State lawmaker: Mitt Romney ‘a nice man, but I’m afraid of his Mormon faith’

Today’s Marietta Daily Journal carries evidence that the GOP will yet have a debate over presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney’s faith, quoting state Rep. Judy Manning of Cobb County, a Newt Gingrich supporter:

“I think Mitt Romney is a nice man, but I’m afraid of his Mormon faith,” Manning said. “It’s better than a Muslim. Of course, every time you look at the TV these days you find an ad on there telling us how normal they are. So why do they have to put ads on the TV just to convince us that they’re normal if they are normal? … If the Mormon faith adhered to a past philosophy of pluralism, multi-wives, that doesn’t follow the Christian faith of one man and one woman, and that concerns me.”

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter, or connect with me on Facebook.

320 comments Add your comment

Breanna G.

January 5th, 2012
1:23 am

Boots and David, I’m not going to tell you that you’re wrong, you are going to believe what you are going to believe. And that ability for you to choose is a God given gift to man, a key and essential part of God’s Plan of Happiness that was developed before the world was. My only suggestion to you is that instead of believing your preacher or Anti-mormon friends about issues like plural marriage, “Black curses” (yeah right, i don’t believe that), etc that you go and check it out from the LEGITIMATE source, from Mormon.org, and read about all of your concerns in context from the church’s own official source. There are even people that you can chat with that can clarify your misconceptions of the church. You do this and THEN, hopefully with prayer to God, the author of all truth, you can make an educated and fair decision for yourself, whether it’s right or not. Think about it.

Breanna G.

January 5th, 2012
1:31 am

By the way, I’d like to make you all aware of the official definition of what a “Cult” is:
cult   [kuhlt]
noun
1.a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2.an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3.the object of such devotion.
4.a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5.Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.

So yes, by the official definition, Mormonism is a cult, but then again, so are Catholics, and Baptists, and Presbyterians, and Methodists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims, and Jews….. you get the point. Pretty much EVERYONE is a part of a cult. Congratulations!

Joseph Smith

January 5th, 2012
1:39 am

Afraid, Really, What faith are you not practicing ? Call the Mormon Missionaries, They will teach you about Jesus Christ, and how not to live in fear…. There is a difference in America, cause most all that came here in the 1,700’s were to get away from religious persacution sp? ops… So, if your fear persists… Perhaps you should live with all the God fearing folks that live in Europe with there freedom less socities that dole out your monthly living assistance and teach you to welch off of others… Mitt has worked his “Wicked Smarts” Living the American dream… Save, invest, repeat… FU….

Ex-Mormon

January 5th, 2012
2:14 am

No one should vote for or against Mitt Romney based on faith but I think they should be informed…. Do your research:
http://www.askamormon.com/do-non-mormons-go-to-heaven.html
http://www.exmormon.org/
Kolob
There are three degrees of glory-celestial, terrestial, and telestial(3 heavens & the Outer Darkness)
Secret Handshakes & Secret Temple names
Golden Tablets
Jesus and Satan are brothers
“Sacred not Secret” but never talk about it outside the Temple

Ex-Mormon

January 5th, 2012
2:16 am

No one should vote for or against Mitt Romney based on faith but I think they should be informed…. Do your research:
http://www.askamormon.com/do-non-mormons-go-to-heaven.html
http://www.exmormon.org/
Kolob
There are three degrees of glory-celestial, terrestial, and telestial(3 heavens & the Outer Darkness)
Secret Handshakes & Secret Temple names
Golden Tablets
Jesus and Satan are brothers
“Sacred not Secret” but never talk about it outside the Temple

randomguy227

January 5th, 2012
3:47 am

1) Vote for a political candidate based on political idealism, not religion.
2) Mormons are Christian by definition.
3) There are a lot of silly lies and rumors out there, I’m still surprised to hear them and LOL every time.
4) You probably would crap your pants if you read the Bible…
5) Also note that there are more than 10 “common” Bibles, and not all are based on the same original texts. There are thousands of “original” texts, some deviating by single words or letters.
6) Get off your damned high horse. We are the USA I hope we can act like it, and not be so ‘anti’ everything from race to sex to religion to orientation. Love people for who they are.
7) I am a Christian and pay high respect to my religion, and any other practicing “Mormons.”
8) I do not currently support Mr Romney or his policies, and know many others of my faith that lack trust in him, and others that love him, and others that couldn’t care less. (In other words, every spectrum of like to dislike.)

isaiah whitfield

January 5th, 2012
5:37 am

Ladies and gentlemen,,this election comes down to one issue and one issue only—–and that is—do you believe that our society need a government to exist to insure that-the less fortunate among us the elderly,the sick and homeless also the unemployed be given temporarty or pernmant asst.which ever is approiate ..on the other hand the tea party type would say we don,need any government involved in the daily lives of its citizens except to stop abortions and to use the power of government to stop gay people from getting married.these people believe that government should not be use to help people who cannot help themselves.but yet they say they are pro-life and followers of Jesus..the issue could have never been clearer ..are we our brother s-keeper both individually and collectively
Do you believe as they do that the free market will take care of us, the free market turned loose unregulated will give us all our just Do

James

January 5th, 2012
8:25 am

Yeah…. Abraham and Jacob had plural wives and God made his highest covenant with them. Don’t Christians want to be a part of the seed of Abraham?

