Romney's sad state

What people should be doing is not asking Romney the questions. He is Mormon. One can assume that he follows and is in line with whatever Mormon theology is. It isn't his job to explain it. If we are curious and it is an important thing perhaps the fair thing to ask is for someone in his camp to direct us to the authoritative sources on what the Mormon faith is and then for us to make up our own minds as to whether or not it is something that we can accept. Coming from the Southwest where Mormons are abundant, what I have found is that they do a good job of practicing the family values that other denominations use as a talking point. We should take Romney at face value as with other candidates, religious leaning and not.

I largely agree with JLFuller. "Mr. Romney, do you believe Jesus is Satan's brother?" is a question. Calling the local LDS congregation from home is asking a question. Googling "Do mormon's believe the apostles advocated peyote?" is inquiry. Standing at a podium asking "Don't Mormon's believe Jesus and Satan are brothers?" sounds like a political smear in the wool of a question.

Romney's no better with his "soft on immigration" smear campaign against Huckabee, but I find the idea that this is theological scholarship to be pretty far fetched.

I haven't seen the original report and I'm reserving judgement but we might have just learned Huckabee is no better than the rest.

I don't know enough about Mormon theology, or evangelical caricatures thereof, to judge Huckabee's intent here. But I definitely think that "asking questions" can be done in an obnoxious manner.

The GOP is in a weird spot, that this "my god can beat up your god(s)" stuff can be a major issue. Mitt sure didn't have to give that speech in Massachusetts, where literacy rates are high and divorce rates are low, because people there generally don't think that the government needs to pat them on the head for their religious beliefs.

David, I agree with your conclusion but is Huckabee being asked what he believes? If he is the Baptist candidate shouldn't someone ask him why a non-doctrinal denomination expels member congregations over matters of worship or whether he believes baptisms given to infant Lutherans are sacramental?

If it turns out the reporter's question was "Do you think Mitt Romney believes Satan and Jesus are brpthers?" and Huckabee responded "Do Mormon's believe that?" then fair enough but if it turns out Huckabee brought that question up on his own then I'm disappointed in him.

Elvis, that's actually scriptural (see First Kings 18:21-40.) The GOP can't claim Jesus but I think it might be the party of Elijah.

Fair enough. Peace.

David,

I thought you were brighter than that. Anyone who thinks this "question" was anything less than yet another calculated Huckabee dig at Mormons has been drinking the kool-aid far too long. Trust me, Huckabee is a bright guy and knows exactly which buttons to push. I am very disappointed in him (and you).

The last 2 posts on Romney were very good, and the comments have given me a lot to think about. For me this usually involves juggling contradictory thoughts and opinions, some of which include:

1. There has always been discrimination based on religious beliefs.

2. Just because a religion holds a certain tenet doesn't mean its members all believe it (Catholics using birth control, non-tithing Baptists, Scientologists on Prozac, etc.)

3. Politicians running at this level in particular will say whatever their handlers want them to say, especially pandering to a particular audience (witness Huckabee being hard-nosed on immigration when meeting with the Minutemen)

4. While it would be entirely fair to ask the candidates about their beliefs, it would probably be fruitless as they'll say whatever is convenient or dodge the question. A leader, as opposed to just another politician, will have the backbone to say something along the lines that his beliefs are personal and have no place in a discussion regarding how to fix the problems that are plaguing this country. (The thought just occurred to me that in this respect alone one could consider that treasonous moron Bush a leader). Better to look at their record to see how their behavior is influenced by their religious beliefs.

5. I'd like to see more hard-hitting questions about what the candidates see as problems facing this country, and what they would do to fix those problems. I don't mean obsequient talking points, either. Questions like: what will you do about the shrinking middle class, job outsourcing, health care and insurance, ... questions that pertain to more than the extremist 10% from either side.

But that was a planted question of the "Have you stopped beating your wife?" sort.

Still waiting for your larger response ... you certainly know the impression you've left me, without that context.

Question for Mike Huckabee: "Besides physics, chemistry and biology, are there any other scientific fields you might to abandon without comment if they inconvenienced your preferred and admittedly, minority interpretation of the Bible?"

Physics, chemistry and biology? Come on. There is a small minority of scientists, who have studied geology, biology, genetics, anthropology, paleontology, who don't accept goo-to-you by the zoo 'evolution.' Natural selection is not the same as evolution. Do some research, look at answersingenesis.org or creationontheweb. There are PhD scientists that don't believe that australopithecines are in our ancestry in any way. Just because a majority of scientists believes something doesn't make it true. Now, only about 13% of American adults accept evolution as officially taught. So if you are part of that 13%, don't assume that everybody believes the unprovable, ever-changing, impossible to confirm stories of evolution.
And its not a minority understanding of the Bible, Christians have always believed that Genesis was a true account, and you'll find Christians around the world believe that Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead, is powerful enough to create the universe, just like He told us He did.