Comments on: Mitt and Mormons, Romney and Race

By: James

James — Thu, 10 May 2007 00:23:00 +0000

I also empathize with your concerns Jill and appreciate your blog entry. I wasn't aware of the inauguration embarrassment but I would imagine that was more his rabidly partisan politics and busy presidential ambitions than any hidden racism. [Full disclosure: I am active member of the LDS church that is actively opposing Mitt in my community because of his pro-war stance. (I happen to feel that our current foreign policy is very un-Christian and am shocked and dismayed to find Romney more supportive of it than anyone . . . as a Mormon I'm glad Harry Reid is in the Senate to let people know Romney's view isn't "a Mormon thing")]
It looks like other posters alluded to this, but the racist "doctrines" that finally got officially renounced (and yes I agree it was shockingly, embarrassingly, and disturbingly late) were never well grounded. One of my college professors wrote the leader of the Church in his youth questioning the policies and got a very frank letter back explaining that he had accepted the policies as having some doctrinal basis since he was a boy and had never realized that they had none until researching to do the letter (nevertheless it was one of his successors that officially ended the practice). As one commenter referred to, the founder of the Church (Joseph Smith) ordained a number of blacks to the ministry before a successor of his introduced the racist ideas. A number of mainstream churches these days have relatively recent segregationist and misguided policies within their recollectable pasts. A number of people went to those churches in those days with no expectation that the glacially slow conservative leaders would keep official pace with the progressive cultural politics on the ground. I think the LDS track record since 1978 is more in harmony with its origins of racial equality and fairness, but I don't think Romney's affiliation with the Church pre-1978 is any sort of evidence of latent racism. There are a number of doctrines that have more primacy (the 2nd stated Article of Faith is one) that have remained consistent since the Church's inception and that proclaim racial equality and the universal brotherhood of all peoples.

By: Archgarth

Archgarth — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:05:00 +0000

I wish that a reporter would ask Gov. Romney a valid, candid question about his religion. When one is seeking the highest office in the land, a candidate does open oneself to authentic questions about what they believe, and whether or not one's religious beliefs will affect the way they govern. An atheist candidate should rightly be asked about how he views the right to practice religion. John Kerry was asked about his views on abortion and birth control, as the Catholic church has expressed positions regarding these topics, and the American public has a right to know if he has a different opinion than his religion.

My candid question for Gov Romney would be whether or not he believes, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does, that blacks are descended from Cain, and that their black skin is a mark of the curse. A simple yes or no, and why he has his opinion would suffice for me. As a presidential candidate, charged with representing and safeguarding the liberties for people of all ethnicities, I think the question truly matters as to whether or not he thinks that the entire African ethnicity is literally descended from the biblical first murderer.

While it needs to be noted, that in 1978, the LDS church did finally allow blacks to hold the priesthood after a "revelation" from God, the truthfulness of the Curse of Cain Doctrine has never been questioned, nor retracted. As far as the church is concerned, it doesn't matter anymore because blacks now have equal rights in the church, but they are still descended from the first murderer, and their skin is Black because of it.

By: field negro

field negro — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:53:00 +0000

Nice post Jill, I too have known some LDS, and have often found them to be decent people. Trust me, as someone who grew up as a Seventh Day Adventist, I would never question the LDS for their faith or their purpose. I understand when others view your religion as a cult or something different.

My issue with Romney has nothing to do with his religion, but with his propensity to stray from the truth. His flip flopping on the abortion issue, and his, ahem ahem, little mistatement about his hunting prowess comes to mind.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:38:00 +0000

Hi Jill,

I am sympathetic with your concerns of Mitt Romney's potential racism. But I do not think you have anything to worry about. The fact is that most Mormons have always supported civil rights for blacks. The priesthood ban was a religious policy that only affected African Americans who believed in the LDS church and voluntarily chose to remain in it. They must have had good reasons to stay in an organization that discriminated against them. Most Mormons do not understand why or how the priesthood ban was implemented. Many are and were embarrassed by it. Once the priesthood ban was stopped, I believe most Mormons breathed a grateful sigh of relief and were happy.
Before you condemn Mitt Romney too harshly for any suspected latent racism on his part, you should seek to understand the culture of his church and the attitudes of the people, including black Mormons within the church before the ending of the priesthood ban. Why would they have stayed in an organization that discriminated against them?

By: rikyrah

rikyrah — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:00:00 +0000

Didn't know about the Deval Patrick inauguration brouh-ha-ha. Thanks for informing me. I'll also remind you that he's decided to turn down the invitation to speak in front of the Urban League. The Urban League? Like anything could be more mainstream and conservative than the Urban League in Black America.

I already knew the 4-1-1 on the Mormon church. I don't trust Romney because he's a blatant opportunist.

Give me an old, died in the wool, they've been conservative since television came on the scene. At least, even when you disagree with them, you think that there personal beliefs are true, and they're true to themselves.

He's a fake, phony and racist. That's a trifecta no-no for me.