Letters to the Editor
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Mormon's aren't monolithic
It's amusing how suprised everyone seems at the normalcy of Mr. Hinkley's funeral services. Far too much emphasis was put on Romney's faith, and yes, much of it was anti-Mormon bigotry.
Mormon's can be very devout but they aren't monolithic and for the most part are mainstream and quite contemporary, particularly outside of Utah.
There ARE Mormon Democrats. In growing numbers. I for instance had no intention of voting for Mitt regardless of whether his Republican candidacy had flourished or wilted.
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What's the point?
I mean, i think that Romney's idiotic mormon beliefs, along with people who believe the fantasies in all religions, are fair game. What is gained, however, in this examination of a side trip he took to attend a funeral? People get it Salon: Romney's a weirdo mormon. The fixation you and other press outlets have in parsing through every detail of his life isn't journalism, it's just dressed up anti-mormon vitriol. Certainly throwing this report in your news category degrades any actual journalism done by Salon.
Essentially: I think believe who believe in Mormonism have a great deal of intellectual deficits we should be wary about in a leader, as do other christians, jews, muslims, parsis, etc. But everything the right wing talk radio says about lefty outlets like salon is proved true with this article. You're just a bunch of idealogues (though not necessarily synonymous with democratic partisans), pursuing an agenda under the false imprimatur of News and Journalism. Give the guy a break, this article doesn't change anyone's mind about Romney.
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Mitt Romney and his funeral detour
It is a pathetic state of affairs when someone's desire to observe their human emotions toward another is the subject of speculation, rude commentary and suspicion of motives. Mr. Romney should be respected by all and allowed to practice his faith as he sees fit and where it has no impact on others. To the LDS faith the passing of Mr. Gordon Hinckley the faith's leader is a major event, equivalent to a pope's demise and milestone in the church's history. Common courtesy would suggest it be treated as such.
The fact that the vultures and jackals gathered gather to minutely dissect Mr Romney's participation in the funeral only speaks to the pettiness to which American politics has descended.
Looking back, America elected JFK, a practicing Roman Catholic of Irish descent, the playboy son of a ruthless businessman, defeatist and apparent Nazi sympathizer. The world did not end nor did America descend into the depths of hell-- although Nixon may have been the devil's disciple and he was protestant.
Give the man space. Judge him on his politics not his faith!
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The first sign of trouble for the Romney campaign
was when the Mormon vote in Iowa broke 80% for him.
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inkredulous
Romney's faith does impact others, and I do feel its fair game for the media. The Church of the LDS has been instrumental in many of the anti-gay policies around the country, starting, but not ending with the Boy Scouts' recent discrimination against gays. Hinckley was very involved in that movement, and therefore it is political. A funeral is also a time to reflect on the life of the person who is gone, and in this case, it is a political event, seeing as how he involved the church in politics.
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As an excommunicated Mormon -
the description of Hinkley's funeral as having corporate overtones does not surprise me. I have always perceived the church as the first modern religious corporate entity.
As an adult, I found the weird combination of mysticism and corporatism an odd blend. The mormons had computers to keep track of tithing payments as far back as the 1970's. You would receive a printout and be asked to complete your tithe if the amount was less than 10% of your gross. They also believe in proxy baptism for the dead - you go to the temple and are baptized to allow the dead to join the mormon church in heaven. After death, if you are really good, you get to be god and have your own world or worlds to rule over. And don't even get me started on the funny underwear.
As a youth, I found the religion to be dry and boring. The church was probably among the first to develop modular teaching packets and programmed education in the Bible. We were also taught the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants (a book of revelation which contains revelations by many of former church presidents) and the Pearl of Great Price (further revelations and translations by Joseph Smith). It was all mind numbingly lifeless. If your leaders really talk to god, you would think that the conversation would be more interesting.
During Sunday school and later seminary classes (classes taught to every mormon high school-aged student - that was a laugh), the more interesting aspects of church history were ignored or downplayed (then, I suspect, Catholic catechism probably doesn't discuss the inquisition much either).
The mormon church, if not explicitly, at least implicitly teaches the gospel of success - if you follow the rules and pay your tithing, you will be rewarded by god with financial success on earth and rewards in heaven. It is the religious version of a cross between Dale Carnegie and Amway.
Oh well....
By the way, I was mortified when, in 1978, it was revealed that people of African-American descent were now, according to revelation by god, able to be full members of the church - a little late in the game...
...and in 1980, the leaders declared homosexuality an abomination before god. I can see declaring Hitler an abomination before god, I can see declaring Pol Pot an abomination before god, and I can see declaring reality television an abomination before god - but, even in 1980, even as a Montana transplant to the San Francisco bay area, I knew gay and lesbian young men and women who were better people than I was. No judgment on myself, but I knew at least a couple of these "Abominations" were nicer, kinder, and more supportive people than I was at the time (and maybe am still). So, I embraced my agnosticism and quit the church.
I came into the bishop's office with my clothing torn and a bleeding after a relatively spectacular bicycle accident, and told him that I wanted to be excommunicated. He tried to argue with me - I was going through a stage, I was having problems with the "Word of Wisdom" (the rules about not drinking or smoking or drinking coffee), I was being tempted - by something that was unexplained at the time - and later I figured out that he was referring to sex. He would not believe that I wanted to quit because of racism, sexism (women were being excommunicated for supporting the ERA), and homophobia - even though I was not black, female, or gay. If you can listen to someone whose clothing is in tatters and is bleeding on your carpet, but still decided to attend the interview, there is not much hope for communication.
Pax.