Perry’s Pastor Proclaims Mormons are a Cult
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The Reverend Robert Jeffress introduced presidential hopeful Governor Rick Perry this past weekend at a conservative gathering, the Values Voter Summit. Unfortunately, he was asked about Mitt Romney who is a Mormon. Jeffress declared that while Mitt Romney was a moral, decent person, he wasn’t a Christian because Mormons are a cult. He further stuck his foot in his mouth by declaring that most of mainstream Christianity felt Mormons were also a cult.
He spoke the following words about Rick Perry describing him as: “a proven leader, a true conservative, and a committed follower of Christ.” However, he just wasn’t a Christian.
Supposedly both Rick Perry and his campaign have repudiated Jeffress’s words.
So will the GOP now fight it out over who is a Christian and who isn’t? I have a problem with anyone declaring someone else is not a Christian, especially when that someone is a member of a church called Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Was that a different Jesus? I think not. It is interesting that Jeffress doesn’t elaborate on WHY he doesn’t feel Mormons are Christians and just what makes a ‘cult.’ He seems like a decent man. I haven’t figured out why he would say such a thing.
Is it just me or is a person’s religion sort of personal and not something you attack them on unless they are being jerks about it? Mitt Romney has been rather quiet about the personal side of his religion and that is his right. His personal beliefs really are not our business. Mormons are Christians if they say they are Christians. It is not up to us to question an entire religious movement.
There is no religious test in America. A person can be Christian, Jew, Muslim, Mormon, Catholic, Presbyterian, Hindu, Atheist, Agnostic…or plain old nothing. I guess really, there is a religious test and there should not be.
Meanwhile, between Mormons, N-head rock, and immigration, Rick Perry’s ascent to the stars seems to be over and he seems to be in free-fall mode.
Well, arguably, all religions are cults. But we don’t blame all Muslims for slamming into the World Trade Center and Pentagon in the name of Allah, do we? Yet there is an awful lot of Mormon-bashing going on because of Romney, and interestingly, it seems to be coming largely from the allegedly more-tolerant left, if the WaPo is any indication at all.
Meanwhile, the economy and job picture still suck, and Perry’s concerned about whether Romney stands or kneels when he goes to church. We’re doomed.
@Emma, where are you hearing left bashing? The only places I have heard the bashing is from the right. re Mormons.
Oh Lord, I didn’t know that the standers vs the kneelers was another issue. I have done both and the way my knees have felt the past view years, I vote for standers. (then there is the slide down on your butt on the edge of the pew in the mock kneel….)
I too am a little confused Emma by your statement. The only bashing I have heard is from the religious conservative right. I always though the left was considered heathenous because they were too secular!
I am personally disgusted by this talk of only voting for Christians, how incredibly bigoted.
Emma,
I have NEVER seen a Value Voters Summit to determine who had the best G-d cred’s in the democratic party. There is definately a Christian litmus test in my opinion for Republican candidates.
I have not heard Mormon bashing coming from the conservative, religious, “right.” I have heard it from ONE pastor. I have seen the press blow it up out of proportion and I have NOT seen Perry jump in front and state that all religions are valid…etc…
This idiot pastor is on the same level as Rev. Wright.
The pastor is entitled to his beliefs. His beliefs do not matter. His statements do not matter.
And someone should remind him, that, by being a Protestant, he will be going to hell unless he rejoins the Holy Mother Church. If you believe that sort of thing………
I don’t think the pastor is an idiot. He seemed like a nice man. He just shouldn’t make those kinds of pronouncements. Reverend Wright is a hate monger. I would say that Jeffress has strong beliefs within his faith that need to stay within his faith and not come out at the voting booth. That kind of discussion should never be in the public arena. It just isn’t American.
If you haven’t heard Mormon bashing during the election cycles this time or last, your ears aren’t in the right Right places. It all goes back to that rascally question about who is and who is not a Christian. I suspect it mainly takes place in Protestant quarters.
“Cult”
It’s just another label, and like most labels it means different things to different people. Some people evidently don’t understand the tactic. However, to the pastor’s faithful Christian following, saying that Romney is in a “cult” or that he holds wacky religious beliefs will solidify their support of the good Christian Rick Perry. That’s the intention. It will get the Evangelical vote.
After all the manufactured outrage about the TP and John Lewis…..
MSM: John Lewis, I’ve heard that name somewhere…LOOK A MORMON!
http://datechguyblog.com/2011/10/10/msm-john-lewis-ive-heard-that-name-somewhere-look-a-mormon/
I wonder what would have been the press coverage if an all-white TEA PARTY event had done that to civil rights leader John Lewis?
Cargo, please translate what that dude just said in datech guy blog. He might has well have been speaking Russian.
I honestly do not understand his point.
Speaking of “wacky religious beliefs,” I thought Gov. Perry’s bigger problem was his connection to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) that co-sponsored his prayer-a-poloza in Houston. I heard an interview one of the NAR co-founder’s did last week on NPR and, while I admire him for doing an interview and admit he sounds like a nice guy, their views on establishing dominion over the government, possession by demons, and the Japanese emperor having sex with the sun goddess would seem to make any concerns anyone might have about Mormons pale by comparison.
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/03/140946482/apostolic-leader-weighs-religions-role-in-politics?ps=cprs
@Moe, one of the others was about birds falling out of the sky because there are gays in the military. Poor Rick Perry. He keeps shooting himself in the foot by his associations.
@Morris Davis
See my above concerning the Protestants and the Catholic Church….you’re all cultists! REPENT!
Well…except for Elena………
Let’s see….modern humans have been around for at least 100,000 years. 2000 years is but a tic on that scale. And who was a “cult” 2000 years ago? And who else was a monotheistic “cult” around 4500 years ago?
I say: “Bring back the cult of Vestal Virgins!”
I’m with ya on this one Slow, well except for maybe the vetsal virgins:)
@Slowpoke Rodriguez
That all depends on who you ask. I would agree with you though about those 100,000 years.
How about those folks who would tell you only 6,000 years?
6000 years?! Revisionist claptrap!
Every teenager knows that THEY are the first to experience…well….anything!
That is very true about teenagers. I can remember being arrogant enough to think that my generation invented giving people the finger. My father caught me and enlightened me.
@Cargo, how are your classes coming along? Lots of homework?
@Moon-howler
Homework? What’s th – oh. Crud! I forgot to …..
Actually they are coming along pretty well. Not too much homework. I have a paper due in a couple of weeks for history, and mid terms.
In fact, I have to leave in a few minutes for history.
Our last class discussed political activism. The prof was talking about the Occupy people and caught me chuckling. She asked why, and I told her about blogging here, leaving a few comments about them before class.
OMG Cargo, you are so right. My son is ony NINE and tells me how different things are today and I just dont understand! OY VAY!!!!