Romney's religion tells him it's okay to lie

[Berniewood Hogan]

Exclusive: Brigham Young

Regarding Romney and the presidency, Emmett cites a bit of Mormon lore called the White Horse Prophecy that has floated around since the time of Mormon founder Joseph Smith. It suggests that Mormons believe a time will come when the U.S. Constitution is eroding and Mormon leaders will save it and usher in a new theocracy with Mormons in charge. Emmett’s great-great-grandfather talked about it. In a discourse from 1855, Young wrote that "when the Constitution hangs, as it were, upon a single thread, they will have to call for the 'Mormon' Elders to save it from utter destruction; and they will step forth and do it."

Romney has said that he considers the White Horse Prophecy just a matter of speculation by church members. "I haven't heard my name associated with it or anything of that nature," he told The Salt Lake Tribune in 2007. "That's not official church doctrine…I don't put that at the heart of my religious belief."

But Emmett begs to differ. “I can guarantee you that there are millions of Mormons who believe this prophecy and see Romney as potential fulfillment of it,” she says. “As a Mormon, you grow up hearing about this prophecy. I think Mitt believes he has a mandate from God to become president so he can help move this along. I don’t know if it’s a conscious thought, but it's in his subconscious.”

Emmett says she thinks Romney’s biggest fault is that he has a “serious problem telling the truth. There is flip-flopping, which he has done more than any politician in modern history, and then there is out and out lying,” she says. “This kind of thing has sadly been a part of the church from the very beginning. Some modern apostles actually taught that it is not always the best thing to tell the truth if it interferes with preaching gospel.”

Emmett says the notion of “Lying for the Lord,” as it has been called, implies that teaching the whole truth about the church should be avoided. At a presentation on Lying for the Lord at the 2008 Exmormon Foundation conference, Ken Clark addressed the issue. Clark, who worked as a teacher for the LDS Church Education System (CES) for 27 years and also served as a bishop before leaving the church in 2003, tells The Daily Beast, “Lying has become an institutionalized method of administrative control with the church.”

“Every Mormon grows up with the idea that it’s OK to lie if it’s for a higher cause,” says Clark, who now works for a company that markets employment and labor market data. “But what happens is when this becomes a part of your ethical tool kit, you develop a condescending attitude toward people. Like Ann Romney saying 'you people.’ This idea of lying for the Lord gives you license to place people on an inferior level. It’s OK for Mitt Romney to ignore the principle of full disclosure because it’s in his DNA. Look what he’s doing with his taxes, and how he talks only in generic and sanitized terms about his religion.”

 

[Kings County]

no fukking morals or creeds b

these the nikkas u want in your office ?

 

[zerozero]

eh interesting reporting but I'm uncomfortable with this kinda thing

 

[The Real]

eh interesting reporting but I'm uncomfortable with this kinda thing

Mormonism is caught in between being a religion and being a cult. Some degree of cultlike categories can be ascribed to them, especially certain pockets, just like Jehovah's witnesses and certain sects of orthodox Jews.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

Mormonism is top 20 dumbest things to come from America

 

[Bud Bundy]

Mormonism is top 20 dumbest things to come from America

#1

not even as a gag gift. People bought these.

 

[zerozero]

Mormonism is caught in between being a religion and being a cult. Some degree of cultlike categories can be ascribed to them, especially certain pockets, just like Jehovah's witnesses and certain sects of orthodox Jews.

it's an uneasy, unfalsifiable sort of claim though. if he's lying just say he's lying without saying he has a compact that allows him to have a clear conscience while lying etc

 

[The Real]

it's an uneasy, unfalsifiable sort of claim though. if he's lying just say he's lying without saying he has a compact that allows him to have a clear conscience while lying etc

I don't think he believes those things or is necessarily trying to use them to his advantage. The lying part is actually uninteresting to me. I was referring more to the general ascription of cultish behavior to large swaths of the Mormon population.

 

[Dirty_Jerz]

politicians lie anyway so whats the big deal here?

 

[daze23]

#1

not even as a gag gift. People bought these.

it was a gag gift breh. that 'manual' that was full of jokes and silliness. do you think it was seriously about "the care and training of your pet rock"?

my pet rock still isn't house broken

 

[88m3]

Mormonism is caught in between being a religion and being a cult. Some degree of cultlike categories can be ascribed to them, especially certain pockets, just like Jehovah's witnesses and certain sects of orthodox Jews.

There's no if's, and's, or but's about it. It's a cult.

 

[Bud Bundy]

it was a gag gift breh. that 'manual' that was full of jokes and silliness. do you think it was seriously about "the care and training of your pet rock"?

my pet rock still isn't house broken

I hope they just bought them for the jokes.

 

[daze23]

I hope they just bought them for the jokes.

there was actually a lesson there, in that you could care for the pet rock just like any other inanimate doll

 

[88m3]

there was actually a lesson there, in that you could care for the pet rock just like any other inanimate doll

Sort of like a woman?