Good for Mike Huckabee. And I’d never had heard this if not for this blog.
How funny that this story arc seems to have unfolded completely between the interview and the publication of that interview. I still don’t know what he said and in what context, but if Huckabee has apologized to Romney for whatever it was, I’m delighted to move on.

“Reconcile” like the words “tolerate” and “tolerant” DO NOT carry with them acceptance or compatibility. Resolving an issue with another person does not mean joining them. Huckabee has done nothing wrong in asking questions about Mormon “ism.”
Both Romney’s religion and Christianity are well-defined.
Let’s move on. Let’s support Mike Huckabee over Mitt Romney.
Huckabee was a better governor than Romney, has better ideas than Romney and has a better path for America than any other candidate Republican or Democrat.

Apologies galore are owed Huckabee, however, especially for the double standard with which he is being treated. Journalists ask him over and over about religious issues related to Romney’s Mormon faith. It is time they either stop or start asking Romney questions – like this one: “Gov. Romney, do you believe Mother Teresa was a Christian?”
No David, the fair and reciprocal thing for reporters to do would be to ask Romney about Huckabee’s faith.

It seems that Huckabee and Romney are in a contest to see who can leave the biggest trail of slime behind him.

I wondered if that was what happened. I saw that as soon as the debate ended, Huckabee immediately turned to Romney and started speaking rather earnestly. At the time, I hoped he was apologizing. I’m glad that I was correct. Good for Huckabee!

Mike Huckabee should be forgiven if he genuinely asks us to do so. It’s the forgetting about what he’s said that I don’t think I can do. Perhaps I’ll mentally file this under the bigger scheme of things in hopes that it isn’t indicative of the type of candidate Mr. Huckabee will turn out to be.
But I am not holding my breath.

Huck’s apology after the debate was characterized as “horse pucky” by Jim Geragthy and rightly so. Mormonism is a high profile issue with Southern Baptists. They don’t know what the LDS Church’s position actually is on most everything but they danged well know what they think it is. The SBC prints pamphlets about Mormons and others denominations they preach against and proudly display them in prominent places in their churches. I have seen them and was given one. It was called “Freed From The Mormon Clutch” by Freda Stirling. They had others. So to say Huck and the SBC don’t place Mormons high on their list just isn’t so. The Southern Baptist Convention’s Outreach Bookstore at http://sbcoutreach.christianbooknet.com has 26 pages of anti-Mormon offerings in their best selling-controversial section.

Apologies are only as genuine as the person who makes them. Mike Huckabee’s genuineness as a presidential candidate remains the be seen.
I’ll forgive, but not forget.

And Rod Dreher criticized Tim Russert and Rudy Giuliani for discussing theology as two lapsed Catholics on Meet the Press on Sunday. I hear violins playing …
David, I am utterly shocked (and I mean for real, not in the Casablanca way) at the implication you seem to be making that Mitt Romney does not deserve to be President because he is not a Christian (or Jew). Would you say that about a Muslim? A Hindu? A Buddhist?
If I am wrong, please, for goodness’ sake, clarify.

The Mother Teresa question is unfair and baiting. What in the world does Mother Teresa have to do with the 2007 election. And your answer, David, puts thoughts into peoples minds about what Romney might or might not think about Mother Teresa. Have you ever disagreed with your church? I do quite frequently but still count myself in its ranks. I don’t read this blog for the dirt.

Larry, I don’t see that implication. David has been pretty consistent that the election of a President shouldn’t be a theological decision. I read his point to be that Huckabee is unfairly being asked to account for his religious beliefs by journalists while others are not being asked to answer for theirs. I’m not sure I agree, but I don’t follow the case as closely.
For me, a problem with the whole discussion is that, like so many of our national discussions, it ends up being a contest of grievances.

David, you are wrong that Romney or any other members of the LDS Church would deny the Christianity of Mother Teresa. Unlike you, we do not reserve the term “Christian” for those of our own faith. A Christian is not just someone who professes belief in Christ, certainly not simply a member of a particular church, but more fully someone who exemplifies Christ in their actions and attitudes. Most Mormons recognize this and would never deny the label of Christian to a true follower of Christ.

I’m just baffled by all this ‘he’s not a true Christian’ or ‘he’s not a Christian at all’ stuff. Obviously it’s very important to some people: why is that? People have different religious heritatges. That’s news?
What is the perceived problem with not being a certain religion and getting elected President?
Is it imagined that only True Christians could be good presidents?
None of this seems to bother people in congressional elections. I don’t get it. Where is all the fear and upset coming from?

