Major Baptist Church to Mitt Romney: "You're a Cultist!"

The Friday Dallas Morning News reports that during the Sunday sermon on September 30, pastor Robert Jeffress of the powerful and influential First Baptist Church said this:

"Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Even though he talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult."

The story states that "some in the large crowd began to applaud as Dr. Jeffress continued with his remarks."

That's interesting. In 1960, JFK had to convince Protestant voters he wouldn't be too beholden to the Pope in Rome. Today it's the opposite, and most conservative candidates for public office can't be beholden enough to their faith. They wear it on their sleeve. George W. Bush even declared Jesus Christ his favorite philosopher in a Republican primary debate in 2000. Now there's a new fight among people of faith.

As for Mitt, the good news is that a new CNN poll shows that 77% of Americans claim his Mormonism isn't a deal breaker. (People obviously don't like to sound intolerant to pollsters!) On the other hand, the poll also shows that 4 in 10 agree with that preacher from Big D that Mormons are not Christians. Beyond that, most Baptists are located in southern states that comprise what is now "the base" of the Republican Party. Mitt and the Republican Party need that base to be energized next year.

This Baptist-Mormon schism reminds that all religions require a belief in things unproven. That's why it's called faith. As humans we often "take things on faith" that we don't absolutely, positively know for a fact.

I don't begrudge anybody their faith, so I certainly wouldn't get in the middle of a fight between the Grand Poobahs of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Latter-Day Saints of Salt Lake City. I'm no theologian.

But there are issues that affect us all, whether or not we share a candidate's particular faith. The teaching of evolutionary biology, the funding of stem cell research, the belief in biblical Armageddon, to name three. If a candidate's religious faith dictates their thinking on such matters, the voters deserve to know in advance because public policy is at stake. World War lll in the Middle East is also apparently now on the table, at least to "make a point" by scaring the citizenry, according to the White House.

The Founders wisely insisted on no religious litmus test for public office, and religious freedom is a birthright. Still, it doesn't mean voters shouldn't consider the views of candidates and where they get those views, whether Baptist, Mormon or Wiccan. This is just common sense, doing one's civic homework.

It sure beats choosing the president based on who might be more enjoyable to drink beer with at an imaginary backyard barbecue. That technique didn't work so well last time.

Can I get an Amen?

Comments

[bwb]

I'm a life-long Mormon. Every good thing in my life (and there are many) stems from living my religion. Most LDS people do not wear their faith on their sleeves. Most of us just quietly go about trying to live good honest lives. When we do open up to others about our sacred beliefs, they are often ridiculed and mocked by thoughtless, crude people. (And you know who you are.)

I was always taught to respect others beliefs, even though I may not agree. That's all we ask in return.

[mari2JJ]

Actually you may think that you "quietly go about trying to live a good life". If that is true, you are a very unusual Mormon (LDS member). I have been told dozens of times by visiting Mormons that the LDS church is the only true Church. When I object to that idea as being unscriptural, I am hit with a barrage of thoughtless and crude statements. In my experience, there is no give and take between members of other churches and LDS members. Your statement that you are the only true Church is not exactly conducive to a discussion of our individual faith experiences. The cultish thing about your faith is your unscriptural belief that you are the ONLY true church. That is a stretch, with your history of polygamy, your racist treatment of blacks and Mountain Meadows Massacre etc. Just like other churches, your church history has dark episodes that do not illustrate the type of life style that God required of his followers. Not that I live my life so perfectly. I leave it up to God to decide what churches are acceptable in his sight. But if you want more consideration and moderation in the way you are treated, try being a bit kinder and more moderate yourself.

[Jazzylady26]

mormonisn is a cult. period. I pray to God that Mitt Romney does not become president. If he does then Satan had everything to do with it. Not God.

[sloagm]

Wow, I say wow! Nice girl, but about as sharp as a sack of wet mice.
- Foghorn Leghorn

[Forest]

During the Democratic presidential debate in Hanover, New Hampshire, candidates were asked: What is your favorite Bible verse?
This question assumed that all the candidates were religious and demonstrated how far we've come from the intentions of our founding fathers.

[Shagnasty]

Thank god I am atheist.

[richstue]

I have lived among the Mormons and found them to think that their way is better than any other. Only in Utah and parts of the West do they have the numbers to impose the Church's views upon the rest of society. They have,on a national level supported Republicans over Democrats. The ideals of the Mormons are similar to the ideals of the rest of fundamentalist christianity. The Book of Mormon is the cause of distrust among Bible believing fundamentalists. Only thier King James version is valid. All other versions and interpertations are wrong in their view. It serves us all well that they both oppose each other and hold unto their ridgid views and suspicions of each other.

[chinohillster]

A question, out of curiosity - let's just say that organized religion disappears from Earth - I'm curious to see what people think would happen?

Do you think scientists would form belligerent camps? String theorists vs "dark matter/dark energy" people? "Big Crunch" vs. "Heat Death" folks, for example?

In the light of certain comments from previous Nobel winners (Watson, Shockley, et. al) - is science necessarily a guard against hatred, bigotry and war?

I'd be interested to see what others think....

