Can You Vote For A Mormon?

[eanthonypreston]

My last topic for the day involves the article that I posted as a news section last night about the Mormon religion. Please read the article that shares that Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, his slave mistress, were 'baptized and married" in some silly ceremony that supposedly ties them together for eternity. I can't help it and I will not pretend that I embrace any part of that - it is downright silly. If there was anything that I would call a cult it is this. To be honest, it is more foolish than the positions of the Jehovah's Witness. In addition, please do not overlook how the Mormon faith has regarded black people until some revelation in 1978 that somehow "humanized" us. And since we now have a Mormon, Mitt Romney, now running for president and those of the Republican ilk who generally support whoever your candidate is, where do you line up with this man? He is very clearly a Mormon and so is a part of this madness. With all of this being laid out, as a Christian, can you now vote for a Mormon? In the past, you have always made known that you saw the GOP candidate as the "more Christian" guy, but what about now? The president is a practicing Christian - that is even debatable anymore. In the past, The Black Church Page has attempted to not politicize our site, this is less about your politics, it is about your Christian faith - can you vote a Mormon into office? if so, why? If not, what candidate speaks most for your Christian belief?

[Daniel]

Deacon, I am glad that you posted this... I so remember during the last election that Obama was ripped to shreds on this site because he was not "Christian" enough.

Well now the Republican candidate is Morman...

So for 2012, the choices are "Not Christian Enough" versus "Not Christian at all"...

I am really looking forward to hearing the discussion this year.

[GraceandTruth]

Well I for one will not be voting for Romney. His Mormon beliefs definitely disqualify him. I especially concerned about the fact that African-Americans were the cursed, unredeemable spirits until 1978. I am actually at the point that I may not be voting for anyone this election. I did not vote in the primaries because I could not with good conscience vote for any of the candidates and not much has changed.

I will have to go with David when in a catch 22 of choosing between judgments he said, "I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man."

[Daniel]

I applaud GraceandTruth on his consistency. . .

If that same logic goes the board across for the “Christian Right”, it will decrease voter turnout and all but guarantee an Obama re-election.

Personally, I am not beholden to any candidate . . .; in 2008 I thought Obama was the better choice over McCain (especially with Palin as the VP choice). In 2012, I again think Obama is a better choice over Romney. But not because I love Obama, or even because Romney is a Mormon; I think Obama is better, because you know what you are getting with Obama. Romney’s position changes too much…he is not a man of conviction; he is a man of “election”. He will say anything or do anything to get elected… Who knows what he really believes.

So to the point of the forum…could I vote for a Mormon? My answer is yes.

I respect other people’s right to believe or not believe as they choose and I separate politics from that discussion. So if Romney was the better candidate, then yes I could for him.

Please remember, the “Christian Right” put Bush in office; not because he was the better candidate, but because he was against abortion. The result… No change in the laws on Abortion…but now we have added multiple wars, and the country is in a huge debt crisis.

I would vote for the better candidate, regardless of his beliefs.

[eanthonypreston]

I applaud your consistency as well. While your opposition to the president was evident early on, I also remember you not being excited about McCain. I thought it was very interesting in the last couple months that of the last four candidates, the GOP had 2 catholics, a mormon, and an agnostic (Ron Paul). My larger question for many of those is in your circles, have the Southern Baptists and other conservative voters looked at the possibility of a third-party candidate that is more palatable to the traditional mindset of the GOP? I know others will definitely not vote for Romney, but not voting at all is anathema. What mant of your associates saying?

[Daniel]

I think the country right now is more accepting of a true third party candidate. Ironically, though I think Christians have more power right now to influence elections in the current two party system, than in a three party scenario.

The country is basically evenly split right now 48% - 48%, with party loyalist…so basically our presidential elections being decided by the 4% that reside in the middle.

This is where Christians have tremendous power to sway the electorate.

If a predominately Christian value third party emerges, it will weaken the Republican party, and the Democrats will dominate the political landscape.


(On a side note...I understand G&T position...but black folk have to vote...to many struggles, to many sacrifices have been made for us to have the right.)

[lakeside]

OK I'll chime in on this one, also.

I did vote for President Obama because I thought he was the better candidate. As for the VP running mates, I did not care for either one and believed the country would be worse off if either VP candidate had to assume office.

As of now, I really don't know what Candidate Romney stands for or believes, outside of his Mormon faith. He is masterful at spinning information (i.e., the issue of the comment about his wife having never worked a day in her life. What was lost in this spin-doctoring was the fact that his "stay-at-home-mom" wife most likely had a bevy of nannies to a raise her children. A privilege and luxury the vast majority of "stay-at-home-moms" do not have, but I digress!). He is very skilled at destroying his opposition in a political arena, but I don't know his position on any issue. He is definitely a supporter of what ever will get him elected, and less of a person of conviction when it comes to politics.

As to Deacon's question, I could vote for a Mormon because I rarely let religiosity affect my political evaluation, especially when it comes to the presidency. Now that isn't to say that if an avowed satanist ran for office and was the best candidate hands down, that I would vote for them. Even I have my limits.

I see elections essentially as a "render unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar, and to God the things that belong to God."

I support this position based on the fact that several candidates this year (all GOP this time) claimed that "God told me to run" or implied that the Almighty God told them to become president. All of these candidates have dropped out of the race, oops, I mean "suspended their campaigns" (whatever that means).

Is our God not sovereign enough, and omniscient enough to know whom He wants as president? I THINK NOT! I don't believe affairs of state are a concern of His except where it may further HIS Will.

OK, fingers are tired. I haven't posted on BCP in awhile so it'll take me some getting used to again!

[uzza]

Brother Preston:

In response to your question, yes I can vote for any candidate that the Holy Spirit leads me to vote for. I don't vote color, gender or background. I agree with President Obama's former Pastor when he state that Barrack is a politican and He will do what Politicans do. I am a Christian and I do what Christians do.

What I've noticed is that most Politicans cannot stand up to the discerning power of the Holy Spirit.