>>>>
Is it imagined that only True Christians could be good presidents?
None of this seems to bother people in congressional elections. I don’t get it. Where is all the fear and upset coming from?
Posted by: SkipChurch | December 13, 2007 1:28 PM
>>>>
The fear and upset comes from that primitive place in our collective brains that says the leader of our tribe must be acceptable to our tribal gods, lest we all be smitten with plagues and famine.

A becak (pedicab) driver in Indonesia gave an impressive speech about how superstition was holding his country back, and how it affected every aspect of life. But when the ride was over he remarked:
“But what can we do? If we do not follow these old customs, the gods will destroy us!”

Is it imagined that only True Christians could be good presidents?
None of this seems to bother people in congressional elections. I don’t get it. Where is all the fear and upset coming from?
It’s Reinhold Niebuhr territory, of course. “Frantic orthodoxy is never rooted in faith but in doubt.”
There’s a lot of internal engrossment and anxiety in the Christian Right these days about the de-Christianization of Europe and the progression of the process here in the U.S. and in Canada.
The Huckabee/Romney thing is one political reaction to the growing nationwide anxiety about it. Romney’s argument is that for the conservative Christian-favoring political status quo to continue, groups like the Mormons have to be taken into the coalition to keep up sufficient numbers.
Huckabee represents the counter, which is a binging between confidence and deep anxiety that the present alliance of conservative Christians has enough numbers and desire as it is.

“Apologies galore are owed Huckabee, however, especially for the double standard with which he is being treated.” Huck’s apology’s was based on his ill-informed but purposeful attack on the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His colloquy with the New York Times reporter about a supposed Mormon belief that Christ and Satan are brothers, is analogous to asking “Do you still beat your wife?” The intent has nothing to do with a concern for the state of someone’s marriage. Huck’s statement that he knew little about Mormon beliefs is at best disingenuous when a little investigation of the SBC’s website at http://sbcoutreach.christianbooknet.com/ reveals 26 pages of anti-Mormon offerings. Does he want us to believe a professional Southern Baptist preacher doesn’t know what reading material his Church offers? It is hard to accept that one. Especially when there 200 volumes of one sort or another.
My intention is not to take a shot at the SBC in general. There are many outstanding followers of Christ who are members that do not deserve the verbal thumping. But Huck is not allowed to get away with it. He danged well knows what his church teaches about Mormons. It is a high profile issue with Evangelicals. To suggest he does not know stretches his credibility beyond the breaking point.

A candidate’s faith may not matter to some, but if issues of faith are going to be discussed in the news, it is worthwhile to make some clarifying distinctions.
Mormonism is a cult, if you define cult as “Any religious group that deviates radically from orthodox teachings of historic Christianity, while adherents are claiming to be “true Christians” by way of some special revelation or privilege”. There are many cults out there, Mormonism being one.
Christians and Mormons worship two DIFFERENT Gods.
Here are a few differences between what Christians and Mormons believe:
1Mormon – God was once a man like us.
1Christian – God was, is, and always will be God.
2Mormon – Many Gods, an unknown number of them
2Christian – One God. Isaiah 44 “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God…Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.”
3Mormon – Salvation by grace AND works 2 Nephi 25:23
3Christian – Salvation by faith alone. Many verses, one example Ephesians 2:8-9
4Mormon – Men become Gods, have a marriage and children in Heaven
4Christian – “Men become Gods” is blasphemy. Jesus said we will be neither married nor given in marriage in Heaven. Matthew 22:29-30
Mormons and Christians worship a different Jesus as well:
The Jesus of the Bible: Co-Eternal with God, without beginning or end.
The Jesus of Mormonism: Created by a God, who was himself also created. At one time this Jesus was not, then, having been created by God, became. This Jesus is thus less than God.
Each religion has a different Jesus, and a different God. One is Christian while the other is clearly not.

Doug:
I hope your interpretation is right, but I have a tough time believing it after David’s last several posts …

The Mother Teresa quip seems unfair given she addressed the student body at BYU. But I don’t think David was actually saying what it sounded like. It sounded more like “How can Mormons think non-Mormons are not Christian? Look at Mother Teresa.” If so, I would like to talk to that a bit.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believes an apostasy took place after the apostles died. Historic Christians think so too but believe the Church recovered as evidenced in 2nd Peter. But Mormons think that passage means Christ would build his Church on personal revelation not Peter. The LDS view is that after that, many things were not included in the bible when it was compiled in the fourth century. But even though there was an apostasy, enough of the bible was kept to keep Christ alive in the hearts and minds of the surviving elements of the Church. The church lost the priesthood and many ordinances but there was substantial theology left. Enough so that believers could still be counted as Christians. We may have some disagreements about a lot of things, but the one about Mormons believing non-Mormons are not Christian isn’t one of them. If you do a little research you will find that we revere truly good and righteous people of all faiths who sacrificed for God and their fellow man. We still do. Mother Teresa is just one the many.

