# 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:** 2
**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, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/21 "2011-06-08T20:56:26Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > 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. The same thing was said about JFK. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/22 "2011-06-08T21:06:27Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Romney’s always been kind of Mormon light to begin with. That’s been my impression, too, but can a (former) Mormon here tell us how “light” he is? Really, most presidents tend to be pretty “light” about their religion–my gut tells me that the majority of politicians know they have to have some kind of religion to get elected, so they usually just find a token association with a church. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/23 "2011-06-08T21:09:19Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The same thing was said about JFK. Yeah, but I’m pretty sure he _was_ lying about being devout. ---
**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, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/24 "2011-06-08T21:13:06Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] 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? [/QUOTE] For me the fact that the Mormon church organized and arranged the financing of Prop 8 is a major factor. To his credit Romney has done some good things for the GLBT community in terms of non-discrimination but he has consistently said he disagrees with the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that allowed gay marriage and that he favors a Federal Marriage amendment and even testified to Congress about the issue. While he is no more fanatical than many other anti GLBT rights politicians, I think it likely his church affiliation is behind much of his denunciation of same sex marriage more than conservative citizens. And as Dogzilla commented, he has sworn to use his office to promote his church. Either he lied in a sacred vow or he didn’t, and neither is a recommendation. ---
**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, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/25 "2011-06-08T21:15:23Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > 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? Whatever. I wouldn’t vote for a Catholic, either. They’re in tacit cahoots with child abusers and are anti-womens’ rights. No-go for me. Same thing with Muslims or fundies. None of that woman-hatin’, bigoted shit deserves representation in high office. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/26 "2011-06-08T21:18:24Z")
Quoth **Dogzilla** : > [@](#): > > 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. Your second and third sentences are true enough, but they don’t really relate to the first. So far as I know, members of _all_ religions are expected to live their whole lives in holiness as defined in that religion. Your religion isn’t just something you put on and take off for an hour a week with your Sunday clothes. Jews don’t proselytize, but that’s just because proselytizing isn’t a part of the Jewish religion, not because they’re setting their religion aside. But to answer the OP, what’s relevant is what Mitt Romney thinks and does, not what his church thinks. The fact that the LDS church opposes gay marriage, for instance, is irrelevant: What matters is whether Mitt Romney opposes it, and what he plans to do about it. Heck, the Catholic church opposes gay marriage, too, and that doesn’t stop me from supporting it: I just disagree with my church on that point. ---
**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, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/27 "2011-06-08T21:24:40Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > That’s been my impression, too, but can a (former) Mormon here tell us how “light” he is? > > Really, most presidents tend to be pretty “light” about their religion–my gut tells me that the majority of politicians know they have to have some kind of religion to get elected, so they usually just find a token association with a church. He’s taken political positions that are contrary to the church, promising to further gay rights and supported pro choice positions. He doesn’t seem to have issues working on Sunday or require others to do so. He misses masses regularly He drinks caffeinated drinks frequently. I’m sure someone active with the church could go into more detail of his behavior but I don’t follow his daily routine. I’ve just always been left with the impression he lives his life and is Mormon rather then lives his life as a Mormon. ---
**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, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/28 "2011-06-08T21:26:33Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > 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. I do quite often forget the differences between the US and Canada, since we seem so similar in many things. A [Prime Minister](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harper#Personal_life) who is a member of an evangelical Protestant church hasn’t hurt us too much - because he realizes trying to turn back time on some issues won’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/29 "2011-06-08T21:27:14Z")
In my view, religion is religion, all pretty much equally psychotic. I’d be concerned over how likely he was to try to put his religious nonsense into law, not over what particular brand of nonsense he follows. A Mormon who’ll leave me alone is better than a Catholic or whatever who’ll try to legislate my private life. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/30 "2011-06-08T21:29:44Z")
