV has the logo of the NAU on the drivers license...Search out on google lou dobbs ron paul click away
Mitt Romney is the most intelligent and qualified candidate running for office from either party. He is a man of character and decency. He is also a brilliant businessman. We have a time bomb that will explode very soon with Social Security and Medicare. His expertise in economics is desperately needed. Bush and the republicans spent money and expanded government like drunken liberals. The democrats took over promising to be more fiscally responsible and so far they are spending even more and have raised the level of corruption to new heights. Reid and Pelosi have been a disgrace. We are at war and the democrats have done everything in their power to hurt our war effort, encourage our enemies, and seem to revel in every setback. It's deplorable. It would be a refreshing change to actually vote for someone with high moral character, integrity, and someone who may actually keep his word. It is also important that he understands that the greatest threat to humanity and our way of life is Islamic fascism. A candidate who understands this will treat Israel fairly.
The issue surrounding Romney's Mormon religion should not be Mormon theology (which seems to be an abomination to some other Christians), but, rather, whether he sees Mormon positions about controversial issues as positions he would press as President. Romney seemed to disregard those tenets regarding sexual orientation and reproductive rights when he was a Massachusetts politician -- but now has returned to the fold now that he is running for the Republican presidential nomination. If we take him at his word that the positions he now espouses are, indeed, the positions he would press as President, then any Jew (or anyone else) who believes in equal rights for gay people and/or reproductive rights should view him with great trepidation. Not because he happens to be a Mormon, but because his positions threaten important human rights. Or course, if he has now changed his positions for political expediency, then both the Right and the Left should oppose him because none of us want a President who is cynical about important human rights issues.
The issue surrounding Romney's Mormon religion should not be Mormon theology (which seems to be an abomination to some other Christians), but, rather, whether he sees Mormon positions about controversial issues as positions he would press as President. Romney seemed to disregard those tenets regarding sexual orientation and reproductive rights when he was a Massachusetts politician -- but now has returned to the fold now that he is running for the Republican presidential nomination. If we take him at his word that the positions he now espouses are, indeed, the positions he would press as President, then any Jew (or anyone else) who believes in equal rights for gay people and/or reproductive rights should view him with great trepidation. Not because he happens to be a Mormon, but because his positions threaten important human rights. Or course, if he has now changed his positions for political expediency, then both the Right and the Left should oppose him because none of us want a President who is cynical about important human rights issues.
To Susan: NO I´m not a Baptist, a Mormon or (G-d forbid) any kind of Christian. It just happens that I know a lot about the Mormon religion and its history. And you, are you LDS ? Why do you think I sound like a Baptist ? Funny. What is "Baptist" in telling some truths about the Mormon church, history and doctrines ?
To Susan: NO I´m not a Baptist, a Mormon or (G-d forbid) any kind of Christian. It just happens that I know a lot about the Mormon religion and its history. And you, are you LDS ? Why do you think I sound like a Baptist ? Funny. What is "Baptist" in telling some truths about the Mormon church, history and doctrines ?
Sorry Yaakov, that you feel I have insulted you. Not my intention. It is just that I have in the past 30+ years researched many faiths: Judeo-Christian and also Eastern faiths. My husband is non observant Jewish and I know more about his faith than even he does.
Mila is basically right on a candidate's voting record so maybe the big problem with Mitt is that he has not held national office and not created a record for himself on foreign policy should be a point of concern. This is not always the case with some politicians. Our governor in Florida, Charlie Crist, made some very strong statements about doing business with Israel in his campaign and within a few months followed thru by visiting with a trade delegation. Charlie hangs out regularly with a Chabad rabbi who did his Inaugural invocation and recently placed a mezuzah on the door of the Governor's office in the State Capitol. Charlie isn't running for prez., this time around anyway, but this is the sort of performance I would look for in someone who is.
So Susan? suppose G-d Forbid Yaakov was a Baptist. Are you saying only Jews should be allowed to post here? Yaakov's post was merely info, correct info btw. Don't get paranoid. Get Jewish! If one knows what that means one can withstand the approaches of ANY proselytizer, Moslem, Christian, Moonie or Hari Krishna. Well, the moslem ones might be a tad tough. LOL
Read "The Mormon Murders" - after that, let's revisit this.
Good Review, with a truthful analysis.