# Poll: Does Romney's Mormonism bother you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768 "2011-06-08T19:15:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/1 "2011-06-08T19:15:31Z")
It doesn’t even have to be Romney if there are too many reasons you’d never vote for him that have nothing to do with Mormonism. Assume there’s a candidate you are interested in, and said candidate is a very devout (by his own declaration) tithe-paying temple garment wearing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Would this bother you? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/2 "2011-06-08T19:35:44Z")
I would never vote for a devout Mormon. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/3 "2011-06-08T19:36:36Z")
I answered “some,” but really it isn’t any more or less than any other religeous person. I’m an atheist, and I find it depressing and disturbing this is even an issue. If a person can’t disregrard their personal beliefs for the good of the country they want to lead, they shouldn’t throw their hat in the ring. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/4 "2011-06-08T19:43:46Z")
Romney bothers me, but not due to his Mormonism ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/5 "2011-06-08T19:45:32Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I answered “some,” but really it isn’t any more or less than any other religeous person. I’m an atheist, and I find it depressing and disturbing this is even an issue. If a person can’t disregrard their personal beliefs for the good of the country they want to lead, they shouldn’t throw their hat in the ring. This is largely my view. The main thing that concerns me as a gaytheist is whether he’s going to follow his church’s teachings whenever a gay issue is up for his signature and how socially conservative his appointees to the SCotUS will be, but these would be issues with a member of any “faith over reason” homophobic religion. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/6 "2011-06-08T19:45:37Z")
**Sampiro** , as an exmormon, it would bother me terribly because of the [Law of Consecration.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_consecration) > [@Wikipedia](#): > > Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still covenant to live the law of consecration their time, talents, energy and everything with which the Lord has or will bless them with to building the kingdom of God and establishing Zion. A tithe-paying, garment-wearing mormon would have made this covenant in the temple. That could open the door to basically turning the federal government over to the mormon church. I would be very, very concerned that any mormon president would call for legislation based upon his religious beliefs. I left mormonism, for some very specific reasons. I am not inclined to vote for someone who may wish to impose that same belief system – from which I made a studied and conscious choice to walk away from – on my life. It’s a slippery slope. One day, Mitt Romney’s president and the next, it’s suddenly illegal to have more than two earrings in one ear. Oh, and you can forget all about gaining any ground on GLBT rights. Nevermind abortion, we women can forget all about trying to obtain birth control. Do you really want people who still believe they are supposed to multiply and replenish the earth making decisions about family planning for you? I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/7 "2011-06-08T19:49:21Z")
If I eschewed a Mormon candidate, I’d have to do the same for mainstream Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. There’d be nobody left to vote for, as it seems virtually all candidates for major offices are either religious themselves, or feel the need to pander to those who are by pretending. The key, as with any candidate of any religion, is how much they would allow their mumbo-jumbo woo beliefs to influence their policy decisions. So “some,” as I’d need to be convinced that the answer to the above is “not at all.” ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/8 "2011-06-08T19:51:29Z")
“Devout” politicians scare me. They are guided by beliefs that seem arbitrary to me. Mitt seems like he may have it under control but who can say what the church will decide is right or wrong tomorrow. I do know that I don’t have any say in the doctrine of the Mormon church, which a devout Mormon would feel compelled to follow. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/9 "2011-06-08T19:54:31Z")
For me, the difference is, in other religions, adherents aren’t expected to make a covenant to consecrate all their time, talents, and resources over to the church. Jews aren’t expected to turn everybody else into Jews. Catholics aren’t expected to impose their belief systems on others. I would eschew any candidate that I find to be overly evangelistic and fundamentalist in belief. There’s no room for that in government and this is _not_ a Christian country. Already the conservative Christian movement has been quite successful in cramming Christian ideals down my throat via legislation. What we don’t need is someone at the top who is part of a religion that is about as fringe as it gets (with the possible exception of Scientology) to jack up the control by orders of magnitude. And no, I wouldn’t vote for a Scientologist either. Or a Jehovah’s Witness. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/10 "2011-06-08T20:00:08Z")
I’m devoutly religious myself; so although I don’t have a problem with a candidate of any religion I’d want to be assured that the candidate’s religious beliefs would not interfere with his or her ability to repect and uphold the rights of those who do not share his or her faith. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/11 "2011-06-08T20:02:30Z")
If he doesn’t mix his religion with his politics, it doesn’t matter to me. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/12 "2011-06-08T20:13:56Z")
Any devoutly religious candidate bothers me, but some more than others. Generally I don’t want a clear hierarchy (Catholicism and, I assume, Mormonism), and I don’t want idiocy (fundamentalism.) With a rigid hierarchy, there are possible problems with a candidate having to honor or ignore his religion’s leader. I also don’t want fanaticism and cultural control. My impression is that Mormonism is a little heavier on those things than most other religions. Depends on the individual locale and congregation probably. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/13 "2011-06-08T20:14:03Z")
It bothers me as much as any politician who is deeply religious. I just feel it has no place in government whatsoever. I suppose I am more prejudice against a Mormon candidate than I would be a Catholic or Jewish one. Mainly because I find the Mormon beliefs to be so outlandish. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/14 "2011-06-08T20:17:26Z")
I could care less about my candidate’s religious beliefs, as long as he keeps them in his pants. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/15 "2011-06-08T20:28:08Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > If he doesn’t mix his religion with his politics, it doesn’t matter to me. If he says he won’t then he’s probably either lying about it not affecting his decisions or he’s lying about being devout. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/16 "2011-06-08T20:30:12Z")
I wouldn’t vote for him anyway, but his religious affiliation bothers me. A lot. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/17 "2011-06-08T20:38:42Z")
Romney’s always been kind of Mormon light to begin with. I have a number of reasons I’d never vote for Romney, His Mormonism barely makes the list. I was raised Mormon, I would tend to vote against a Mormon for any office unless they took time to convince me otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/18 "2011-06-08T20:41:07Z")
Mormons are fucked up as a football bat. No way. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/19 "2011-06-08T20:47:17Z")
Can we tell from Romney’s gubernatorial activities whether he’ll let his faith affect his activities as President? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/20 "2011-06-08T20:55:21Z")
Politicians’ religious beliefs don’t matter to me at all as long as they keep them separated from their jobs. I don’t think Romney’s religion is an issue, and I would be very unhappy to see Obama or the Democrats try to _make_ it an issue. To me that smacks of the anti-Catholic paranoia that JFK had to deal with (“he’ll take orders from the Pope”), and isn’t far removed from Islamophic, antisemitic or anti-atheist paranoia. Romney should be evaluated on his _political_ merits only, and I think liberals need to be really careful about opening this can of worms. How is Romney’s faith really any more crazy than Keith Ellison’s or Barack Obama’s? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768.md?page=2)