I answered “Some, but not enough to keep me from voting for them” but that would apply to anyone who’s devout in ANY religion. I would want reassurance that they’re not a) intolerant or b) insane. Barring either of those, I wouldn’t vote based on what anyone’s religion or non-religion may be. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/31 "2011-06-08T21:48:51Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > **Sampiro** , as an exmormon, it would bother me terribly because of the [Law of Consecration.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_consecration) > > 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. This is why our government has checks and balances and complicated ways to get things done–one person can’t do any of the things you are afraid of. As a fiscally conservative and socially liberal atheist, I’m always going to have to accept some large differences in a candidate if I’m going to vote at all. Right now I vote for the most fiscallt conservative candidate, so I’d vote for Romney despite the mormonism. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/32 "2011-06-08T22:07:38Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > As a fiscally conservative and socially liberal atheist, I’m always going to have to accept some large differences in a candidate if I’m going to vote at all. Right now I vote for the most fiscallt conservative candidate, so I’d vote for Romney despite the mormonism. Which means that socially liberal is just something you like to say and it doesn’t actually mean anything in terms of how you vote. Thanks for clarifying. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/33 "2011-06-08T22:09:12Z")
There’s almost zero chance I’d vote for him, but his Mormonism has nothing to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/34 "2011-06-08T22:28:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **Dogzilla** :Your second and third sentences are true enough, but they don’t really relate to the first. So far as I know, members of _all_ religions are expected to live their whole lives in holiness as defined in that religion. Your religion isn’t just something you put on and take off for an hour a week with your Sunday clothes. Jews don’t proselytize, but that’s just because proselytizing isn’t a part of the Jewish religion, not because they’re setting their religion aside. > > But to answer the OP, what’s relevant is what Mitt Romney thinks and does, not what his church thinks. The fact that the LDS church opposes gay marriage, for instance, is irrelevant: What matters is whether Mitt Romney opposes it, and what he plans to do about it. Heck, the Catholic church opposes gay marriage, too, and that doesn’t stop me from supporting it: I just disagree with my church on that point. Wow. I couldn’t have said it better myself. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/35 "2011-06-08T23:40:25Z")
I would be slightly more likely to vote for a Mormon than a Scientologist. I would never vote for a Scientologist. I would be somewhat more likely to vote for an Athiest than a Mormon. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/36 "2011-06-09T00:37:57Z")
Not a bit, because I don’t think he believes in it. Or in anything other than himself, really. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/37 "2011-06-09T00:47:27Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > For me the fact that the Mormon church organized and arranged the financing of Prop 8 is a major factor. To his credit Romney has done some good things for the GLBT community in terms of non-discrimination but he has consistently said he disagrees with the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that allowed gay marriage and that he favors a Federal Marriage amendment and even testified to Congress about the issue. While he is no more fanatical than many other anti GLBT rights politicians, I think it likely his church affiliation is behind much of his denunciation of same sex marriage more than conservative citizens. I suspect his desire to run as a Republican is behind it to a far greater extent. Huckabee and Palin both have more bizarre religious views than Palin. Is Harry Reid suspect because he is a Mormon? Romney’s father was a liberal Republican, how about him? Do you have any real cases where a politician’s Mormon faith made him do something evil, as opposed to general conservatism? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/38 "2011-06-09T01:06:34Z")
I think my response would be “No more than any candidate’s religion bother me”. I have no problem with a politician having religious beliefs as long as he is able to maintain a separation between them and his public duties. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/39 "2011-06-09T01:31:04Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Do you have any real cases where a politician’s Mormon faith made him do something evil, as opposed to general conservatism? Yes, meet charming sociopath Chris Buttars: [Chris Buttars - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Buttars) But, no, I’m not too worried about Mitt’s Mormonism. He’s proved time and again that there isn’t a single thing he believes in that he won’t disavow to get elected. Mitt’s consecrated all his time, money and efforts to getting his ass in office and nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/40 "2011-06-09T01:39:46Z")
> [@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. I’m a theist, but I voted “some” for pretty much the same reasons. I don’t begrudge anyone their right to religious belief, but the phrase “devout [any religion]” does tend to make me a bit uneasy. Give me quietly Catholic, just barely Jewish, or lapsed Baptist over the devout of any stripe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768.md?page=3)