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Sharron Angle's Pastor: She's 'Snow White,' Harry Reid Belongs To 'Cult' Of Mormonism

The Huffington Post   First Posted: 10/07/10 03:31 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 07:00 PM ET

Sharron Angle Snow White

Much has been made about the way Sharron Angle chooses to manifest her religion into almost every aspect of her Nevada Senate campaign.

And now, Dennis Myers of the Reno News & Review is out with a piece that includes an extensive interview with Angle's Pastor, John Reed, that is sure to raise some eyebrows.

During the interview with Myers, Reed made a big deal about Harry Reid's Mormonism. Ironically enough, he used the word "kooky" a lot:

"His religion's a cult," Pastor Reed said. "The Christian community--all the Christians, theologians and scholars, all recognize that, that Mormonism is a cult. I have books in my library on cults, and it lists Mormonism right there with all these bizarre cults. Well, there must be a reason. I mean, here a member of a cult is one of the most powerful people in the United States. Doesn't that alarm you? And his allegiance is to Salt Lake City. Something is up with that. Something's weird. But nobody touches that. ... Harry Reid's allegiance is to Salt Lake City. The Mormon church is rich, powerful, they do illegal things. They do secretive things. They've got all this money. They own American businesses. There's weirdness going on there. Churches are not multi-millionaire organizations like the Mormon church. You know, there's some weirdness with that, but nobody questions it, nobody asks one question to Harry Reid and says, 'Tell us about your faith. What does a Mormon believe?' Ask him about the holy garments that he wears that protect him from evil. Isn't that kooky? Ask him about getting his body parts anointed by oil. Isn't that kooky? Ask him about when he goes to the temple and he gets baptized for dead people. Isn't that kooky? Ask him about the hit squad of the Mormon church and why they need people to kill Mormons that go against them. Isn't that controlling? Ask him how they shun people, then they get their family members to disown them and divorce them if they dare leave the Mormon church. Isn't that cultish? I mean, I could go on and on. The Mormon church is a cult, and Harry Reid is a powerful person in a cult, and nobody even questions it."

In Reed's eyes, the difference between the supposed immorality of Harry Reid and the purity of Sharron Angle couldn't be more clear cut:

"Very involved in the church in all different aspects," he said of [Angle's] role at Sonrise [Church]. "The sweetest, kindest--I mean, Snow White. There's no dirt. I mean, everyone comes--'Tell us the dirt.' There's no dirt on Sharron," Reed told Myers. "The dirt's on Harry Reid, you know--the whole Mormon thing. I could tell you the junk about Mormonism and the weird things that go on."

Though Myers is quick to point out that Reed "does not speak for Angle any more than Barack Obama is responsible for Jeremiah Wright's pronouncements," comments coming from a spiritual adviser to a candidate that is so open about her devoutness may be alarming to some.

Shortly after winning Nevada's GOP Senate Primary, Angle notoriously sparred with Jon Ralston over whether the Constitution really called for the separation of church and state. She said it didn't.

Angle's views on abortion -- she believes it's unacceptable even in cases of rape and incest -- have also been admittedly shaped by her religion. She has also signaled that she would favor banning gay adoption and allowing the clergy to endorse from the pulpit.

In an interview earlier this year, Sharron Angle claimed that Democrats were violating the First Commandment by building entitlement programs and "mak[ing] government our God."

And in perhaps her most peculiar religiously driven initiative, a Nevada paper reported earlier this year that Sharron Angle had spearheaded a campaign to forbid a local high school team from wearing black jerseys to their homecoming game on the grounds that the color was evil.

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Much has been made about the way Sharron Angle chooses to manifest her religion into almost every aspect of her Nevada Senate campaign. And now, Dennis Myers of the Reno News & Review is out with a...
Much has been made about the way Sharron Angle chooses to manifest her religion into almost every aspect of her Nevada Senate campaign. And now, Dennis Myers of the Reno News & Review is out with a...
 
 
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07:03 PM on 10/08/2010
As a praticing Mormon, it hard to understand that a pastor actually believes the stuff that he says about our church. I am always surprised to see how those that say we are a cult and the books that are written are so full of lies and misrepresentations. For those of us that know better, know that most (actually all) of what he said is untrue.