A polygamous seed?

James

January 5th, 2012
8:39 am

The only “creation” sense in Mormonism is the physical sense. Otherwise, all intelligent beings possess an eternal spritual component.

Therefore, In Mormonism:

God is not “created” spiritually.
Christ is not created “spiritually.
Not all spiritual beings are by nature equivalent or equal.
God the Father is the greatest spiritual being of all spiritual beings.

Mormons affirm and STRONGLY believe in the Old Testament and New Testament. That is the GOSPEL in Mormonism. Mormons will not “disobey” the Bible in the classic sense.
Mormons affirm and believing in living all consistent and “fruitful” and loving teachings of the Bible.

Don’t be fooled by your local Christian pastor who isn’t well read on Mormonism but is only well read on “anti-Mormonism.”

James

January 5th, 2012
8:43 am

Mitt Romney has spent his life consistently LIVING the teachings of the New Testament (Bible). He has not only lived a moral life, but he has remembered the poor and reached out and served his fellow man with his free time.

He has raised a good family who adores him.

Mitt Romney is the ONLY candidate with all of the right qualities for this election cycle. Democrats know that HE is the hardest one to beat.

Please help your Christian friends gain the right perspective and help them discern that Romney is the best choice for this time.

Jesus

January 5th, 2012
9:19 am

Mormons are Christians.

I approve this message.

John K

January 5th, 2012
9:25 am

I love it, always hearing about how we “need to get back to Jesus” when his alleged followers can’t even agree on anything.

Maybe you need to look at yourself before telling everyone else what to do.

Tom

January 5th, 2012
9:34 am

Now you understand why I thank God I’m a non-theist. ;-)

Verse of the Day

January 5th, 2012
9:44 am

“As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?” (1 Cor. 14:33b-36 NIV)

td

January 5th, 2012
9:46 am

Breanna G.

January 5th, 2012
1:31 am

So Obama supporters are a cult. That explains why they are so wrong about the record and need reprogramming.

Jim

January 5th, 2012
10:08 am

Is Judy Manning her real name? No one would would write something that ignorant and use their real name.

Moracle

January 5th, 2012
11:18 am

Mormons (member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) are putting out the message that they’re normal, because many who want to turn others against the Church say they aren’t!

Mormons believe in the Jesus Christ of the Bible, as most other Christians do. However, since they teach that God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three beings, who are one in purpose, but separate in body, they are said to be non-Christian by most Evangelicals, who believe in the Creed that says they are “incomprehensible” and “one in substance”.

In other words, they’re saying, “Since you don’t interpret the scriptures the way I do, you aren’t Christian!”

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

rolly t

January 5th, 2012
12:09 pm

Yes, Mormons believe nutty stuff, and yes, they can be christian in their own way at the same time. Ok, mormons are basically forced to go out of their way to overcome 100+ years of maligning and persecution. At the end of the day, Mitt’s a very normal guy with extremely well honed skills that make BO look like a lib amateur.

Sean E

January 5th, 2012
2:01 pm

Let me qualify my statements directed toward “my misinformed paranoid Christian friends”. Sarcasm is a great tool for making a point and I try to use it judiciously. Most of my Christian friends are great people and are neither misinformed nor paranoid; I have the most sincere appreciation for them. While not fully informed about my faith, they realize that there are many misrepresentations and rumors out there and they don’t let these things affect their judgment.

I am encouraged by the response to state lawmaker Judy Manning. Many thoughtful objections to her statement were made. But I did hear some comments in support of her and also some conspiratorial comments from a caller on a radio program; I have to respond.

I am proud to be from the South, there is a certain disposition in this region that is widely appreciated. I think I have inherited much of that disposition. But, it pains me to witness so much stupidity at times in this region of the country. Yes I said stupidity instead of ignorance. Why? We have all been deceived by a lie here and there, but you do not have to be fully informed to realize when someone is being deceptive. There are certain clues, mannerisms and attitudes that reveal peoples intent. I have been told and surprised many times by what I purportedly believe. I am even more surprised that some people people accept such conjectures at face value without question or further investigation. The Mormons, as all faiths, deserve the courtesy to define their own faith and not have it defined by others, especially their enemies.

My Mother was raised Baptist. So demonized were Catholics by Baptists of her generation that she once told me she was actually afraid of them as a Baptists youth. Protestants and Evangelicals have come a long way in the South, some of them maybe just not quite long enough.

Annie Oakley

January 5th, 2012
4:57 pm

Thank you David for clarifying what YOU think a Christian is. Thank goodness your authority to define “Christian” is recognized by neither man nor God.

I am a Georgian, a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend and a Christian. I am also a Mormon and proud to be so. I am happy to allow you to exercise your free agency and worship as you please without trying to define for others whether or not you are a Christian. Apparently you missed that little verse in the Bible that says “Judge not”.