[RumiSouth]

Part of our "civic homework" is analyzing candidates for any signs that they would continue to practice faith-based government the way we've seen these last eight years, with all its terrible consequences. "Magical thinking" precludes any candidate, in my book, and Romney holds as an article of faith that a man translated golden plates given to him by an angel. I'd as soon vote for Tom Cruise, who believes in Thetan spirits transported to Earth by a galactic overlord named Xenu.

http://www.osborneink.com

[INQUIRER]

I know loads of Baptists. I hardly know any Christians, and most of them aren't Baptists. If Mormons are not Christians, then Mormonism is a lot like most other denominations. It's obvious that Romney is not a Christian. Neither are Bush, McCain, or Giuliani. Same for Tancredo, Hunter, and Brownback. I might think Huckabee was a Christian if he wasn't a Baptist. Cheney is obviously a satanist.

[UltraClassic]

Great article Jackson, but as a conservative libertarian, I think you are too kind to these right wing evangelical goofballs.

I grew up in Texas with these people, I know how they think and I know what they are up to. They are a spooky crowd who look at the middle east with both glee at a possible large scale conflict and envy at the theocracies.

These people must be kept in check and I commend my liberal and leftist democrat counterparts who call these half wits on their BS.

[what4]

Bigotry at its finest, intolerance at its best. First-class ignorance, elitist garbage, and I could keep going... This is what is fed to masses of people every day! This supposed to be an enlightened man of God? This is the kind of thing that gives organized religion a bad name. Way to spread the good word of God Reverend...ridiculous.

[goob]

What a sad time we live in when the level of discourse about who the next President will revolves around who they pray to. I am more concerned about what they pray for, for example, do they pray for the end of torture, war, shedding of innocent blood, coruption, intolerance, outsourcing of American jobs, discrimination, tax evasion, Guantanamo Bay, rendidtion, blackwater, signing statements, faux news, spying on my phone calls, LIEING to Congress, attacking children that need health care and on and on and on.
I am a mormon and could NEVER vote for Mitt Romney because he cares what people like Robert Jeffers think.
People like Jeffers don't think. Why think when you have the bible to hide behind. At least the parts of the bible they care about.

[LeeAlex]

As a progressive Christian, a seminarian, and yes a liberal who loves HuffPo and the rest, I hate how politics and (to me) outdated views on/from faith have merged in the last 20 years. It honestly gives me the creeps. I agree with Goob about the areas of concern, not so much about who to pray to than as taking action ourselves against the abuses going on. The Bush remarks about WWIII, said with a smirk and a chuckle, almost made me physically sick the other night. I don't know about him, but there's a faction out there that WANTS bad things to happen so that Jesus will return quickly. So whether you believe in religion or not, the responsible thing would be to try and understand how it does affect a candidate's mode of operation. For instance, why care about the environment when Jesus will be coming soon? That, my friends, has been argued to me, literally. I won't repeat was was yelled back at me in the guise of Christian compassion. ;) But also take action and speak out, vote against those who treat us as less than human.

[mommadona]

""Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Even though he talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult.""

"OH, LOOK! THE EMPEROR'S EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES!"

(And the truth shall set you free)

[stlrfan]

Their premise that they are the only true way makes all organised relegions cultist and biggoted by their very essence. They all seem to ignore that pesky do unto others thing.

[normathumb]

So a Baptist doesn't think Mormons are Christians. And this surprises who? I know Baptists who will tell you the pope is the antiChrist. Catholics believe the Pope holds the keys to the kingdom and you have to follow him to get there, that all other "Christians" are fatally flawed and doomed to burn in the fires of eternal damnation. The essense of Prostantism is damning the Catholic hegemony of God and vice versa. They all claim to possess the one true understanding of god and its intent. Mormons think the rest of Christianity has missed out on the third testament. Jews dont buy into the "new" testament and let's not bring the muslims into it.
The bottom line is my invisible friend is more real and powerful then yours. Just look, he responds to our wishful thinking in more and better ways then your phony invisible friend. Stop being so deluded. Isn't it obvious?

[mommadona]

And, just to make this clear....Christians believe snakes talk. I suppose that's "faith-based", eh?

As a traditional witch, I'm thinking more and more about running for public office - what the hell.

[drgrph]

Interesting choice of words for a witch...'what the hell'. You just might want to rethink that one.

I'm just sayin'

[jhNY]

Perhaps for 77% of Americans, Mormonism is not a dealbreaker, just like the durvey says. But that's probably because most Americans think Mormonism is another Protestant denomination, like Methodism or Presbyterianism, etc. They probably have no idea that the faith calls for belief in Jesus's having come to America hundreds of years ago, or that the garden of Eden was located in southern Illinois, or that the American Indians are actually 'lost tribes' of Israelites. Likewise, they are probably unaware that until the late 1970's,black people were considered as a matter of church doctrine to be morally incapable of reaching the highest realms of the hereafter. Were they more aware of these tenets of the Mormon faithful, they might be more uncomfortable with the group or its faithful in high office.

[Quaoar]

Mormon beliefs are no more bizarre than believing in the rapture or that the Earth is only 6000 years old.

[DemandTruth]

Ha. Don't forget the special underwear. And other weirdo cultist fetishes.

Organized religion is the bane of civilized, evolved human existence.