Core Theology says Christians and Mormons worship two DIFFERENT Gods et cetera. Not so my friend. We just have different views on His nature but there is only one God, one Jesus and one Holy Ghost. Historic Christians believe they are all rolled up into one unknowable amalgam. Mormons believe they are separate beings just as Christ said they were. There is no New Testament support for the Creedal versions. But I digress.
I am reminded of the story of the old southern politician who lost the election because his wife admitted to being a thespian. There was a serious failure to communicate there. A little time researching the authoritative LDS web sites will provide the real Mormon views and understanding of these things. You can go to http://www.lds.com, http://www.FAIRlds.com or even http://www.lib.byu.edu/Macmillan/ for the accurate versions. BTW, I am amazed at the way non-LDS people, who think they know Mormon doctrine, quote phony sources but never ask us what we believe. Why is it you jump at the chance to get it wrong and refuse to get it right?

I’ve looked at the LDS website, and it clearly says that Jesus and Satan are brothers, as WorldNetdaily.com reported. I’ve seen it myself, and that is what Mormonism historically have taught. Sure some downplay it nowadays, but the offical LDS teaches it, and I’ve had numerous Mormons tell me whats what their organization teaches and what they believe. The secular media doesn’t know anything about mormonism, so reported that the LDS denied they taught it – even though I can look at their website right now and it says so. It’s false either way, (Jesus isn’t created, He is the Creator of the angels, indeed of the entire universe, the Son of the Father, the Creator). Its sad and deceptive when some, (not all), Mormons will make it sound like they don’t teach that…and then explain that in fact, they do teach it. Of course, the secular media falls for it, but I think its deceptive of some. The correct answer to Huckabee’s question is “yes, but they don’t think that’s bad.”

I thinks its sad that the secular, liberal media is reporting that the Mormon church denies that Jesus and Satan are brothers, when I’ve seen for himself that official LDS website teaches that (search for Jesus, Satan, brothers, under “gospel fundamentals”), as Worldnetdaily.com reported. And I’ve had numerous Mormons tell me what is what they believe. I think it shows that some of the Mormon PR is deceptive about their beliefs. Of course, some Mormons are honest about what they actually teach and believe, I’m glad about that. But I’m disapppointed that some Mormons are deceptive about their beliefs.
They aren’t brothers at all. Jesus isn’t created. Jesus is the Creator. Jesus Christ is the Son of the Father. Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus Christ is the Word, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and beheld His Glory”
Jesus Christ is not a mere creature, like the angels that Christ Himself created. He created many angels, and some rebelled against Him, such as Satan and the demons. But all the angels of God worship Christ (read the book of Hebrews). Jesus Christ is human, yet without sin, and fully God, the Son of the Father. He is a true prophet, predicted by a true prophet, such as Moses. Yet Joseph Smith is a false prophet, and none of many different Mormon sects can agree with each other on what exactly is true. Just because yours is bigger then others doesn’t make it true. Islam is much larger then Mormonism, and Muhammand was a false prophet as well. Instead, I follow the real prophets and apostles, such as Isaiah and Peter and Paul, who taught that there was only one existing God, not many, and who testified of the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins, the only sacrifice for our sins, and his resurrrection from the dead, and His ascension into heaven before His Apostles. Read the end of the book of Luke and the beginning of Acts. He ascended after He taught His apostles, He never went to America anymore then He went to Australia.

“One is Christian while the other is clearly not.”
So what.
These appeals to bigotry are getting pretty tiresome.

Skip,
The New Testament letters and Gospels were written to defend against heresy, deceivers and the promoters of false teachings to Christians.
Mormons have already been opposed by the Christians that wrote the Gospels and the letters.
Read the NT for yourself.
It is why Mormons reject in the Bible what contradicts their incredibly askewed version of bible-based religion.
It is not “bigotry” that demands these questions be asked of Mormons. It is the truth that Jesus and His disciples all died for, that demands that “Christians” root out and oppose heretics and their false teachings. Mormonism is heresy, false teaching and blsphemey to the Christians of the New Testament record.
We are admonished (we Christians) to test all things. To, study to show ourselves approved . . .” To hold firmly to that which is truth.”
Christians were warned to reject different Gospels “even” if an angel were to come preaching it. HELLO! Joseph Smith, was predicted in the New Testament. And it wasn’t a good prophecy. That is not Huckabee’s doing.

