That's more flip-flopping than you'll see at a Ringling Brothers acrobatics' convention.
We know that Willard has no allegiance to principles, because he changes them as often as he changes his socks. But we didn't expect the Protestant version of The Pope, Rev. Billy Graham, to abandon his belief--that Mormonism is a cult--so quickly and cynically as Willard has abandoned his core values.
"The prominent Christian evangelist Billy Graham has taken public steps to embrace Mitt Romney for president this week, removing Romney’s Mormon religion from a list of cults on his website and taking out an advertisement that appears to urge people to vote for Romney.
Graham’s Evangelistic Association removed the word Mormon from its website, where it used to be listed along with Jehovah’s Witnesses and Scientology as a cult.
The move comes just a week after Romney visited Graham at his home in North Carolina." --ABCNews
It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world out there. One minute the Protestant Pope calls Mormonism a cult; the next minute he's embracing Mormonism and Willard and telling us to vote for candidates "who base their decisions on biblical principles" :
“As I approach my 94th birthday, I realize this election may be my last,” Graham says in the ad. “I believe it is vitally important that we cast our ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and support the nation of Israel. I urge you to vote for those who protect the sanctity of life and support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman.”
What Graham stated above is contra to everything our Founding Fathers set forth in the Constitution--especially this part:
"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
We don't expect a doddering old man to remember the bedrock principles on which this nation was founded, but we do expect Americans to wholly reject the idea that they base their electoral decisons for public office on "biblical principles."
Religion-based politics is a bad idea. Just look to the Middle East for proof.
18 comments:
I don't have a problem with a pastor sharing his opinions. I have never spoken out against black pastors urging their congregations to support the President and I don't see Billy removing Mormonism from a list of cults and supporting Romney as an issue to be concerned about. We elected Obama despite Rev Wright's histrionics. We will be okay in this case as well.
Good to hear your views on it though.
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend."
~Thomas Jefferson
Destructive cult or benign religion?
The *Cult* word gets overused,but in some cases it is appropriate.
The definition of a destructive religious cult is like alcoholism-if booze controls you instead of the other way around you are an alcoholic.
I was in the Watchtower society Jehovah's Witnesses,they are not benevolent and won't let you leave their organization in peace.The Jehovahs are not without scandals-child abuse,deceptive mind control tactics, sex scandals, money scams, general bad behavior.
Is it a cult?
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck....
Danny Haszard *tell the truth don't be afraid*
I guess Adams would disagree with Jefferson's statement about his sincerity towards a friend.
KP, there is no problem with a pastor supporting a political candidate.
The point of my blog post was twofold: 1) how quickly, and without explanation, Graham changed his long-time belief that Mormonism is a cult, and 2) Graham urging Americans to base their voting for a secular political office on biblical principles.
My opinion is that a government should avoid mixing religious beliefs with politics.
Danny H.,
Rev. Graham has labeled Mormonism as a cult, then mysteriously changed his claim.
I'm familiar with the J.W.s, a member of my family belonged to that cult.
Jefferson set the hypocrisy of political behavior using the religious morals of his time.
He accused Adams of keeping a whore. Something Jefferson knew would destroy Adams reputation, because religious morals of the time made that unacceptable.
Of course it was a lie. Adams was helping a female get through poverty.
In fact it was Jefferson sleeping with his slave.
How little the hypocritical, lying character of politicians has changed.
Adams and Jefferson didn't speak for decades. The quote you use from Jefferson flies in the face of his dirty actions.
All religions are cults.
Why does the pronouncements of a Christian pastor bother bother the Lilith celebrators and Gaia worshipers on the left?
But couldn't all religions be labeled as cults because they all follow certain ritual practices.
LDS have beliefs and practices but so does the Catholics church. Does that make the Catholic religion a cult.
The division of church and state becomes muddy but there always has been a close relationship. As long as we maintain religious beliefs, we will continue to have the interference of religion in political matters.
As a strong evangelical, I struggle with, as do many of my friends, the decision by the BGA to remove Mormonism from their list of cults.
For years Christians have stood against the claims of Mormonism and any and all attempts to equate it with historic Christianity.
Since the days of Walter Martin's classic, "Kingdom of the Cults" Mormonism has been seen as a false faith in contradiction to the tenets of Christianity.
Now, we can decide that there must be a way for us to have legitimate dialogue between people of differing religions and beliefs, but it is hard to argue that the recent actions by the BGA and its leader Franklin Graham are not political.
If the organization feels Mormonism does not now rise to the level of a cult, as they have believed for years, that is their right.
But let's at least be honest about this naked political act.
This was a way for millions of evangelical believers to be able to say they voted for a God fearing man who is not part of a cult.
It was, in my opinion, a complete sell out by the BGA. If they really believed this was the right thing to do, why not wait until after the election before taking this action?
"Why does the pronouncements of a Christian pastor bother bother the Lilith celebrators and Gaia worshipers on the left?"
You missed the point, SF. It's not the pronouncements, it's the fact that Graham, in the wink of an eye, changed his assessment of the Mormon religion as a cult, after Willard spoke to him. Curious. And cynical.
SF, see Dave's comment:
"But let's at least be honest about this naked political act.
This was a way for millions of evangelical believers to be able to say they voted for a God fearing man who is not part of a cult.
It was, in my opinion, a complete sell out by the BGA. If they really believed this was the right thing to do, why not wait until after the election before taking this action?"
" a complete sell out by the BGA"
I wonder how much Mitt paid for it?
I'll bet you $10,000 it was a lot.
@Anon October 25, 2012 11:16 AM
<< I guess Adams would disagree with Jefferson's statement about his sincerity towards a friend. >>
Interesting.
I hope Shaw took it the way it was meant -- as a compliment.
KP,
As Steve explained, Jefferson may have said that, but did not live it. He certainly withdrew from his friend Adams over politics, and he was not nice, or honest about it.
I gathered that. I didn't refute you. What is your point?
"... we do expect Americans to wholly reject the idea that they base their electoral decisons for public office on "biblical principles."
Agreed.
Billy Graham is a man of the cloth, and much of that cloth is the linen currency is printed on. He's been a consort and confidante of presidents going back to Nixon for the same reason Dave Letterman invites Obama to appear on his show and Obama accepts: it's a mutually beneficial PR move that adds to Graham's prestige and builds his brand. It adds up to bigger crowds, books sales and donations. Ca-ching.
Graham's son Franklin is carrying on the brand, increasing its already decidedly Republican tilt. So, Billy Graham's late-in-the-game embrace of Romney at a time when the polls show the race very close isn't surprising. No sense letting a Republican presidency slip by without having jumped on board, even if it isn't a sure thing.
Difference between a cult and a religion:
In a cult, there is one person at the top who knows the whole thing is a scam.
In a religion, that person is dead.
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