The Reverend Al is remarkable. First he responds to Hitchens by implying that Mormons do not believe in God, and then, when challenged over this statement, blames his characterization on Hitchens. Remarkable. What else can you call it?
Even more remarkable is the reaction of the MS and Corporate Media. In spite of the fact that polls show many American Christians either of the opinion that Mormons are not Christians or uncertain on the question, the MSM is only interested in the PCness or lack of PCness of the question. Is this significant? Yes. Romney is in many ways one of the most attractive and interesting of the presidential possibilities. If this question of his religion is going to be a problem in either the primaries or the general election, it should be discussed openly in advance. Al Sharpton may have done us all a favor by stumbling into the opening of such a discussion.
It is not the lives of the Mormons as a community of faith that may be the issue. Anyone who has known them, knows that in general they are hard working, well educated, family oriented people imbued with patriotic feeling and probably more healthy than most of the rest of us because of their acceptance of the guidance of the "Word of Wisdom" that they abstain from stimulants, tobacco and other practices hurtful to the body. An admirable people in many ways.
The question really resides in their theology. I will welcome comment on my understanding of their theology from LDS people or anyone else.
As I understand their theology the central tenet of their belief is that "As God is, man will be."
This implies that God is a being who was once something like a man, and that man through adherence to the LDS Church and the conduct of a virtuous life can achieve a status like unto God. That implies that there are, perhaps, many "gods."
The LDS Church also holds that God (this particular god) exists in a corporeal body, as does Jesus (this God's son) and that humans will continue to exist in their corporeal body after death. In fact, some LDS leaders have said that this belief in the status of the body, so different from that in majority Christianity leads to a different attitude towards the body in general.
The evidence of Mormon lives should tell us that adherence to this kind of belief should not be any kind of "bar" to office. Indeed, the Constitution insures that, but, that is not the question.
The important issue is political. Will conservative Christians of every denomination whether Evangelical Protestants, conservative Catholics or, whatever, vote for a man who holds these beliefs?
Will they consider him to be a Christian and what will their judgment signify in the real world? pl
PS The picture depicts Joseph Smith's first vision of God and Jesus.
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