It's been more than two months since Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel asked Mitt Romney to "speak to his own church and say they should stop" performing posthumous proxy baptisms on Jews, including Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
The Huffington Post reported on February 14, 2012 that Wiesel, who has devoted his life to fighting intolerance, said that the posthumous baptisms were "not only objectionable" but "scandalous." Said Wiesel: "I wonder if as a candidate for the presidency Mitt Romney is aware of what his church is doing. I hope that if he hears about this that he will speak up."
But Romney didn't speak up. He didn't say a word. In an email accidentally sent to the HuffPost reporter, Romney spokeswoman Gail Gitcho suggested that the campaign ignore the request.
Even after the Boston Globe reported on February 29 that members of the Mormon Church posthumously baptized Daniel Pearl, the reporter killed by Islamic terrorists whose last words were an affirmation of his Judaism, Romney said nothing in response to Wiesel's request.
No American should be denied the presidency by virtue of his or her religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs. Disqualifying anyone based on religion is antithetical to the principles of our democracy. The issue here is not whether Romney is responsible for this Mormon practice, nor is the issue respect for Romney's religion. The issue is Romney's insensitivity to other religious beliefs and concerns, as evidenced by his disrespect for Elie Wiesel, one of the leading moral voices of our time.
Romney can say Wiesel is right about the Mormon Church. Romney can say Wiesel is wrong about the Mormon Church. Romney can say it's none of Wiesel's business about the Mormon Church. Instead, Romney says nothing. That's not leadership. That's cowardice.
Elie Wiesel finds the practice objectionable and scandalous. It's easy to see why. Some may think that these Mormons aren't hurting anyone because they are baptizing dead people, but for most of us, posthumous baptism is offensive for the same reason spitting on a grave is offensive.
The Boston Globe explained that "Mormons baptize deceased Jews and members of other religions as part of a rite intended to give them access to salvation... In 1995, the church, after meeting with Jewish leaders, agreed to stop baptizing Holocaust victims. Current church policy encourages church members to baptize their ancestors, but does not explicitly forbid the baptism of deceased Jews and people of other faiths." Why won't Romney answer Elie Wiesel's questions about where he stands on this practice?
John F. Kennedy addressed concerns about his allegiance to the Pope. Joseph Lieberman addressed concerns about whether his Sabbath observance would interfere with his duties as Vice President. Yet when called out by one of the leading moral authorities of our generation, Mitt Romney says nothing.
Now that Romney is the presumptive GOP nominee, he owes answers not just to Elie Wiesel, but to the American people. Did Romney himself ever participate in posthumous baptisms of Jews or anyone else? Does Romney understand why many Jews find this practice so offensive and if so, what is Romney's position on this practice? Elie Wiesel was right to ask. Romney is wrong to stonewall. What is he afraid of?
Menachem Rosensaft: Hit the Road, Pat: The Sins of Patrick Buchanan
Death Race : Ask A Mormon: Am I Going to Be Baptized After I'm Dead?
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach: Jews Must Demand a Relationship of Full Equality With Christianity
Rabbi Alan Lurie: How Could God Have Allowed the Holocaust?
Thank you.
Phillip C. Smith, Ph.D.
However, that does not prohibit voters from making their decision on how a candidate's religion may inform their actions in office.
For example, from Santorum's statements voters could reasonably conclude that Santorum would attempt to use civil law to impose Catholic moral teachings on everyone. Voters would be well within their rights to reject Santorum on that basis.
Voters could legitimately conclude that Romney's silence on posthumous baptisms is
at least tacit endorsement of an extremely insensitive religious practice and would be well within their rights to vote against him on that basis.
But Kennedy was expected to account to be voters about his relationship to his religion. So was President Obama.
No less should be expected of Romeny.
Besides, it's not the person doing the baptism itself, it's the person who submits the name. Sometimes, many times, people will submit names, but others will do the actual baptism.
They are finding that the latest submission was done in spite of the safeties put on the names. The names were altered slightly in order to get past the safeties. This tells everyone that these names were submitted on purpose, by someone who wanted to cause problems. My money is on Helen Radkey, the whistle blower.
Mormons don't believe you get your own planet. They believe they will become "joint heirs" with Christ, who received a fulness of ALL that the Father has. God, the Father created planets without end, the galaxy and more. A planet!!! That's nothing.
http://www.mrm.org/spirit-children-and-planets
"The real life we’re preparing for is eternal life. Secular knowledge has for us eternal significance. Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to live the life that He does. We learn both the spiritual things and the secular things 'so we may one day create worlds [and] people and govern them' (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 386)." (Henry B. Eyring)
“Brethren, 225,000 of you are here tonight. I suppose 225,000 of you may become gods. There seems to be plenty of space out there in the universe. And the Lord has proved that he knows how to do it. I think he could make, or probably have us help make, worlds for all of us, for every one of us 225,000” (Spencer W. Kimball, “The Privilege of Holding the Priesthood,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1975, p. 80. Quoted in Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual
Mormons get their own personal PLANET after death. Crazy Mormon Beliefshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDqAN1X4LMk
Correct because once married, the husband is told the church given name of the wife, but the wife is not told the chruch given name of her husband.
Willard is a chicken manuer, and you are lying for the lord.
Helen Radkey, the whistle blower, said she has friends that are still in the church. Although I have a feeling they aren't in the church anymore.
1 - Mitt Romney shouldn't have to answer to the rare mishaps from members of his faith. He didn't do anything wrong. The Church leadership itself has taken on the responsibility of making sure these baptisms aren't performed. There's a man called Harry Reid who knows just as much about baptisms for the dead as Romney does - but I don't see his name mentioned here. Whether either is running for president can't be an excuse to single one person out on this faith-based issue.
2 - There are simply some members of the Church that are so "excited" and "energetic" in doing this work they believe in, that they are careless in finding names and performing the baptisms, and they don't take time to follow the rules concerning baptisms for the dead. We have received letters directly from the Church Presidency in the past weeks, stressing that the work NEEDS to be done appropriately and that people need to take their time in making sure not to do those baptisms, no matter how "excited" they are.
3 - Mitt Romney OBVIOUSLY doesn't want to talk because anything will automatically be the wrong thing. Trying to stir up the conversation pot with hot topics means the media has become bored with other over-reported issues (How many more articles can you write about Mitt's governorship? Seriously, I feel for
Since most now defending Romney were either silent or attacking Obama's religious views in 2008 and continue to attack them to this day, that hypocrisy is coming home to roost. You reap what you sow.
And what to the Mormons do?
You can seperate religion from government, but you cant seperate religion from the electorate.
Elie Wiesel is engaging in the the same First Amendment protected activity as do Mormons when they knock on our doors.
Freedom of religion means freedom to ask questions of other religions. Freedom of religion does not shield you from others' questions.