Memphis TV Reporter Mocks Mitt Romney’s Religion In News Report
·
Thursday, July 7, 2011
·
If you’re wondering if Mitt Romney (and Jon Huntsman) still has a Mormonism problem, this report is pretty good evidence that the answer is yes (the interesting part starts at about the 3:30 mark but the whole segment is worth watching):
Is there any other mainstream religion that a reporter in Memphis would mock in that manner?
H/T: Kevin Drum
About Doug Mataconis
I can’t stop looking at Ben Ferguson’s hair. Great use of CGI and video post-processing.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
How about the lack of a religion? According to a 2008 poll 12% are either atheists or agnostics. Good luck trying to run for the Presidency if you’re one of them and not willing to lie.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
8 
0
I’m looking forward to the “educational” ads that will teach about the strange beliefs of Mormons.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Huh, Mormonism *is* weird! I thought if I was a good person I would just get a harp and wings.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
1 
0
Romney has a Mormon problem, of course. But I have my doubts that it’s a problem which lies ahead. That is, I don’t think his high poll numbers right now depend on voters’ ignorance of his religion. Republicans who are unwilling to vote for a Mormon have already made up their mind against him, and they’re not the ones who will decide the race.
What interests me is whether any of his rivals for the nomination will engage in Mormon-baiting. There was a little of that from Huck in ’08. I could see someone like Bachmann going in that direction, like running ads about the need to elect a “true Christian.”
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Hmmm… Yes, that was pretty offensive.
As a non-believer and former Mormon, my general position is that those who believe in some religion should generally refrain from ridiculing aspects of other religions. Let’s face it – it’s pretty easy to make the beliefs of most major religions sound pretty silly.
As someone once said:
“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
Helpful or Unhelpful:
5 
0
Islam, Hindu, just about anything that isn’t christian?
Helpful or Unhelpful:
7 
0
@Kylopod:
No need for any of them to get dirty doing that. Citizen United propelled groups will do that for them.
I’d say that the candidates will more likely attack over RomneyCare. I doubt all of them will chicken out like T-Paw.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
1 
0
Mormonism is no higher than reason #3 why Romney cannot win a GOP primary, behind his multiple backfilps on abortion and Romneycare. When the gloves come off and the other candidates start running anti-Romney in the fall, this may be entirely left out, for fear that the candidate who plays to anti-Mormon prejudices not being able to win Mormon voters (and thus throwing several states which should be in the bag for a Republican in the general election up for grabs).
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Mormonism is Christianity with an extra helping of crazy. But Christianity is already so crazy with it’s creepy blood drinking cannibalistic rituals that it’s just a matter of degree.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
3 
3
Typical Liberal Media, right?
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Palin apparently became mayor by (in part) suggesting that her opponent (Stein) wasn’t Christian (even though he was). This was done by “circulating the word that she would be ‘Wasilla’s first Christian mayor.’ ”
See also here and here.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
1 
0
Ferguson has not, however, turned his same acid eye towards some of the rather more bizarre teachings of “mainstream” Christianity, nor would he (especialy in Memphis, Tennessee!).
“Can you name the candidate who believes the Earth is only 6,000 years old?” (See generally Genesis chapter 5 and Bishop Ussher’s analysis thereof).
“Which of the major candidates for President believes that a man lived inside the belly of a giant fish for three days before being regurgitated out on a beach?” (Jonah 1:17).
“Who among the Republicans seeking their party’s nomination for President has shouted nonsense words out loud in church and later claimed to have been possessed by a non-corporeal spirit?” (Acts 2:1-15).
“Could you feel good about having a leader who believe that if you don’t circumcize all your boy-babies, God will personally beat you up in a bar fight?” (Exodus 4:24–26).
Or, most tellingly…
“Do you want to give control of our nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons to someone who believes that in our lifetimes, the world will end in a worldwide, cleansing fire, and who also thinks that that this will be a good thing because it will result in the entire world being under the rule of a single unelected king, a man who literally has a sword for a tongue?” (See Revelations 1:13-16, 20:9, 22:1-4).
To some extent, these are cheap shots because obviously not all Christians believe in the literal truth of these Bible passages, and fewer still would actually act upon such beliefs. But the point is, “mainstream” Christian teachings are not all that less bizarre than claiming that your reward for good moral behavior is that you get your own planet when you die or that the Garden of Eden is in Jackson County, Missouri. And I’m sure that Kansas City and its suburbs are, in fact, very nice and maybe when you die your planet will be a lot like Kansas City.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
1 
0
>Palin apparently became mayor by (in part) suggesting that her opponent (Stein) wasn’t Christian (even though he was).
Excellent! So she can appeal to voters who fear a candidate with a Jewish-sounding name, while having the plausible deniability that she simply meant he isn’t born-again or a regular churchgoer. (By that standard, Saint Ronnie wasn’t Christian either.) And some people think Palin is stupid….
Helpful or Unhelpful:
1 
0
>Ferguson has not, however, turned his same acid eye towards some of the rather more bizarre teachings of “mainstream” Christianity
He got out of that by using the weasel word “nontraditional.”
Helpful or Unhelpful:
1 
0
I’d love to see a breakdown on commentary on Romney’s religion:
Conservatives saying they won’t vote for Romney over his Momon faith vs. liberals saying conservatives won’t vote for Romney over his Mormon faith.
I’d put it about 5:1 or greater in favor of liberals projecting.
J.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
I do not have the right to walk into another man’s church and ridicule him. I do not have the right to insist that a person live to my preconceived standards. I have a right to believe what I wish and to vote for the person that I feel that will do the best job. If that person is Catholic, Mormon, Baptist, Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Male or Female makes no difference. It is the values that the candidate espouses and how those values and political goals compare to mine, and how I, the voter, feel they will be able to do the job that counts. While most of this story was very interesting and educational, I personally found the “man on the street” segment demeaning, inflammatory, and in very poor taste. We elected a minority President the last time around. Let’s see if America can stay open minded and ignore such foolishness as this.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
1 
0
24% of Americans would not vote for a Mormon for president, even if the person was from their own party, and “generally well-qualified” (link). In that survey, being a Mormon was worse than being Jewish, female or black. Although not as bad as being gay or atheist.
The survey also showed that conservatives are more likely than liberals to be biased against Mormons. Which is not surprising, since evangelical Christians tend to be against Mormonism, and evangelical Christians tend to be conservatives.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
1 
0