“root out and oppose heretics and their false teachings’
Go for it! And do me a BIG favor and destroy what’s left of the GOP while you’re at it.
If I could have made up a comical scenario, I couldn’t have done better than evangelical heresy hunters bashing GOP candidates.

Why is it Mormons consider anyone—including Mother Teresa—who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ to be a Christian while evangelicals get to choose who is and who isn’t a Christian?
Why do evangelicals deride Mormons because they believe man may eventually become like God, but evangelicals think nothing of acting like God by deciding who is and who isn’t a follower of Christ?
Those are the questions you should be asking, don’t you think?

“lest we all be smitten with plagues and famine.”
I believe the modern accusation is “smitten with terrorists and hurricanes”.
Anyway, I hate to have to say it, but I’m incredibly tired of all of this discussion of who is a “true Christian”. If you want Scripture, try Deuteronomy 13 and you’ll see why some of us don’t believe the endless Bible-quoting that is being done here.

Observor,
“Evangelicals” are only agreeing with Jesus and the Apostles on “who” is a Christian. The New Testament is a quick read. Go read it. “Evangelicals” are not juding anyone. That has already been done by the writers of the New Testament. “Evangelicals” only choose NOT to alter and disregard what has been set down before them. They choose to follow the “Faith delivered only once to the Saints.” Mormons, teach and believe that that faith was somehow beaten away by Satan, and/or something else. Even though Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt 16).
Does the word “Mormon” tranlate in Chinese to gates of hell? I’ve heard it argued it may or may not.
Here’s a Mormon website that says it doesn’t: “What the crafty enemies of the Restored Church have done is to pervert the facts in such a way that only those knowing Chinese can see their fraud. From the thirty characters which have been reading Mo, they substituted the one which means “devil” (and which is not the one used by the Church) and then propagated the lie that in Chinese the word “Mormon” means “Devil’s gate,” or “Gateway to Hell.”
(http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/response/qa/chinese.htm)
///
They’re answering the apologetics work: The God Makers.
It’s a great time for Gospel truth. Like Jesus said, what is spoken about in private will be shouted from the rooftops. Man, how did He know?

The New Testament lists who is and who isn’t a Christian.

Dovid,
Well done.

Deut. 13 [6] “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, `Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known,
[7] some of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, [8] you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him;
[9] but you shall kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
[10] You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Yeah. Well done. Thanks.

It is time to put this Quixotic anti-Mormon nonsense to bed. Save it for another day friends. We have to nominate someone who can beat Bill and Hillary. There is no one who can honestly say this religion bashing strengthens the party or brings us together. If Evangelicals think they can rally the party with Huck then I think you have to look to others for guidance. No experienced political observer thinks he can. He plays too much of the Baptist preacher role. Contrary to you who think differently, Evangelicals are not highly thought of around the country. Your continued Mormon bashing and “I am the Christian President” rhetoric reinforces the world’s notion of Evangelicals being narrow minded bigots. Even I wouldn’t vote for him and I am so Republican that it amazes me to say that. This guy is Howard Dean and Jimmy Carter all rolled together. The Dems are right – he is easy to pick off.
I don’t know who will get the nomination. I am torn between Romney and Rudy. But this Mormon hate thing you people have has absolutely turned me off and away from your guy. You just don’t know when to shut up!

Why do we have to nominate someone who can beat Hillary? And Bill isn’t even running! Besides that, he was a good President with some pretty sound policies and the country did very well with him in office. The hypocritical Republicans like Hyde (yeah, I know he’s dead) along with the Republicans now in office are the sort of people we should be working to defeat. You ultra-right wing people can’t get over this blind and unreasonable hatred of all things Clinton, so you have no place lecturing anyone else about whom they should be promoting. Rudy, indeed! You’ve taken leave of your senses if you think Rudy is a good choice for President.
I’ll even disagree with you regarding your statement that the Dems could easily defeat Huckabee. Those pusillanimous Dems in Congress can’t even get a bill passed without caving in to the minority Reps. The Dems may lose the election even if the other side forfeits!

Looks like a good part of the GOP wants to commit Huckacide!
It’s too weird: they’re virtually Swift Boating themselves on the Romney Mormonism deal. And Romney is probably their best shot, too.

“Why do we have to nominate someone who can beat Hillary? And Bill isn’t even running! Besides that, he was a good President with some pretty sound policies and the country did very well with him in office.” Spoken like a true Democrat. No one really believes Bill would not be the real power behind the Hillary presidency. The man can’t even keep his mouth shut now when it is in her best interest.

I favor the Democrats because the Reps have abandoned the center and moved extreme – EXTREME – right! Putting business interests top priority while ignoring the problems facing the poor and the elderly and the middle class, starting war founded upon lies, the list goes on and on. Matthew 25 is my guiding principle.
Hillary is a strong woman in her own right, and if you analyze her record she’s actually more centrist than left-wing. She may listen to her husband’s advice, and he will undoubtedly bring her some votes; however, she will be the President – the decider – not him. In fact, I’d imagine she’d send him out of the house on diplomatic missions at every possible opportunity.

Are Christ and Satan Brothers? The Official Response.
“Like other Christians, we believe Jesus is the divine Son of God. Satan is a fallen angel.
As the Apostle Paul wrote, God is the Father of all. That means that all beings were created by God and are His spirit children. Christ, however, was the only begotten in the flesh, and we worship Him as the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. ”
See http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/answering-media-questions-about-jesus-and-satan

I suppose there are some who will never be satisfied with the above statement and will try to find some quote from someone else to support what they want to beleive. We can’t help what others think or do. But readers should know that there is only one authoritative voice for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and you have the link above to read it for yourself.

To the Mormon:
Christians do not believe in some “unknownable” God. You are unfamiliar with Christian beliefs about the one true God. Ignorance is no excuse on Judgement Day. God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. I know Jesus Christ, His Father and the Holy Spirit, the God who dwells in me.
They are not different beings, they are one. There is no other God but one, the Holy One of Israel.
In fact, the prophet Jeremiah predicted “Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers
In the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel;
After those days, saith the LORD,
I will put my law in their inward parts,
And write it in their hearts;
And will be their God,
And they shall be my people.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor,
and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD:
For they shall ALL KNOW ME,
From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD,
FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR INIQUITY,
AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SIN NO MORE.” Jeremiah 31
Now where remission of these is, there is NO MORE offering for sin. Hebrews 10:18
This text refutes your religion. Give up the false prophet, and believe on the true prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless one, fully human, and fully God, the Creator of all the angels that worship Him. Repent of your sins and your false religion, and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for sins on the cross, and his glorious resurrection from the dead, never to die again, the only true High Priest. The Levitical priesthood is done, and Christ is the only true High Priest, the Mormon false priesthood won’t save you. Only Jesus Christ can save, because He is the only Savior.

Writer
The specifics of your theology are not the issue here. It is Huck’s personal failings. I am sorry if you think my posts are aimed at you or you faith as a believer. It is not. You are entitled to believe as you see fit. At some point in time, an honest conversation about beliefs would be an interesting discussion. But not during this political season. Not right now. The dark forces of hate and bigotry are at work and threaten to harm our country and we have to speak up against it when and where we find it.

Dear Beliefnet monitor,
Why was my comment here deleted? It wasn’t offensive in any way. Software glitch?
Thanks.
-PW

PW:
There apparently is a major glitch going on right now with Bnet’s spam filter.
I was lectured on Crunchy Con for daring to even bring the subject up. (Sigh.)

But the good news of Jesus Christ doesn’t take a break for any ‘political season.’ “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
We’re all creatures, and we should hear the good news of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins to those who believe in the eternal uncreated Creator, the Son of the Father, Jesus Christ.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Listen to what the Apostle declared about this GOSPEL (the Good News)
“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
This gospel is the most important message you will ever hear. Remember that God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. And that God commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has apppointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man He has ordained, whereof He has given assurance unto all men, in that He has raised Him from the dead!
In the New Covenant, the Lord declared through the true prophet Jeremiah
“For they shall ALL KNOW ME,
From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD,
FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR INIQUITY,
AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SIN NO MORE.”
This same LORD declared:
“ Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
‘ I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.”
and “You are My witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed there is no other Rock;
I know not one.’”
This same LORD declared ““ I am the LORD, who makes all things,
Who stretches out the heavens ALL ALONE,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;” Isaiah 44
This one true God declared
” Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’”