I am sure he must believe what he says, so I will just say that he is ignorant about the Mormon Church and a little fact finding (not in Anti-Mormon Books, which are full of lies) will make him a better person and understand more about a church that isn't what he says it is.
06:29 PM on 10/08/2010
Pastor Reed is clearly in "revenge mode" as Sharron Angle is no longer a member of his church. Sharron Angle will receive significantly more votes from Mormons than Harry Reid because, although she is a Baptist, she shares more common values with the LDS folks than Harry Reid does. Many, many Mormons have hosted her at "Meet & Greets" in their homes since her senate campaign started last year and two of her closest staff members are active members of the LDS Church. Angle is a very tolerant person despite what Harry Reid's advertisements allege. She respects the rights of every citizen to practice the religion of their choice or no religion at all. It is truly sad that her former minister finds it necessary to bash a group of God-fearing believers instead of concerning himself with the compassion and charity to all that the Scriptures demand. It's easy to see why gracious people like the Angles no longer belong to his church.
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walkthewalk
Watch what people do, not what they say
05:26 PM on 10/08/2010
Sharron Angle's Pastor says she's Snow White. So, Sharron, can I interest you in an apple? It's really good.
05:00 PM on 10/08/2010
Gawd if she's Snow White, I pity the prince.
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MotorcycleBoy
Mercy for Animals
04:25 PM on 10/08/2010
ALL religions are cults...

cult   
[kuhlt] –noun
1.a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2.an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3.the object of such devotion.
4.a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5.Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6.a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7.the members of such a religion or sect.
8.any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
04:21 PM on 10/08/2010
Well she IS a cartoon character.
03:44 PM on 10/08/2010
I love this image of Snow White. Remember the fairy tale?

There is a very wicked and narcissic witch (Queen Sarah) who demands of her mirror (public): "Who's the most powerful woman in the land?"

If the mirror suggests there may be one or two out there who might be more powerful, the witch sends out her poison apples (emails and tweets).

Come on, you little dwarfs, get to whistling while you work, cause there is evil upon the land.
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04:27 PM on 10/08/2010
So is the pastor saying if O'Donnell is Snow White, Sara Palin is the wicked Queen?
09:13 PM on 10/08/2010
Well, he's not saying that, but I am. I think the character of the Queen in Snow White fits Sarah perfectly.

I doubt the Toad will be sending out nasty emails to O'Donnell, but I bet they are pretty miffed with the less-than-100% support for Sarah. I anticipate a future retaliation however.
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nana-anne
just trying to make sense of the senseless
02:45 PM on 10/08/2010
I think Sharron's pastor was really calling her "Slow Witted" not Snow White.
01:30 PM on 10/08/2010
Sharron Angle campaigned against black jerseys in homecoming because the black color was evil? Wow! Who are these Nevadans voting for her? That's what Nevada should be concerned about, whether she wins or not - those people who voted for her will probably be your next door neighbors!
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squat6971
59 *was* divine -- 60? 61? not so much
12:38 PM on 10/08/2010
Whackadoodle pot calling the kettle black? Too much irony?
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Marie9
Selp appointed critic for the good!
12:38 PM on 10/08/2010
It appears Christianity is no longer in the minds of many pastors. They are just opportunist, promoting evil.
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12:03 PM on 10/08/2010
Yes, the Mormons are a cult, but so is southern baptist a cult. This is a case of the cult calling the cult a cult. UGGH! The last one to leave Nevada, please turn out the light.
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jimboy71
Hen Diapheron Heautoi
01:37 PM on 10/08/2010
Please turn it on. It's been out for quite a while, apparently.
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wisedupdude1
11:38 AM on 10/08/2010
"Was that an earthquake!"
no, just Walt Disney rolling over in his grave.
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Coloradem
Christian, Gay, Democrat
11:38 AM on 10/08/2010
I wonder if Angle will endorse Romney if he is the Republican nominee for President....and if she does, will she be excommunicated from her church....