Mr. Romney on the Ropes with Mormonism, Obama and the Media Pulling Punches
I call journalists and democrats to task in this autumn election season, for a failure to exploit the obvious religious chinks in the expensive armor of Mr. Romney. Four years ago, Republicans and the media alike had President Obama on the ropes with ridiculous connections to Reverend Wright, the supposed radical religious zealot. Obama was simply in the congregation, but no punches were pulled, no aspect of religion off limits. Republicans launched jab after jab at the tiny cut on President Obama's eye.
This election year the match reversed, with Republicans on the defensive with religion; however, the media is ignoring the massive cut on Romney's eye, with Obama in his corner, arms covering his face in a defensive pose. If religion represented a significant issue then, the Democrats are withholding the knockout punch now with the vulnerable Mormon opponent. Religion mattered then, and here is why belief systems are more significant now.
Mormons inherit a long genealogy of evasive rhetoric, as they demonstrated in the CNN article of October 21, with their white lies and dodges. In opposition to the allegation that "No blacks [were] allowed (until 1978)," the Mormons responded that all races were "allowed" to join the church.
Only a lifelong member would recognize the dodge here, that technically Blacks were permitted to join, if they sought out the church and begged to be baptized. Mormon missionaries were forbidden to teach Black people, and members were not to attempt to convert them.
The Mormons strictly denied Blacks ordination to the priesthood, but this is not the power punch. Mormons also know that, without ordination, no Black could enter the celestial kingdom, the highest level of heaven. They would be relegated to another planet of heaven called the terrestrial kingdom, and forbidden godhood.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati