Comments on: Mike Huckabee - Religious Bigot

by: La Wanda

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:32:10 +0000

As far as I can tell there has never been any false prophecies from Latter-day Saint prophets either. Every word that comes from their lips is not a prophecy.
Since the bible gives only bits and peices of people’s lives and not everything they said and did one could hardly say that everything that they said was a perfect prophecy either.
Something that many don’t know, however, is that Joseph Smith gave many a sermon against slavery and that black peoples around the world could always be members of the LDS Church. People outside the church think that because the priesthood responsibilities wasn’t fully restored to all men that it was done so out of bigotry. We believe that it wasn’t restored to anyone for over 1830 years. So 130 years isn’t that much more. One can even wonder why Christ took so long to come to the earth the first time and why he hasn’t come again. Perhaps it is because God’s schedule is his own or that it depends on conditions on the ground. A key thing to note is that when the priesthood was fully restored to all men in the church, members were praying for it. The U.S. was finally recognizing that all of its citizens should be treated equally and was making sure to reinforce its existing laws.
As someone who has seen bigotry and fought against it (My younger sister is black. In the third grade I had a physical fight with a 5th grade boy for calling me a nigger lover just as an example) I can honestly say that I don’t sense predjudism in the LDS church. In fact if anything our members that are black are elevated and admired. I know many couples who have chosen to marry someone who does not share their same skin color as well and they are not looked down upon or critisized. In fact our last bishop was from Columbia and his wife is blonde and blue-eyed.
Another thing that people don’t realize is that the Latterday Saints believe that all people on this earth will go to Heaven. We just believe that their are different degrees in Heaven. In other words all good people on this earth will go to a very wonderful place. We just believe that if you get married in the temple and you obey the promises you made in the temple then you can live with your family forever. Some may think that is weird because we are the only Christan faith that believes that and many put us down for it, but In the 21 years I have been a member of this church I have never heard anyone talk about another religion from the pupit at all or even personally except out of curiosity. True, we say that we are the only complete church, but that other churces have truth in them as well.In fact, I’ve heard our prophet speak many times about how good other people are no matter what their faith is and that we have many similar values. Perhaps some past prophets have said things in reaction to the way the LDS people have been treated. Long before polygamy was practiced or any of the excuses to hate Mormons were there they were burned out of their homes, killed, and tarred and feathered and I mean literally. So, they’d move from one part of the country to another looking for peace and a place to be free to worship God as they felt was true. Many ministers of many faiths as well as many communities became jealous of the financial success of the Mormons and worried that they would vote as a block and control the government. So,here we are after over 170 years later and many are still preaching the same old bigotries.
Can you imagine if churches around the country had their youth read the Golden Compass series and told them that those books spoke the truth about the Catholic Church. Well, that is exactly what has been going on to the LDS church for years with the film “The God Makers”. At 14 I was shown it at my church youth group and am aware of other churches in our area that have been shown it recently. It’s like this whisper campaign where they can say whatever they want even if it’s not true and no one has any way of defending themselves because they have no way of knowing what is being said. Very low class and sad if you ask me.
But that is what bigotry is. It’s based on gossip and predjudism. Not in truth.

by: Sheldon

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:47:19 +0000

I believe that Mike Huckabee’s decision to say such a comment and to promote himself as the Christian candidate was a very smart idea for his campaign. He knew he didn’t have the funds, so he had to win by another way.

I spent a few days volunteering in Iowa in support for Mitt Romney. I went to a caucus in Sioux City and I personally spoke with two individuals who were caucusing for the first time. Both were in support of Huckabee. I think that his decision to promote himself as the Christian candidate helped him to win the support of many Christians who had previously never voted. With Huckabee’s decision to “not show” his anti-Romney ad was another thing to gain support of the Evangelical people in the state of Iowa. He has ran a lot of campaings, and I recognize his smart decisions.

I am obviously in support of Romney, but not because he is a Mormon. I believe that he is the best candidate and the most experienced among those running. He has definitely spent more time working and creating a group of supporters than any other candidate running in the state of Iowa. I feel like his leadership and experienced are unmatched against Huckabee.

by: Snow

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:38:48 +0000

“In any case, Mormons have no right complaining when “mainstream” Christians criticize some of their “weird” beliefs. For that is exactly what the Mormon church is all about, criticizing the beliefs of other Christian denominations. (posted by Mike S.)

Really?

Find me a Mormon website or Mormon publication that attacks and criticizes any other denomination or faith - cuz I’ve been looking and I’ve never seen it.

The only criticism I’ve ever seen is about the unChristlike behavior of bigots towards The Church of Jesus Christ, LDS.

Bogus argument.

by: Mark W

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:20:44 +0000

btw - I looked up the references . . . and they are not accurate. ie, the Journal of Discourses were transciptions published in England, sometimes, inaccurately quoting the speaker.

by: Mark W

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:14:48 +0000

As a member of the LDS faith, I would like to chime in. Regardless of what has been written above, I have nothing but utmost respect for peoples of another faith. My Mother is a Catholic. My Father is a Religious Scientist, my Brother is an Agnostic. I have yet to hear a single LDS sermon teaching that my family is going to hell if they don’t convert.

by: Christianity

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:08:17 +0000

Yes Mike Huckabee and his followers are proven religious bigots because they attack only on one religious sect in all Christendoms, Thanks for proving that with details.

by: Mule

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:52:45 +0000

I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear; they didn’t make false prophecies.

by: Winghunter

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:07:05 +0000

All this religion crap is way out of hand! It is the LAST or near last thing to appreciate in understanding whether the candidate has been taught right from wrong and that’s ALL! Any other reason is wrong as wrong can be, ya’ got it!?

The Huckster NOR Romney understand the first thing about right from wrong despite either of their religions as their records prove to anyone with an ounce of research done…Do yours and shut up about the stupid religious differences which amount to NOTHING!

by: Kerfuffles

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:51:27 +0000

“Prophets don’t make mistakes, at least the ones in the Bible didn’t.”

That is news to me, Mule. I have been believing all my life that Jesus was the only perfect man to have lived.

Of the Biblical prophets you speak, first there was Father Adam who disobeyed God and was punished. The great whale gobbled up Jonah because he had sinned. Then came Abraham, Moses, Noah, King David and Solomon - sinners all who begged God’s forgiveness.

by: Mule

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:09:15 +0000

“I surprised not to see anyone point out that Baptist Apologetics which is the source of Huckabee’s mangled “Jesus is the Devils brother” nonsense was also the major source for,and developer of the religous argument that blacks were not fully human and thus slavery was justified.

Thats correct. Those Baptist preachers in those still standing historic Baptist churches, built with forced slave labor, with their slave galleries, developed and preached this doctrine very forcefully over a period of many years.

And they criticize Mormons for being racist? In what year was it that the first African American was elevated to a senior leadership position in an SBC aligned church?

Gee….once opened we can take this whole thing a long way! ”

““Jesus is the Devils brother” nonsense…”

So you don’t agree with the Mormon prophets? Good for you, my friend, good for you.

“was also the major source for,and developer of the religous argument that blacks were not fully human and thus slavery was justified.”

Actually this point was argued long before there were any Baptists in America, by the Spanish after the Entradas; the argument came to a head within the Catholic church in Europe, as many priests and others were sickened by the treatment of indigenous peoples and slaves by the conquistars and then colonial Spain. The argument continued in America as arguments for abolition grew, and various denominations experienced schisms because of it, therefore, all of the different Baptist Conventions in this country. Look it up. Thankfully, the better side of men won out and it was abolished after a horrible war. Blacks were allowed into Southern churches well before the turn of the century. I’m not even going to quote Mormon prophets and their sayings about ‘white and delightful’ and cursed skin, or the very, very late entry of blacks into the priesthood. Everyone knows about that. The fact is, everyone made mistakes based upon racism. Here is the difference; Southern Baptists claimed to be only men…the mistakes made by the Mormons were made by men that claimed to be PROPHETS. Prophets don’t make mistakes, at least the ones in the Bible didn’t. Consider that.
Why was there an argument in the first place? Read the Bible and show me where it talks about the evils of human slavery. You won’t find it, but rather you will find rules about treating slaves well (which wasn’t done in the US South by any means). You can see how a theological argument might arise. I think it is all summed up nicely by Jesus’ commandment to love our fellow man as ourselves, which would preclude slavery, in my opinion.